1981 Fiat Spyder 2000 2.0L DOHC fuel injection from North America

Summary:

Great summer ride

Faults:

Starter was replaced at 92,000 km.

4 shocks absorber, tie rods, ball joints and bushing at 100,000 km.

No mechanical problem in general.

But some electrical issues, rusty wires and contacts, fuses always blow out.

General Comments:

Great handling and very fun to drive.

Cheap on gas and on parts.

Electrical system in general is poor.

The car is a little small for tall guy; not much of leg room, and the seats are not very comfortable.

Not fun when the top is on, not for the claustrophobic.

The car is a head turner, and even more since I put on 16 inch mag wheels and removed the big bumper.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 11th December, 2011

1973 Fiat Spyder 850 Convertible small 4 from North America

Summary:

Car was a piece of junk from showroom

Faults:

Engine head warped early on.

Starter replaced 4 different times.

Carbs constantly leaking and flooding body.

Windows would not roll up properly and doors would not seat.

Convertible top would not seat properly.

Engine block cracked.

General Comments:

I saw a review on this site that said the person had a good car. My car was bought new, and of the 20000 miles I put on it, about half of that was either being towed or pushed.

When it ran, it was a nice smooth ride, comfortable in and zipped along at speed. However it did not run long between some sort of maintenance issue, especially starters and aluminum heads and engine block trouble.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 12th August, 2009

1974 Fiat Spyder 124 Spider 1800 1.8 from Norway

Summary:

A beautiful and fun classic-er

Faults:

I have changed all the shock absorbers, upgraded headlights, new exhaust, ball joint,

General Comments:

A beautiful designed car with good performance, good handling. A real classic :-).

I have changed the original Weber 34 DMSA with 2X Weber 40 IDF carbs, new paint (since the car become some paint damaged during the transport from USA), + some other minor things.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th August, 2008

1969 Fiat Spyder 850 Convertible 850cc from North America

Summary:

Cheap and no power

Faults:

The transaxle was a problem, and needed to be replaced twice.

I had a problem with the steering, and required a service on the front end.

General Comments:

The car was a ton of fun. The convertible in the sun was great while living in Northern Nevada - Tahoe Area.

Great cornering and no horsepower - could not get in trouble. A poor kids sports car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st July, 2007

1984 Fiat Spyder from North America

Summary:

Quirky

Faults:

When driving the car home for the first time, the fan belt broke and the car overheated. The engine apparently survived, intact.

AC system was broken when I bought the car - the hoses were disconnected (manufacturer fault or previous owner??).

Right power window fitfully opened and closed with much noise.

RUST, RUST, RUST! I don't know how they got away with it, but Fiats are the rustiest cars I've ever seen.

Heater temperature control broken and very, very expensive to fix.

Top seals badly.

General Comments:

I bought this car during an early mid life crisis. Dumped my Neon for this convertible. It was actually marketed under the "Bertone" name.

While fun to drive, it was an odd car. The AC, even though it came with the car, looked like an aftermarket addition. The steering was not rack and pinion, but worm and roller - made for a "different" steering feel that was not so bad. The heater controls were truly archaic.

Overall, I only had the car for about six months. Fairly reliable for its age and condition when I bought it though.

I much preferred my Fiat X 1/9 - a better overall car in my opinion.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th March, 2004

16th Sep 2005, 16:30

Hello.

I am from Holland and I agree with you that the X 1/9 is a better car. The Fiat Spider is also OK, though, remember that it is an older design like the Alfa Spider.

However, you are correct that the AC was an aftermarket fitment. They were never factory-installed, but some dealers carried out the conversions.

The problem is, that they sometimes forgot to adapt the cooling system likewise... therefore your car may have had the problem with overheating.

Wishing you better luck with the next car.

9th Jan 2006, 18:24

Hey

I currently live in Boston, Mass and I own a standard Fiat spider 1981. The car was fully repaired and repainted. The car works great, it doesn't rust either (might be because of the new paint coat). Since I've owned the car in (1999) to now (2006) it's worked great (few minor repairs because of age).

6th Nov 2006, 16:27

Although your review of the 1984 Fiat Spider was excellent, I have two corrections. The first one regards the term "Spyder". The correct spelling is "Spider", like the arachnid. The second criticism regards the company that marketed the Spider after 1982 was Pininfarina. Bertone marketed the X1/9 from 1982 to 1988, and that concludes my criticism.

1st Oct 2007, 19:07

I have a 1984 fiat bertone x1/9 with 8000 miles on it.

The car is in perfect shape and runs like a charm.

I will new get rid of this car for anything.

28th Feb 2009, 14:47

I own a 1984 Pininfarina Spyder Azura that I purchased new.

Every mechanical part on the vehicle has been replaced at least once (including installing a new short block from Italy), the car has been repainted a number of times. After saying that I love the lines of the car & would never get rid of it.