Fiat Service + Garage rental

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Cozen

Old Fiats are special kinds of cars for a special kind of person. You could buy a Miata and be like everyone else with a Miata or you could drive a unique looking Fiat Spider that with just a little bit of work and bolt on parts will be faster and handle better then a typical Miata. Suggesting that you buy a Miata instead of a Fiat is like telling someone who wants a 1967 Pontiac GTO to buy the 2004-2006 GTO because it will have less repairs. Its not the same thing. You don't buy a Fiat because you want a reliable car to drive to work. You buy a Fiat because you love the car and as an expression of yourself. Will there be repairs? Sure there will be, the car will be 22-40 years old. Will there be people walking around your car thinking "what kind of car is that?" or "wow, I haven't seen one of those in years."? Definately. Will there be Miata owners looking at your car with envy. You can count on it!

Yep, those persons are called mechanics(or masochists..or both )

Those Miata drivers can get a good look, since the Fiat is likely standing still.

Well, it looks like the only post this year from igor is one looking for a mechanic for a '94 Blazer . I do wonder if he took the plunge on the Fiat.

[sliverbox]

As someone who owns a vintage 50's car and works on all our cars myself, I would say that if you don't know how to work on cars... definitely do not buy a Fiat. Vintage Fiats are known for being extremely unreliable. Buddy of mine loved them. But good god he spent all his saturdays working on them. His had a bizarre carburetor which like a lot of MG's had oil in it. It seldom worked right.

In general old American cars are a lot easier and cheaper to work on. If you want something weird and quirky, the 60's Plymouth Valiants are an unusual car. The slant 6 and straight 6 engines they put in them will easily go 200,000+ miles. A variant of the engine was used right up through the 90's. If you want an old stylish 2 seater, try a 70's Datsun 280Z. Great looking cars that are not only still rather inexpensive, but reliable to boot.

But... again- if you want to own an old car, its really best to learn how to work on them. Otherwise you will spend a lot of money.

[Cozen]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Yep, those persons are called mechanics(or masochists..or both )

Those Miata drivers can get a good look, since the Fiat is likely standing still.

Well, it looks like the only post this year from igor is one looking for a mechanic for a '94 Blazer . I do wonder if he took the plunge on the Fiat.

Good reply Rick. And you are right about one thing, although I am not a mechanic by trade, I do all of the repairs on my Fiat myself. Mostly because noone in a 50 mile radius will touch my car.... Also I must be a masochist, changing my clutch master cylider was like pure torture. But I will contradict you with the standing still part. I have had my Fiat running and have driven it daily for the last 10 years. Maybe you'll see me on the highway one day. I've probably got the only X 1/9 in Austin.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Cozen

Good reply Rick. And you are right about one thing, although I am not a mechanic by trade, I do all of the repairs on my Fiat myself. Mostly because noone in a 50 mile radius will touch my car.... Also I must be a masochist, changing my clutch master cylider was like pure torture. But I will contradict you with the standing still part. I have had my Fiat running and have driven it daily for the last 10 years. Maybe you'll see me on the highway one day. I've probably got the only X 1/9 in Austin.

Good on ya for keeping the x1/9 as a daily driver! I doubt my TR-7 from the same era is still rolling!(Although I do see one in Balcones Woods when I go through there). Going back even a few more years, I dreamed of owning an Opel GT...until I tried to sit in one! What did I know...I also thought the Opel Kadett with rallye stripes was cool! What was I thinkin' !!??!!

1968 Buick Opel Kadett Rallye | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mazdamiata/4118703298/ - broken link)