Ever sense working my 1st real job after I got out of the USN back in 1981, as the Shop Flunky at our local Fiat, Lancia, Ferrari Dealership I have wanted what I always thought was a beautiful design, and I wanted it with a 5-speed manual and the crazy orange Velour interior. They are hard to come by in the US for a couple of reasons, 1 they only made about 4500 coupes in total from 71-76, and 2 they never sold them in North America.

So when I was given the chance to buy this example with both the 5-speed trans, the Orange interior, and less than 32000 original miles, I jumped on it! What do you think? It is scheduled to be picked up by the shipping company next week.

Jeff congrats on getting one of your dream cars.

I know next to nothing about import cars. What I know is:

1. Avoid anything built by British Leyland period!

2. BMW is for sports car fans, Mercedes for Euro-luxury snobs

3. I can't afford any Italian sports car whose name ends in either "i" or "o"

4. VW only made the Beetle great. Any other VW is not that memorable...even the mini-bus.

5. Seriously, what is a Karman Ghia except a Beetle in sheep's clothing with front disc brakes?

6. A turbo 911 Porsche on a lonely stretch of highway outside Dallas in 1988 was one of the most awe inspiring rides of my life

7. There isn't one Asian made car or truck I would ever want to own - except perhaps an Ozzy made Holden

BTW - when are you retiring? I am retiring this Friday, January 30th.

Edited January 25Jan 25 by Frosty

Congrats! That’s a lot of orange but man does that interior remind me of my dads Olds with red velour interior.

Believe it or not Frosty my Last day is also January 30th! But my company is letting me tag along to the redwings game on the 31st. So I do have to see most of my coworkers on the 31st also. Small world!

The Fiat 130 is an iconic classic design - you have done well. It will break down and leave you sobbing at the side of the road but think how cool you'll look next to it whilst waiting for a tow.

Are we all familiar with the FIAT acronym: Fix It Again Tony?

Beautiful clean lines and it'll be a hoot to drive. Orange velour...proof that good drugs were also available in Europe in the 70s.

8 hours ago, Frosty said:

BTW - when are you retiring? I am retiring this Friday, January 30th.

Congratulations frosty !!!!

Now you can relax

And do all that stuff you have always dreamed of …

like

Um

Ur

Sleeping in ! Yes yes !!

And not stressing !!! Yes !

And um … what else !!! Um urrrr .

50 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

The Fiat 130 is an iconic classic design - you have done well. It will break down and leave you sobbing at the side of the road but think how cool you'll look next to it whilst waiting for a tow.

Are we all familiar with the FIAT acronym: Fix It Again Tony?

Beautiful clean lines and it'll be a hoot to drive. Orange velour...proof that good drugs were also available in Europe in the 70s.

There you are !!!!

Where have you been hiding mate !!! I see that cyclone missed you today ! I western ozzy

And congrats too Jeff

So same thing …. What’s next ? Sleeping in

No stress ,

Beers at ten

Mid day tv watching , beers for afternoon tea ..

Oops sorry

That my wish list !!!

4 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

What’s next ? Sleeping in

No stress ,

Beers at ten

Mid day tv watching , beers for afternoon tea ..

Don't forget the beers while working on your cars!

Thanks all, I will try and actually get to my project cars! As for the 130, it is supposed to be more reliable than the average Fiat, with better build quality, but made with the same rust prone Soviet Steel.

Some standard features I like about the car are

4-wheel Independent Suspension, & Disc Brakes. The SOHC V6 Engine should have plenty of low end torque to use with the 4.10 limited slip rear axle ratio. For a product of the early 1970's it has some very advanced features, like a tilt and telescopic steering Column, Power Steering and brakes Standard, an early for of cruise control (its the lever on the center console closest to the driver.) Brake fluid low warning light, oil pressure and oil temp gauges, power front door windows, eclectic rear window defogger, Power antenna, bucket seats that fully adjust (all mechanically), and this example has the optional A/C with rear seat vents.

It also has some very odd features that I like, a manual choke for the webber 45 2bbl carb. (the lever on the center console near the passenger seat). A lever under the dash to the right of the steering column that unlocks the passenger side door by cable, the rear seat windows only roll down about 10-15mm, and are controlled by levers not cranks.

This example reportedly sat for about 15-20 years before the previous owner bought it, he had the engine and the brakes overhauled, replaced the exhaust system and front struts, and had the paint "polished" So hopefully I will be able to enjoy it this summer with only minor maintenance.

My immediate retirement plans consist of reading and doing some article writing. I may end up doing some part time adult sitting my father in law, who has some level of dementia in order to give my mother in law a break.

