1984 Fiat Spyder review from North America
"Quirky"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
When driving the car home for the first time, the fan belt broke and the car overheated. The engine apparently survived, intact.
AC system was broken when I bought the car - the hoses were disconnected (manufacturer fault or previous owner??).
Right power window fitfully opened and closed with much noise.
RUST, RUST, RUST! I don't know how they got away with it, but Fiats are the rustiest cars I've ever seen.
Heater temperature control broken and very, very expensive to fix.
Top seals badly.
General comments?
I bought this car during an early mid life crisis. Dumped my Neon for this convertible. It was actually marketed under the "Bertone" name.
While fun to drive, it was an odd car. The AC, even though it came with the car, looked like an aftermarket addition. The steering was not rack and pinion, but worm and roller - made for a "different" steering feel that was not so bad. The heater controls were truly archaic.
Overall, I only had the car for about six months. Fairly reliable for its age and condition when I bought it though.
I much preferred my Fiat X 1/9 - a better overall car in my opinion.
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| 1973 - Spyder 850 Convertible small 4 Car was a piece of junk from showroom |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1984 |
| First year of ownership | 1993 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1993 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 2 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 80000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 83000 miles |
| Previous car | Dodge Neon |
| Date of Entry | 5th March, 2004 |