I’m the fourth owner of this 1981 Fiat Spider 2000, 50th Anniversary Limited Edition (LE) #366 of 1000 manufactured. It was originally delivered and titled in California. The 50th Anniversary LE’s were Champagne over Tan, with some unique accents and badges. Not all 1981 Spiders featured power windows and antenna, but the LE’s did, a nice addition to the accessory package. This Spider was repainted beautifully to Rossa Red by the second owner owner. The third owner acquired and transported it to Rochester, MI in 2007 for restoration. During restoration from 2007 to 2010, many improvements and some customization was performed. I acquired this Spider in November 2016.
While many components and parts were replaced with New Old Stock (NOS), the original stock bumpers, door panels, and iron cross wheels (very desirable and collectable) were saved and are part of the sale. Abarth bumperettes were fitted in place of the stock bumpers.
The restoration and improvements are meticulously documented in paper and pictures, as you see in the gallery. A 5” binder documents everything performed and acquired for restoration. During the restoration, a new timing belt was installed. In 2011, the heads were removed, milled, mild cams were installed, and re-assembled with a new timing belt. The bottom end of the motor is original, been inspected, and is rock solid. A K&N performance cone air intake, aluminum radiator, hoses, new aux radiator fan were all installed. A straight-through Turbo performance muffler and Silverline exhaust tip are installed, and the catalytic converter removed.
The chassis cross member, well- known for deterioration, was removed and replaced with a heavier-duty reinforced unit, manufactured and imported from Andy Spiders (www.andyspiders.com) of Toronto, Canada. New KYB shocks, springs, and bushings are installed throughout the chassis. All the replaced steering and suspension components are documented in the repair / restoration log. The suspension was lowered about 1”. 15”x7’ Team Dynamics wheels and Bridgestone Potenza 195/50 have been fitted which complement the look and handling.
As the interior was restored, floor pans were restored and covered with Rust Bullet along with Hush Mat sound insulation for the cabin installed throughout. New upper and lower consoles, and a dash rebuild from Just Dashes in CA, new leather front seats from Corbeau with adjustable lumbar support, harnesses, matching door panels, rear upholstery, and new carpet set. A new canvas convertible top and cover were fitted in 2012.
The stock laminated dash inserts were re-made in solid mahogany by Kaczor Woodworking, and the gauge cluster includes tach, speedo, oil pressure, water temp, voltage, and clock. A Nardi wheel and shifter round out the interior appointments. To top off the interior customization, a $5,000+ Alpine component stereo system was designed, fitted and installed featuring 10" woofers in the lower kick panels where the map storage boxes were originally, tweeters and mid-range drivers in the doors, and a 12” sub-woofer is fitted in the trunk. The Alpine head unit is iPhone compatible, but not Bluetooth.
Prior to my acquisition in 2016, the Spider was inspected and serviced by Jon Logan of Mid-West 124, Columbus, OH. At that service interval, the transmission was removed and overhauled, fuel injection adjusted/serviced, brake rotors and pads were replaced, calipers were inspected; an aluminum flywheel was installed as the transmission went back in, adding a little horse power. A new OEM Valeo clutch, pressure plate, and throw-out bearing was installed.
While being serviced at Mid-West 124 prior to delivery, a comprehensive inspection was performed, and thorough report prepared by Jon. Jon remarks in his report that this is one of the nicest and best-maintained Spiders he's seen and worked on. A copy of that report is available for review upon request.
Since acquisition in 2016, recent improvements and maintenance performed by me include:
I purchased this car to drive and enjoy...and I sure have. It turns heads every time you take it out and is a thrill to drive. It was a dream come true to acquire this particular car after owning a 1980 Spider briefly in the mid-1990’s that needed everything to become reliable.
There are wonderful Spiders out there to enjoy and restore. This particular Spider is unique: it's been restored/customized to better than original As it sits, it's an incredible restoration/custom-build as the photos showcase. And, as #366 of the 50th Anniversary Limited Editions, it has unique collectability and continues appreciating in value. Acquisition, rebuild, restoration, and customization expenditures are approaching $40,000 …all documented in Excel. I invite you to send an email if you have some interest. We'll arrange a call from there.
