Car Buying Help: Fiat 128

"Carbyne" (Carbyne) 05/26/2015 at 20:52 • Filed to: None

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OPPO I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Late April I’m on my morning commute and see a car for sale in a front yard, a simple Fiat 128. After commuting by it every day I have fallen in love with it and want to buy it. The only problem is, it is a project car and I know very little about Fiat 128’s.

(Full Disclosure: I DD a John Cooper Works Mini Hardtop and love small front wheel drive cars. Probably a sin around Jalopnik but I don’t care.)

The car was listed in late April on Craigslist for 1600 and is now down to 500. Wanna know why? The car sat for 16 years with the heads off and they still aren’t on. The owner did list that they have all the parts to put it back together but I haven’t spoken to them yet. The interior looks great, just a small cut on the drivers seat (definitely sat in a barn for a long time). The exterior has some surface rust and the under carriage looks solid (still in one piece but I cant tell if there is an undercoating).

For 500 dollars, I feel like I could just buy it as a fun project, which is something I’ve been looking at doing for a long time. My budget would be $5000 and I refuse to go any higher on that. My dream plan for the car would be purchase it, install the engine from the Fiat X1/9, sort all the mechanicals (I’ve read problems about the shift linkage but again, I know nothing about these cars), rust prevention, and finally use as a fun car.

So opponauts, what are your thoughts and suggestions? I have very little experience doing major projects like this (mainly just simple maintenance stuff), but I have always wanted some way to learn all of that. The owner removed the Craigslist ad (otherwise I would post it) so I’m afraid it might be getting scrapped soon. Should I make a move?

RustedSprinter > Carbyne 05/26/2015 at 20:56

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If you got the cash and the free space go for it dude! Id love to have a 126P XD

Jedidiah > Carbyne 05/26/2015 at 20:58

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They were licensed to Zastava and were rebadged as Yugos

Birddog > Carbyne 05/26/2015 at 20:59

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$500? Just buy it!

If you think he’s going to scrap it offer $200. Scrap is low right now.

LongbowMkII > Carbyne 05/26/2015 at 21:40

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Oppo- the home for neglected European classics.

Steve in Manhattan > Carbyne 05/26/2015 at 21:47

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Do the research and make sure you can get parts for the damn thing.

My citroen won't start > Carbyne 05/26/2015 at 22:08

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My dad had a 147 once, it caught on fire.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Carbyne 05/26/2015 at 22:16

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Remember the series of posts where StudyStudyStudy bought a $500 Nissan Z car and when he was done restoring it, it cost him around $16,000 and 4 years of his time?

That.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > My citroen won't start 05/26/2015 at 22:17

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... because it was soooo hot...

sdwarf36 > Carbyne 05/26/2015 at 23:27

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NO!! Repeat NO!! And I’m not just a Fiat basher. If it was a runner, maybe-at least you’d get to try the car first-and realize that the car isn’t anything special. Pretty crappy actually.

1: Its got rust. No way you found the only Fiat that doesn’t.

2: A motor that has sat apart for 15 years isn’t worth repairing. The rust has got into too many places.

3: $5k would buy you the best one of these on the planet.

If the idea is a learning experience-and a project that may not get finished-and if it won’t make you broke by doing so-go for it. A good source for parts is FIAT (Fun Imports and Toys) in Vernon Ct.

Eddie > Carbyne 08/26/2020 at 21:22

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did you ever buy this fiat or know what happened to it? been looking for one to fix up badly