The World Car - 2017 Fiat 124 Spider

Nice car. I've always liked the new 124. The wheels and the blackout trim match well. 

This came up as a Reader's Ride in the sidebar for me today, and I followed the helpful URL to this thread. The car looks great and I like the choices you've made with it. I see it's been a few months--any updates?

I really like these cars. I think they got the styling just right, which is not something I would say about almost any other modern sports car. I rented a 500 Abarth a few years ago and had a lot of fun with it. Just loved the exhaust note.

In reply to obsolete :

Thanks! I'm still really happy with it as well. The only change since the last update was the swap to winter tires and wheels in October. It makes a really good winter car. The seat heaters come on fast and can then be dialed back. The cabin is tiny and heats up quickly once the motor is warm. And it has proven capable in the snow and ice on the winter tires. Turning traction control on and off is a simple single button press. So that may or may not happen before and after deserted corners on snowy roads :P   I feel bad exposing it to the salt, but I'm unwilling to buy another car to use as a winter beater.

I'm up to almost 48,000 miles on the odometer. Modifications from here will likely be minimal. I want a set of black "rollbar" hoops from an MX-5 to match the now black windshield trim. An ECU tune for another 30-40 horsepower would be nice. But that's about it. I'm trying to not ruin how good it is as a daily driver.

Having said that, if an unplanned pile of cash came my way I'd love to call up Flyin' Miata for an LS V8 swap kit for it. I think that would be a blast to do myself. And the car would be ridiculous afterwards. But that's a bit of a pipe dream for now. shrug. A respray in something not grayscale would be nice too.

When I swap back to the summer wheels this spring, I think I'll put the straight pipe section back into the exhaust for a week or two. The noise is so much fun.

- Sean

I ended up getting a pair of black roll hoop covers from a Miata a while back. They look good.

And I splurged on a personalized plate for the new Michigan Water Winter Wonderland design. I love the simple yellow over dark blue on a real stamped piece of metal. Unfortunately, FIATA was already taken and I was limited to 6 characters. I looked around on the Fiat forum for ideas and found this instead. I like it better anyways.

- Sean

That plate will be a real litmus test at Fiat gatherings :)

Well, I suppose I should wrap this thread up. About a month ago I had a bit of a moment at the gas station. I was putting 93 octane in, like normal, when I noticed that it is now $1.00 more per gallon than regular. Something in me said, "Well, this is dumb." While I love the Fiat, and it's a great car to drive, and makes all the good exhaust noise, it just didn't feel right anymore. My commute involves all of a half dozen turns and I only autocrossed it twice this year. The good just no longer justified the cost of fuel and the compromises inherent to a compact roadster.

So I removed the aftermarket wheels and exhaust and put the stock parts back on. The Fiat got traded in on a 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf. You can follow my adventures with that car in this thread.

When I get some time, I'll list the wheels (17x8.0 Konig Ampliforms in bronze with 225/45R17 Continental DWS06 tires) and the exhaust for sale. Feel free to reach out beforehand if you are interested in either one.

I'll miss the Fiat on every day with good convertible weather. I'm happy I had the chance to own and drive it. But it was time to move on. Thank you all for following along.

- Sean

In reply to ShawneeCreek :

This is an old thread but it's the only one I've found with a GRM member owning a 124. Do you remember what your top rants and raves were about the car? I just remembered they existed, and a quick look around online shows that although there aren't a ton to choose from in the used market, they're also pretty compelling as far as cost. Winters around here aren't what they used to be, so I've been daydreaming about daily driving a roadster once my Volvo sells. I imagine the turbo motor would be grunty and well-suited to day-to-day driving.

There was another. It's quite a ride: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/just-tell-me-it-will-all-be-okay-nd2-miata-as-a-daily-driver/180460/page1/

The Fiat in question arrives on page 5.

In reply to ShawneeCreek :

Sean, did you eventually sell the Ampliforms?