Author: Ray Marchica

Spider Rinata

The original Roadster Salon Spider Lusso was the most popular single model in our history, with nearly 100 built since its inception. Harkening the look of vintage Spiders from the 1960’s, we lightly sprinkled in some Ferrari inspired DNA and created–magic. The result improved the spider’s driving experience without betraying the original car’s charm and personality.

Translated from Italian, Rinata means “Reborn.” While many will consider Roadster Salon’s Rinata to be the Lusso’s spiritual successor, it is much more. We think of its proprietary modifications as the “rebirth” of the Spider. The Rinata features key technical innovations and refinement not found in previous versions.

While many of the exclusive cosmetic elements were retained, we’ve upgraded the car’s performance and added more standard equipment. The hand built and signed “D’Avola” engine is the centerpiece of the Rinata, with nearly 100 man-hours of artisan craftsmanship. Options include Ferrari inspired Diamond interior stitching, and first ever Alkaline tank bath and rust preventative. Full specifications are available on request. Prices start at $79,995 plus chassis.

Spider Estrema

To suit the taste of both luxury and performance-oriented customers, two different versions of the Estrema are available–Touring and Sport. Each model has its own unique personality. Think of the new Estrema series as more “extreme” versions of the Rinata. Both T and S models feature higher levels of customization, opulence, power and handling than the Tributo.

The new Estrema Touring offers two dash designs options, custom LED back lit gauges with a GPS tracked odometer and speedo, plus artisan crafted wood and chrome details. Top grain Italian leather with custom stitching throughout the cabin is standard. All Estrema models feature our Generation II rack and pinion steering system, second generation structural chassis bracing, and upgraded multi-piston braking systems. The T version features our best performing, normally aspirated Fiat based engine, with nearly 140HP. Both manual and automatic transmissions are available.

Our Estrema Sport places even greater emphasis on performance. It is designed for those seeking a spider with sharper reflexes and better acceleration. The heart of the S is our new exclusive turbocharged and inter-cooled Fiat 2.0 engine, which boosts horsepower to near 170. Also featured is stiffer suspension, unique dash with boost gauge and a custom hood with functional intake from the Spider America. Each car is finished exclusively in a custom premium color from Maserati’s or Ferrari’s factory color chart. Prices for the Estrema models start at $99,995 respectively, plus chassis.

As teased in our Mid-December posting, three new models have been finalized for our fresh line-up of 2022 spider re-creations.

For customers who long for the nostalgia of the original spider, and prefer the car restored to an original standard—we announce the Spider Icona. It’s the first release from our new line-up.

The word “Iconic” is defined as something widely viewed as exceptional, with distinctive excellence. The timeless beauty of the Fiat Spider by Pininfarina is truly “Iconic” in every sense. From the curvaceous body lines, advanced engineering to its brilliant technical design—the Spider looks at home in the company of the most revered classic sports cars ever built, regardless of price.

The Spider Icona is intended to appeal to the Purist customer, and replaces the Spider “Avanzato”. Roadster Salon retains the original character of the spider through the use of factory approved replacement parts. Where possible, we’ve improved the quality of the original spider’s fit and finish during re-assembly. The result is a car that feels just like old times—only better.

The Spider Icona is an advanced level restoration that includes all the essential mechanical elements to assure your Spider will be reliable and fun. It’s even more comprehensive than the Avanzato, and faithful to the original. Outstanding cosmetics include the full disassembly of the chassis prior to paint, and bare re-spray in your choice of color. The scope of mechanical work includes the removal/rebuild of the engine and transmission, as well the replacement of all wear items. The standards are high, but the car can still be enjoyed daily as a driver. Burled walnut and original style air conditioning are the only options.

If you are a purist looking for a nostalgic driving experience to take you back to a simpler time–the Spider Icona is your ticket to get there. Get out your Members Only jacket, styling mousse and New Wave CD. It’s time to party like its 1985. Prices start at $54,995 plus chassis.

One might assume when dealing with the constraints of a single chassis platform, the potential for innovation and refinement would be limited. Since 2016, Roadster’s line-up has been essentially unchanged. The “Orignale”, “Avanzato”, “Lusso S2, and Tributo series have been the staple of our line-up. It’s been six years without any increase in pricing, or significant revisions.

The pandemic has created many challenges for Roadster Salon. In the past two years we have struggled to maintain quality in the face of dramatically rising costs for parts, labor, paint, body, and fabrication. The cost of rebuildable spider chassis’ have also spiked. “The days of finding restorable rust free, fuel injected Spiders under $10,000 are all but over. If we base a project upon a $10-15K starting point it, becomes virtually impossible to do a proper job addressing cosmetic and mechanical details at an entry level price”, said Rob Baird Director of Operations.

We realized a few months ago we were doing our customers a disservice by trying to make our process more scalable and compromising details to stabilize pricing. The core of Roadster Salon’s build philosophy is “it takes as long as it takes to make it right”.  We strive to make every spider build better than the one that came before it. But the pandemic made achieving that goal increasingly difficult.