I plan to travel. Power Tour is a definite. So is the POCI convention.

I had breakfast yesterday with Mr and Mrs notallthere. He wants me to come to Sarnia Ontario to help him shorten and turn his long bed GMC pickup truck into a short bed stepside! He just bought a used stepside bed for it.

National Parks, cool cruises, becoming a Dragon Master, driving all of Route 66, and visiting the last four states are my longer term plans.

Edited January 25Jan 25 by Frosty

On 1/25/2026 at 6:58 PM, 64 kiwi boni said:

There you are !!!!

Where have you been hiding mate !!! I see that cyclone missed you today ! I western ozzy

Man, I've been busy. Took 3 weeks off work to get some stuff done around the Ponderosa. Strip & refit bathroom & toilet, prep kitchen for refit, install massive 27000 litre water tank and plumb it in...I'll be glad to get back to "work."

I'm too lazy to retire!

GP is sitting under cover, looking forlorn & forgotten. Haven't started it for weeks. Club run coming up in a coupla weeks - will take it for a burn then.

My immediate plans are to get my fathers old 78 Catalina Safari running again to prepare it for sale to make room for the Fiat, otherwise the Police car will have to sit outside covered until the Body shop is ready for it. Then get to the engine work my 67 Firebird Sprint needs. And await delevery of the Fiat.

The shipping is going to be about $2000 USD's more than I was initially lead to believe, as the original estimate did not include the pick up and delivery of the car to the shipping port, brokerage fees, and customs fees. Also the shipper will deliver it to my door from the port on the east coast for another $800, add the 2.5% standard tariff for a car, and the 6% Michigan sales tax, and we are starting to talk serious $$$$

I will have to sell my 2009 Saturn Aura work car to cover some of this I think.

Well the Fiat was picked up from its storage site and moved to the port of export on Friday, estimated 6 week's for delivery. And the Luggage will have to be shipped fedex as the insurance company will not cover theft of any object in the car, that is not part of the car. There are apparently 5 bags, 4 suitcase style and 1 sholder bag. Hoping they will fit inside each other like russian nesting dolls to save a bit on shipping.

Edited February 3Feb 3 by cammerjeff

That luggage looks cool Jeff!

Edited February 4Feb 4 by Frosty

Thanks Frosty, I have never seen Fiat Fitted Luggage before. But considering who's company car it was it doesn't surprise me they had it made for him.

I have heard of custom fitted luggage for Mercedes and Porsche, so it doesn’t surprise me if several Italian automakers did the same thing.

Well as of today the car is on board the RORO ship in Zeebrugge Belgium, the shipping has been paid, and I have won round 1 with customs as they wanted to charge me an additional 12.5% tariff on top of the 2.5% normal import tariff. The broker told me it is 50/50 that customs will still charge me the 12.5% even after the Supreme Court said the reciprocal tariff's were unconstitutional. We will see what happens. But I figured if I paid it upfront, I would never get the $$$$ back.

So the car should be at my door in about a week, the luggage has still not shipped.

Partial progress always beats perfect bureaucratic paralysis!!!!! Way to ho Jeff!

Thank's Frosty, I may have been very fortunate on the timing of the ship, as it arrived in the port of Baltimore a couple of hours after the supreme courts ruling on the tariffs, and the car was unloaded just after midnight today, and according to the broker that exempts it from the new 15% tariff that goes into effect at 12:01 am Tuesday morning.

That should save me almost $5k! But I won't be actually celebrating for some time, as I have learned in the past dealing with our Federal Goverment!

I hear you Jeff. No celebration until it’s in your driveway! Congratulations on saving the $5k though!

Edited February 23Feb 23 by Frosty

Just informed that the car cleared customs today, with no additional duty applied, just the 2.5% I have already paid, and it may be delivered to my house as early as this Thursday! No word on the Luggage shipment though.

7 hours ago, cammerjeff said:

Just informed that the car cleared customs today, with no additional duty applied, just the 2.5% I have already paid, and it may be delivered to my house as early as this Thursday! No word on the Luggage shipment though.

Here comes Christmas

Just got word and shipping confirmation that UPS picked up the luggage today in Paris, so now it's a race! Odds are the car will beat the luggage by a day or 2.

And I was just notified that the Fiat was loaded for delivery to my house about an hour ago! Progress. It looks like by the end of next week both the car and the luggage will here.

Just received some pictures of the car prior to it being loaded on the Trailer in Baltimore, it looks like it has survived the trip so far. Due to be delivered tomorrow about noon EST.