Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 22:04:08 -0500
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: Any Fiat Spider owners out there?
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
I can remember the Isetta, Citroen w/sardine can top, Morris Minor,
Sunbeam, Triumph, Healey, Lotus, Bug Eye Sprites, get this one Facel Vega
(Chrysler Hemi powered), Cooper, Mini Cooper, Morgan, Messerschmidt,
Lancia, XKE Jags, Fiat, Sunbeam, Volvo, Borgward, Saab, Reneau, Crosley,
Henry J, Nash Metropolitan and of course VWs, Mersedes, BMWs, Bentleys,
MGs, Jeepsters and if I press myself I'll come up with a few more.
The reason I have remenberance of these cars is; I had a retail chain of
muffler, brake, alignment and speed equipment shops that supported my
expensive racing habits. We were also dsistributors for Beck foreign car
parts.
We alo did a lot of mufflers and tailpipes for the Dallas Antique
Carriage Club and worked on a lot of vehicles made before 1920. That is a
whole other list.
Stan Wilder
On Fri, 5 Oct 2001 20:41:34 -0500 "Max Wellhouse" <maxjoyce@ipa.net>
writes:
> Stan: My dad liked wieerd foreign cars up in Iowa while I was growing
> up. I
> remember one of those cars you described, but I thought it was
> called an
> Isetta. His was a late 50's or early 60's model.
>
> Max
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Stan Wilder" <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Friday, October 05, 2001 1:19 PM
> Subject: Re: Any Fiat Spider owners out there?
>
>
> > Way back in 1965 I had a Fiat. It was the one that had the front
> and only
> > door that swung out in front of the car. The steering column swung
> out
> > when the door opened. It had narrow rear wheels. It was a real
> neat
> > little vehicle. I made a nifty profit when I sold it, got it for
> $35.00
> > sold it for $50.00 the same week.
> >
> > Stan Wilder
> >
> > On Fri, 5 Oct 2001 12:57:47 -0400 The Bus Depot
> <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
> > writes:
> > > I recently traded a used Bus engine for a '76 Fiat 124 Spider
> > > Convertible
> > > (also sold as an Alfa Romeo Spider). Yes, I guess I'm a
> glutton
> > > for
> > > punishment. But after having VW busses as my daily drivers for
> > > years, the
> > > prospect of owning a car that could actually get out of its own
> way
> > > (almost
> > > as much horsepower as a Westy and 1/4 the weight) was a lure
> too
> > > great to
> > > pass up. (Of course, the fact that I got the car for
> practically
> > > nothing
> > > didn't hurt either!) So it's not going to replace my VW's but
> will
> > > certainly
> > > be a neat toy to tool around in for short trips, etc. when I
> don't
> > > need the
> > > features of my Westy or my Crew Cab. Boy is it fun to drive!
> > >
> > > I was surprised, upon discovering a Fiat BBS, to notice some
> > > contributors
> > > who were also VW enthusaists; I even recognized a couple of
> > > customers of
> > > mine!. There are indeed some similarities between the vehicles.
> > > Generally
> > > low parts prices; widespread part interchangeability between
> > > models/years;
> > > few local parts or repair specialists, hence heavy reliance on
> the
> > > internet;
> > > quirky design (i.e. rear-engined Fiats, or even air-cooled
> older
> > > ones);
> > > quirky operation (the heater controls on the Spider are as
> > > counter-intuitive
> > > as the ones on my Vanagon!). Of course, many differences too.
> > >
> > > Since there were Vanagon owners on the Fiat board, I wonder if
> there
> > > are any
> > > Fiat owners on the Vanagon list - in particular, listmembers
> who
> > > either have
> > > used Spider parts or know of a local junkyard that does. I
> would
> > > be
> > > particularly interested in trading either new VW parts, or a
> credit
> > > at The
> > > Bus Depot, for used Fiat parts that I may need.
> > >
> > > - Ron Salmon
> > > The Bus Depot, Inc.
> > > (215) 234-VWVW
> > > www.busdepot.com
> > >
> > ________________________________________________________________
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>
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