Quite remarkably, the seller of today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe 124 Spider says it was her DD while she was preggers. Now that her kid needs a seat of her own it’s up for sale, but will its price have you saying, oh baby?
Look people, I thought we talked about not doing these nail biter results. I have enough stress in my life! Yesterday’s super sweet 2001 Acura Integra GSR looked like it was going to be another of those coin toss results for a while, until eventually it coalesced around a 53 percent Nice Price win for its $7,250 asking. Geez Louise!
That Acura’s seller had set the winning price after having been inundated by Craigslist trolls berating him for his previous, hundreds-higher asking. The free market spoke, and he responded accordingly. See? The smackdown works!
Speaking of speaking, have you ever noticed how annoying it is that babies can’t talk? I mean how much simpler would our lives be if they could just let us know when they need a tiddy, or are ready for a rear-bumper de-fudging? It’s a good thing that we humans have a natural attraction to baby things due to their disproportionate of head head to body size, otherwise I don’t think we’d have anything to do with the little diaper bombers.
The seller of today’s 1975 Fiat 124 Spider has a new baby in her life, and if that bambino could speak, I’ll bet she’d be telling her mom not to sell the somewhat rough but seemingly mechanically sound Italian convertible. I mean, she doesn’t looked to pleased at the prospect of the Fiat not being around for her sweet sixteen.
Tough luck, kidney bean. Her loss is our gain and if she really wanted the car she should have said something to her mom, amiright?
That mom says that her husband bought the Fiat for her to drive while great with child and I gotta say, that fact means I’m digging this family.
Now that the kid is a little less portable, the 124 is hitting the blocks. The ad notes that while not restored, it has been mechanically refreshed, and after all, what would you rather have to deal with: Bondo or bearings?
The engine is of course the 1,756 cc DOHC four with its funky inward-canted cam covers. That’s said to feature a NOS block, rebuilt head, updated electronic ignition and a “re-tuned” Weber two-barrel. all told, it was good for 84 horsepower from the factory. Maybe it’ll do more today.
All the work is said to have been done by Allison’s Automotive, a Fiat specialist located in Upland California.
That same shop also rebuilt the five-speed gearbox a couple of years back, and upgraded the alternator to 120 amps from its previous elderly firefly-level output. The suspension has seen some attention too, with new bushings and ball joints, springs and Konis, all held in place with what are described as “custom built vintage style” wheels.
Inside, you get new carpets, a classy Nardi wheel, and a pair of deep dish Corbeau seats that are proven baby friendly. It’s all pretty tidy in there, and the beige soft top seems to be in decent enough condition to ensure it stays that way.
Okay, so it’s been mechanically refreshed and the office space seems livable, what’s on the downside for this classic Fiat? Well, there’s the body looks to be good from far but… well, you know the rest. There’s rust and dings and scratches in the Rosso paint. The matte black bonnet and boot are vinyl wrapped in case that’s not your bag, and the big-ass bumpers have been given the heave-ho and replaced by little rubber baby buggy bumper nerfs.
None of the rust seems structural, and in fact the seller goes to lengths to note that the hard points have been repaired or reinforced so it’s not like you’d ever have to Fred Flintstone it. Still, rust scares people.
If you’re looking for a 124 that’s rust-free and likely to stay that way for a while then maybe you might be interested in one of the Miata-based cars Fiat is currently hawking under the 124 Spider name. That modern interpretation pays homage to these classic Pininfarina/Tom Tjaarda-designed cars, but that’s where the old school ends. A car like this will give you the full experience—ride, smell, and likely taste if the windshield washers are working and the top is down. Also, it rocks blue plates and is smog-test exempt in its current state of California, so it’s got that going for it.
What’s the cost of entry into that world of classic road entertainment? Well, $8,000 in the case of this car, and now, you don’t have to be knocked up to buy it. What’s your take, is this mom-to-be ride worth that $8,000 asking? Or, is that price the world’s biggest dad joke?
You decide!
Los Angeles, CA Craigslist,
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