Fiat 850 Spider

I can't believe it, but I checked production numbers and Fiat made more 850 Spiders (140,000 worldwide) vs Alfa Spiders (110,000). I believe the Fiat 850 Spider was produced between 1966 and 1973 vs Alfa Spider production from 1966 to 1993 (though they sold some in 1994).

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1965-73-fiat-850-spider

You should have posted this in the breakroom....

That's the little car! The Sport model has corner bumpers only with a bar that goes above it.

I'll shoot a picture later today and post here.

My best friend, a car mechanic, owned a '70s era Fiat Spider in the late '80s. It was known as the blue bathtub in my house. He previously restored and sold for a healthy profit a beloved Triumph Spitfire. In contrast, the Fiat was nothing but problems. Long Island body rot and difficulty in getting parts for this underpowered rag top were the key problems. It got to the point that one night he drove it to the community college. He was taking a nursing degree class. He deliberately left the keys in the car with the top down and a cardboard sign that said: "Take Me" on the windshield. When he got back from class the car, and keys were still there but a new note with a $20 bill attached was there. The note said, "You need this more than me."

I wish you better luck than my friend had.

This is our first Fiat. Many have told us that we'll regret it - after a day of ownership, I hope we'll be okay. I don't feel confident like I did with the Alfas.

We left yesterday morning on the late side and missed the Gold Line train. We jumped in the car and drove to the airport (Burbank). I dropped my better half off in front, parked the car in lot G (on site) and briskly walked to the building and to TSA. Got through very quickly (only two groups in front of me), then walked to the gate. We walked on the tarmac and onto a ramp and into the plane. Not full - yeah! After a short two hour flight, we were in Redmond, OR. The seller picked us up and took us on a short tour of the area - absolutely beautiful. Smith Rock is a must see and I wanted to hike to the top, but we didn't have time.

Went to his house and test drove the little car. It's very low on power, but it drove well. Funny how 42K miles really shows on some cars - leads me to believe that these cars weren't engineered to last more than 70K miles!

Got back, did the paperwork and got ready to take off. The car wouldn't start! We had lunch set up with family, so he let us use his car and we went to lunch - great to see our nephew and his family! Walked around town, got back to the seller and the car started. We checked the battery and it's okay, so I have a feeling the compression gets high when the motor is hot, which causes it to crank slow - not enough to start her.

We drove around town and she started every time. It was also cooler out, so maybe heat from the motor caused the starter to turn slow? Anyway, we have a back up plan - we can bump start if needed, so we'll have to park on a hilly spot.

Leaving Bend in a few minutes.

I remember that my friend had intermittent starting problems, too. Adding a capacitive discharge ignition (I vaguely remember building a Heathkit version) to the points and capacitor system significantly improved starting reliability.

Installing one will certainly deviate away from the original design. At the same time, making it more reliable may improve marketability.

Our Fiat problem is an old starter. The starter cranks slowly when the motor is hot. 48 years old - she needs some help. In fact, much of this car hasn't been touched in 48 years. A lot of things are like they came from the factory.

Update:

We left Bend, OR for Grants Pass, OR. Took Hwy 97 south out of town, then cut across above Crater Lake, then down to Grants Pass. Up hill, the little car slowed down and I had to down shift to 3rd - 40 mph top speed up hills! We crested at 5,411 ft, then headed down. We hit 90 mph down the hill! She handled well at speed, which was surprising for such a tiny car with 155/80/13 tires!

Most of the trip so far was in smoke from the fires and it was the worst in the mountains. But when we reached Grants Pass, the sky cleared and the smoke smell went away. We were both feeling a little sick from being in smoke, so it was nice to get some clean air!

Something I noticed about the car. As the motor heated up, the oil pressure dropped to 4 psi (gauge could be off, but it dropped a lot). I also noticed the water temp rose to 230 deg F on the hills and stayed over 190 even on the descends. Not sure if that's a problem, but something I noticed. One other item, when I was in Bend, I noticed a squeaking noise as I lifted throttle, all the way down to a stop - like the sound of an air cooled car. As the trip continued, the squeaking noise remained at speeds less than 40 mph.

Update: We remained in Grants Pass for 3 days. We stayed with friends - they have a 3br/2ba house on 2 1/2 acres. Tons of land with lots of trees, a dog run (really long), garden, 2 green houses, huge garage, chicken coop, pond, target shooting area, huge deck and long driveway - an there's still a lot of land left over!

We went on a cool hike with two streams, a small waterfall, forest land with redwoods and some nice hills. The air is so clean and there's a wonderful pine smell. Loved the hike.