Prior to announcing our models, we considered simply dropping the base “Originale” from our line-up and continuing with the other models with adjusted pricing. Instead, we saw an opportunity to revitalize our product mix creatively while offering more value and performance. We informally polled our existing customers and asked them if upgraded versions of their builds were available at the time of their original purchase—would they pay more for something better? Their resounding answer was “yes”.

For 2022, Roadster will continue its development of our two EV models, which have undergone many revisions prior to the launch of our production ready version. Our “ICE” line-up will now consist of three models. The Spider Icona, Spider Rinata, and Spider Estrema. Watch this space for more information about each of these exciting new Roadster Salon products.

Ray Marchica

Roadster Salon has announced that their entry level “Originale” model is being discontinued in its present form and price structure for 2022, according to Director of Operations Rob Baird. “The Originale restoration was intended to be a way for entry level customers to become part of the Roadster Salon family. We created a category for these customers to select a chassis or provide their own—where we could restore the cars by priorities set in advance. Unfortunately, we found this to be impractical in the real-world applications. Cars provided by customers often needed far too much work to fit into this budget sub-$20K category. Further, tight supplies have forced Roadster to exclude our own vetted chassis from being eligible for these entry level projects.”
The far bigger concern has been meeting typical customer expectations. Many see the quality of our more comprehensive work on-line, and make assumptions. They expect similar levels of quality for half, or one-third the price of our Avanzato and Lusso S2 models. “The truth of the matter is this is a reputation- based business. Roadster Salon loses literally thousands of dollars on every “Originale” project we build”, Baird said. “Our craftsman will not do things half way. Since the budget is simply not there to attend to all concerns, compromises become necessary. In many cases, the compromises are just not acceptable to us. Consequently, we end up doing a significant amount of work at no charge to the customer.”

Roadster Salon will continue to do a-la-carte restorations for customers who supply their own cars, with the clear understanding of their expectations in advance. “The math is really simple on these projects. To inspect and mechanically refurbish a spider from end to end, plan on a minimum of $10-$15,000 in labor– depending on condition and previously performed maintenance. That estimate is with no contemporary upgrades or re-engineering,” Baird said. “We warranty all our work, so the approach must be comprehensive and include all wear items. It’s not a question of priority—it’s one of safety.”
Cosmetics are a wild card. Many customer submissions have significant rust concerns that need to be addressed prior to paint. It is not unusual to spend upwards of $10,000 on metal repair and body work alone. “Interior restoration is a bit easier to ballpark, but there are still variables there too. What type of materials are being used? How is the tub being prepared? Other issues like sound deadening, door supports and seat frames should also be addressed.”

Pictured below: 1979 2.0 FI upgrade, replacing carburetor for better performance and improved reliability

Watch this space for further updates in Roadster Salon’s 2022 model line-up. Rob Baird said, “Ray has some exciting things planned for next year as we hopefully put the pandemic in our rear-view mirrors for good. We are doing our best to address the enormous back-log of orders currently in our “Q”, and are committed to make our production facility/build process more efficient without sacrificing quality.
We are up to the challenge!”

For nearly twenty years Roadster Salon has purchased parts from Fiat Fun in Connecticut. As our East Coast warranty station, Danny O’Donnell has become an integral part of Roadster Salon’s network of suppliers and support staff. During the pandemic, Danny has flown to Chicago on multiple occasions at his expense to provide additional help on our shop floor. A veteran Fiat mechanic with over 30 years of experience, Danny has been a valuable resource during these challenging times. His personal favorites are 124 sport spider models from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. “I love the look of the original spider. Versions imported after 1974 have ugly, heavy bumpers and just seem out of sorts. Roadster Salon’s Lusso updates really bring the car back to its roots with much better reliability” Danny said.
This week marked the 10th Anniversary of Danny’s first “guest appearance” at Roadster Salon, filling in ably for our COVID depleted shop team. “Fiat Fun and Roadster Salon are like family. I love coming to Chicago and hanging out with the guys. They make me feel welcome and it gives me more appreciation for the complexity of their modifications and attention to detail”, O’Donnell said. “Looking forward to the next 10 years!

It’s been a roller coaster, but we are happy to report the delivery of our first Tributo since the returning from our COVID-19 hiatus. With some necessary changes in details, and supply related modifications– this lovely project finally came to fruition this week. Finished in Maserati Sebring blue and built on a 1985 Pininfarina platform, we overcame many obstacles to get her back on the road, and prepared for delivery to her new home in the Chicago suburbs.
Our customer plans to eventually send his resto-mod sweetheart to his second residence near Los Angeles. Consequently, our proprietary air conditioning system and automatic transmission were non-negotiable “must-haves” that couldn’t be left off their option list. Accessing these parts along with shortages of other critical items made this build one of the most challenging Roadster Salon has ever produced.
We are happy to report that in spite of some bumps along the way, the end result is stunning. We particularly like the revised center console treatment with a new leather binnacle flanked by burled walnut sections on either side. Operations Director Rob Baird commented, “We thought this car would be finished at some point this Summer, but some components like the custom gauges could not be accessed through any of our domestic sources or even Europe. Ironically the manufacturer is in Dekalb Illinois, but the only distributer that had them available was in Australia. I thought we had the problem solved, however shipping strikes at DHL and FedEx set us back another month.”

