In 2003 after many years of researching and yearning for my own "Italian Made” classic, I finally took the plunge and decided it was time. I narrowed my choice to a Fiat 124 Spider. The front-engine, rear-wheel drive, four-wheel disc brake Fiat was designed by the late Tom Tjaarda at Pininfarina. In short, it was a car that fit all my search criteria - Italian made, sporty, fun to drive, great looking and it was not going to cost the earth, as certain other Italian classics do, like Ferrari. 

The Fiat 124 Spider was never released in Australia, so finding one was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack, and finding a good one seemed to be asking for the impossible. Until one day I visited my local mechanic. Sitting in the back corner of his workshop, covered in sheets & looking pretty sad, was a Fiat Spider 124. She was not running, needed lots of work and there was a substantial amount of rust, which was typical with the early Fiats. To return the Fiat Spider 124 to her former glory & get her back on the road, it was going to require lots of time, dedication & a whole lot of patience. I weighed up the facts & made the courageous (or some may say foolish) decision to purchase her there & then. All that aside, I was really excited as I had found my little ‘Italian Classic’. It’s fair to say I had no idea of the significance & how truly special this Spider really was when I first saw it. 

My original goal was to do a nice easy resto & get her back on the road so I could enjoy here as soon as possible, but I soon discovered when I bought her home, this was no ordinary Fiat. She was confirmed as an original black (Nero) 1967 Fiat 124 Spider, build number  645. Given the very early build number and the fact this was one of the oldest surviving series 1  spiders in the world, this really totally blew my mind. With a newfound appreciation for what I had (an absolute unique gem), I decided she deserved a concourse restoration, everything done properly with absolutely no shortcuts.

The car was completely dismantled and sent off to the sandblasters to determine what we had to work with. The result wasn't good, rust in every panel. To make matters worse, the front end had been involved in a serious accident & nearly every panel on the car had damage. The bottom seals on the rocker panels and sub-structure were all rotten, and rust had found its way into the inner structure. The list of ailments continued to grow & now I started to question my decision, was it the right thing to do to purchase her. But in my heart I kept coming back to the fact that she was such a rare & beautiful classic and deserved the best possible restoration.

The lengthy list of work continued with returning her to left-hand drive, they were never made in a right-hand drive configuration. This was no easy task. 

‍

Original new old stock panels were sourced over a long gruelling three-year period, including shock towers, inner skirts and fenders. Adrian at Impact Panel Works in Moorooka Brisbane spent over 4 years getting the body shell to where it needed to be. Innovative techniques like Zinc Metallisation Flame Spray was used instead of lead wiping. This also coated the car with a zinc coating that acts as a rust inhibitor. So it was a win win. 

‍

The goal for the exterior was perfection. It had to be, as she was going to be painted in its original black colour, a colour known to be unforgiving of the slightest imperfections. 

At one point, the prior owner had replaced the original 1438cc engine with a 1608cc unit. So we removed the 1608cc engine and replaced was it with a period-correct 1438cc engine designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi. The new engine was completely torn down and rebuilt to factory specifications by Fiat master mechanic Cam Impellizzeri in Brisbane. Every nut, bolt, and component was removed and then repaired or replaced.  Such deviation and committed required to get her humming. 

Adding to the original look and feel, a set of factory-option Cromodora CD3 wheels were located, restored, and installed together with period-correct reproduction Michelin XAS tires. The Cromodora CD3 wheels are very rare & extremely hard to find, but it was definitely worth it.

Originally when they left the factory, the black cars were only released with 2 interior colour options; Rosso (red) or Avorio (Ivory).  Most spiders around the world either had black or tan interiors, so for me Rosso was the obvious, rarer, and more striking interior shade to pair against the deep black bodywork surrounding it. The interior was completely retrimmed by award winning Annvid Upholsterers in Capalaba in Brisbane.   

After going through each & every component of the entire car with such attention to detail, the restoration was completed in April 2020 (17 years after I first purchased her). To say I am absolutely thrilled with the end result is an understatement. My restored Fiat Fiat Spider 124 has exceeded all my expectations. It is better than I ever imagined it could be. And I drive her with such pride, appreciating all the people involved in the journey of her restoration as well as the original makers that brought her to life 54 years ago. 

I now find myself living my dream and still pinching myself that she is mine all these years later.

‍

Thanks to Micheal, the owner of this beautiful Fiat for sharing his story.

