VINTAGE 1966 FIAT 1500 CABRIOLET PROJECT RUNS DRIVES ALFA ABARTH CONVERTIBLE

CAR IS LOCATED IN CHARLOTTE. NC. CLEAR TITLE.
You are bidding on one 1966 Fiat 1500 cabriolet. 5 speed. 99% complete. Original condition. Very rare to find these in ANY condition. Runs and drives(see details). however it is a project and will need a couple things to be roadworthy. or a good starting point for a full restoration for one of the best looking Fiat convertibles. The body/frame shows no signs of impacts. there is some filler as evidenced in photos. The odometer reads 25. 74 but I'm sure this has 125. 74 due to pedal wear. The older gentleman that owned this before had taken good care of it to get this many miles out of it. I bought it from him to bring it back to life and pass it along to someone who can give it a proper restoration. Only missing items are SPARE TIRE. ONE HUBCAP. REAR PACKAGE TRAY. VIN PLATE TAG and REAR INTERIOR VINYL. I have the previous owners name and know where he lives. so tracking down the original vin tag plate may be possible. The radiator even has it's original stamp from 7-66.
The starter turns the engine over. but not fast enough to get it to fire off. I pulled it with my buddies car and got it to crank up. I posted a video in the photo link at the bottom of the listing showing the engine running. The smoke you see is from a loose valve cover gasket that I didn't notice until after getting it running. I drove the car around the neighborhood a few times and it runs. shift and drives very well. It will need a brake master cylinder though. as it is frozen stuck. The E-brake works. but needs to be tightened a little more for more "spirited" neighborhood runs. until the brake master cylinder is replaced. The original Brake Booster device has been bypassed(correctly) and I do have it(see photos). OK. here are the details:
TONS OF PHOTOS AND VIDEO AT BOTTOM OF LISTING. THEY WERE TAKEN IN THE FALL. CLICK ON THE LINK TO BE DIRECTED TO LARGER AND BETTER IMAGES.
ENGINE: I rebuilt the carburetor. adjusted the valves and timing. replaced spark plugs(NGK). changed the oil and filter(WIX). serviced the centrifugal oil filter. replaced negative battery cable and beefed up the ground strap from engine to frame and it runs very well.  Air cleaner and intake and radiator were not installed when I shot the engine video. They are all installed now. Runs well (see video). accelerates smoothly and nicely with very peppy response. The starter will need to be rebuilt or replaced as it turns over too slow to get the engine to fire off on it's own. I flushed the radiator and checked for leaks. everything seemed ok. The gas tank will need to be rebuilt/replaced. It's not leaking. just has some older gasoline in it that needs to be cleaned out. I have had the engine running on an auxiliary electric fuel pump and gas can(NOT INCLUDED).
INTERIOR: Not much to write home about. I have both window cranks and escutcheons(see photos). Hood latch trim plate is not included. it goes to another car. I replaced the original ignition switch with an aftermarket. but I do have the original switch with the key. it is missing the back side of the switch with terminals. so finding a replacement should be cheap and easy. Seats are in decent condition. The door panels are terrible. The rear interior vinyl is missing along with the package tray. I fashioned some thin rubber matting for the rear interior and to replace the missing original floor mats. Dash has cracks. photos say it all.
ELECTRICAL: All wiring is present and UNMOLESTED. Speedometer. Odometer. Oil Pressure. Temp Gauge all working. Generator working properly. Not sure if fuel gauge works. The front parking lamps work. Heater fan not working. Dash lights working. Headlights and brake stop lights not working. Horn works when it feels like it.
BODY: Pretty solid except for towards the edges on some panels. (See photos). I took off a thin coat of crappy paint off to expose the BEAUTIFUL original paint. in doing so I exposed the areas of filler that were on the car so one could see what repairs were made. No dents. all panels straight and panels gaps are very nice. No top. but top frame is in decent condition and functions properly along with good latches and all hardware in place. The bumpers are original. but the older gentleman had them plastic-coated at some point. The front trim piece over the grill is hanging down a little. it is not bent. just sagging. it gives the impression that the car is "crooked" when looking at it from the front. but it is not. as I said. no evidence of impacts or wrecks anywhere. Trim is in great condition and all glass is good.
FRAME/CHASSIS: Very solid. no structural issues(see photos). All suspension contacts are solid. Radiator supports. etc. all solid. Brake master cylinder needs replacing. The brake booster has been bypassed(correctly) and removed. but I do have it and it comes with the car. The floorpans have some issues(see photos). but you can stand on them and are not falling apart. but do have some rust. Battery tray has normal rust. Tries are 195/70-14 and have decent tread left. I have THREE hubcaps for the car and do not have a spare tire. The original jack is present.
WHAT WOULD I DO: Well. I would love to fix the brake master cylinder and starter and drive this around for awhile. but it needs to go to a better home. It is deserving of a restoration. as these are very rare and hard to find in any condition. This is a great starting point.
IF YOU HAVE NEGATIVE OR ZERO FEEDBACK. YOU MUST CONTACT ME BEFORE BIDDING. IF NOT. YOUR BID WILL BE CANCELED. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!!
Thanks and good luck. I can deliver within 150 miles for a fee. Local pickup is fine too.

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