Someone here in the Memphis area is trying (unsuccessfully) to sell a Fiat roadster, a '79 124. The car has low miles for the year but the big sticking points are that
A.) it's an "orphan" inport
B.) it has an automatic transmission
There is a thread on here about the auto Miatas, can some folks fill me in on the Fiat roadster automatic? I realize, that even more than the Miata, this car does NOT benefit from the auto option ....however, this example seems pretty decent otherwise. It's white with a medium blue interior and apparently lacks the near mandatory luggage rack most of these cars seem to wind up with. At 65,000 miles, what should be looked at? What type of service would be coming due? Cam belt life? Suspension bushes?
the Auto in that car is a GM unit. Similar if not the same as the ones used in the chevette and some opels.
As far as being an orphan, there are a LOT of vendors out there helping to keep this lovely italian roadster on the road. Bruce's Parts Bin and IAP come to mind quickly,
The biggest issues with Fiats are Rust, Grounds, Rust, and more rust.
Unfortunatly the 79 and early 80 were the "dogs" of the 124 Spider heirarchy. They have the bigger 2litre engine, but the carb was choked down even more than the older and smaller 1800s.
Great little cars though, quirky but fun. I have had in my stable since I was 19... Twenty years now.
As far as cambelts... I do mine every 20 thousand or so. as the first mass produced belt Driven DOHC engines, they simply do not last like in a honda.
Transmissions on the manual cars can be weak.. but the GM Auto is pretty stout as long as the fluid is clean and full.
the Fiat Spider 2000 started Fiat down the road towards the "mass grounding" wiring. You will find these sunflower looking things in the trunk by the driver's side taillight and one on the passengerside front fender. make sure all the connections are clean and that the ground itself has a good connection and most everything electrical should work.
Rust is the Big Killer on these cars. Check the rear wheel arches, the Front wheel arches where they meet the sill. The sill is a cosmetic cover over the real support of the car. Check that carefully as the top drains INTO it rather than through it (easily fixed with some hose) and the floor at the rear suspension pickups and the floor under your feet.
mad_machine wrote:
the Auto in that car is a GM unit. Similar if not the same as the ones used in the chevette and some opels.
Sorry to butt in, but really? That's quite interesting.
The Alfa's used a ZF box, but I do realize how many companies used the GM box as a good, stout, auto box.
Thanks for the useless trivia. 
Eric
Learn sumptin here everytime 
I have never seen a 124 roadster w/automatic. I knew the coupes can with autotragic as an option. And I'm old enough to have been driving a few years when this one new. I've always like the Fiat roadsters.
It's not useless trivia (it's OK, I know you were kidding)! If you got one of those new six-speed GM auto bolt-ins that TCI is making, and spent presumably only a little more than it would cost to do a manual swap, you could tell all your friends that you had a six-speed 124 Spider.
get it! gt car:) whats the asking price?
Can an aluminum transmission housing rust?
This car, for those who asked, started about a month ago at $3500. It's been listed 3 times now and the seller is both disgusted and perhaps desperate....as it's down to $3000 now. CL is a bitch, isn't it?
Ads posted on CL for Memphis, Tn. search Fiat.
It's affordable enough and it is summer here, so it's very tempting.
