[vf31rhill]

I have been looking for a year now, trying to find a replacement for the front valance support on my 1988 Quad Spider. Most people don't even understand what it is I am looking for when they are breaking a Quad. I suspect that POs have removed the thing and thrown it away. The few I did manage to locate were no better than my own rusted, busted and disgusting unit. Finally, thanks to Larry, I have a good used support to replace my rusted and broken one. I had to weld 2 vibration cracks, and now it is in store for a good wet sanding and then acid etch primer and a good coat of black paint.

Larry, I am sorry your 87 Quad went to the chopping block, but thanks to you I now have a good valance support and a pair of very nice Quad gray door panels. Thanks a Million. Your car will still live on after it has been melted into molten iron ore.

Robert Hill in Memphis, TN

 

[Tifosi]

Nice looking piece.

Regarding the old gorroded one:
Go to the hardware store and get you some <sp> muriatic acid.
(usually comes in a plastic jug pre~diluted for not a lot of $)
Then, outside near the garden hose and working on small to medium areas at a time, brush/spray/pour the acid directly onto the old part, more heavily where the rust is worstest.

It'll sizzle and smoke a bit, then when you rinse, (leave it too long and it'll vaporize the steel too, so pay attention), there won't be anything left but the actual steel sans rust. Dry it and sealer primer it soon though as it'll almost immediately start to flash rust.


Don't so it on the grass unless you wanna kill it.
Concrete is good provided you rinse it thoroughly after, and it'll even pull oil stains out of said concrete so you can get 'dual use' out of the stuff.

 

[vf31rhill]

Darren,
Thanks for the tip, but the real problem with the old one is that the side supports have rusted to the point that they are almost tin foil grade. The thing is made out of the same lite gage sheet metal as the rest of the car - too light to be really practical and thus a sitting duck for rust. I have always been amazed at the lite gauge sheet metal they used to construct these cars. If I tried to clean the thing with muriatic acid there probably would be nothing left of the side supports.

Anyway, the untra thin side supports are the reason I started to add the strap support. I would have gone through with it too, if Larry had not come through with the outstanding piece which he sold me.

Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you. This was my lucky day, as opposed to most of the rest of them.

Robert

 

[84FLVeloce]

What's a valance suppoirt

Cool lookin gizmo there. What's a valance support and where on the spider does it hide? Might need to check mine... or maybe it's a quad-only part

 

[vf31rhill]

This item is a Quad Spider only item, I would suppose. The front air intake is kind of bob tailed and all the Quad ground effect panels (I call them valances) are some kind of painted moulded plastic. If you remove the rear valance (on a Quad, I am speaking of) the original metal round under is still there, painted same color as the rest of the car. The Quad rear valance just covers it up. Same with the 2 side panels. Remove them and the original rockers are still there, painted just the same. But the front is very different. There is nothing below the front bumper until you get back to the bottom of the air intake. The front Quad valance is a highly styled and curved and recurved piece of this painted plastic. It attaches to the bottom of the front bumper and the portion with the air opening mates up to the bottom sheet metal of the air intake. This item I am so proud of is the support for the bottom of the air intake portion of the front valance and keeps the wind from ripping the valance off at speed (I am thinnking).

I will try to add some photos of this set up later. Anyway, I am trying to keep the car somewhat original and wanted to replace my severly rusted suppport with a better one, if not perfect. I have been zinging Quad disassemblers for a year with very limited success until now. All this just goes to prove that if you are patient and persistent, you can still locate some hard to find Alfa Spider items.

Robert

 

[84FLVeloce]

This item is a Quad Spider only item...

Robert

Cool, thanks. Interesting.

 

[SpiderHolly]

robert,
I had no idea you were looking for one--i have one hanging up in my shed--[only slight surface rust] leftover from when someone ran into my front bumper and bent the left main support--i replaced the entire thing bumper, valance, support and all and kept the leftovers.

nice looking piece.

BTW, do you know anyone that has a non-passive restraint quad/veloce drivers seat?

 

[vf31rhill]

It figures! But where on earth did you find a new one? I have tried without success to locate one new or used. Few people know what I am even talking about and the few used ones I did locate up till now were as bad off as my old one. I would gladly have bought a new one if I could have located such. I advertised without success on the BB for one. I suppose now they will be jumping out from the bushes at me; now that I no longer need one. Go figure!

Anyway, I am happy to have found one even if it did come at the expense of another Alfa Spider going to eat dirt. At the rate they are being parted out, it does not seem too far feteched that these cars will ultimately become rare and thus prized (and priced).

Thanks, Robert