We also went to a winery - tasted some nice wines and listened to live music. Great snacking food, gorgeous grounds and a really nice place with a great vibe.

We enjoyed Grants Pass a lot and my better half wants us to retire there. Thinking about it, but we're pretty dug into So Cal, so I'm not sure if it'll work. Also, I don't like cold weather or snow.

More to come!

Grants Pass to Crescent City, CA via hwy 199! What a gorgeous drive! Thru redwood forests - trees, trees, trees!

We drove from Crescent City to Eureka, CA. More redwood forests! Stopped at Mystery Trees - looked a little hokey, but was actually a really cool place. There's an upper trail that isn't for people scared of heights. I like my feet on the ground, but if it's safe, I'll do some scary things like this. Very cool to walk thru the canopy, but the bouncy paths were ... bouncy, which isn't good when you're a hundred feet or so above the ground! Anyway, we enjoyed the place a lot and it also allowed the car to cool down.

When we got to Eureka, it was cold. Top was still down and we drove thru downtown. Looked economically weak and not many choices of places to eat. We found a bbq spot called Porter St - or something like that. Nice family owned place with some excellent bbq! We loved it and enjoyed talking to the owners. Highly recommended! Then we found a hotel in Arcata and spent the night. It was a cold drive from Eureka to Arcata!

The next morning, we met relatives in Arcata. This is a hippie town! I am not a hippie! At the town park, they had a hippie festival going on. Masks required and some were not wearing one (including both of us) and we got some dirty looks. In the park, there's no smoking allowed, but many of the hippies were smoking pot - I guess that doesn't qualify as smoking! Lot's of cars with out of date registration (the oldest was a van with 2012 reg! Homeless roaming around, high and dancing to some crazy Indian music. I figured out what their rules are - don't have to follow city, county, state or federal laws, but if you violate their rules (mask required outdoors, have to be high, etc) ... Ate at a restaurant, where good customer service is only for hippies! As you can tell, I don't get their lifestyle. Hygeine ... not needed in Arcata!

We gladly left and headed south. Drove through the Avenue of the Giants (huge redwoods). Great to drive through in a convertible - just watch for oncoming traffic and don't hit the trees! Stopped at this hokey "drive thru a tree" roadside attraction. Yes, you get to drive your car through a tree, then on top of a tree and then exit. Took all of 3 minutes! If you see it, skip it. We stopped in this little town, I think it was Laytonville. There's a bar and grille, but the grille was closed and the only thing they were serving at the bar was beer. So we drank a couple glasses of water and let the car cool down. Everyone knew each other at the bar and I did get some nice comments on our little Fiat.

Reserved a room in Ukiah and had a nice drive in the dark - the headlights are aimed down, so it's a little hard to see far ahead. Also, since the car is so low, oncoming traffic can be tough (headlights in the eyes) and if someone has their high beams on!!!

I checked in and when I got back to the car, there was a puddle of some slippery fluid on the ground (flowed to about a foot away from the left rear tire). A nice size puddle!!! I felt it and it was slippery. I smelled oil burning on the drive from our last stop). We used our phone for a flashlight and I pulled the dipstick out - I couldn't see any oil on it! So I closed the trunk and we settled into our room.

The next morning, I checked the oil level and it was perfect! Whew! Next, i checked the coolant level and it was a little low - the whole drive it gets low after an hour or so - nothing different. I climbed under the car and I felt something slippery near the transaxle. Yes, that's where it's coming from - rear axle seal. I checked the internet and it's a common problem. We checked all over the internet to find a seal. Luckily, we were referred to a guy in Santa Cruz. He has a shop and sells parts for older Fiat cars! He confirmed that it's most likely a rear seal, but he said he'd have to see it. He recommended a seal, seal holder and boot. He shipped it to the mechanic in San Rafael (a guy we know) and we scheduled our repair!

Spent the next night in Ukiah - not my choice of a great town. Had dinner at In N Out - can never complain about that! Went to a very pricey grocery store - bought very little - then walked back to the hotel.

The next day, we got up early and had AAA tow it to San Rafael. Spent the morning in San Rafael, waiting for the lift to clear. Had some pretty good Mexican food a block away, then went back to the shop and he put it on the lift. The rear seal was seeping, but not pouring trans oil out of it. It was dripping near the inspection cover (between the motor and trans). Upon closer inspection, we found out that it's not gear oil. I had topped off the radiator and when it mixed with the existing coolant, the result was no longer the fluorescent yellow, but a medium green color. I thought it was gear oil, but it was actually coolant leaking! The thermostat housing was leaking and the mechanic didn't have a gasket (three holes). He didn't have time to make a gasket, so he sent me to an Alfa guy around the corner. We saw the Alfa mechanic - he told me he worked on 850's many years ago, so he knew what the problem was. He said that we should try to tighten the bolts and see if it helps. He said that the bolt may snap off and if it did, we'd be stranded until he could do the repair. Give it a try!

