[Fellknives]

Hello All,

I'm Nick. Living in Los Angeles CA. Recently bought this Alfa Spider Veloce, '83.

I was working on a Fiat spider 124 that my uncle, who moved to Paris 20 years ago, had given me after it sat in his in laws garage in LA since he had moved out there. It needed quite a bit of work to get it road ready again, but when i finally did and took it to work for the first time, after a few test drives around my neighborhood, my landlord happened to be at the building I work at and bought it on the spot. I immediately hopped onto Craigsbook Marketface and found this spider which i was able to negotiate the price $1000 less than I sold the fiat for... quite a bit of an upgrade, but we're still talking sub $5,000 cars here lol.

Anyway, I took the alfa to Vittorio at Alfa Italia in Burbank and he gave it a look over and test drive before I bought it.

It is in pretty worn condition, but the frame is good and the engine strong. I knew it had a lot of work to be done, but I bought to car to continue to work on something, I wasn't looking for a finished car to start with!

Finally onto the car, at first glance she's real pretty.. imo 😂

But upon closer inspection i've got a LONG list of work to do, and quite a number of decisions to make.

SO.
The duck tail rubber is cracking, PO painted it over which is now cracking too which really makes it all the more noticeable! I've been looking at the zender spoilers, I think that is the direction i'm going to go. Though my car is '83 S3 and the zender says it fits '84+ S3 models... anyone have any ideas about if it'll fit an 83? were there any major changes in the spoiler from 83-84?

onto the soft top... well what isn't wrong with it, thankfully it still goes up and down relatively easy and the latches keep it closed the very few times I have driven it with top up.. It's old, stitching is failing, the plastic rear window is not a window anymore, you can't see anything through it. The frame has broken welds and weird replacement hardware in places it must have previously failed, and the drivers side over the window was clearly ripped and VERY poorly sewn back together. Almost comically bad sewing. I'm work with metal and am confident with light welding jobs.. So I'm pretty torn about wether to try and fix the frame myself and have someone put on a new soft top, or if i should put that money and time into finding or getting a custom soft top from smoothline- Though as hard as I try I cannot find any good pictures besides the weird poor quality ones on their website that really don't give you a clue what you're about to spend ~$2,000 on... possibly repair and sell the soft top frame or just hold it aside to have it redone at a later date..? WWJD?

Then theres the interior, seats are actually in pretty good shape, drivers left shoulder is scratched from failure in the hard top- one arm hangs down loose and scratches the seat it you don't hold it up and out of the way as the top comes down. I want to put some more comfortable bucket style seats in, but haven't found a small enough seat that would look good in the car that also isn't in the thousands per seat.. anyone found a good seat for theirs?

Dash is cracked, but the dash mat makes me forget about that a lot. The console is in decent shape, but it has some movement, i've found a few holes where there should be hardware, i'll take a look at it closer when im further along with everything else.

Carpets are a bit grubby, but fine, I do think about one day changing them out, but that's for another day.

Paint is a rattle can job across the board. Most of the body panels are fine, they for some reason did the wheels which I actually quite liked the look of, but it was done so poorly it's bubbling and flaking off in places. The bumpers were painted too which has mostly adhered but big bubbles in one spot and another where the bubble has began chipping off. I like the black look, I think i'll try sanding and polishing whats still good and see where to go from there. I don't mind the idea of stripping, sanding and painting it one day... Wouldn't mind an old school livery style paint job haha, I kinda want to put a roll cage in one day and do some track days.

Apparently after the inspection front suspension looks good, rear is probably still original, and completely shot.
Any good leads on lists/kits/suppliers for rear suspension replacements/upgrades? I've began looking but always find myself a bit overwhelmed as theres obviously a lot of options and ways to go and i'm not quite at the point ready to shop where I find it's easier to begin to narrow things down.

Thankfully I have time to think as the transmission hates itself, and I kinda hate it too. lol.

It grinds 1st to 2nd almost every time unless I drive like a half dead grandma which (i feel) kinda defeats the point of the spider. I'm planning on having Vittorio take it out and probably fully rebuild everything, I want it to be as strong as possible. From there i'll be moving onto suspension, I feel like I can probably tackle it with a couple of my buddies.

Then the top needs addressing unless anything arises in the engine bay (unfortunately those pictures I can't seem to upload no matter how i compress or change the file type, i'll probably just post those directly from my phone soon) but thankfully the engine has been great. I put about 170 miles on it the day after I bought it as my daily got rear ended and the new to me alfa turned into the daily. Since then i've put another 300-400 or so miles on it without any hiccups - so far haha. I'm sure something will happen eventually, it always does.