In 2003 after many years of researching and yearning for my own "Italian Made” classic, I finally took the plunge and decided it was time. I narrowed my choice to a Fiat 124 Spider. The front-engine, rear-wheel drive, four-wheel disc brake Fiat was designed by the late Tom Tjaarda at Pininfarina. In short, it was a car that fit all my search criteria - Italian made, sporty, fun to drive, great looking and it was not going to cost the earth, as certain other Italian classics do, like Ferrari. 

The Fiat 124 Spider was never released in Australia, so finding one was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack, and finding a good one seemed to be asking for the impossible. Until one day I visited my local mechanic. Sitting in the back corner of his workshop, covered in sheets & looking pretty sad, was a Fiat Spider 124. She was not running, needed lots of work and there was a substantial amount of rust, which was typical with the early Fiats. To return the Fiat Spider 124 to her former glory & get her back on the road, it was going to require lots of time, dedication & a whole lot of patience. I weighed up the facts & made the courageous (or some may say foolish) decision to purchase her there & then. All that aside, I was really excited as I had found my little ‘Italian Classic’. It’s fair to say I had no idea of the significance & how truly special this Spider really was when I first saw it. 

My original goal was to do a nice easy resto & get her back on the road so I could enjoy here as soon as possible, but I soon discovered when I bought her home, this was no ordinary Fiat. She was confirmed as an original black (Nero) 1967 Fiat 124 Spider, build number  645. Given the very early build number and the fact this was one of the oldest surviving series 1  spiders in the world, this really totally blew my mind. With a newfound appreciation for what I had (an absolute unique gem), I decided she deserved a concourse restoration, everything done properly with absolutely no shortcuts.

The car was completely dismantled and sent off to the sandblasters to determine what we had to work with. The result wasn't good, rust in every panel. To make matters worse, the front end had been involved in a serious accident & nearly every panel on the car had damage. The bottom seals on the rocker panels and sub-structure were all rotten, and rust had found its way into the inner structure. The list of ailments continued to grow & now I started to question my decision, was it the right thing to do to purchase her. But in my heart I kept coming back to the fact that she was such a rare & beautiful classic and deserved the best possible restoration.

The lengthy list of work continued with returning her to left-hand drive, they were never made in a right-hand drive configuration. This was no easy task. 

‍

Original new old stock panels were sourced over a long gruelling three-year period, including shock towers, inner skirts and fenders. Adrian at Impact Panel Works in Moorooka Brisbane spent over 4 years getting the body shell to where it needed to be. Innovative techniques like Zinc Metallisation Flame Spray was used instead of lead wiping. This also coated the car with a zinc coating that acts as a rust inhibitor. So it was a win win. 

‍

The goal for the exterior was perfection. It had to be, as she was going to be painted in its original black colour, a colour known to be unforgiving of the slightest imperfections. 

At one point, the prior owner had replaced the original 1438cc engine with a 1608cc unit. So we removed the 1608cc engine and replaced was it with a period-correct 1438cc engine designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi. The new engine was completely torn down and rebuilt to factory specifications by Fiat master mechanic Cam Impellizzeri in Brisbane. Every nut, bolt, and component was removed and then repaired or replaced.  Such deviation and committed required to get her humming. 

Adding to the original look and feel, a set of factory-option Cromodora CD3 wheels were located, restored, and installed together with period-correct reproduction Michelin XAS tires. The Cromodora CD3 wheels are very rare & extremely hard to find, but it was definitely worth it.

Originally when they left the factory, the black cars were only released with 2 interior colour options; Rosso (red) or Avorio (Ivory).  Most spiders around the world either had black or tan interiors, so for me Rosso was the obvious, rarer, and more striking interior shade to pair against the deep black bodywork surrounding it. The interior was completely retrimmed by award winning Annvid Upholsterers in Capalaba in Brisbane.   

After going through each & every component of the entire car with such attention to detail, the restoration was completed in April 2020 (17 years after I first purchased her). To say I am absolutely thrilled with the end result is an understatement. My restored Fiat Fiat Spider 124 has exceeded all my expectations. It is better than I ever imagined it could be. And I drive her with such pride, appreciating all the people involved in the journey of her restoration as well as the original makers that brought her to life 54 years ago. 

I now find myself living my dream and still pinching myself that she is mine all these years later.

‍

Thanks to Micheal, the owner of this beautiful Fiat for sharing his story.

