Category: Blog

Here’s a feel-good story for the holiday.

This project started out several years ago as an homage to our customer’s father. We were directed to recreate a spider from the early 1970’s once owned by our client’s dad who had passed away. Many fond memories were attached to this car, although they were occasionally tarnished by the Fiat’s spotty reliability.

Roadster Salon’s goal was to re-create this memory in a more modern package. The original mid-seventies chassis was handpicked by our staff. The car was upgraded by a new performance 2.0 fuel injected engine, rack/pinion steering, suspension and electrical improvements, plus many cosmetic enhancements as well. Many hours were spent with the specific design details, with significant input provided by the client.

In just a few short weeks this spider has already received wide spread attention and acclaim with nearly 300 positive responses on Facebook. It’s truly stunning in every respect.

While the car was being built, our customer had his first grandchild. Our next task was to paint a tandem toy convertible for his granddaughter in the same Maserati Sebring blue metallic color. This little gem is pictured along side of our customer’s pride and joy. Watch this space for our customer’s full review and driving impressions. While a long time coming, the delivery was a proud moment for everyone involved, and an emotional tribute to his dad.

While the majority of our cars are vetted and provided to our customers from our own inventory, currently about 20% of our projects are based on cars sent to us by clients.

This mid-seventy spider was shipped to us by a customer in Atlanta. As shown in the photos, it was badly in need of TLC. The classic “it ran when parked” told little of the story of what became an extensive restoration and upgrade project. Our client spent a great deal of time working closely with us about his “Vision” for the car.

After some brief discussion, the upgrade to a 2.0-liter fuel injected engine was deemed mandatory. Lots of deliberation was given to the color combination. While we considered the standard Pininfarina Azzurra blue metallic, a subtle variation from Ferrari was finally selected for the exterior by the owner. It was the first spider we have ever done in this color. It’s deeper than the Pininfarina version and much more masculine than the Robbin’s egg blue tinting used by Fiat during the early 80’s. One of our nicest shades of fawn leather was selected as the perfect complement to the gorgeous paint work. This car also features a custom navy cloth convertible top and lovely matching navy carpet. Unusual—but stunning.

The end result is one of the most beautiful finished products we’ve built recently. And a great departure from the popular red spiders that seem to frequent our assembly area!

The seemingly unending engineering rabbit hole embarked upon several years ago has finally come to a conclusion. As you know, our team set out to design a modern turbo system for the spider and quickly learned this would not be possible unless the original Bosch fuel injection system was abandoned. The “closed” computer did not allow for a contemporary interface to monitor fuel/air mixture or other critical functions. Only a complete modernization of the fuel injection computer and associated hardware would allow for the proper installation of an intercooled turbo.

While the turbo cannot function without the modern fuel injection upgrade, the good news is the CFI system can be purchased as a stand-alone item. We are currently working through final pricing. The finished product is nothing short of incredible, offering improved low-end torque, enhanced reliability and a 15% increase in overall HP. California customers will also appreciate the upgrades careful monitoring of emissions. The new computer also has an interface port that allows for tuning like a modern car, along with coil packs instead of the old school design.

This is truly the first modern engine advancement ever offered for the Fiat spider. It was a huge financial undertaking but one well worth the effort. The first competed car will be on its way shortly to a happy customer in North Carolina—his second spider built by Roadster Salon.

The fluctuating demand and market uncertainty with EV cars in general has made us rethink our direction with the electric version of the spider. Roadster will continue on a special-order basis to support the platform. But the extreme cost of development and moving target on the technology front makes a budget version impractical at best.

Feedback on electrified classic cars has been mixed. While the performance can not be ignored, the lack of sensory/tactile interaction that a manual transmission and combustion engine provides seems misplaced in an EV convertible.

There are also many design challenges with converting an existing classic chassis to an EV. When dealing with a clean sheet of paper, the batteries can be located skateboard style along the bottom of the car. This enhances handling and weight balance. Unfortunately, this is not possible in an adapted design, which requires the batteries to be installed as modular components. Since the spider only has room to accommodate the batteries in the rear of the car, this dramatically affects weight balance and handling.

The additional weight is significant, as the removal of the combustion engine and fuel tank does not offset the weight of the battery system. Consequently, driving an electrified spider requires a deft touch and adjustment to the rear weight bias from housing the batteries in the trunk and rear seat area. Braking distances are lengthened due to the added overall weight of the car.

Our prototypes have also been disappointing due to the lack of range. The minimal storage area in a Spider means that the battery displacement is insufficient for distance driving. With the current level of battery technology, range beyond 125 miles seems out of reach. All said, more time is needed to develop a budget EV model. Currently there is simply no economical way to adapt this technology for a competitive price considering supply chains and space limitations with the Spider. At some point this will be revisited in the future based on demand inquires.

What do you do when your prized 10k mile Ferrari convertible needs some love? Call Roadster Salon—an Italian car specialist who not only knows Fiat and Alfa Romeo but also is fluent in Ferrari too. This car had some minor cosmetic damage, caused by an incident with a negligent driver who tapped his rear bumper. While Roadster Salon’s focus is restoration work, we will occasionally assist a former customer by addressing accident or body damage.

