903cc Engine Removal – Part 2

903cc Engine Removal – Part 2

Since there was no luck in getting the engine turned over it was time to get the engine out and mounted on the engine stand. As the disappointment from not being able to take a ride this summer/fall fades away I realize that this is for the better. I will be able to...

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Starting the 903cc Engine – Part 3

Starting the 903cc Engine – Part 3

Well, no luck with freeing up the piston. I had hoped to get it going and drive the car a bit before settling in for winter but I guess she had other ideas. That's all right. I did want to rebuild the engine, in the back of my mind. I had made a wooden marshmallow...

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Fixing Driver’s Window – Part 1

Fixing Driver’s Window – Part 1

After having no luck with the engine today I decided to see if I could get the driver's window moving again. Before I got started I pulled up the mats on the floor to have a good look. I found some rust on the driver's side that looks like it went through the floorpan...

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Starting the 903cc Engine – Part 2

Starting the 903cc Engine – Part 2

I checked on the stuck cylinder today and it still had the same amount of fluid as it did before. The 903cc engine was still not budging. I soaked all of the liquid out of the top of the cylinder and put some automatic transmission fluid into it. I have been...

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The Auburn Auction

The Auburn Auction

I went to the big auction in Auburn, Indiana today. I walked around the swap meet area hoping to find maybe one or two booths that might have some Fiat parts. I looked through the Ford parts, the Chevy parts, Dodge, Plymouth, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Cadillac and all of...

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Specs of the 1971 Fiat 850 Sport Spider

Specs of the 1971 Fiat 850 Sport Spider

I checked the cylinders today and the Marvel's Mystery Oil had seeped it's way past the pistons in 1,2 and 4. That is good news. The number 3 though still had the penetrating oil in it. It must be pretty stuck. I soaked up the penetrating oil and replaced it with the...

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Starting the 903cc engine – Part 1

Starting the 903cc engine – Part 1

The first thing I want to do is to get the engine running. Then, I figure I can drive it around a little before the weather turns cold and discover all of the other things I will need to do in order to call it "restored." I wasn't sure what to expect. After all, the...

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Bringing home the 1971 Fiat 850 Sport Spider

Bringing home the 1971 Fiat 850 Sport Spider

One of the benefits of my job is seeing hundreds of cars for sale before they are shown to their target audience. I work for Auto & RV Publications, we are a magazine with 14 editions across the midwest. I had recently sold my Harley and was feeling the loss of...

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The Fiat 850 Project

The Fiat 850 Project is a chronicle of the restoration process of a 1971 Fiat 850 Sport Spider.  I use a combination of my own images and images/tables/logos I found on the internet while I was doing research. If you own one of these images, please let me know and I will credit you or take it down.