Can i get some links to info about this model
Start here or here. Great little cars. Slow, but fun, and will certainly teach you about Italian engineering
The best place for information: http://www.mirafiori.com/ The FIAT Page. This is the most active FIAT group in the US
Great little car. They were actually built with the idea that the US would implement higher crash safety requirements. The requirements never came to be, but the car is really well bulit (from a safety aspect!) Good info here on Fiats in general. A must for Fiat/Lancia owner: http://www.flu.org/
Sam is right on about the safety of the X/19. I hit a bus on the highway in my X(hydroplaned) . Anyways not hurt an drove it away with the help of a prybar to pull the front fender out! That is why they are pretty heavy for such a small car.
A Chilton's guide and some metric tools takes care of most of it. They're pretty simple cars. If you're not mechanically inclined, find out who in your area works on Italian cars. It may take some calling around, but there's somebody around who knows how to fix the cars. The mechanic will also probably know about the cars for sale in your area. In fact, you should start by finding the mechanic, then the car, because you should have the mechanic check the car before you buy it. It'll save you a lot of money and effort. Beware the following: leaks in the coolant tunnels under the car (you have to run hoses to correct that, it's a pain) and cracks around the top strut mounts. Both indicate a car that's been abused.
I really love those cars! Was a member of a Dutch Una Barra Nove Club for some years but never drove one perhaps in the future... Here is another nice site: www.x19club.com it's in Dutch, but I think you can also view it in English!
Beware the following: leaks in the coolant tunnels under the car (you have to run hoses to correct that, it's a pain) and cracks around the top strut mounts. Both indicate a car that's been abused.[/QUOTE] Tillman is right. Look for rust (rot through) first in hidden area (eg floor boards) and strut mounts etc. Everything but bad body rot can be fixed at a "reasonable" cost.
When I started looking for a Spider, I joined the Alfa digest (www.http://www.digest.net/alfa/). Shortly after that, one of the digesti posted a notice that he was selling his Spider. A few e-mails and phone calls and a one-way train ticket later I had it. But in the intervening time I had also been regularly checking ads on cars.com, eBay, and some other on-line ad places. I've since learned that it was an anomaly, but I was able to look at five spiders in one weekend, four of which were within a short drive of Chicago. If I had to do it again today, I would start with the classifieds on the Alfa Romeo Owners' Club web site, and if your local chapter has a newsletter, they probably have ads there too. The Chicago group posts them on their web site. Unless I was buying something with the intention of doing a restoration, I would want to buy it from an enthusiast; there are too many little things that can go wrong from neglect. Note: regular people treating an old Alfa like any other car constitutes "neglect" for these purposes. Good luck! Chuck King 86 Alfa Romeo Spider
