After many years of researching and wanting to own an “old car made in Italy,” I made the decision in 2003 that it was going to be time to buy one, and so I began looking for the right Fiat. The 124 Spider was manufactured for a healthy span between 1966 to 1980, followed by other variants like the 2000 Spider. The front-engine, rear-wheel drive, four-wheel disc brake car was designed by the late Tom Tjaarda at Pininfarina. In short, it was a car that fit all my criteria and was not going to cost in the Ferrari range. The only issue was the 124 Spider was never released in Australia, so finding a good one would have its challenges.
That said, I stumbled across this car accidentally Sydney. To my surprise, sitting under a cover in a mechanical workshop, I found my early chrome-bumper Spider. My initial thought upon removing the cover was going to need a substantial amount of work to return to the road. It was not running at the time, and there was a substantial amount of rust, which was typical.
I made courageous decision purchase the car. My original goal was to return the car to its original glory. This would take some work!
Firstly, the car was completely dismantled before being sent off to the sandblasters to have a good understanding of what’s there to work with. The result wasn’t good. Rust holes everywhere. The front end had clearly been involved in a serious incident too. Nearly every panel had damage or rust. The bottom seals on the rocker panels and sub-structure were rotten, and rust had found its way in to the inner structure. The list of ailments continued to grow…
After some research, the car was confirmed as an original black (Nero) 1967 Fiat 124 Spider build number 645. The Fiat 124 Spider debuted in Turin in November 1966, and given the build number of this Spider, I’d say this is one of the oldest surviving 1967 124 Spiders in the world. With this newfound appreciation for what I had, I decided it would be worth to restore this car properly.
The lengthy list of works started off with returning the car to left-hand drive as they were never made in a right-hand drive configuration.
Original new old stock panels were sourced over a three-year period, including shock towers, inner skirts and fenders, etc. Adrian at Impact Panel Works in Marooka Brisbane spent over 4 years getting the body shell to where it needed to be. Innovative techniques like Zinc Metallisation Flame Spray was used instead of lead wiping. This also coated the car with a zinc coating that acts as a rust inhibitor.
The goal for the exterior was perfection. It had to be, as the car was going to be painted in its original black colour, a colour that is known not to forgive the scantest imperfections.
At one point prior to acquiring the car, the original 1438cc engine was replaced a 1608cc unit. That engine was removed and replaced with an original (period-correct) 1438cc engine designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi. The engine was completely torn down and rebuilt to factory specifications by Fiat master mechanic Cam Impellizzeri in Brisbane. Every nut, bolt, and component was removed and then repaired or replaced.
I wanted the car to have the original look and feel, and in line with this, a factory-option set of rare Cromodora CD3 wheels were located, restored, and installed together with period-correct reproduction Michelin XAS tires.
Interior colour options were limited back then, as the original black cars were only released with two options; Rosso (red) or Avorio (Ivory). Most spiders around the world either had black or tan interiors, so for me Rosso was the obvious, rarer, and more striking interior shade to pair against the deep black bodywork surrounding it. The interior was completely retrimmed by award winning Annvid Upholsterers in Capalaba in Brisbane.
After going through practically the entire car, the restoration was completed in April of this year, and I am thrilled with it. My Fiat 124 Spider is exactly how I imagined it would be, and I could not be prouder of result.