Since then i've changed the oil, and added the drivers side headlight chrome that was missing when I got it and done a simple restoration (sand, neutralize, clean, repaint) of the spare tire tub in the trunk as it had some pretty crazy flash rust- i'm guessing from battery acid getting in there as the tray had tons of crazy corrosion (that we cleaned up) on it too.

I've been meaning to flush the radiator, change spark plugs, and brake pads/take a look at the rotors to see where they are at and just do a general refresh of the fluids/engine bay...

.. So that's all for now, feels like i've written my life story, yet barely even scraped the surface of where this car is at.

Not all that exciting compared to many, but I love driving this car and am enjoying the process of getting it into better shape!

 

[pantera928]

Hello All,

I'm Nick. Living in Los Angeles CA. Recently bought this Alfa Spider Veloce, '83.

I was working on a Fiat spider 124 that my uncle, who moved to Paris 20 years ago, had given me after it sat in his in laws garage in LA since he had moved out there. It needed quite a bit of work to get it road ready again, but when i finally did and took it to work for the first time, after a few test drives around my neighborhood, my landlord happened to be at the building I work at and bought it on the spot. I immediately hopped onto Craigsbook Marketface and found this spider which i was able to negotiate the price $1000 less than I sold the fiat for... quite a bit of an upgrade, but we're still talking sub $5,000 cars here lol.

Anyway, I took the alfa to Vittorio at Alfa Italia in Burbank and he gave it a look over and test drive before I bought it.

It is in pretty worn condition, but the frame is good and the engine strong. I knew it had a lot of work to be done, but I bought to car to continue to work on something, I wasn't looking for a finished car to start with!

Finally onto the car, at first glance she's real pretty.. imo 😂
View attachment 1665988 View attachment 1665989

But upon closer inspection i've got a LONG list of work to do, and quite a number of decisions to make.
View attachment 1665991
View attachment 1665990 View attachment 1665992 View attachment 1665994 View attachment 1665995 View attachment 1665996 View attachment 1665997

SO.
The duck tail rubber is cracking, PO painted it over which is now cracking too which really makes it all the more noticeable! I've been looking at the zender spoilers, I think that is the direction i'm going to go. Though my car is '83 S3 and the zender says it fits '84+ S3 models... anyone have any ideas about if it'll fit an 83? were there any major changes in the spoiler from 83-84?

onto the soft top... well what isn't wrong with it, thankfully it still goes up and down relatively easy and the latches keep it closed the very few times I have driven it with top up.. It's old, stitching is failing, the plastic rear window is not a window anymore, you can't see anything through it. The frame has broken welds and weird replacement hardware in places it must have previously failed, and the drivers side over the window was clearly ripped and VERY poorly sewn back together. Almost comically bad sewing. I'm work with metal and am confident with light welding jobs.. So I'm pretty torn about wether to try and fix the frame myself and have someone put on a new soft top, or if i should put that money and time into finding or getting a custom soft top from smoothline- Though as hard as I try I cannot find any good pictures besides the weird poor quality ones on their website that really don't give you a clue what you're about to spend ~$2,000 on... possibly repair and sell the soft top frame or just hold it aside to have it redone at a later date..? WWJD?

Then theres the interior, seats are actually in pretty good shape, drivers left shoulder is scratched from failure in the hard top- one arm hangs down loose and scratches the seat it you don't hold it up and out of the way as the top comes down. I want to put some more comfortable bucket style seats in, but haven't found a small enough seat that would look good in the car that also isn't in the thousands per seat.. anyone found a good seat for theirs?

Dash is cracked, but the dash mat makes me forget about that a lot. The console is in decent shape, but it has some movement, i've found a few holes where there should be hardware, i'll take a look at it closer when im further along with everything else.

Carpets are a bit grubby, but fine, I do think about one day changing them out, but that's for another day.

Paint is a rattle can job across the board. Most of the body panels are fine, they for some reason did the wheels which I actually quite liked the look of, but it was done so poorly it's bubbling and flaking off in places. The bumpers were painted too which has mostly adhered but big bubbles in one spot and another where the bubble has began chipping off. I like the black look, I think i'll try sanding and polishing whats still good and see where to go from there. I don't mind the idea of stripping, sanding and painting it one day... Wouldn't mind an old school livery style paint job haha, I kinda want to put a roll cage in one day and do some track days.

Apparently after the inspection front suspension looks good, rear is probably still original, and completely shot.
Any good leads on lists/kits/suppliers for rear suspension replacements/upgrades? I've began looking but always find myself a bit overwhelmed as theres obviously a lot of options and ways to go and i'm not quite at the point ready to shop where I find it's easier to begin to narrow things down.

Thankfully I have time to think as the transmission hates itself, and I kinda hate it too. lol.

