Alfa Romeo Spider as a first car?

Great Cars!!

However, just like a ferrari, GET A PPI!!!!!!

An alfa in good condition will run great, and reliably. But, if you get one that has been mistreated, you will pay, and pay, and pay.

Buy one as if you were buying a ferrari. Get it's history, find out how it was driven and cared for.

There is an Alfa board (www.alfabb.com), and also and Alfa Spider faq (don't have the exact link, but it should be located somewhere on www.digest.net

Good Luck,

Dom (former spider owner, currently own an Alfa 164S as my daily driver)

 

If they were maintained..GO FOR IT !

You know how much i loved mine ...

Just buy with your eyes open. Try to get one with FSH and with no rust..

Mine was still going strong with 65000 miles ( original clutch ,gb ..) .
Only drawback are parts which , here at least , were pretty expensive..But i guess they are cheaper in the USA .

But i really loved it ..and would buy another tomorrow given the chance.

 

Found the Spider FAQ:
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Look for rust.
Electrics.
Try the gearbox ..usually first will be hard , even when the car is warm..same for reverse. I used to engage 2nd first , then first to start the car.

Look for any smoke when accelerating hard...

They have decent performances but nothing compared to modern hatches..
I would recommend a carb version as they are so much more musical and are lighter too. But u need to know a good mechanic to sort those carbs though.

 

I you are talking about the old spider series (until 1993) not however that it is an rather ancient car. It has a quite nervous rear axle. It´s not a very fast car.

But it´s FUN to drive. The looks. The feel. The position behind the wind screen (a PERFECT cabrio). The heritage. The sound. The ...

As soon as I have a garage that is big enough I will surely get an old Alfa Spider again. Probably a fastback with the 1750 engine from the 2nd series ...

 

I got an 86 Spider last summer, and it has been a blast. While I thoroughly enjoy this car, I will share one facet of Alfa Romeos that I wish I had realized before I bought mine.

Alfa Spiders have changed very little, really, since the early 60s, and some features can be traced back even further than that. (There have, of course, been evolutionary changes: carbs to mechanical injection to electronic injection; a couple increases in engine displacement, occasional design updates.) This contributes to pretty good parts availability, even for older cars. And, repair and upkeep costs for an Alfa will probably be pretty similar for an early car and a later car.

I got a pretty good car: sound mechanically and no rust. But it's still an eighteen-year-old car, and it needs a bit of this and a bit of that. Since owning this car I have discovered that I have a mild compulsion to fix the car up, so I will be doing a lot of refurbishing over the next year or so. But at the end of the day the car will still be an '86: not the most desirable vintage. For about the same price as I paid, I could have gotten a decent early 70s Spider, and for not much more I could have gotten a serviceable Duetto (the round-tailed version from the late 60s). Refurbished, those will be worth something; I think it will be a long time (if ever) before an 86 Spider gains any collectible cachet. And the work involved would be, essentially, the same. So, if I had to do it over again, I would probably have gotten an early Kamm-tail.

But if you have a line on a decent later Spider, I don't mean to dissuade you. My Spider has been a great introduction to old cars, sports cars, and Italian cars (as a result of which I am now hanging out here, soaking up information about Ferraris). And from a practical perspective there is certainly something to be said for the Bosch-injected cars. And if you don't share my tinkering compulsion and want something fun to zip around in, an Alfa Spider of any vintage is tough to beat.

I also highly recommend the Alfa digest and the Alfa BB; they are great sources of information.

Good luck!

Chuck King
86 Spider Graduate
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well i have an alfa romeo milano milano and its my first car, just make sure the car is in good condition and the body is strait. pieces and mechanics arent that bad, if u find an alfa specialist its a good thing and some pieces are cheeper than domestic prices. the alfa 4 cyl is pretty bulletproof and ost common weakpoints on later spiders are the second gear synchros, tranny moounts and bearings as well as the so so electronics

 

I have had a 74 for 12 years now.....
They are fun cars !

