Customised 1980 FIAT 124 Spider 2000i - Mechanically Superb/11 months MoT

I purchased my FIAT Spider in 1995 since when I have driven over 70. 00 miles in the car. The car was originally Cherry Rosso and was manufactured in September 1980. registered as a 1981 UK car and was imported to the UK in August 1990. I Have included a couple of pictures showing the car as she started off with the heavy (ugly) US bumpers and in her original colours.
The brand new MoT expires late March 2015 and the comment from the inspector on the last emission test was that he had never seen an engine of that age with a cleaner output. When I took the car off the road last year the agreed insurance valuation on the car was £20. 00 (Footman James) based on an independent valuation on 20th May 2013. Since then I have invested a further £3. 00 in the car with the result that the car has never performed better in the entire time that I have owned the car.
Almost all of the latest work has been carried out by the UK's leading Spider specialists and the only remaining work to be carried out is £600 of bodywork (blemishes/wheel arch etc) which would finish off the car.
I have recently moved to Surrey and have no garage for the car so I am now (reluctantly) having to sell the car. In the time that I have owned the car I have replaced or completely refurbished the following: engine. fuel injection system. gearbox. exhaust manifold/system. starter motor. drive shaft. rear axle/diff. springs. suspension. and breaking system. The car has only just been fitted with a brand new set of Uniroyal Rain Expert tires.
The current colour is a pearlescent Lexus paint which suits the shape down to the ground however in terms of bodywork there is one wheel arch which needs repair. some other minor surface rust. a couple of small dish dents and one of the door pillars that also needs doing (all included in the £600 quotation). The car was completely waxoiled (in every body panel as well as underneath) to slow down corrosion.
The interior of the car has been completely stripped out down to the metal (photos available) and soundproofed with lead sound deadening sheeting throughout (in addition to acoustic passing and carpet). The rear seat was removed and carpeted to create a luggage area with two speakers built in and a high quality 600w pre-amp concealed beneath. In the front foot wells there are two more high quality speakers and all of the speaker cables are of high quality (the head unit is a 4 x 50w Sony with an auxiliary input).
The door cards. dashboard. rear seat quarter panels and central console have been completely stripped and rebuilt and the original Formica woodwork has been replaced with solid Tiger Oak throughout (just needs periodic oiling).
The US bumpers have been removed and the wheels (which are the original alloys) have been customised using a combination of the bodywork paint and powder coated/diamond cut to create the effect that you see. They are unique.
The engine was completely rebuilt approximately 35. 00 miles ago with Lancia Beta Injection cams/pistons and the last time that the car was tested on a rolling road the engine was producing 125bhp (perhaps more now that the gearbox is perfect and the fuel system has been completely renewed. The exhaust system is stainless steel. the shocks are Koni and the springs are fast road progressive springs from Germany made for the car to improve handling. The rear diff failed early and was replaced with the stronger rear axle for a European 1800 model (which allows the diff to be removed without removing the rear axle). The starter motor has been stripped and rebuilt and the entire breaking system was completely overhauled less than 2. 00 miles ago. Almost all of the suspension bushes have been replaced and all of the transmission tunnel elements (UJ. doughnuts/bearings) have just been replaced.
The car was completely stripped to the chassis and reprayed in time to be back on the road in January 2010 and I had the gearbox completely rebuilt (with the diff/drive train thoroughly checked) at a cost of £900 in September 2010.
The car recently had a new vinyl roof (which is a good fit but which has not had the tapes glued as I was allowing the roof to settle. The roof mechanism was completely rebuilt and serviced too.
I could go on and if the car was entirely 'finished' she would fully justify her £20. 00 valuation. but there is still more stuff that needs to be done to bring her up to spec (eg the bodywork). I estimate that in the past three years I have spent between £10. 00 + on the car and although by no means concourse. I believe that mechanically she is probably one of the best in the UK (I am told that she is certainly one of the best to drive).
I am due to go abroad on a consultancy project which is why I am listing the car on an auction and why I have started the auction at just under £8. 00 when I have been advised that the car is now worth at least £10. 00.
The car is advertised elsewhere and I have made this a 10 day auction to allow for Easter but I reserve the right to end the auction early should I be made an offer which is sufficiently attractive.
Any other questions. please ask.

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