Hi all,

I really want to own a piece of this beautiful history.

Do people have opinions on model year? I could either afford a '78 with decent interior, some minor body damage, and over 100k miles. Or an '81 that needs interior work, but has a straight body and needs a new clutch - with less that 100k miles.

I'm having a hard time judging which would be the better option.

One has 1800cc engine, the other 2000cc. I imagine the 78 is carburated? And the 81 is fuel injection.

Any tips on how to make this decision?

How much of your own work can you do? Fiat specialists aren't exactly easy to find. I'm more comfortable with carbs and points than fuel injection, etc. Let your capability decide.

Yes the 78 is carbureted and the 81 is efi. I personally own an 82 and the systems on it are quite simple and easy to work on in my experience, but I also have a background in newer Honda’s and Miatas so efi isn’t weird to me. I’d say go with the the 81 just because it’s has (in my opinion) a bigger and better engine and has lower miles which I think is more important.

That being said, some people don’t consider 1981+ 124’s to be “real” because after that year they started outsourcing parts from Mazda.

But I’d go with the 81 just sayin