Mailbox surprise!

Thomas76

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Check out what came in the mail today!!
IMG_20200728_205435713.jpg
 

Gary Knox

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Interesting to me that the picture on the front is NOT of the car featured in the article. My copy came a couple of days ago as the 'final issue' of my subscription. I was a great fan of 'Sports and Exotics' when they were publishing it, but have not been enthralled with Classic Motorsports. I had planned to let my subscription expire. BUT, I think they hooked me in for another year, as they actually had 2 articles in this issue that I enjoyed reading. Just got to send that re-subscribe card to them now!

Gary--
 
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Thomas76

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Their June or July issue on the 3.0CS was a bit weak. The author subscribes to the Karmann left the bodies outside to rust theory.
I mean.... He's not wrong is he? Granted, there were worse... Fiat for example who put cars on the ship with bare sheet metal, they didn't stand a chance as they rusted on the ride over here....
 

HB Chris

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I mean.... He's not wrong is he? Granted, there were worse... Fiat for example who put cars on the ship with bare sheet metal, they didn't stand a chance as they rusted on the ride over here....
I think it is urban myth. Which Fiats were shipped unpainted, that is also hard to believe. ;)
 

Thomas76

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Well, when I say unpainted I mean they were painted after assembly. Meaning bare metal in many places behind the scenes. It's hilariously documented too, was towards the end of us importing. Believe it was at least the 124 of the late 70s.
 

Markos

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Well, when I say unpainted I mean they were painted after assembly. Meaning bare metal in many places behind the scenes. It's hilariously documented too, was towards the end of us importing. Believe it was at least the 124 of the late 70s.

I haven’t seen any bare metal on mine. I would know as it would be rusty. It is all primer, paint, or exterior overspray on primer. That comment doesn’t explain why the bare dash steel is color matched, along with the seat back, etc.

By assembly do you mean chassis assembly? I can’t think of a single car that is painted before chassis assembly. Most cars are plated, and the e9 was advertised as such.
 

Thomas76

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I haven’t seen any bare metal on mine. I would know as it would be rusty. It is all primer, paint, or exterior overspray on primer. That comment doesn’t explain why the bare dash steel is color matched, along with the seat back, etc.

By assembly do you mean chassis assembly? I can’t think of a single car that is painted before chassis assembly. Most cars are plated, and the e9 was advertised as such.
I'm referencing the fiat 124's from the 70's, not E9's. Struggling to find the article back that I had learned that from, but it was towards the end of "Fiat USA" so there was less interest in build quality maybe?
 

Gary Knox

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I imported a Fiat 124 Spider to the US directly from the Turin factory in 1972 (bought it from a dealer in Rome via snail mail communications!!!)). It arrived at the harbor in Baltimore fully painted - saw it come off the ship. Only had it 3 years, but it never rusted, and here in SE PA and northern DE, they were using a lot of salt on winter roads in that era and it was my daily driver. Don't know about it's rust history after my 3 years of ownership.
 

Drew Gregg

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I bought a Fiat 124 Spyder new on 5-31-69. I kept it for exactly 3 years. Always garaged and kept clean. The steel brake bleeders were a different metal than the calipers. They all were frozen in place and I had to replace all 4 calipers. Then one day I was polishing the car and my hand went through the rocker panel. I took it off and the inside was indeed bare metal!! I then traded it in to a BMW/Fiat dealer in Charlotte and bought my 2002 on 5-31-72.
 
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