1981 Fiat 124 Spider 2.0 Turbo Restoration
Today (10/09/2016) is the official launch of the new Fiat 124 Spider here in the UK, but coincidentally it also marks a month since our classic 124 Spider restoration was finished and we finally got it back on the road.
Bought by our father way back in 2001, it was in a terrible state but it was a very rare Spider Turbo. Built by Legend Industries in Long Island, NY under contract from Fiat, only around 700 of these were ever produced. It had covered just 34k miles too, and had previously been owned by a Radio Norfolk celebrity (alas, not Alan Partridge!) so was well worth saving.
Over the past fifteen long years this car has undergone an exhaustive ground-up restoration including a full respray (in a slightly more attractive colour, hopefully!), new hood and a full mechanical overhaul. Although the convoluted turbo-charging system had long since been abandoned by a previous owner, the 2.0 Lampredi twin-cam engine has been sympathetically fettled to around 130bhp, the injection system has been reverted back to carburettors and a lightened flywheel has been fitted.
It is now, finally, done and we've been having a great summer actually driving it! Lets hope the new 124 Spider can follow this automotive legacy.
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