We've featured a lot of Alfa Romeo Spiders in the past few months, so I felt it was about time to take a look at that other popular Italian roadster, the Fiat 124 Spider. This car had an equally long life, lasting in production from 1966 to 1985. Fiat would not have another roadster in their lineup until the Barchetta came along in 1995. This 1982 Spider for sale in Georgia looks decidedly rich in with its dark green paintwork over tan interior.

1982 Fiat Spider 2000

Beautifully restored, dark green metallic, 5-speed, 1982 Fiat Spider 2000 Pininfarina with only 97,250 miles! Gorgeous Italian roadster ready to be driven and enjoyed.

If you would love to have a great little roadster for some top down, sun in your face, wind in your hair motoring then the Fiat Spider is an excellent choice! Produced almost exclusively for the North American market, although sold occasionally in some European Countries, the Fiat 124/Spider is becoming a very sought after roadster among car enthusiasts looking for an affordable collectible sports car that can be driven and enjoyed as well as make a great investment. Designed by Italian stylist and coach builder Pininfarina the Fiat 124/Spider rivaled the MGB and Alfa Spyder as the worlds longest running sports car. In 1982 Pininfarina, who had always assembled the bodies since production began in 1966, took over sole responsibility for the entire assembly, distribution and marketing of the car. 1982 was the last year that wore the Fiat Badge. Many collectors I have spoken with have indicated that the most desirable models are the fuel injected models which began in 1980.

This particular 1982 Fiat Spider 2000 has lived a very pampered life and is believed to have had just 3 owners prior to us. We were told the car was originally owned by some folks from Alabama who moved to Kentucky and owned the car until 2004. At that time the car had about 75,000 miles on it. It was sold to a Fiat and Lancia enthusiast in West Virginia in 2004. This gentleman decided to do what he called a Level 1 restoration in 2005. I spoke with him and he said the body was virtually rust free and was completely stripped down and treated to a very high quality, professional paint job in the original color. The interior and top were completely redone and the drivetrain was gone through and rebuilt where needed.

According to him he spent close to $20,000 during the restoration process and what resulted was a show winning, spectacular little Fiat Spider 2000. He told me the local Fiat/Lancia club asked him to stop bringing it to the shows after a few years so that someone else could win first place. He drove and enjoyed the car for about 7 years before selling it to the 3rd owner who was from Canada but also lived in Florida part of the year where he stored this Fiat. He had several cars in Florida and while he had plenty of fun with the car during his one year of ownership, he decided it was time to let it go to the next lucky owner....maybe you! The Fiat now has just under 98,700 miles on it and while it is not perfect, it still turns plenty of heads and is an absolute blast to drive. chances are it will still take home its share of trophies if that is what you enjoy. I will do my best to provide enough large images, a video of the car running, and an honest description to allow you to decide if this great little Fiat Spider 2000 belongs in your garage. What a great way to bring in 2013, a great investment in a classic sports car that you can truly drive and enjoy!

As I mentioned this Spider was treated to a very extensive restoration about 8 years ago and it has held up beautifully. I took the pictures of this roadster on 2 different days, so you will notice that in some of the pics you can see the glittering green metallic body as it sparkles in the bright sun, and in others it takes on a deeper dark green tone on an overcast day. The body on this Fiat is completely rust free and rock solid. I believe it has all of its original body panels and I do not see any evidence of any accidents or body work. Body panels are very straight and the body panel fit appears as good as factory fit. Bumpers, chrome trim and rubber looks excellent overall with only minor signs of aging. The paint has held up beautifully and other then a few tiny chips that have been touched up it is still very show worthy!

The level one restoration that was performed 8 years ago also included a complete restoration of the tan interior and convertible top. A brand new, high quality canvas top was installed and still looks almost brand new. Rear window is still very clear with just a few small marks on it. I recommend you the drop top whenever possible and it is a simple and quick, one person, operation. Once down the tan boot cover goes on easily. The tan leather interior is a beautiful compliment to the dark green metallic exterior. Door panels and seat covers are in fantastic condition with one small mark on the passenger seat. The wood dash and console trim was changed to a very cool looking tiger eye wood look. The dash pad is in great shape overall with just 2 small cracks by the defroster vents which is quite common. The original steering wheel is showing some wear and age to the chrome spokes but still presents itself well. An aftermarket Am/Fm/CD stereo was neatly added and a cd changer is located in the trunk with speakers mounted in the kick panels. All of the gauges, lights and turn signals appear to be working correctly with the exception of the oil pressure gauge which is not currently working.

I had the pleasure of driving this sweet Fiat roadster about 30 miles recently and can testify that it truly drives as good as it looks and is also just as fun to drive as it is to look at! Hopefully you will agree that this is a sweet looking 1982 Fiat Spider 2000! If you live in a warm climate then you will be able to drop the top and enjoy this roadster the day it arrives. If not, you can store this beauty away this winter and be ready for that first day of spring with an amazing little convertible. Either way you will be making a great choice and investment for 2013!

My father owned a 1968 124 Spider before I was born and even years later when I was growing up, I'd hear horror stories about that car and its electrical problems. That's not enough to deter me from one of these machines, though. I'd probably opt for an Alfa Romeo Spider first, but the 124 runs a close second when it comes to which affordable Italian roadster I'd pick for my stable. The best 124 Spiders of this vintage might bring $14,000 to $17,000. Solid drivers with no mechanical faults and decent cosmetics hover in the $8,000 to $12,000 range. As such, this car will probably bring somewhere around $10,000 to $12,000, if the reserve is reasonable.

-Paul