Hey Scotty,
Big fan here. I recently purchased a Fiat 124 Spider. I saw how you liked the Mazda Miata roadster, and decided to pull the trigger on the Mazda in Italian clothes. I also noticed that many of the parts are actually Chrysler.
What is your opinion of the car and what should I look out for?
Thanks for your consideration.
Just change the oil religiously and use full synthetic (applies to all small 4 cylinder engines, but esp. if they're less than 1.5 liter displacement). I would let the car cool down after any long trip or spirited driving before shutting it down (a turbo timer at $100 is a good investment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_timer, or you can check your phone while letting the engine idle for a couple of minutes before shutting it down; coolant circulates only with the engine running).
Fiat and Chrysler are together. I'm not sure what Scotty would say about that car specifically, but I'm pretty sure he's said that they have one of the worst engines out there. I'd assume the year could also be a varying factor.
From what I understood you already purchased the vehicle.
If this is the case, I hope a good mechanic checked before and you did not paid much, if not have it checked by a good mechanic and baby sit it, changing fluids regularly, drive conservatively, ....
Well Fiat owns Chrysler now, which is why you see all the Chrysler parts. I admit they are great looking little cars but I think you're going to regret it a few years down the line. Should've stuck with the Miata, tried and true, proven over the years. Like ^ said, do very good maintenance on it and don't drive it hard...ever.
