My first (ex) wife had a '76 Fiat 128 that she was very proud of.
She had bought it as a new, but very left-over model in about '78 or '79. $2700, new from the sticker price of $3000. She had even gotten the dealer to repaint it as a warranty claim, due to some minor blemishes. They used GM Cadillac paint as it was the only shade that matched the Fiat red. Excellent paint job. That free paint job was worth as much as the whole car.
The 128's claim to fame was that it was the first huge selling FWD car in Europe. Came out about '71? It was credited for ending the VW Beetle's production due to big sales. It supposedly was the only US sold car that had actually passed a proposed Fed rule for 80 mph rollovers. That rule was cancelled at the last minute after pressure from Detroit.
I was the sad sack that had to fix the thing. A lot. I don't recall much in electrical problems. I did replace struts, exhaust systems, wheel bearings and such several times each. The emissions oriented Weber carb was a pain. The 145/80/13 tires could be bought for $23. Parts were very cheap, even from a dealer. I think McPherson struts were about $22. from a dealer. The only good thing on the Fiat was it's SOHC 1300 engine. It was a real jewel, actually. I think the factory redline was 8k and some were eventually used in 80 ci class streamliners at Bonneville. Those turned 13k rpm.
After about 4 years of that and 60k miles, I talked the ex into letting me take it to the Friday night crap car auctions at a Farmers market. It brought $600 and I ran out the door with it.
I actually tuned up a Simca for a neighbor in the 70's. He was some how disappointed that it didn't triple the power output.
Bad cars, but the Fiats, Simca's, Crickets, Corvairs and especially, the Renault Dauphines gave broke guys transportation for $15 to $50.
......it only stopped on her a couple of times but never really ran right either......lol it would blow alternate side headlights on alternate months.....and when the left headlight blew you could lay money on that fact that the right tail light would blow withing a week and vice versa
