The weather is beautiful and you want to drive a classic car. Not everyone has money for a Porsche 911, but what can you buy? An Alfa Romeo Spider, for example. An Alfa Romeo Spider that has been built for years and years, so parts are available. This makes maintenance etc. affordable. The Alfa Romeo Spider was built from 1966 until 1993. That’s a very long time. There are 4 different models. The first greatly resembles this one, but it has a rounder rear. That Spider was known as Duetto. That name was given to the car by someone who won an Alfa Romeo contest. The contest was to come up with a name for the new Spider. Someone submitted ‘Duetto’. This didn’t become the official name because of copyright. ‘Duetto’ won the contest and it became the unofficial name. The second generation was introduced in 1969, the model we’re driving today. This car has the unofficial name of Coda Tronca. It has a straighter rear. The third generation was introduced in 1983, the more modern Spider with many plastic details.
Plastic bumpers and a plastic rear spoiler. Eventually, in 1989, a fourth generation was introduced. That one lost most plastic details. The plastic bumpers were painted. Both versions were called Aerodinamica, but the penultimate version was the Spoiler Spider because of its weird plastic spoiler. I know that’s a lot of information. There were many engines to choose from. First, it was introduced with a 1,600 engine. The 1,750 soon followed; a engine but the Italians called it the 1,750. The 1,300 was the base model, introduced with the second series. It was below the 1,600. And there was a 2,000 Veloce, a engine. Power ranged from 88 to 129/130 hp. Opinions vary depending on which specialist you ask. One says 128, the other says 130, but it’s all thereabouts. ENGINES gasoline No matter which engine, there’s always a 5-speed manual transmission. I want to name 2 special versions.
The first was based on the second generation, the Coda Tronca. There was a Targa with a fixed rear window. It’s very rare, so you’ll have to pay a lot for one. It’s very cool and special, though. Another special edition based on the third series was introduced in 1986. That was the Quadrifoglio Verde or QV. I know present-day Alfas with that addition have extra hp.
Not in this case. It did have more spoilers, side skirts, and interior bits. It wasn’t a faster version; it only looks sportier. You’ll find about 20 Alfa Romeo Spiders on Marktplaats at the moment. They’re split in 2 categories: Alfa Romeo and classic cars. It depends on where the seller placed it. Prices start at 7,900 euros for project cars, but it will move under its own power and has APK. Prices go up to 25,000 euros. The older they are, the more expensive they get. That sounds logical. Cars from the second series, like this one… The first series is rare because it was produced for 3 years. A good car from the second series can be 25,000 euros. PRICES minimum, maximum Reasons to buy an Alfa Romeo Spider. First, it’s an Alfa Romeo. Automotive journalists say you should have owned an Alfa Romeo at some point before you’re allowed to talk about cars.
Fine. I don’t share that opinion, but they’re cool cars with character. Second, it’s an affordable classic car and parts are available. These cars have a huge fanbase. They’re still driving. There are clubs and Internet forums telling you everything you do and don’t want to know. You can find it all on the Internet, at clubs, specialists, or collectors. You won’t get stuck when you need parts or want to know something. That’s nice. Of course there are things to watch out for. Some things are better shown with a stationary car. First, rust is the problem with these cars. Some spots are characteristic. The old cars (’60s, early ’70s) can have rust anywhere. Allegedly these cars were built at Pininfarina, parked outside, and painted after a few weeks. I won’t have to tell you what the weather does to the metal. A number of spots are most sensitive to rust. First, underneath. You have to lie down. A crossbar in front of the radiator. It suffers from stone chipping, so it rusts easily. Moving on we reach the wheel arches.
These edges are sensitive to rust. The A-pillar is sensitive too, especially where the doors attach. It rusts there because the mud guards aren’t great. Dirt accumulates and causes rust. Moving on to the biggest rust problem: the chrome seal between the top and the body. Water can leak and is collected. A plastic tube directs it to the sill. Holes in the sill should allow the water to get out, but those holes get clogged. The water can’t get out and you’ll get rust. They don’t have to be clogged. A car parked on an incline can’t dump the water and you’ll get rust. Always check the bottom for rust. I think these were all the important rust spots. It doesn’t hurt to inspect the whole car for rust, though. Let’s talk about other things now. The interior, for example. This is old. Plastic and leather dries out. It can tear or crack. This doesn’t have to be a big problem. Parts are still readily available.
These cars have an active fan base, so go to the Internet and you’ll find plenty of parts. Of course the powertrain has things to watch out for. The engines themselves are rather bullet proof. Of course something can break, but it’s simple technology that’s easy to fix. Nearly all Spiders leak or sweat some oil. That’s fine, as long as it’s not gushing and you need an umbrella when the engine is running. Just keep an eye on the oil level.
A drop on the driveway is OK. There is a problem when it leaks other fluids. Coolant, brake fluid, etc. should stay in the car. Check the radiator. Unscrew the top and put your finger inside. If there’s mayonaise, you’re looking at a leaking head gasket. Not much else goes wrong. The second gear can squeak. Conspiracy theories say Porsche made a faulty synchro for the second gear on purpose.
I think that’s farfetched. It won’t always go into second gear very well. Don’t try to force it into gear. Try again. It will work the second time. The last thing I can tell is that the Alfa engines were popular with tuning enthusiasts. It may not be stock under the hood. This really doesn’t have to be a problem. Like I said, it’s simple technology and it’s easy to maintain yourself if you know what to do. If it has been tinkered with, check if it looks sound with no duct tape or iron wire. It should be sound and correct. The last thing to watch out for has to do with the electronics of the third and fourth series. These had more electric gadgets and things. Sometimes Johnny’s Disco happens and all warning lights on your dashboard start blinking. Usually this lasts only a short time and it’ll stop on its own. This is often caused by badly grounded electronics. This should be easy to fix. Of course you shouldn’t ignore warning lights because you think it’s Johnny’s Disco. It’s OK if it stops quickly, but there’s something wrong if the light stays on.
You’ll need to check what’s wrong. The Spider we’re driving today is the Coda Tronca second series. It’s very popular with enthusiasts. A with 130 hp according to the car’s papers. It’s a pretty car. The interior is still very good. It’s unrestored with the original paint, yet rust free. Always check this, though. It’s for sale at Saab Apeldoorn, who sell many Italian cars lately. We know Saab isn’t doing well, but they have cool Italian things. The owner likes this. It’s 25,000 euros. I think this is the prettiest Spider for sale in the Netherlands right now.
See more:
