The Dino Coupe sits in goldilocks region of the 1960s Italian 2+2 spectrum. Focusing on engine offerings, the spectrum runs from the 4-cylinder Alfas, to the V6 Dino Coupe, to the V8 Maseratis, to the V12 Ferraris and Lamborghinis. The body aspires to a Ferrari shape, missing only with the large greenhouse, and the small-displacement, revvy engine could be described as a scaled-down Ferrari unit.
But these Fiat Dinos stand on their own, Ferrari association or not. The shape is near-perfect, almost like an Italian take on the Mopar fastbacks from the same time period. It concedes some drama to its Fiat Dino Spider sibling, resorting to a more subtle approach to the front-end treatment. The design doesn't make a big splash at first glance, instead making a case for itself with each subsequent examination.
Peter Egan's project car cardinal rules begin with a firm warning: never buy any car that was disassembled by someone else. Today's Dino was disassembled by someone else.
An earlier Dino, this example is (was?) powered by the first iteration of Lampredi's Dino V6. That means 2.0L of displacement and an aluminum block, compared to 2.4L and a cast iron block on the later cars. The sleek body and the 158bhp output were good for a top speed of around 130mph.
This FIAT DINO COUPE is a solid project car. ALL THE METAL WORK IS DONE this one is ready to be assembled. It comes with a plethora of new old stock parts, several components have already been restored, way too many items to list!! Comes with all of its original components (engine, transmisssion, differential, suspension, brakes, body harness, dashboard, door panels, seats, everything!!!
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The teardown on this example reveals a clean body, no doubt. How much metal work was required to achieve this state, we can't say. And how well the metal work was performed is another mystery. No fans of bodywork ourselves, we can see the appeal of buying one with the metal all taken care of and ready for assembly.
With this car, you must choose between trusting the seller's work, or redo the work yourself. Take for example the exhaust - was rust removed fully, and will the new paint or coating stand up to heat? It certainly looks nice on the surface, but this and all similar work must be verified. That said, if the work tends to be of high quality, and the car is complete, original, and without accident history, we can see this as a relative bargain, should the buyer assemble the car at home.