It grinds 1st to 2nd almost every time unless I drive like a half dead grandma which (i feel) kinda defeats the point of the spider. I'm planning on having Vittorio take it out and probably fully rebuild everything, I want it to be as strong as possible. From there i'll be moving onto suspension, I feel like I can probably tackle it with a couple of my buddies.

Then the top needs addressing unless anything arises in the engine bay (unfortunately those pictures I can't seem to upload no matter how i compress or change the file type, i'll probably just post those directly from my phone soon) but thankfully the engine has been great. I put about 170 miles on it the day after I bought it as my daily got rear ended and the new to me alfa turned into the daily. Since then i've put another 300-400 or so miles on it without any hiccups - so far haha. I'm sure something will happen eventually, it always does.

Since then i've changed the oil, and added the drivers side headlight chrome that was missing when I got it and done a simple restoration (sand, neutralize, clean, repaint) of the spare tire tub in the trunk as it had some pretty crazy flash rust- i'm guessing from battery acid getting in there as the tray had tons of crazy corrosion (that we cleaned up) on it too.

I've been meaning to flush the radiator, change spark plugs, and brake pads/take a look at the rotors to see where they are at and just do a general refresh of the fluids/engine bay...

.. So that's all for now, feels like i've written my life story, yet barely even scraped the surface of where this car is at.

Not all that exciting compared to many, but I love driving this car and am enjoying the process of getting it into better shape!

If the spoiler will fit a 1984, it will fit a 1983 no problem. 1983 through 1985 and early 1986 all had the same spoiler
Painting the spoiler is never a good idea unless you use something like SEM bumper paint
While there are a lot of vendors out there for whatever you need, Classic Alfa in England has some of the best prices and they ship promptly. I get parts on Thursday if I order on the weekend. Alfa Parts Exchange in California is a good source for used parts
The spare tub rust is typical and usually from water getting in there and getting trapped many times between the tire and the tub. I usually wire brush the old rust and then apply POR-15 and then color. Sometimes i spray undercoater on before i paint. THe whole tub is available if it is rusted out.

Here are links to vendors I use regularly

Alfa Romeo 105 Spider Parts | Classic Alfa

Buy classic Alfa Romeo 105 Spider parts from Classic Alfa online. We ship worldwide.

classicalfa.com

Iap | Centerline International

Centerline International is the leading supplier of restoration, performance, and maintenance parts for all Alfa Romeo models fr

centerlinealfa.com

Alfa Parts Exchange - Used Alfa Romeo Parts

THE 37th most marginally interesting Tourist attraction in Northern California

www.alfapartsexchange.com

105/115 Spider Archives - AW Alfa Romeo

www.awalfa.com

Del Priore

1983 through 1985 are great years. Dual pods, Bosch injection, A/C, power windows, power mirrors etc

 

[ghnl]

Welcome to the asylum! Thanks for the pictures (we like pictures!).

You might want to look for a good used top frame and then install (or have installed) a new top. There are some threads about conv top replacement in the Spider section. And note that there are numerous small studs along the back edge. They tend to get rusty and can break off if you're not careful. I like to apply a few drops of penetrating oil (PB Blaster, Kroil, etc) daily for a few days before trying to remove the nuts.

The gearbox might need rebuilding but first you should probably try an oil change. The synchros need a certain amount of friction to work properly. Many "modern" oils are too slippery. Shell Spirax was spec'd 'back-in-the-day' but that is not commonly available now. Redline 75W-90NS (must be the NS version) works well. If won't fix totally worn out synchros but it has helped many Alfa transmission go from graunchy to good. If it seems better but not good, try running it for a few hundred miles then drain & refill - this helps to get all the former oil out. (P.S. make sure you can remove the fill plug before draining the oil...)

I believe the bodies are the same from '83 to '85. In '86 they changed the spoiler from the soft foam type to a hard rubber type. But I don't know if the sheet metal changed. And I don't have any experience with the Zender kits.

Click the link in my signature for a page of info about the L-jet system in our cars. You may need to click the down arrow to see the whole signature.

 

[David O'D]

The Zender is nice, but the fit isn't perfect. Even after adjusting the factory sidelights to minimize the gaps, I can fit fingers between the center and side segments. If carefully installed, you won't need to repaint the trunk lid; I painted the gaps black to minimize their prominence.

David OD
Laguna CA

 

[pantera928]

You might be able to strip the paint off of your existing spoiler and then recoat it with SEM bumper black.
Alfa Parts Exchange might have a decent used one also

 

[Fellknives]

If the spoiler will fit a 1984, it will fit a 1983 no problem. 1983 through 1985 and early 1986 all had the same spoiler
Painting the spoiler is never a good idea unless you use something like SEM bumper paint
While there are a lot of vendors out there for whatever you need, Classic Alfa in England has some of the best prices and they ship promptly. I get parts on Thursday if I order on the weekend. Alfa Parts Exchange in California is a good source for used parts
The spare tub rust is typical and usually from water getting in there and getting trapped many times between the tire and the tub. I usually wire brush the old rust and then apply POR-15 and then color. Sometimes i spray undercoater on before i paint. THe whole tub is available if it is rusted out.