Chrome components like bumpers and door trim have been unobtainable since last winter, as shipments from the far east have slowed to a near standstill. Many of our trading partners were caught unprepared for pandemic related supply chain interruptions. “Simple parts orders that we’ve been accustomed to arriving within a few days have turned into months of delays and disappointments. It’s been very hard to manage customer expectations in this environment. Hopefully we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel” Baird said.
Watch this space for announcements on our plans for 2022—just around the corner.

Roadster Salon is proud to announce a new teammate in our effort to constantly improve the quality and workmanship of our Spiders. “In years past, we spent nearly a week preparing every tub by hand. The products available on the open market were simply not as well suited as the material provided by Linex,” according to Production Assistant Connor Harrington. “We tested their special undercoating and tub treatment on several vehicles this Summer, and found it to be much more durable and harder to penetrate than anything we could buy from our suppliers. It’s tough stuff!”
The tub treatment is rock hard and insulates the Spider from vibration and dampens sound. “It’s very similar to bed liner used in commercial pick-up trucks,” Harrington said. “Linex undercoating dries more quickly, protects the car from rust, and gives our spiders a more finished appearance. Our cars always looked gorgeous on top—but now they are just as nice underneath.”
Before sending each chassis to Linex, Roadster Salon’s custom preparation involves many hours of hand sanding, scraping and scuffing exposed surfaces. Upon arrival, each tub is specially masked, then put on a rotating rack which makes access much less difficult. The two-stage process is applied by Linex professionals with painstaking care. Their attention to detail to prevent overspray is impressive.
Linex offers a lifetime warranty when their product is applied by a franchised Linex dealer. “Its warrantied not to crack, bubble, or flake for as long as you own your Spider.” Roadster Salon is so pleased with the Linex product that we are making it a standard feature on all our Lusso models and above, starting this Winter.

Roadster Salon’s commitment to developing the EV side of our business has continued unabated during the pandemic. A pleasant surprise has been our growing relationship with Fiat-Chrysler leasing in California. As some may know, the all-electric version of the Fiat 500e was only sold through select Fiat dealers in California and Oregon from 2012-2019. The majority were delivered through their exclusive leasing program. Roadster Salon has an account to purchase these certified examples directly through Fiat leasing and ships them to their office in Chicago where they are serviced and prepared for customers nationwide. All are accident-free and have extremely low miles.

The 500e originally sold for almost $35K before tax credits. It offers outstanding performance, it has excellent range for its class and bullet-proof reliability. Current prices for 2017-2018 lease returns are rising but still offer great value at less than 50% of their retail price when new. Roadster Salon typically maintains the largest 500e inventory of any independent Fiat dealer. Aside from stocked inventory, we can also order specific colors directly from our leasing representative. A new 500e has started shipping in Europe recently. Plans for US distribution are currently unclear.

The Spider America project development continues with a substantial number of orders in-house. Pandemic-related delays, changes in battery specifications, and improved engineering has moved our delivery timeline to mid-2022. Watch this space for updates on our entry-level and high-performance spider EV conversions.

While no one could have predicted the impact of COVID-19 on the automotive industry and society in general, we can’t help but wish we were all in a better position to deal with the aftermath. Production ground to a near standstill in 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, yet demand for Roadster Salon spiders climbed to an all-time high. This has created a backlog of projects never seen before in our history. Frankly, we are overwhelmed.

The backlog has occurred for a variety of reasons. Firstly, there are only a handful of domestic suppliers for Fiat parts, and arguably Roadster Salon is their biggest single customer. The pandemic forced suppliers to re-evaluate their inventories for 2021 and take a more conservative approach to stocking their shelves. Demand has emptied their supply of popular items and caused unanticipated delays. Critical items like bumpers, seat belts, air conditioning, ventilation systems, and other mechanical components have created huge obstacles to completing projects.

Secondarily, labor shortages have dramatically impacted the timeline for bodywork and paint, as well as other sub-contracted items. The end result is a huge headache and a completely unpredictable timeline for most of the projects on our calendar. Although these conditions are temporary, we’re functioning in a new business environment where everything is a moving target. It’s become fool’s gold to rely on any information we receive about shipments or contracted labor. Obviously, that affects the accuracy of updates we provide to our customers.
It’s incredibly frustrating and we appreciate your patience.

After nearly a year of intermittent closures, reduced staffing, and remote customer service, Roadster Salon is slowly returning to the “new normal”. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, we are close to having our full staff back together. Masked and vaccinated, we are looking forward to getting back to the many projects that have been in limbo for months.

It is clear that we have been fortunate with a huge outpouring of support from our loyal customers. Unfortunately, other companies in our industry have not been nearly so lucky. Most of our suppliers and sub-contractors are dramatically down on inventory and staff. While Roadster Salon may be dialed in and ready to roll, we seem to be in the minority. The coming months will most certainly be presenting challenges regarding the availability of parts and support services. This will be an interesting Spring and Summer season, and one that is likely to be quite fluid moving forward. Stay tuned