Fiat 500 Giardiniera named Paola

[vesparex]

Hello everyone!

My wife and I just bought a 1969 500 wagon. We live in Berwyn, IL. Just outside of Chicago.
We are enthusiasts of all car makes. Currently own a 2003 Ford Explorer, the Fiat, 1960 Mercury Comet, 1950 Buick Super and I am building an open wheeled hotrod out of a 1926 Olds Sedan. We also own about 7 Vespa's ranging from 1959 to 2003. I say about because a couple are apart in pieces! Also own a Ducati Monster S4RS!
I have a few questions to start out here. 12" tires are proving to be difficult to find here in the states. Any ideas? Also, learned real quick the bolt pattern is a 4X98mm. Not far from the much more common 4X100mm. Any one ever adapt wheels? Lets hear your stories.
Could use a good run down of decent parts suppliers. She runs and drives. But we do want to bring back her luster! Tune up parts, restoration suppliers, the lot!
Also, found two different shop manuals avail. One the Haynes the other a reprint of the shop manual. Any opinions here? Which one is better and more detailed?

Thanks in advance!
Duane & Jessie

 

[LOW500]

Congratulations on your wonderful 500!!
I'm sorry that no one has replyed as of yet. I can give you the links of some manuals online and some good fiat 500 links in general. As for parts, since you are in the states, try everything Fiat which is an ebay seller. They would have everything that you need or want. Also the link that I'm adding is very good also, and they deliver worldwide. Although their prices are in Euro, they are still very cheap and I have used them more than once. Since I happen to be luck enough to be living in Italy were 500 parts are easy to find, I should be able to help with any questions that you have. Hope to hear from you soon.

Here is the link that I mentioned www.fiat500sport.com

Ciao

 

[LOW500]

Forgot to mention. Unless you plan to drive your 500 everyday, don't worry about the 12 inch tires. I know that they are hard to find in the states, but this is the only place that I know that sells them. http://stores.ebay.com/Everything-Fiat_Tires_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ7QQftidZ2QQtZkm

 

[vesparex]

Thank you for your response!

You are lucky, living there at the center! I am not Italian but I own 7 Vespa's, a Ducati and now this little FIAT! Maybe I should move there!

I will keep you in mind once I start tearing into her. Hopefully she will not need much more than some fine tuning and care.

Duane

 

[LOW500]

Thank you. Its ironic that you mention Vespa's because that is what I want next. I'll (maybe) be returning back to the states next year, and with gas prices the way they are, a lot of people are getting smaller and classic cars. I wanted a Vespa since watching American Graffitti!

But I will be more than happy to lend advice and help. Looking at your car, its in very good condition, so you dont have much to do.

 

[JimG]

This is great, I just found the forum, looked up the car I just bought a couple of weeks ago, and your Giardiniera is exactly like mine! Of course, mine is now completely stripped down to the body on the way to be painted, but it;s the perfect time to start figuring out what to do next. I have found a number of good parts suppliers already, one of them here is Everything Fiat which is an Ebay store based in Atlanta, and another in Italy called 500mania which has some more exotic stuff.

One question you or others could help wme with. Parts are designated by the 500 models D,F,L, or R and only occasionally by Giardiniera. However, I know many of the parts are interchangeable. Does anyone know, for engine parts in particular, which letter most corresponds to the Giardiniera?

Hope you're enhoying your car- it's a pleasure to drive a classic that gets 65 miles a gallon!

Hello everyone!
My wife and I just bought a 1969 500 wagon. We live in Berwyn, IL. Just outside of Chicago.
We are enthusiasts of all car makes. Currently own a 2003 Ford Explorer, the Fiat, 1960 Mercury Comet, 1950 Buick Super and I am building an open wheeled hotrod out of a 1926 Olds Sedan. We also own about 7 Vespa's ranging from 1959 to 2003. I say about because a couple are apart in pieces! Also own a Ducati Monster S4RS!
I have a few questions to start out here. 12" tires are proving to be difficult to find here in the states. Any ideas? Also, learned real quick the bolt pattern is a 4X98mm. Not far from the much more common 4X100mm. Any one ever adapt wheels? Lets hear your stories.
Could use a good run down of decent parts suppliers. She runs and drives. But we do want to bring back her luster! Tune up parts, restoration suppliers, the lot!
Also, found two different shop manuals avail. One the Haynes the other a reprint of the shop manual. Any opinions here? Which one is better and more detailed?

Thanks in advance!
Duane & Jessie

 

[jamesgamby1989]

old school! love it!

welcome to the forum

 

[The Beard]

Hi and welcome. Although like most members of the Forum we own modern FIATs, (a 2005 Panda Multijet and a 2005 Stilo) it's great to hear of people who own a classic. It's strange sometimes when you visit Italy and see in the same square in a small Tuscan hill town, a Nuova 500, 600, Cinquecento and Seicento all at the same time. Also, this week, the latest 500 has been reviewed for the first time in the British motoring press to universal acclaim. One magazine had the headline: "A bad time to be a Mini dealer". Hope you enjoy the site. While I think of it, I'm visiting Italy in the next two weeks so if there is anything you would like me to look for then just let me know.

 

[PNL]

I can remember the 500 in my childhood days and they where a great little car then and to see them all together in italy must be a loverly site ..welcome to here Newbie hope you project is on the road soon and you post up the finnished result ..who said they are going to Italy forum peeps get your orders in :devil:

 

[giardiniera]

can i help me

hello friends I need its aid I have a giardiniera and I am looking for the white bands for the rims of 12 ", somebody knows where with himself pleace, some information to my mail [email protected], thank you very much.

 

[mountainmachine]

Re: can i help me

Do you mean whitewalled tyres? I was under the impression they were manufactured like that.