General 1969 124 Spider with engine ready to put together. Any suggestions? (Phoenix, AZ)

[FionaWalters]

I have a 1969 124 Spider convertible that I feel really bad about. It's been sitting in my driveway for years waiting for its engine to be rebuilt. Years. Why so long?

More than 5 years ago, it was almost my daily driver. It had a few issues and smoked a bit, and a Fiat mechanic friend took the head off and showed me why: there was some cylinder wall corrosion he thought was caused by water intrusion some time back before I owned it. He suggested having the cylinders bored and we proceeded. The recommended person dropped the ball and took a ton of time to do the engine and in the meantime my mechanic friend moved back to Europe. Fast forward to today and the engine is ready to put together and all the parts are there, but again this person does not seem to have the time to do it.

So the situation is that I can go pick up the engine and parts, but I don't have the skills to put it together, put it back into the car, and get things running again. I'm not too sure what to do next. I'm wondering what people here would do. I'm located in Phoenix, AZ, where I'm sure there are a few enthusiasts and people who know how to work on the cars. If anyone has recommendations, or wants to help, or maybe wants to buy the car, I'm open to any suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[wetminkey]

Suggestions? Ask your question to a larger audience,...you'll need to register for free, again, but post at fiatspider.com and mirafiori.com. And you could probably find Fiat Spider enthusiasts from Arizona there. The very best of luck with your '69!
Todd.