Dear 3500 GT Spyder owners- I would be curious how these cars drive? I heard that they are difficult and not that agile to drive. Can someone shed some light? The looks are just so gorgeous so I would like the driving input part. Also does carburettors /non carb make a difference? I read somewhere that not all were delivered with carbs. Thank you Edmond
Edmond, the Spyder Vignale is a great tourer. Not a race car or agile like those! You can throw it into corners but to get it in a small parking lot in cities is difficult as the steering becomes very heavy...!
I had never heard anyone refer to Vignale spyders are series 1 or 2. Yes, there were changes during the production ... some very significant. The first 4 or so pre-production cars were quite different, then came a design change to the production cars we normally see. The early production cars came with the long hoods, followed by the standard hood - first with carbs and later with fuel injection. All Vignale spyder had disc brakes in the front. The earlier cars had drums in the rear and later cars had discs. Early cars had 4 speed and later cars had 5 speed. The last 15 or so Vignale spyders (those with serial number above 27xx) were essentially Sebrings without a hardtop as the engine compartment layout is completely different from the earlier spyders. Door panels on these very late cars are like the Sebring. In summary, there was no clear delineation of a series 1 and 2 on the spyders, unlike the Sebring. Ivan
All are rare and desirable ... but the 5-speed with Webers and wire wheels even more. If a nice GTi (injected) came my way I would not hesitate to jump on it. Ivan
I have Vignale Spyder s/n 101.1317, body 166. It came without door panels. For a long time I thought I would have to have the metal trim along the top. But, turns out that about midway through production, Vignale quit using the metal trim running the leather right up to the door top. I am sure there is a formed metal piece the goes between the door panel and door frame. Can anyone come up with a photo of the inside of the door panel, please? I am going to try to make one but knowing how Vignale did it would be a huge assist. Thanks. Bill LeMasters
Hi Bill, I have not heard of this until now, but it seems you are right. This is AM 101*1319, Body 167 - also without metal trims. Sorry, no photo of the inside. If you would like to have more infos please email me: [email protected] 101*1327, body 171 already has the aluminium trims. Alfred Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you Alfred. What a nice looking car. I have sent a separate email wanted to notice for the record the difference in the dash pod. Your car has the colored warning lights while mine and 1323 have the clear looking restate types with colored iris's behind the outside lens. Just further proving, they used what was in the parts bin on any given day! Anyone, who can help with the inside of this type of door would be earning my eternal gratitude. Thanks. Bill LeMasters Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sorry, not too good at this yet. I meant to show one of my dash (1317) and one of 1323. I am attaching 1323 this time, I hope! Bill LeMasters Image Unavailable, Please Login
This is pretty cool. Ivan Ruiz contacts Guy Berryman and whala, we have photos. The internet is nice but not much good without really nice people who take the time to help. Kudos to Alfred Wholmann as well who had photos of1319. Attached are photos of the inner panel of a really late if not the last Vignale Spyder. These doors look like Sebring I doors. The inner structure is of steel and looks pretty simple to replicate. The inner dimension between the door panel shoulder is 20mm. If anyone else has information, it will be appreciated. When my car is finished this summer, I will post the epic history of the restoration in hopes it will be of interest and assistance to others following the same path. I have had this car since Dec. 1979! During most of that time it has been disassembled and in boxes. Lastly, the dash differences posted above, I meant to spell reostat but this software apparently changes it to restate, to define the difference in the two instrument clusters. I think the last of Vignale Spyders ended up with a five small gauges instead of three in addition to the different warning lights. Door panels from a late Vig spyder: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
You are correct, the late Vignale spyders had the five small gauges. This is a photo of #2771. Please post more photos of your restoration. It has been a long journey but I am sure it will be all worth it when you are done. Ivan Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks Walter for the picture of Sid Colberg. I remember his Vignale Spyder at Lake Tahoe as I was involved with the judging. There was another Vignale Spyder there belonging to (can't recollect his name from Reno NV) which in spite of instructions not to park where he did - managed to acquire a golf ball (we were adjacent to the course) in his windshield. I believe Gene O'Gorman now owns that car. Sid was a great Maserati enthusiast and a really nice guy. He brought his early cycle fendered A6G to our MIE meet in Cottage Grove - also in the early 1980's. I do agree with Ivan that they are unexciting to drive ('like a truck') - good boulevard cruisers but not that much fun on the highway. Mine was similarly docile (#1051) with the 4 speed box and carburetted - compared to my coupe (#2074) with the 5 speed box and FI. Cheers, Colin
The guy from Reno was their one time mayor Sam Debitonto. I believe he's still around. If memory serves I think Sam had a very Early spider - with slightly different front end treatment and a couple Of other differences the hood, and a few chrome trim oddities. Does any body else remember him or able to confirm my recollections?
