Just in.......53,000 miles since new, two owners, no rust, repainted once (in original silver/gray), beautiful deep red interior, fuel injected 2 liter DOHC engine with aluminum head, four wheel power disc brakes, 5 speed, very good original top, runs and drives very well.
Interesting note about these cars.....in their day, and today, these small, not very expensive classic sports cars were miles ahead of their competitors....1980 was the last year for MGBs, TR6s stopped production in 1976, the TR7 was never more than a disappointment, VW 914s (okay, a Porsche name but lets face it, these cars never saw the Porsche works), MG Midgets, what else? And the Fiat offered a twin cam engine, 5 speed trans, sophisticated rear suspension, four wheel power disc brakes..and a.good one (like this car,, that is not rusty, isn't worn out, and with alloy wheels and a modern stereo) makes for a very nice car.
I owned one for three years....reliable, fun to drive, powerful heater for comfortable Winter use, a top that went up and down in a snap, and in the case of my 1979, a bigger Weber carb for more performance. Fortunately, in 1980, Fiat went to fuel injection adding to reliability and performance.
And compared to an Alfa (and I have owned a lovely 1992 for many years), the Fiat has a superior transmission, comparable handling, Fiat parts are 1/3rd the price of Alfa parts and easier to acquire.
Not a lot of money, easy to keep running, comparable to a contemporary car in many ways, this car is worth considering.
PLEASE DO NOT consider this a mint original car nor a restored car. Although I didn't see any rust underneath....and these cars are known as rust traps.....a number of little nicks, touch ups, wear here and there. But it runs beautifully, strong performance, all of the expected negatives on an old car are not in attendance. Clutch does not slip nor chatter, steering felt excellent, no rattles or shakes, brakes didn't pull and didn't feel any warping on the rotors, zero smoke, exhaust is quiet, stereo works, all gauges, lights, heater, wipers, etc. work, tires look fine, nice set of light alloy wheels, top of the dash is not cracked, carpets appear original and are not worn, FOR THE MONEY, a great little entry level classic sports car that has room for a big dog or two little kids, a spacious trunk, and a lot of sophistication that similar era English sports cars (think MG or Triumph) cannot match.