In 2003 after many years of researching and yearning for my own "Italian Made” classic, I finally took the plunge and decided it was time. I narrowed my choice to a Fiat 124 Spider. The front-engine, rear-wheel drive, four-wheel disc brake Fiat was designed by the late Tom Tjaarda at Pininfarina. In short, it was a car that fit all my search criteria - Italian made, sporty, fun to drive, great looking and it was not going to cost the earth, as certain other Italian classics do, like Ferrari. 

The Fiat 124 Spider was never released in Australia, so finding one was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack, and finding a good one seemed to be asking for the impossible. Until one day I visited my local mechanic. Sitting in the back corner of his workshop, covered in sheets & looking pretty sad, was a Fiat Spider 124. She was not running, needed lots of work and there was a substantial amount of rust, which was typical with the early Fiats. To return the Fiat Spider 124 to her former glory & get her back on the road, it was going to require lots of time, dedication & a whole lot of patience. I weighed up the facts & made the courageous (or some may say foolish) decision to purchase her there & then. All that aside, I was really excited as I had found my little ‘Italian Classic’. It’s fair to say I had no idea of the significance & how truly special this Spider really was when I first saw it. 

My original goal was to do a nice easy resto & get her back on the road so I could enjoy here as soon as possible, but I soon discovered when I bought her home, this was no ordinary Fiat. She was confirmed as an original black (Nero) 1967 Fiat 124 Spider, build number  645. Given the very early build number and the fact this was one of the oldest surviving series 1  spiders in the world, this really totally blew my mind. With a newfound appreciation for what I had (an absolute unique gem), I decided she deserved a concourse restoration, everything done properly with absolutely no shortcuts.

The car was completely dismantled and sent off to the sandblasters to determine what we had to work with. The result wasn't good, rust in every panel. To make matters worse, the front end had been involved in a serious accident & nearly every panel on the car had damage. The bottom seals on the rocker panels and sub-structure were all rotten, and rust had found its way into the inner structure. The list of ailments continued to grow & now I started to question my decision, was it the right thing to do to purchase her. But in my heart I kept coming back to the fact that she was such a rare & beautiful classic and deserved the best possible restoration.

The lengthy list of work continued with returning her to left-hand drive, they were never made in a right-hand drive configuration. This was no easy task. 

‍

Original new old stock panels were sourced over a long gruelling three-year period, including shock towers, inner skirts and fenders. Adrian at Impact Panel Works in Moorooka Brisbane spent over 4 years getting the body shell to where it needed to be. Innovative techniques like Zinc Metallisation Flame Spray was used instead of lead wiping. This also coated the car with a zinc coating that acts as a rust inhibitor. So it was a win win. 

‍

The goal for the exterior was perfection. It had to be, as she was going to be painted in its original black colour, a colour known to be unforgiving of the slightest imperfections. 

At one point, the prior owner had replaced the original 1438cc engine with a 1608cc unit. So we removed the 1608cc engine and replaced was it with a period-correct 1438cc engine designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi. The new engine was completely torn down and rebuilt to factory specifications by Fiat master mechanic Cam Impellizzeri in Brisbane. Every nut, bolt, and component was removed and then repaired or replaced.  Such deviation and committed required to get her humming. 

Adding to the original look and feel, a set of factory-option Cromodora CD3 wheels were located, restored, and installed together with period-correct reproduction Michelin XAS tires. The Cromodora CD3 wheels are very rare & extremely hard to find, but it was definitely worth it.

Originally when they left the factory, the black cars were only released with 2 interior colour options; Rosso (red) or Avorio (Ivory).  Most spiders around the world either had black or tan interiors, so for me Rosso was the obvious, rarer, and more striking interior shade to pair against the deep black bodywork surrounding it. The interior was completely retrimmed by award winning Annvid Upholsterers in Capalaba in Brisbane.   

After going through each & every component of the entire car with such attention to detail, the restoration was completed in April 2020 (17 years after I first purchased her). To say I am absolutely thrilled with the end result is an understatement. My restored Fiat Fiat Spider 124 has exceeded all my expectations. It is better than I ever imagined it could be. And I drive her with such pride, appreciating all the people involved in the journey of her restoration as well as the original makers that brought her to life 54 years ago. 

I now find myself living my dream and still pinching myself that she is mine all these years later.

‍

Thanks to Micheal, the owner of this beautiful Fiat for sharing his story.