Uh oh another free 124 Spider

jforb427

jforb427

Low Mileage
I got this free 1976 today, and will pick up the two free parts cars tomorrow. It's really not that bad....although I haven't tried to get anything working yet. It sat for a long time (decades?) but only has a little rodent damage.

The hardtop might be good for someone, but I prefer a soft top, so I'll probably spend hundreds of dollars buying one, then the weatherstrip, etc. After I get the car stopping, cooling, and running, of course.

Also has aftermarket AC. I probably don't need that, either.

before.jpg
 
we were down to 4....oh well!

A few more pictures. Looking at paperwork, it's probably been sitting 30 years.

Is this an original heater hose clamp?

before heater hose.jpg


The underside

before rear end.jpg


before transmission.jpg


The trunk. Smells like bad gas.

before trunk.jpg


The engine.

before engine.jpg


Inside before cleaning. You can see the AC evaporator laying on the floor.

before interior.jpg
 
I spent most of the day taking stuff off rat infested parts cars, but also got half of the AC removed from the good car, as well as the really yucky gas tank (the blue parts car had a good tank).

mess.jpg
 
The yellow parts car has the split pin clamps almost everywhere. It was taken off the road when it was about 5 years old, I think. I did read up on the clamps...neat...but probably won't go back on while I have it.
 
jforb427 said:
The yellow parts car has the split pin clamps almost everywhere. It was taken off the road when it was about 5 years old, I think. I did read up on the clamps...neat...but probably won't go back on while I have it.
Click to expand...
Yeah they are not fun to play with if you don’t hav the right tool (I don’t)
 
I could make the right tool....but then I'd need to buy some new band material, etc. There are plenty of screw type clamps on the 3 cars, enough to put one car together, I think

I decided to look into the front stuff on the one I'm hoping to get running. I pulled the radiator and the rest of the AC, it was really hard getting the compressor bolts out, must have been a real bear to just adjust the belt. Aftermarket parts. And I took off the belt cover, etc.

lots of oil residue, I guess I'll find out what's leaking...I should probably start replacing seals first, but then I won't get to work on it again soon.

mill02.jpg
timing 01.jpg
 
If you remove all the emissions stuff in the engine bay you can get rid of a ton of wires and mystery switches and cannisters.
 
That's part of the plan...although this car had stuff removed already, and I think that's why it was not on the road for a long time, it needed stuff replaced to pass smog in Tucson.

I think I'll keep the fuel vapor stuff, to see if I can keep the fuel smell down to a reasonable level. With the tank in the trunk, and all.
 
jforb427 said:
I could make the right tool....but then I'd need to buy some new band material, etc. There are plenty of screw type clamps on the 3 cars, enough to put one car together, I think

I decided to look into the front stuff on the one I'm hoping to get running. I pulled the radiator and the rest of the AC, it was really hard getting the compressor bolts out, must have been a real bear to just adjust the belt. Aftermarket parts. And I took off the belt cover, etc.

lots of oil residue, I guess I'll find out what's leaking...I should probably start replacing seals first, but then I won't get to work on it again soon.

View attachment 83128View attachment 83129
Click to expand...

Just in case you get inspired to restore it to it's original condition:

Clamps - Banding + Buckles - BelMetric

belmetric.com belmetric.com
 
there are a few places where having the ability to tighten the clamp using a tool parallel to the hose, would come in handy...

Anyways, I did some more tinkering, took off the belt and cleaned up the pulleys and belt, and put the belt back on, and turned the engine over a few times. Feels kind of normal . Might have stuck rings causing low compression, but hard to tell as I don't have much experience with how hard it is to turn little engines (mostly I play with old Chevy V8s). I also spun the oil pump pulley for a while to get oil moving, while the belt was off. Pulled the plugs and they all look like spark plugs, nothing weird growing on them, although the gaps were not quite as they should be.

I also got the fuel supply and return lines blown out, they had foul old gas in them, but were not plugged. The cooling system is rather crappy inside, though.

I should have a bunch of new parts this weekend.

4760 block.jpg
 
It is highly recommended you put a new timing belt on before starting the motor. Also check the belt tensioner for smooth spinning. Hopefully you won't try to start it on whatever crap is now residing in the gas tank.

While there are many 124 spider owners here, the definitive 124 forum is Mirafiori.com so you would probably get a larger audience over there.
 
The tank that was in the car was filled with black goo...the tank from the parts car is pretty nice inside. I wasn't planning to start the engine till I get the new belt and tensioner on, along with the new water pump, fuel pump, and carb overhaul. Thanks for looking out for me.
 
Glad to help. We are all looking out for each other. We all are ready to give advice, some of it even accurate and have a little fun in the process.
 
I got brave and connected the battery. And a couple things work! Took me a long time to figure out that the headlights need the key on to work, the wiring diagrams I have don't note this feature...but careful reading of the owners manual reveals it.

light.jpg
 
I got the fuel system in and functioning, it pumps fresh fuel to the front of the car. And the gas gauge works. Still a lot of work to do, but getting a part done makes it feel like it'll all get done eventually

trunk.jpg
shop 20240404.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top