Hi All, Can someone post a photo of the boot area of the car showing how the vinyl lining was sewn and installed inside the boot, please? I have most of the original interior for my car but not in that area. My car is progressing slowly and steadily at the upholsterer but it goes slow with missing parts such as the door panels and no pattern for the aforementioned boot area vinyl. The leather I got to replace the original from UK Hydes is perfect and will look great. It is the same as originally supplied - Connolly Bros. Vaumol, Luxan, 3218. photos posted. I am going to start posting more photos on a dedicated thread once the progress is sufficient. Also, the brass trim areas such as the boot snap trim piece, the hood scoop trim and the trim across the convertible top have been a serious challenge but solutions are in progress and once finalized, I will post that to hopefully save someone else the grief.
Had too many to upload apparently. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi all, I am looking for help from 3500 Vignale technicians (Ivan, Bart, Frank, or any others . ) When closing the doors with open windows I have a rattling noise in the doors. It seems to come from the backside of the window. When the window is closed it is pressed to the rubber outside of the glass. But when the glass is down the window comes to the inside of the door at the back and there is a gap of 2 mm between rubber and glass. The gasket with the valvet on top - mounted inside horzontal under the aluminium bar - is not strong enough to press the glass against the rubber in the back. I assume at this time the glass jars to the metal of the door inside. Under the painted aluminium bar on top of the door (inside) there is a flat metal bar screwed on the door (see foto-1 below). Beside the 4 holes on which the bar is mounted on the door, there is an additional hole near the end (see foto-2) which I cannot explain myself. Maybe there should be some valvet screwed (see foto-3) which presses the glass outside so it will be fixed between the rubber (outside) and this part. Has anybody an idea if there is something to mount on the bar or what this part could look like to press the window when open - against the rubber. Some fotos would be appreciated. Excuse my English it is not as good to describe the problem in a perfect way but I hope you understand my problem. Thank you Alfred Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi Alfred, Not an expert but here is my input. When doing the doors and windows on my Vignale Spyder, there was a part attached to the frame in your photo on my car that was a rubber roller that was screwed to the metal frame. It has a curved, flat metal piece that forms a yoke to hold a rubber roller. This part is designed to roll on the glass under tension to keep it from rattling I am sure. If you have such a part, that should be the solution. I unfortunately do not have a photo, it is not shown in the parts manual but it is there on my car. I should add that my side window are electrically actuated and not the roll up kind which may be different. Bill LeMasters 101.1317
Hi Alfred, I have had exactly the same problem as you describe with my Spider. The solution lies in the fine adjustment of the "vertical" rails in which the window goes up and down in combination with the correct "horizontal" velvet and rubber seals on the in- and outside. Be aware that you can tilt the vertical rail in 2 directions. First thing to do is to have the front and rear rail paralell so the window can slide freely up and down. The rest is trial and error! At the bottom position the electric motors should pull the window into a rubber stop, creating a kind of pre-loading. This preloading in cimbination with the right adjustments should cure your rattling noise. Succes, Bart
Hi Bill, Thank you for your detailed description. I am sorry I do not have this part with the rubber roller you described from your car. Maybe it's missing, on my car because there is a hole on the frame to fix something. My car is one of the very early spiders (a pre series car # 871) but also has the electric powered windows. It seems logical the construction with the rubber roller mounted on the frame, because if I press the glass outside with my finger the rattling stops. This rubber roller could have pressed the glass in the same way to avoid the rattling. On the other hand the rubber may make a black line (of dirt) on the glass (especially after raining, when water gets inside the door the glass gets wet and you open and close the window) ? Eventually you have had this problem on your car ? If anybody else has this part mounted and can provide photos, I would be glad to see it. Alfred
