Sunday Drive: Retro Ragtops Star in FIAT vs BMW
After a long day brainstorming business ideas, the call of the road became too great to resist. By mid afternoon my associates and I gave into temptation and took to the streets a pair of retro ragtops.
There’s only so much inspiration you can gather in front of a computer, after all.
I sniped mum’s DSLR on the way out and got a few good images of my father’s FIAT Spider 2000 dueling with my good friend Ben’s E30 convertible around Cape Ann.
If you didn’t get a chance to hit the tarmac this weekend, we hope these frames will inspire you to get that winter project wrapped up and get on the road!
Even an E30 looks big parked next to Pininfarina’s tiny Italian.
FIAT’s Back, and Beautiful
After a long two months of great convertible weather passed, Nino finally relinquished dad’s FIAT Spider 2000.
While it still may not be perfect, it sure looks good.
We decided to immortalize it while we could, before some jackass in the Crosby’s parking lot opens the door of their QX56 too close and squashes it.
These photos were taken at Castle Hill in Ipswich, MA. If only my camera were a bit sharper…
It sure looks like 1980 around here!
Couldn't let the GS get too jealous.
Where is the FIAT?
“De kahr e dun” was the message my father received from our wacky FIAT-obsessed Italian mechanic.
Interpreting that as “The car is done” we grabbed the checkbook and drove out to Kettle Cove industrial park to pick up our newly-restored ’79 Spider.
But as soon as we rolled up we knew something had been lost in translation… because the car we were looking at did have a fabulous black paint job on it, but it did not have a roof, heater, air intake, cooling fan, chrome trim, bumpers, or working lights.
But did I mention the paint looked good?
Apparently the spray-job was what Nino DeMayo was referring to when he said “dun.” We got a tour of the undercarriage which we were pleased to see had been coated with anti-rust spray, and the inside edges of the wheels were gleaming with new brake components.
Our convertible’s still got a long way to go, but at least it’s better off than this old 190E it was sharing a parking lot with:
No seats, but it’s bringing a new meaning to the term “green transportation” …yes, those plants in the bottom left are indeed growing from the carpet. And this car is parked on pavement, not in some field where it might be reclaimed by vines. Never seen anything quite like it.
Anyway, Nino says the car will be done for real on Monday.
“Ness tiime, all dun”
Sure hope so, the nights are still long and the sun has been shining… I hate to think of the precious few convertible months going to waste. I almost forget what it feels like to be behind the wheel of that thing.
Meanwhile, the tach on my motorcycle decided to stop working this morning… godamit.
FIAT Spider Restoration: Stage 1
The family’s beloved roadster, the 1979 FIAT Spider 2000 that raised me is finally getting the treatment it deserves- an almost full restoration back to its original glory with a working roof, heater, and an absence of rust.
Dad dropped it off at our mechanic’s, an animated Italian fellow named Nino DeMayo (for real) who happens to have worked on FIATs since the days when they were still sold new here in the U.S.
Spiders are his passion, and he’s progressing nicely on ours.
Bumpers have been removed (for now), and a lot of rust has been cut out already.
By the end of the month, we’re expecting a new roof, functional heater (did I already mention that?), working tail lights, a fresh coat of paint and who knows- maybe even an inspection sticker.
It doesn’t look… too bad… as is, but I’m pretty excited to see how it turns out. Stay posted.