Since the car was pristine, he entrusted us to discretely handle the visual repairs and also some differed maintenance. The 360 Modenas are increasing in value. Attention to every detail was necessary to assure the repair did betray the impression the car is still like brand new. The end result showcases our expertise. And a very happy customer’s Ferrari that remains pristine.

The Spider America has become our most requested model, which is surprising considering that it’s also our most expensive platform. Put simply, the design is a stunning tribute to the classic convertible sports cars from the 1960’s and 70’s. The most prominent cosmetic feature is the America’s proprietary hood design which is hand fabricated from steel. Secondarily, the Ferrari inspired grill work adds to the dramatic departure from a standard Spider. Other custom features such as the special vented fenders and 16” Borrani wheels are both eye-catching and functional.

Due to the demand, Roadster Salon is considering the opportunity to offer the Spider America body package to customers who do not need the advanced performance associated with this model. If implemented, this decision would be a reversal from past policy where Roadster Salon only allowed these elements to appear exclusively on our top model. Watch this space for pricing if and when the America package appears on other versions.

This is not photoshop. Here’s the latest information on the production version of our modern, fuel injected, intercooled turbo. It’s custom dyno-tuned and fresh from our engineering department. Nearly three years in the making. It will be offered in two configurations—a low pressure touring version with an estimated 150 HP, and a 200+ HP high pressure version with internal engine modifications. Cut and paste our YouTube video link of the running system below. Trust us…it’s very cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuvyNQtTtSU

When we first set out to develop a modern replacement for the original Legend Industries turbo build from 81-82, we thought it would be easy to improve upon a forty-year-old design. But we discovered early on that the existing fuel injection would never work properly with a forced induction engine. The old system featured a “closed” computer that could not be tuned for compatibility with a modern turbo. Aside from the obvious requirement of an “open” programmable computer design, many new components were necessary for the design to work. A completely new fuel injection system, wiring harness, sensors and other components were necessary to make management of the turbo fuel system possible.  Also needed were costly redesigns of the exhaust manifold and piping. All in all, an enormous undertaking but well worth the effort. Our first production version shown above. Orders will begin shipping in January 2024.

It is truly gratifying when family members share our passion for these lovely cars. This 1980 Fiat Spider had only 12,800 original miles when discovered abandoned in a barn on a cold rainy night 20 years ago. Rescued by our Director then sold to his father, the car required only minor repairs and a new set of keys to get back on the road. When first discovered, the Spider literally appeared to be black or dark gray. But once the years of dirt and grime were removed, the Spider revealed pristine original Rosso Cherry paint underneath–with zero signs of rust.

He reminisced about his purchase. “I remember when my son first told me about the car. I’d passed on others previously, but with just one look I knew this one was something special. As a young man I’d fancied some British convertibles, like Triumphs and Jaguars. But the Fiat really spoke to me. He had the car detailed and a minute later, I was in love.”

Over the past two decades–with assistance from the Roadster team, the Spider has been thoroughly sorted. Under the direct supervision of shop foreman Roberto D’Avola, it’s been meticulously maintained. Recent additions include a flawless set of original 14” Cromodora wheels, restored to perfection and freshly powder coated. The Spider also received a cooling system upgrade, brake refresh and a new custom interior. His father enjoys his stunning Fiat Spider daily during the lovely Chicago Summers. Today the car still has only 28,000 original miles and looks like it just drove off the showroom floor. Pictured above is him, his father and some of our Roadster team. Truly a family affair.

Those watching our blog know that the stock Bosch fuel injection system is incompatible with our advanced turbo design. This required a complete re-think of how fuel management in general can work in a Spider. Once the turbo system plumbing was finalized, our interests turned to developing a workable injection design that could not only solve the turbo challenges but potentially be used with non-turbocharged cars as well.

According to our Director of Operations, the solution is near. “We realized early on that the turbo design would be highly complex and require advanced engineering and tuning. During the process we discovered an additional benefit for those who did not wish to add forced induction to their Spiders. The new fuel injection system has the potential to improve performance and reliability all on its own merits”. Baird added further that early returns on the design have been very positive, as the new system allows for a smoother running engine that feels significantly more modern. Production version of the 2.0 FI turbo is shown above, being installed into our first customer project. The project is getting close to completion with Dyno testing scheduled for late September.

A sad scene at Roadster Salon this summer with many phases of production at a standstill. While still able to build drive lines, suspension and interiors—final assembly which includes the installation of engines and interiors has ground to a halt. The initial shipment of steering racks received in April could not be installed due to a manufacturing error from our new supplier in Europe. Additional refinements in the design were required prior to installation. The racks were shipped back to Germany for additional modifications that could not be handled state-side.

There is light at the end of the tunnel however, as the newly fabricated components are due back here in the US toward the end of July—which means arrival in Chicago mid-August after clearing customs. We apologize to our many customers who expected to see their projects completed earlier this Spring and Summer. According to production assistant Robert Rak “We have over a dozen chassis all in the same stage of readiness. Once the steering systems can be installed, things will start hopping.”