I know nothing about car repair. Should I buy an spider?

Like you, I am not very mechanically inclined. I bought a pretty tired 78 Spider for $500 because I always liked the way they look and didn't have more to spend. I had never driven or even sat in one. The first thing I had to do (after getting it towed to my house) was replace the battery, it was melted when a golf club arced the pos/neg terminals.

I have never had a real mechanic work on my car and I drive it just about every day in the warmer months. It is not pretty and it still needs a lot of cosmetic work. The only reason I was able to do the minor mechanical jobs I did to get it going and keep it that way was because of this forum. If you have a question about something, chances are someone has already asked and had it answered, if not then post your question and chances are it will be answered very quickly. I have learned a lot from owning my Spider. Yes, there are times when I get frustrated, but in the end these are pretty basic cars to work on once you have a general understanding.

I could be wrong but I think you could buy an 86-91 in very nice shape for somewhere between $6-10K.

Go for it!

-Donny

1. If you get a spider in good condition then you should not experience "frequent and expensive trips" to the mechanic. But realize that you are buying a car 15+ years old, and no matter what condition you buy it, you should expect to experience occasional repairs. Well kept spiders have proven over the years to be amazingly reliable, much more so than almost any comparable sports car in its class.

2. I too do not have any great mechnical skills. I once owned an 88 graduate, and have recently bought a 91 S4 that was in fair shape..needing more comsmetic than mechanical repairs. I have found a top-notch local mechanic shop that specializes in Alfas and Ferraris and have relied upon them for my mechanical repairs. I think this is the key for you, I wouldnt purchase an Alfa unless either I felt mechnically inclined or had a local shop I trusted. Spiders do have common problems and having an experience local shop is key. Also, the spider is a pretty simple car to work when compared to most newer cars which are loaded with the latest technology.

3. The answer here will vary somewhat with the year. Here is a good starter thread giving you some ideas and recommending contacting your local AROC club.

4. I have not found repairs to be significantly more expensive than domestic cars. The biggest challenge is finding a shop that is experienced in repairing Alfas. Since they are fewer in number, you can expect their hourly rate to be a little more than other average domesitic repair shops. Again, if you are not mechincally inclined to do your own repairs, and want reliability, then find a local shop before you buy your Alfa. In fact, I would have a local shop check out an Alfa before I bought one if you can.

5. In general, Alfas are pretty easy to work on. Some things can be more challenging than others, but that is true of any car. With the help of this BB, your local AROC, and getting the shop manuals on CD, many repairs can be done by a novice with a little patience and basic mechanical skills. For me, I have done most of the cosmetic type repairs myself (leaving the mechnical to my local Alfa shop). I have re-uphosltered the seats, fixed various burnt warning bulbs, repainted my dash and console, replaced my speakers, replaced the door panels, replaced trunk/gas release panel, replaced the emblems, repaired my seats, nd replaced cracked vents. All of the above were pretty easy, especially with the help of this BB. Also, International Auto is a great resource for parts and finding info on repairs and what to look for in an Alfa.

6. IMHO if I were you I would only look at S4s (91 or newer), and would expect to pay around $15K for one in excellent shape as you describe with lower miles (less than 40K). You might find one for less (around $10-12K - see here for example), but dont be surprised to see some for close to $20K. To give you perspective, a 92' spider in mint condition with only 135 original miles (was in a collection) recently sold on eBay for around $23K. That was about as near perfect as you can get (although it likely needed some things replaced, like hoses, due to age.) But I thought that was a pretty good deal since that was the original sticker price and was the nicest one I personally have ever seen sold recently. To get a broad perspective on prices see this thread.

7. You should be able to find lots of advice on buying a new spider by searching this board. Here is one thread to get you started. But the one thing I would avoid at all costs is rust. Most anything else can be repaird/replaced pretty easy, but rust can be a whole other thing to deal with. Rust isnt as big an issue with most newer Alfas, but I still wouldnt buy one with any significant rust.


