Looking for engine rebuilder in San Francisco area

oh, man- after a dozen Fiats, let me give you some advice- you need a Fiat specialist- or don't bother- a mechanic must know all the tricks to these engines- especially on the fuel injected ones like yours- they are basic, beautiful engines, but they have secrets- oh yes, they have secrets- try Steve in Santa Fe, NM- Santa Fe Classic Cars- he will do it correctly, guaranteed-

Jamnblues, thank you for your response. I know they're tricky engines. Definitely looking for a FIAT specialist who knows what they're doing. The cost of shipment will probably kill me (pay both ways, there and back). I'll check on the cost. hopefully someone can recommend a good local FIAT specialist. Thanks again!

yeah, you are on the west coast and there must be someone who can do this with the due amount of diligence- those Lampredi-designed twin cams are works of art- and really, quite simple engines- they are derived from the pushrod engine that resided in those first 124 sedans, like the photo above- I had 2 of those and must say that the pushrod engine is such a joy- to rebuild, even a middle schooler could do it- but as the engine got bigger, added twin cams , emission controls, and finally fuel injection, they got more demanding- it isn't just that there are a few tricks ( like TDC being on #4 plug firing) but it is just hard to find a diligent, experienced mechanic who will do every little thing correctly- and let you know what you are looking at- (like refreshing EVERYTHING under the hood, cooling system, fuel system, motor mounts, starter, alternator, etc. etc.) if you don't do everything right, you will have spent a lot of time and money and still be facing problems- this is true for all old cars, really- but it MUST be done this way for a FIAT- why? Well the precision Italian engineering demands it, and if you do it right, the car will run for years, decades, without further expense- that is the beauty of the 124- that and the gorgeous Pininfarina body- that is a car worth doing right- here's another photo of a rare 124-

I live in Santa Fe NM and Steve worked on my 81 Fiat Spyder convertible; rebuilt the engine, etc. Stellar work but I think he's gone out of business .. not sure ...

Zaim Tumic at Speedee Auto Service in Sunnyvale can help you. Fiat dealership mechanic in Europe in the 70's. He knows these cars. I have a 1975 124 Spider and he does all my work.