The Rebirth of a Fiat Dino Spider
Anyone who has ever delved into the mechanics and history of the Fiat Dino rarely lets go of these vehicles again. The interplay of fine Italian coachwork and the V6 engine developed in-house by Ferrari has fascinated me for many years. After successfully restoring two Fiat Dino Coupés, the decision matured in me: it had to be a Spider – and this time, a build from the very first bolt, without any compromises.
The starting point for this long-term project arose through a stroke of luck among friends. A good friend and long-time collector decided to let go of one of his own restoration projects. He knew the vehicle would be in the right hands with me. The base was a Spider that had already been partially disassembled, but one could still discern what was present and what was not; thus, it was actually a perfect, albeit extremely challenging, starting position for a complete rebuild from the ground up.
The Inventory: A Puzzle for Advanced Enthusiasts
Before the vehicle rolled into my workshop, we began an initial inventory. The previous owner had already started to disassemble the car. Sifting through the boxes revealed the typical picture of an abandoned project: the large, essential components like the engine, the complete drivetrain, and the chassis were clearly present. But, as they say, the devil is in the detail. Other essential items were obviously missing completely – most notably the original seats, which, as is well known, leads to a long and arduous search for a Dino Spider.
Even before transport, we started together with initial, minor welding work in the interior and on the floor pan to ensure basic stability. Only after that did I bring the car to my facility to disassemble it completely, down to the last bolt, for the work ahead.
Two Years Became Four
Anyone planning such a restoration often tends to be optimistic at the beginning. I originally calculated the venture as a solid, two-year project. I did not know at that time that it would end up taking more than twice as long and costing me a total of five years of intensive work – and perhaps that was for the best.
In this series of articles, I would like to take you step by step on the long road from the bare body to the final tuning of the complex V6 engine. It is a report about the attention to detail, the search for rare original parts, and the technical and organizational hurdles that such a vehicle entails.
The first milestone after complete disassembly was also already set: the body had to be radically freed from the sins of the past. You will find out how I approached the paint stripping process and what surprises came to light in the next installment.