I say take the plunge! If you get some help in finding an S4 in excellent shape (via either local shop or AROC) and are willing to pay for it, then I think you can find what you are looking for. Alfas truly are a unique car like no other and will bring you many reliable years of fun driving. But if you do decide to buy one, be warned, you have to treat her even better than your lovely wife...because if you dont, she too can make your life miserable, and no true Alfa fan or man will respect you

Hi jddela;

I second what everyone else has posted in this thread about Alfa's. By your profile I see you live in AZ also. Here are some local mechanic shops info and the local Alfa club URL.
I've had work done and bought parts at Auto International and am a current member of the AZ Alfa club.
Might be worth-while to ask the shops if they know of a car for sale and drop by a meeting of the club.

Remember ALFA stands for: Always Looking For Another


Auto International
9609 N. 21st Drive, Suite J
Phoenix, Arizona 85021-1805
phone (602) 997-6792

ARIZONA TWIN CAM
2816 E. Jones Avenue, #2
Phoenix, Arizona
602-276-6935


http://clubs.hemmings.com/frameset.cfm?club=azalfa

I was in your position earlier this year and decided to take the plunge. I bought an '84 Spider for approx. $6K and she is in great shape. The body is the most essential part. I have very minor areas of rust which I'm going to take care of before the winter.

So far I've had to replace the motor mounts, the battery, a fuel pump and line, got an oil change and I'm about to have all the rear bushings replaced shortly. I will need new front rotors soon. I also got a stereo with a direct iPod hookup. All of this including labor and parts is less than $2k which is what I am spending on average per year to maintain a fairly new VW Golf The Alfa will become my daily driver once the bushings are replaced and the Golf will go up for sale shortly after that.

I don't have a commute as I work from home, but I'm as comfortable tooling around the city in traffic as I am roaring along the highway. So far she's started first time every time and I really get a sense that she is quite robust and reliable. All the same I have purchased a full AAA membership just in case I need that long haul tow on a flatbed in the middle of a road trip.

I'm learning a lot about the mechanics too so in the future I will be changing my own oil, filters, plugs and any other maintenance that doesn't require a lift or compression. I found a really good mechanic and had him look the car over to give me a sense of what maintenance she will require in the future. I'd strongly suggest following the advice of getting a thorough inspection done before buying a Spider. I had three done: the first by a fellow BB'er and long time Alfa owner, the following two by separate shops so I have a pretty accurate picture of what's going on.

I know that I will spend more in the next few years on upgrading parts, replacing hoses, getting a chassis stiffener, an engine rebuild and a transmission overhaul. If I calculate all the costs, I could perhaps buy a new VW Rabbit which isn't anywhere near as much fun to drive. I'll still have to contend with awful VW/Audi service (which is super expensive) and no where near the kind of character that the Spider has. I still get a kick out of all the looks she gets as I drive her around, especially with the top down and my little dog hanging over the edge with her face in the wind. The word "drive" has taken on a whole new meaning for my dog - she goes straight for the Alfa in the garage as opposed to either of the other two modern cars sitting there.

The other thing I'm sure of is that the Alfa will hold her value far better than any new car.

From a Newby to a Newby
I’ve been looking for a Spider for the last couple of months and finally bought one 4 weeks ago.
I do not know anything about mechanics but this BB is AMAAAAAZING
My experience is that price does not necessarily mean top quality.
There are too many people out there who want to make a quick buck.

Found a 1989 Graduate on EBay with 28K original miles.
After talking to the guy in Florida he guaranteed me again that the vehicle had 29K original miles. BUT he changed the clutch, timing chain, master cylinder, upholstery etc.
YEH right !!!

Drove 440 miles to Maryland for a 1989 QF with NO RUST.
Asking price was 8K vehicle had 70K miles, pictures looked gorgeous.
I came back by train; there were holes in the floorboard and trunk, bigger than Fats Domino’s head!!!

Finally found one at the local Air Base (previous owner had to deploy)
1987 Veloce, 84K miles, NO RUST whatsoever, all records of maintenance, new trany, new Bosh ignition, new top etc… for 3.5K !!!
Needed a new paint job, new seat upholstery and I’m driving my dream…

Good Luck