[David O'D]

I'm looking forward to the San Diego National Convention in June and might try my luck in the concorso. 'My 84 has the Tan interior and I want to confirm some of the original finishes. I've looked in Rees' Original Alfa Romeo Spider but can't verify a couple things. If there are other references, please let me know.

With the Tan interior, it appears the shifter boot was also tan - is this correct? E-brake boot, tan, too? Was the E-brake handle black, or tan?

The main door cards are tan. Are the inner door caps supposed to be tan, or black? Are the door card & cap screws black, or stainless?

Also the arrows on my power window switches are partially worn away. Are the markings available as decals or dry transfers? A pair of new switches is almost $100, and not available anyway . . . . .

Thanks!

David OD
Laguna CA

 

[alfaromeoblack]

Not sure if this helps. My 84 was re-trimmed when I bought it. I think the owner redid it exactly as original. I have no documentation back up.

Ken

 

[pantera928]

I have an S3 with a black parking brake boot and a black shift boot. All original.

 

[ghnl]

Our '84 Spider has the same tan/brown interior. Handbrake handle is black, handbrake boot and shift boot are both tan. Door caps are brown*. Screws w/washers are black.

* Note: SEM 'Blue Bird Brown' vinyl spray paint is a match for the Spider's brown interior parts. FWIW, Blue Bird Brown is also the color of Blue Bird School Bus interiors...

 

[alfaromeoblack]

It seems that there was no real standard or is it just what was available to fit the car during assembly.


Ken

 

[msmith10]

My 84 had brown, no tan. But the door cards, shifter and ebrake boots all matched the brown seats, as did the top cover- shifter boot leather, ebrake boot and top boot vinyl. ebrake handle was black plastic

 

[dghii]

Our '84 Spider has the same tan/brown interior. Handbrake handle is black, handbrake boot and shift boot are both tan. Door caps are brown*. Screws w/washers are black.

* Note: SEM 'Blue Bird Brown' vinyl spray paint is a match for the Spider's brown interior parts. FWIW, Blue Bird Brown is also the color of Blue Bird School Bus interiors...

 

[dghii]

"Our '84 Spider has the same tan/brown interior. Handbrake handle is black, handbrake boot and shift boot are both tan. Door caps are brown*. Screws w/washers are black."

My '84 Veloce has original interior and matches GHNL's description.
I have not found decals for the window switches but my wife has a new vinyl cutter she uses for making T-Shirts etc. I thing it may be possible to make vinyl decals for the switches that would be worth a shot to try. I'll post results if we get around to giving it a shot.

 

[davidpett]

That’s a beautiful looking interior.

 

[David O'D]

I've also been told (by Stewart Jr at Alfa Performance Connection) that my folding top & boot cover should be tan, not black. Are there any references that say one way or t'other?

Ken, a great looking interior, and Don, thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I could spray my door caps rather than having them recovered . . .

David OD
Laguna CA

 

[84FLVeloce]

Not sure if this helps. My 84 was re-trimmed when I bought it. I think the owner redid it exactly as original. I have no documentation back up.

Ken

Nice! Looks much like mine... in fact, you have the red two button clock. Was yours built in 83 according to the placard in the door jam? I think sometime early 84 they switched to the three button clock. I think your shifter knob has been changed (the original would have been faux wood painted but they fade to white) and your ashtray looks different than mine, maybe lined or something... I like it.

 

[dghii]

The top cover on my 84 is tan.

 

[alfaromeoblack]

Nice! Looks much like mine... in fact, you have the red two button clock. Was yours built in 83 according to the placard in the door jam? I think sometime early 84 they switched to the three button clock. I think your shifter knob has been changed (the original would have been faux wood painted but they fade to white) and your ashtray looks different than mine, maybe lined or something... I like it.

The shift knob was made by my father. It is a nut off a monkey pod tree. He turned the nut pod on the lathe onto the shifter knob shape.
I removed the ash tray and built the metal box and lined it with cork. I use the box to hold my cell phone.


Ken

 

[84FLVeloce]

The shift knob was made by my father. It is a nut off a monkey pod tree. He turned the nut pod on the lathe onto the shifter knob shape.
I removed the ash tray and built the metal box and lined it with cork. I use the box to hold my cell phone.


Ken

Very cool on the shift knob... you also have an 85 mph speedo, like in my built -in-83, 84 model year Spider.

 

[alfaromeoblack]

I have thought about changing it out. It is kind of rare really. It’s kind of historical almost. I’m gonna keep it.


Ken

 

[ghnl]

you also have an 85 mph speedo...

That is so you can honestly answer 'no' when asked, "Do you know how fast you were going?"

 

[jimbbo]

A gorgeous interior, very attractive with the red exterior. If you are going for originality, you probably should change the exterior mirrors back to the original rectangular ones and replace the passenger side sun-visor with a mirrorless one.

 

[David O'D]

Thanks, Jimbbo. I've 'personalized' my car too much to be competitive in an originality concours, and want to keep most of the changes. But I'd very much like to earn a 'Certificato d'Oro' (95 points) if it's possible.

I'm trying to pin down the originality baseline and decide if I can still get to 95 points. I have black carpets, top, & boot (all should be tan), the 'wrong' mirrors, and a Zender spoiler in place of the original tall soft spoiler. Also I've retracted my front & rear bumpers and deleted the front bumper side marker lights. I'm not going to change any of those elements.

The national concours guidelines posted on the AROC website don't pin down how many points off for these changes.

The LA chapter has a Daily Driver class for their club concours and I've done well. I've reached out to the SD Chapter and the AROC Office, but there's no response. AFAIK there will be no Daily Driver class at the San Diego convention.

If anybody has good information about 'lack of originality' deductions, or the upcoming convention concours, let me know. Thanks!

David OD
Laguna CA