 

Like so much worthwhile in life, it'll break your heart one day and put a grin on your face the next. I had X1/9s when I was a poor boy in college. Parts availability was zip (better now due to the internet), it was slow, and broke often. It was also great fun, looked great, I could fit in any parking spot and couldn't be beat on a sunny day.

Go ahead and buy one. If it turns out to be a mistake, sell it and get a Jetta. At least you'll have had the experience.

 

you want a 74. most hp, least weight, best spica setup, 2 litres, chrome bumpers, lsd....

 

Yes but also the most difficult to find

 

The 1750s (like the one I had, a 71) had a bit better cams for reviness, but the 2 liters have more potential. Any chrome bumpered Kamm tailed Spider is a keeper.

Even after having Porsche and Ferrari cars, an Alfa Spider would be a great car to begin with or keep. Most smiles per dollar-mile of any Italian car.

While initially unreliable, the Alfa I had, once properly set up and fettled, were as reliable as anything on the road.

 

I have a 1990 Spider Graduate that I have owned for the past 4 years. It is my daily driver and I love the car. I purchased it with 12K miles for $8K and then put $4K into it only because I wanted to. I basically replaced all of the hoses, gaskets, belts, fluids, etc because I would be using the car as my daily car. It was over kill, but wanted the car to be 100%. Since purchasing the car, I have put about another $2000 into the car (new clutch (PO probably did not know how to use a clutch), and misc items), which is only $500 per year. I would budget $500 to $1,000 per year for maintenance. I live in NJ and experience all 4 seasons. If you have any questions feel free to email me at [email protected]

Ken

 

In 1996 I had a 88' that I had bought from the original owner. He had given it to his daughter and she never picked it up... so it had sat outside without being driven for four years.

Pure death for an Alfa Spider... so many problems, the list was endless from rust on the body to rust in the gas tank.

I wasted time and money trying to fix all the crap that was wrong... it was too far gone.

Last time I saw it, it was on a tow truck on it's way to a new owner.

 

I hear sitting is bad for these cars. I am looking at an 88 Quad with 45,000 miles. It has been stored for winters and driven only a few thousand miles a year by 3 owners. Should this be a red flag? The dealer replaced the rubber parts and put a new fuel pump in. It needs a clutch pivot and a wash, but is fine otherwise. The seats are like new and support very well and the interior/exterior look great. No rust although the newish canvas top has an open arear just left {on the side} of the windshield. Price 14,000 cdn {10,000 U.S.}
I read every post I could find on this board, any tips/ hints/ pointer are very welcome. I also hear that they break down a lot, even if they are maintained their whole lives. True or just someone venting about a poor condition car?
Thanks.

 

If the soft top doesn't fit right, it may be a cheap aftermarket top, or the frame may be bent or something, although I think that some leakage at the corner of the windshield may be endemic. Which reminds me: the Quad came with a removable hard top; for that price the car you're looking at should have one. $10K US for an 88 Quad is top dollar, and for that price you should expect a perfect car, but, cosmetic problems are probably more of a PITA to fix than anything else, so if the interior and exterior are really "great", that is worth a premium.

I suspect that any reputation Spiders may have for unrealiability comes from the fact that they call for more frequent maintenance than most Americans are used to, and consequently I suspect that maintenance gets deferred or skipped, to the car's general detriment. And, I can say from experience that they benefit from regular vigorous driving---I was skeptical when I got my car, but the "Italian tune-up" is no myth! In your case, if the dealer really did replace the rubber parts and the fuel pump, then the storage issues may have been dealt with, and any lingering cobwebs could probably be blown out by a few spirited highway jaunts.

If the dealer didn't do it, a change of fluids is in order--Alfa recommended that they be changed every year regardless of mileage, and over time that was probably neglected by lots of owners. You've probably heard this already, but make sure there's no oil in the coolant (visible when the radiator cap is opened) or coolant in the oil (manifested as creamy goo on the dipstick), either of which would indicate a bad head gasket.

