Something quirky this way comes

[JimD]

Well, since no one could tell me the value of a 1972 Fiat 124 Special, I went and bought it. Now I know. I paid less than the max amount I took with me, so I will tell myself I did OK.

The car has about 57,000 miles on the odometer, but the odo is only 5 digits. The seller said that the PO told him he thought it was 157,000, but the car doesn't look like it went 157,000.

I "think" the car is in pretty good shape. I crawled underneath and it is not all rusted out, looks pretty nice. The body looks really solid, although someone did some rattle can painting on it. They did a decent job, but let drips. I knocked around the sprayed areas and they still sounded like steel panels. All the trim, lenses, bumpers and interior bits seem to be present.

I was able to get it in and drive it around the block a few times. It didn't want to gitup'ngo, but it ran OK as long as I didn't try to floor it . The seller had temporarily wired in an electric pump because the mechanical wasn't working. To get it running you have to hook the leads to the battery posts and hop in the car, so it wasn't an ideal test drive. The brakes worked, the automagic shifted smoothly, parking brake worked well. The oil and trans fluid looked clean, not like it had been in there 4evah.

Here are some quick pictures from when I got home with the car still on my trailer:

Front and rear floor pans look solid:

Engine bay looks clean-ish. Need a new fuel pump. Unfortunately this wasn't a T model with the twin cam. I was hoping, but as they say: You can hope in one hand and sh1t in the other, then see which one fills up first.

Hood and around windscreen is clean:

I really like the look of the front end:

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NOTE : When trying to get rid of the dying Photobucket links, I found I had to chop this thread in half to get around the 10 picture limit in the new software. The thread picks up below in a new reply.

 

[zonker]

Congrats, Jim - I think you found a definate keeper!

 

[mid79]

Nice!

Looks pretty sweet and your wife sounds very wise.

 

[kmead]

That is a great find. Good for you!

It could be converted into a Special with some parts from a Spider before 1975, engine, transmission and rear axle. You will also need to find either a Coupe driveshaft or a sedan driveshaft intended for a manual transmission.

The GM auto tragic is a good tranny, just not a lot of fun... Though if you put in a hot twin am it could be decently entertaining

 

[JimD]

I rarely keep any of them

Thanks Rob. This car really isn't my usual style, but it seemed so nice I felt compelled to bring it home. I usually keep one of these "hobby" cars for a couple years and them move it on when I find a new "boy that looks like fun" target.

I would say the exception is my 78X, which I have had since 2003. If my wife really takes a shine to this 124 and actually drives it around, I may have to keep it.

If I had unlimited funds and storage, along with a full time maintenance crew, I would be Jay Leno. Then I could keep them all.

 

[JimD]

Hmmm

Well Tom, she did marry me, so her wisdom is in question. On the other hand she is an extremely patient woman who has put up with all my Fiat purchases and sales for the last 12 years. I am a lucky guy for sure.

She did put her foot down when I had a 79 X and a 75 parts car parked in the backyard within view of the kitchen window. I gave away the 75 and sold the 79 to JimV here on Xweb. Problem solved.

 

[JimD]

Good plan Karl

I will start that swap right after I finish the 1500/FI swap on my 78X. Of course I started that swap 4 years ago and I am still not done. Let's see how long it takes me to put the fuel pump in this 124 before we start getting crazy on changing out the engine.:nuts:

 

[JimD]

new fuel pump installed

I got a new mechanical pump from MWB and installed it today. The good news is the car now runs, the bad news is that it doesn't run real well. I drove it around the subdivision for about 15 minutes. Seems to run better with the choke knob pulled out. I am sure I need to do a lot of cleaning and adjusting on this engine before it will be ready for prime time.

There is also a pull knob labeled "Throttle". I have no idea what that is supposed to do. It didn't seem to do anything when I pulled it while driving. The car came with lots of manuals, so I guess the answer is in one of them.

Now I need to go thru every mechanical system and see if it is working right. Definitely needs better tires. I want to get this car inspected and titled soon. It is funny watching everyone looking at me cruise the neighborhood. Since I replaced the fuel pump, I did look in the mirrors to make sure they weren't looking at me because I was on fire.

 

[Matt Brannon - Midwest Bayless]

Throttle - Adventurous Mans Cruise Control

The Throttle knob is actually meant to be a cruise control.

<gulp>

Pull the knob out and it will hold the throttle in that position. Twist the knob to release the grip on the cable and return it back to normal.

Also helpful for keeping the cold motor running when choke / jetting isn't quite right.

For those looky-loos, you should order a Soviet costume for your wife and she can tell them you've landed roles as extras in "The Amerikans" or a remake of "Spies Like Us".

-M

 

[JimD]

Note to self

Note to self : Stop messing with the throttle knob.

Thanks for the heads up Matt. That's a good piece of info. I guess if you are cruising down the highway that might be nice, but it does sound a little adventurous.

 

[JimD]

NOTE: This is the second half of the original post. I had to chop it because I had more than 10 pictures in the thread. Then I found I had 12 pictures in this half, so... use your imaginations on the 2 pics I left out.
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Trunk looks clean and fairly rust free. I pulled the pass side mat up for a peek. The gas tank looks refurbed or new, but seems to be a little small. Note the tank strap seems way too long. Lots of manuals, a few parts, a can of liquid wrench , a rattle can of matching paint and even a matching shirt the owner passed along.

It is not without its flaws of course, 43 years is a long time. There are some door dings and roof dings. Most of the dings have some rust on them. The roof looks like they mounted a strap down luggage rack and got overzealous in tightening it. There are four dents, with two on each side near the rain gutters. There is a rust spot right in the middle where I suppose the rack rubbed.

The driver's seat is split, kind of "to be expected" on a driver. Rear seat looks good. Dash is nice.

My wife says it looks like a fun car to drive around. You certainly won't see your car coming and going all around town like with her CR-V. I think I will shine her up, stick some wider wheels and tires on and see how she looks. After I replace the fuel pump.

 

[NM850]

Nice find. Despite a little rash rash here and there its obvious someone cared for this car for it last this long.

 

[ghostdancing]

being italian it's very strange to see this old boxy car on a US road...i understand that for you it should be a super exotic vehicle.. just as for me would be a '59 buick parked in my street..

 

[motoTrooper]

Neat little sedan Jim, but I'm a bit confused. Did you get this back in 2015 (according to the posting date) and then update the other half of the post thread three years later? Or are you using your moderator time travel skills to mess with us that look at posting dates?

 

[JimD]

Neat little sedan Jim, but I'm a bit confused. Did you get this back in 2015 (according to the posting date) and then update the other half of the post thread three years later? Or are you using your moderator time travel skills to mess with us that look at posting dates?

Hi moto,

Yep, bought it in 2015. I have been trying to remove Photo bucket links in my old posts as I find time. The original post had too many pictures (limit is 10 per post in v3) and I had to use a reply which obviously makes it show up as new. I didn't think that all the way thru and here we are. If I could have added all the photos as an edit instead of a new reply, it would not have been flagged as new.

Oops.