It worked and we were soon on our way. We did a short drive on the freeway (70 mph max) and when we got off, the car stalled. I started her again and she idled very rough, then stalled! I got her across the street to the shopping mall, then did my diagnosis.

Ignition wires, cap and rotor - good. Air filter clean. Air cleaner off - then I sprayed carb cleaner in areas of the carb. I found it! When the engine revs went up, that was where the carb had a vacuum leak. I tightened some screws and bolts, hoping that would do it. Nope! So I pulled the throttle handle (one of the controls in the car) and kept her at 2,500 rpms. She drove fine on the freeway, but when slowing down, she would sputter and kick. We got to the hotel in Gilroy and spent the night!

More coming!

Arcata I think that's where SF ships it's homeless....

Maybe it was a pot growers festival....you must have stuck out like a sore thumb....

The heart of the beast...

..."Humboldt County Supervisor Mark Lovelace felt that the complex is one step in addressing a problem that he believes won't be easy to solve.

"One of the most important things to combat homelessness is to have homes," Lovelace said."...

https://krcrtv.com/archive/new-housing-aimed-at-combating-homelessness-opens-in-arcata

I think big cities are bussing their homeless out to the burbs and paying local small time governments to provide services and low cost housing, so the problem is out of sight....

We had to go to the bank in Gilroy (B of A). The closer branch was closed (per the website), but the other was open, so off we went. When we got to the branch, there was a long line outside. I asked the customers why the line and I was told that they were having some sort of meeting and would open late! So we waited in the sun and finally, someone came to open the door. No apology, just opened the doors to let us in. Maybe a dozen people were in line - didn't mean anything to the bankers! Banking done and time to get out of Gilroy. For those who've never been there, it's the garlic capital of the CA - maybe the US? The air smells like garlic! I was feeling a bit queasy and irritated from the smell, so I was happy to get out of town.

On the way south, I ran her a little high speed (80 mph and on flat ground). I was passing a row of vehicles when she sputtered and I lost power. I pulled to the right, then to the shoulder and kept her in 4th (top gear) with the clutch out (in gear). She slowed down a little, then I shifted to 3rd. Still no power and slowing more, so I shifter to 2nd. Another sputter and she came back to life. The motor felt much better and ran smoother. I accelerated back to 60 and she was good. I kept her under 70 until we hit Nipomo.

Jocko's!!!! I've been going there since I moved to CA in 1987 ... maybe 1988, since I moved in December. Anyway, I pulled into the parking lot, throttle cable pulled and rpms around 3K. I ordered the big Spencer steak and she ordered Salmon??? I told her to get a filet, but she wanted Salmon! Mind you, Jocko's is an old west type steak house with deer trophies on the wall! Dinner arrived and I enjoyed my steak. I gave her a taste of my steak and that frown came over her face. Yup, you don't order Salmon in a steak house! At Jocko's, they have a huge bbq pit outdoors with huge chunks of red oak coals - that's what makes the bbq taste sooooo good! Here's their menu http://jockossteakhouse.com/dinner/

She ate some of my steak, then she asked if I wanted her salmon. I ate her salmon - it was actually good. We left stuffed and satisfied. We drove to Santa Maria for the night.

We left Santa Maria and headed off to Los Olivos for some wine tasting ... but first to Los Alamos to visit a friend, Steven Bedford. If you haven't been to Los Alamos, you need to go. It's a sleepy little town that's starting to wake up ... but they're doing it right. No crazy bachelor or bachelorette parties screaming out the sunroof of the limo.

After some fantastic wine tasting, we headed down the street to Charlie's for lunch. I had a huge, tasty Tri Tip sandwich, she had a chicken flauta and we shared a corn quesadilla and fries. The Tri Tip had great flavor and the sandwich was huge! The corn quesadilla was very tasty. Fries are good. And the chicken flauta was delicious - shredded chicken in a deep fried flour tortilla. Prices are super reasonable, service was friendly and attentive and the food was tasty!

After lunch, we headed to Los Olivos for some more wine tasting. Being the DD, I only took a sip of wine, just to taste it. We went to Arthur Earl (another wine club place) and tasted some really nice wines. We then went to Alexander and Wayne (same owner, but different style of wine). We left Los Olivos and drove thru Solvang - lots of traffic! We arrived at our third destination, Ken Brown Winery. But they were closed! That's my favorite place and yes, we're members of their wine club. They make the best Pinot Noir in the area - one of the best I've had anywhere! If you're in the Solvang area, they're in Buellton, just down the street from Pea Soup Andersons - gotta try Ken Brown.