The Spider engine is an anvil, and the 88 has Bosch L-Jetronic injection, which is probably the least trouble-prone of the various systems Alfa has used over the years. So, if everything else checks out, I would think you have a better-than-average chance of getting a relatively trouble-free car. But, it is a 16-year-old car that has had less regular exercise than optimal, so if you get it you should probably assume that something will need to be fixed or replaced as you get the car sorted out. But that is an inevitable function of age more than a flaw in Alfas in particular.

Finally, if the car shifts smoothly you are ahead of the game. Unless it was really babied the second gear synchro is probably about ready to fade, but that's not a strand-you-by-the-side-of-the-road problem.

Here are a few web sites with good information that you may want to check out:

http://spiderfaq.home.att.net/buying.htm
A good orientation to Spiders with lots of things to look for when shopping.

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/index.php
The Alfa Bulletin Board--a great resource. Lots of knowledgeable people here, who will be happy to answer questions.

http://www.digest.net/alfa/
This is the home page for the Alfa digest; I highly recommend subscribing. Plus, the archives are a treasure trove of information.

Good luck! If you get the car, post some pictures!

Chuck King
Chicago, IL
86 Alfa Romeo Graduate

 

Thank you very much Chuck King from Chicago, I'll reply to your statements.
As for the soft top not fitting, I can get 2 fingers {tight} through this hole. Could it be the way the top was last put on I wonder? It is a new canvas top that looks to be of good quality. As for the frame being bent, I haven't checked. Rest well on that, because I will check. Yes, this one has the hard top as well as the cover for the soft top. These are included in the price {if not, I will subtract their price from the purchase price}. As for top dollar, the car has 45,000 miles and the paint looks very good for it's age. I will have to go over the car with a mechanic before I can say "top notch quality". The dealer also said he wanted to keep the car for a week or two, just incase the replacements didn't take care of all the issues. On a side note, I trust this man. We talked for 4 hours inside and outside, he offered me his notes and showed me where he gets his parts and paint from. He let me drive both cars I was looking at and he answered all of my questions. Very helpful, he also owns a Shell station beside his lot.
As for mixing of fluids, I know those rules well from my 924 research. I didn't break into the motors, we did talk about the history of these 2 cars and Alfa's in general. He said they are as reliable as an old car can be. I have heard the opposite from 2 people I trust though.

"so if you get it you should probably assume that something will need to be fixed or replaced as you get the car sorted out. But that is an inevitable function of age more than a flaw in Alfas in particular."

He said any cobwebs will be looked after, if it isn't caused by abuse. {And as long as I don't wear the price down}.

The tranny shifts well, although i was taking my time and then some during shifting. I think before going into 1st I will use 3rd gear to slow the tranny down instead of 2nd. 2nd is the gear with the most "issues", right?

The car seems to be "right" the doors close with no effort. The gaps between body panels are even and there are no large gaps. He uses premium gas and pounded home the message about the oil. He also says they burn small amounts of oil. They have aluminum heads, so I believe him.

Thanks for the links as well. I will post pics after I return from the garage, if things go well.

All help/ comments are still welcome.
Neil

 

yep, hes very rite, the more u drive them the better they feel and love to be driven hard in a proper way of course.

David
89 Milano Gold

 

oh, man, my old 74 spider is gonna go for a song...
Cheap thrills, but I made up my mind, gotta make room for that V8 Ferrari to keep my V12 company:
Auction ends tomorrow


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2482236024&category=5356

thx
luke

 

Luke - you did a fantastic, Straight Shooter job with your ebay listing. Kudos.

 

That looks like a good deal, but too far away. I understand there will be an Alfa meeting in NH soon. I will try to make it. My money may be better used there, than at the dealership.