Can someone school me on 80s/90s Alfa Spiders?

Don't forget the 70's! My recommendation after years of ownership; find a '71 1750 kamm tail NOW, will bring great satisfaction and prudent. Then '72-'74 as a strong second rec. You will have to live without ac, but open the wind wings and drop the top!

 

I have an '83. it is one of the somewhat derided models, mostly because people don't like the rubber ducktail spoiler on the back and the "big bumpers". Also the 2 liter Bosch FI motor is not a big revver but is more of a torquey motor.
I have a different take on things.
A). The bumpers simply are not that big at all and designed to fit the car rather well.
B). The motor starts instantly every time, is VERY torquey, runs smooth and not only doesn't use any oil but the oil stays clean over 3,000 miles.
C). the '83's still have the old style twin binnacle beautiful dash and not the electronic mono pod dash.
D). Has A/C
E). If the ducktail spoiler does really bother you that much , it can come off, and the bumpers can be compressed to sit closer to the body.
F). also made with good rust proofing, mine has no rust.
So that's my opinion, a good solid reliable driver with the old classic interior.
Others may beg to differ.

 

I had a '93 which lost a lot of the classic look and feel. The design cleaned up most of the weirdness at the bumpers, so that's nice. Also, Bosch Motronic was very reliable, and AC was decent if maintained.

Otherwise, all these cars require a decent bit of TLC. I think it's common for them to develop leaks around just about any important seals, so there's a lot of opportunity for rebuilding things - which is pretty easy on these cars.

 

I had 3 of them. I also had a shop that fixed hundreds of them in the 80-to mid 90's.

Ok not everyone is going to like what I have to say but here it goes.

They are not powerful but fun and have one of the best non-motorized tops of all time. However, the rear is plastic so you know what that means.

IMO, the 72-74's are very good BUT the Spica fuel injection is a PITA to fix. It's reliable but a PITA. The cut off switches never work and the stupid automatic chokes never work (people put in a cable instead). They also

1) rust like crazy
2) are usually banged up
3) have some parts that are unobtainium (especially interior parts and trim parts)
4) dashes will crack and the gloveboxes never fit even from the factory.

But, they are fun. The biggest issue is the rear trailer arm bushings wearing out and it's easy to fix. Clutches go out about 60K miles but are not difficult to replace. The rear ends are solid as a rock. Look under the rear wheel well for crash damage. When they are hit from behind they fold at the weak point. If there's a lot of damage in the trunk or creases in the rear wheel wells, they have had a good pop and probably a lot of bondo.

The newer cars from 76-86 have Bosch Fi which is reliable but they are not as powerful or fun because of the smog and the heavy rubber bumpers. Personally, I would not own one.

The cars from 87-90 were better but they added an ugly spoiler on the back. IMO, fugly. But the interior was upgraded and it had real AC. Blown head gaskets is common with cars that run in high heat climates.

The cars from 91-93 1/2 were pretty good. New (very nice) interior, real electronics that worked, even if the dashes still cracked and the glovebox still didn't fit. These were the best of the bunch and quite reliable aside form clutches and rear trailer bushings. 91's and on had (finally) good rust proofing, but it was not perfect. The Veloce models were the best of the best with a real alcantera and leather interior. Don't be surprised if the airbag light is on (or covered up) because these older Siemens airbags were really unreliable.

The best thing to look for is

1) crash damage
2) how many owners and how well did they take care of it
3) interior condition
4) passing smog (they can cost too much to fix if they don't)
5) RUST!!!!

They are at heart pretty simple cars. And there are decent parts available to fix them that are not "Ferrari" prices. Bottom ends of engines go over 200K miles. It's not unusual for an Alfa spider to need a valve job at 100K miles. Valve adjustment is pretty easy and similar to the way you do Fiat 124 spiders using shims The chains are pretty much bullet proof. Water pumps last about 80 to 100K miles and are easy to replace. In fact, most things on the Alfa spider are easy to replace.

The answer to your question is

66-74 yes if it's in good condition
75 to 86, I wouldn't
87-90, only if you like the style and the car is straight
91 on, yes but make sure you get a good clean one.

 

We have a 1997 Spider. As above, it is not powerful in the 2.0 Twin Spark guise though a V6 Busso is somewhat better but need to be heard. You might think you are in a Ferrari.

I always compared it to my previous Ferrari and F355. They were very similar to the point the inside melts just like my 1997 F355 did Just not as quick.
However that Busso engine GTV/Spider would I think stick with an F355.

My daily is 2006 159. We had a weekend in Wales a few weeks back in the Spider and I kind of err pushed it a bit hard. The garage that did my last belt service messed up to hence the pic on the back of the breakdown truck New engine required.

I think they are fantastic cars and in the UK excellent VFM.
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I have a S2a, early 1975 steel-bumpered one (much nicer than the post-1974 S2b cars with the huge 85lb rubber bumpers). Love it to death, but it is a labour of love. Probably the most fun I've had in a car, but it constantly needs a bit of attention. Mine was converted to Weber carbs in the late 1980s, so I don't deal with SPICA troubles. For now, though, it won't run above idle...

Classic Motorsports mag ran a comparison test a few months back. Their conclusion is that the S2a cars represent the best combination of classic styling and driving performance. The S1 duettos are beautiful but underwhelming, and the S3 and S4 cars just don't have the classic lines despite more modern amenities (but not much more power).

As above, I'd suggest a 1971-1974 S2a. Replacement panels are still made, so rust isn't critical. Biggest issue is the gearbox synchros (easy enough fix) and interior trimmings.

 

I have been loving mine. GREAT fun little car. So pretty, it's also fun to just look at in the garage. Pictures really don't do these cars justice. I agree with all the advice posted thus far. As with any older Italian or British car, rust is your biggest enemy. The rest is easy/fun to fix.

I may be selling mine in the near future, thinking about selling a few cars to finance some others I have been wanting for a while. Not officially for sale yet, and I keep changing my mind back and forth, but let me know if you may be interested.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/other-italian/511480-finally-i-can-call-myself-true-petrolhead-just-bought-my-first-alfa.html

 

I have an '86 graduate. I have seen quite a few (including mine) that are absolutely rust-free. Mine has been dead reliable. One advantage of the graduate (base) model is the very resilient vinyl interior. Mine looks mint after 30 years.

The older ones are definitely prettier, though.

 

I found and prepped an 82 for a friend of mine to use in vintage rallys. It has run thousands of miles of rallys, been daily driven and used for Cars & Coffee duty.
The Bosch injection means the car always starts, hot or cold and runs flawlessly. It has run over 100mph for miles on end and handles very well. These cars are great value.
I sourced a set of earlier bumpers and plexi headlight covers. Also fitted earlier chrome mirrors and a Momo Prototipo. So, the Spider has all the benefits of the 82 with the appearance of an earlier car.
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