We left the area and jumped on the 101 south. We arrived in Santa Barbara (one of my favorite towns). We hit some traffic, so I got off the freeway and headed toward the beach. The car felt good, so I pushed the throttle lever in and she idled smoothly. RPM's didn't drop to below 1,500 - that's because I turned the adjuster up when we were in San Rafael. I parked in front of the beach and she wanted to rest, so I went for a walk. I walked along the beach and to the pier. I went to the end of the pier (a spot I love going to) and took some pictures. I'll post them later. I hung out at the pier for a while, then headed back to the car. We took off - car idling well and no stumbling. There was still some traffic on the freeway, but we decided to go. A couple hours later, we made it home!

The little car made it! I put the top up and took all our stuff out. It was a nice trip, but a tiny Fiat 850 is not an Alfa Spider. I'd do another cross country in an Alfa. I wouldn't do another out of state run in a Fiat 850.

Pictures are coming.

Some pictures of our last day in Santa Barbara. We got to the beach around 5:50 pm. Too much traffic, so we went to the beach for a nice walk.

Looking to the pier.

How about this one. Looking out to sea, but it's south, not west???

This is west!

Pictures from the pier in Santa Barbara

Looking toward Montecito

Toward the mountains above Santa Barbara

Watched this group canoe back to the beach, then pull the boat up on the roller

One of our stops is La Super Rica in Santa Barbara - gourmet Mexican food served from a tiny shack. Rumor has it that Julia Child ate there often. If you're in Santa Barbara, it's a must to eat there. We were so full from our huge lunch at Charlie's, that we didn't have room for dinner!

Trees of Mystery is a privately owned park in the Redwood forest above Eureka, CA. It seems hokey, with a giant Paul Bunyan and Babe outside. We had seen a Huell Howser show on it and it looked pretty cool, so we decided it was worth a visit. We really liked it and highly recommend it if you're on the northern coast of CA.

Brotherhood Redwood - water bottle to show scale

The walkway in the canopy. Climb up the stairs and walk on the walkway.

The Sky Trail tram - it's a lonnnng way down!

View from the top

Some wood carvings near the exit to the park.

Sorry, it's a 903cc motor, not 907. I just lost 4 ccs!

I parked the car today and she idled perfectly. I slowed the idle down to 900ish and the idle circuits are working as they should.

Great story, pics, etc. You are brave.

I've had fun driving and fixing Fiats, and owned an X19 -- like a slightly more modern 850, in a way. Fun, but plenty of stuff would just inexplicably break or fail. I'm being unfair here: but all the issues you had on your trip? The car could have been brand new and all the same stuff (plus other surprises) would show up.

In 2019, we drove a 1973 Alfa Spider from New York (near Rochester) back to LA - 4,088 miles on the odometer. This was in July - not a good time to drive across country in a car without ac!

In 2020, we drove a 1971 Alfa Spider from New Jersey (Newark Airport) back to LA - I messed up and didn't clock the miles! This trip was in October and we drove through Virginia and Tennessee in a downpour (remnants of a hurricane).

The Fiat gave me the most worries. Mostly, because the car wasn't well maintained, nor was it driven much. I did a check on the belts, hoses, fluids, etc. We took a chance and left Bend, OR with the hope that the little car would be okay. It's also a lot fewer miles vs the other trips we took and I had my Plan B and Plan C, just in case ...

Plan B = rent a UHaul with trailer and tow the car home.

Plan C = tow the car to an auction site (Manheim) and put it up for sale (with a high reserve, so it doesn't sell). When the auction is over, I can send a truck to pick it up and deliver to my home or local shop. And of course, we'd take a plane home.

Thanks for the travelogue! But you never posted a photo of the car. We'd love to see it.

Sounds like you had a good productive trip....Have you thought about liquidating some of your Alfa's in this bull market?...or is it still too soon?

I've been thinking about it. In fact, I've been thinking about liquidating a lot of my assets. I'm of the belief that the Fed has pumped too much money into Wall St. Speculative junk is now valuable, so the Fed has to slow down QE and then raise rates. It'll have the same effect as pulling money from the money supply = many assets will be sold to generate capital. The best assets will be held and the riskier ones will be liquidated.

This is my theory, so it makes sense to sell assets. I think we have until early 2023 to get rid of them.

Sorry for taking so long to post these. Here are some photos of the little Fiat 850

The original pink color is under the trunk, hood and in the door hinge areas.