Fun
Floor pans rusted. Typical for Fiats. Soviet steel.
Not the best electrical system. The headlight (plastic toggle) switch would over load and melt. I added relays for high and low beams and cured the problem.
Fun Car. Not much power. Good memories. The French Blue Shaggin' Wagin'
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 21st June, 2007
Unique and entertaining car
From the factory, they blow head gaskets at 60mph early in life if the cooling system isn't kept clean and well maintained.
I have found a lot of these cars parked indefinitely, low mileage, with a blown headgasket the culprit.
Superb handling! I took this car to college and put 20,000 grueling miles on it traversing mountain passes and delivering pizza.
To make this vehicle durable and adequate for freeway speeds I studded the engine block with 7/16 studs, upgraded the camshaft and installed high compression pistons. A large Weber carburetor was used and glass pack exhaust.
My 72 was still slow, but not AS slow. I was young and drove it extremely hard, but with these few modifications it still performed perfectly when I eventually sold it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 12th February, 2007
It was an ideal first car that provided excellent road feel and predictable handling
The convertable top did not seal very well, but it was down most of the time anyways.
Great fun to drive, you could wind it up like a watch and drive it hard all day.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 1st February, 2007
Not a daily driver, but nice to collect and show
Needs a lot of work and maintenance, do not think to drive this car in the mountains or if it is too hot, all 850 will overheat.
Only Fiat will install a radiator with the motor in the back, I'm thinking to set up a radiator in the front like the X1/9.
With today's traffic, this car is too slow
Still, this is a good Italian car and it will turn heads when I drive it, or I take it to the Italian car shows.
It handles like a race car (but without the speed).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th September, 2003
Great fun and a unique car
When living in the 29 Palms (California) desert, the engine overheated to the extreme. Drove the car home smoking badly and WAY overheated. On tear-down, there was no cracking, scoring or any other damage to the block or bearings, just a warped head. This is an aluminum head on iron block. It seems the combination of Castrol 20-40 GTX motor oil with STP additive saved the motor.
Another time, I lost a cylinder at an autocross event and drove the 100 or so miles home on three cylinders. That time, on tear-down, the only damage was a SLIGHTLY scored cylinder wall, which honed out nicely. But the rings had disintegrated and the piston was beat to death. Still have the piston as a trophy.
Only recurrent problem was the points in the distributor would migrate and cause the engine to run poorly, and eventually not at all. Seemed to be a product of insecure mounting with screws into a cast aluminum distributor housing.
As with all the Fiat 850's, this car is a blast to drive. Very unique being a coupe (everybody's into the spider convertibles). My dream Fiat is the 850 micro van which was never sold in the U.S.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st June, 2003
That's a great story, I have many Fiats and I recently purchased a 850 what I believe is called a Familiar, it is a van, not a 600 multipla, it is a 850. Is this what you are talking about and does it have any value? I am considering restoring it because it has a good floor, what do you think? John from US- PA State.
69 Fiat 850 Sport Coupe was my first car. Purchased for $450 in 1974. Unfortunately, it was the worst vehicle ever manufactured. Incredible amount of rust developed. Wouldn't start below 60 degrees. Only way to start it was by popping the clutch. Fortunately, my girlfriend lived at the bottom of a hill. Even the seat brackets broke. And who could forget the centrifugal oil filter? Was a blast to drive when it ran. It did teach me a fair amount of mechanic skills though. Actually had the motor out of it. Bought an Opel Manta in 77. Started the first morning I owned it at 10 below. Best car I ever owned.
11th Sep 2004, 08:45
I ran an 850 Sport Spider in the 70's. I have never driven a car with more under steer; this car desperately wanted to go backwards. Being 20 at the time, this meant several nose bleeds for the Fiat. The last hurrah for the car for me was in 76 when the generator casting failed and the generator fell off the engine. I now own 2 Lotus Europa S2's.