At first glance, this 1972 Fiat 850 Sport Spider has the right ingredients: a tiny Italian convertible, 4-speed manual, and classic red paint. But once you dig into the details from the eBay listing, this one starts looking less like a fun weekend revival and more like a serious project. Bidding does start at $300 with no reserve, though. Thanks go to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip!
The listing mentions that the engine runs but has low compression, which is never a good thing. Best case, you’re looking at a top-end refresh. Worst case, it’s going to need a full rebuild. On a car that doesn’t carry much market value to begin with, engine work alone can exceed what the finished car is worth.
Then there’s the rust. The seller acknowledges corrosion, and the photos suggest it’s bad. On an 850 Spider, rust in the floors, rockers, and structural areas can be catastrophic — and structural repairs on a small unibody convertible are neither cheap nor simple.
The interior does look surprisingly nice but this one will require significant metal work and mechanical attention before it’ll be safe to drive again. Even if you do the labor yourself, you’re likely to end up upside down financially.
That doesn’t mean it’s worthless. As a parts car, a learning project, or a hobbyist’s long-term build, it could make sense at the right price. But as a practical restoration candidate, the numbers probably don’t add up. It’s better that someone does something with it rather than it going to the crusher though.
Would you tackle this rusty Fiat project — or push it back into the barn?
Beautiful pattern car and it’s so complete and unmolested. Wow, somebody might be tempted to take their time, take lots of pictures and bag and tag everything and have a great start before killing the tin worms. A lot of what’s usually wrong with lots of projects don’t apply to this one.