Here are links to vendors I use regularly

Alfa Romeo 105 Spider Parts | Classic Alfa

Buy classic Alfa Romeo 105 Spider parts from Classic Alfa online. We ship worldwide.

classicalfa.com

Iap | Centerline International

Centerline International is the leading supplier of restoration, performance, and maintenance parts for all Alfa Romeo models fr

centerlinealfa.com

Alfa Parts Exchange - Used Alfa Romeo Parts

THE 37th most marginally interesting Tourist attraction in Northern California

www.alfapartsexchange.com

105/115 Spider Archives - AW Alfa Romeo

www.awalfa.com

Del Priore

1983 through 1985 are great years. Dual pods, Bosch injection, A/C, power windows, power mirrors etc

Thank you for all the good links! I had used classic alfa for the chrome for the headlight, indeed they are prompt, and the shipping surprisingly affordable for international. I'll definitely go back. Thank you for the confirmation on the fit for the spoiler too.

And yes thats basically exactly what i did for the wheel tub resto- thankfully it was not rusted through, so i hit it with a variety of wire wheels and a bit of flap disk on the real bad parts, then neutralized with a chemical i use for my work then dried and painted over with some rustoleum primer and then black color- most of the trunk is the original teal/green but i painted black to match the rattle can job it received after getting into an accident and having a small bondo job on the hood.

Welcome to the asylum! Thanks for the pictures (we like pictures!).

You might want to look for a good used top frame and then install (or have installed) a new top. There are some threads about conv top replacement in the Spider section. And note that there are numerous small studs along the back edge. They tend to get rusty and can break off if you're not careful. I like to apply a few drops of penetrating oil (PB Blaster, Kroil, etc) daily for a few days before trying to remove the nuts.

The gearbox might need rebuilding but first you should probably try an oil change. The synchros need a certain amount of friction to work properly. Many "modern" oils are too slippery. Shell Spirax was spec'd 'back-in-the-day' but that is not commonly available now. Redline 75W-90NS (must be the NS version) works well. If won't fix totally worn out synchros but it has helped many Alfa transmission go from graunchy to good. If it seems better but not good, try running it for a few hundred miles then drain & refill - this helps to get all the former oil out. (P.S. make sure you can remove the fill plug before draining the oil...)

I believe the bodies are the same from '83 to '85. In '86 they changed the spoiler from the soft foam type to a hard rubber type. But I don't know if the sheet metal changed. And I don't have any experience with the Zender kits.

Click the link in my signature for a page of info about the L-jet system in our cars. You may need to click the down arrow to see the whole signature.

Thank you for the warm welcome 😜
I asked at Alfa Italia to check for any frames that might fit, they're extremely reasonable so fingers crossed they have one that will fit! if they do that will probably be the route i go, i'll look into fixing my own too, theres one main tab i know needs a good solid tack, then one of the joints needs either original or just more appropriate new hardware. Not sure how confident i feel redoing a top, if i do i'll probably have someone do it who's a professional haha.

Good suggestion, I was thinking about trying to do a transmission oil change first as I really want to put the bulk of my money into suspension right now, my girlfriend always complains it feels like it's going to flip over on turns... it really does feel like a boat.

I'll be reading that link in signature right after this post! thanks again.

The Zender is nice, but the fit isn't perfect. Even after adjusting the factory sidelights to minimize the gaps, I can fit fingers between the center and side segments. If carefully installed, you won't need to repaint the trunk lid; I painted the gaps black to minimize their prominence.

David OD
Laguna CA
View attachment 1666036 View attachment 1666037

THANK YOU, great photos for reference. I definitely see what you're saying, I can see the fitment issues- though it still looks better to me than the big rubber duck tail. Do you think the fitment is much worse than the duck tail you had on before? Mine definitely isn't perfect as is, I think there must have been some minor rear end damage on mine as things do look a little crooked on the back of mine under close inspection. Also is that the finish the spoiler comes in? or did you paint it? I do like that simple clean black look.

You might be able to strip the paint off of your existing spoiler and then recoat it with SEM bumper black.
Alfa Parts Exchange might have a decent used one also

I was just thinking about trying to strip and repaint mine with the SEM paint in the meantime as a quick fix to make me feel better about everything, I dont think i'd bother buying and replacing it with another ducktail though, i prefer a slightly more low profile look.

 

[Jim G]

The Zender is nice, but the fit isn't perfect. Even after adjusting the factory sidelights to minimize the gaps, I can fit fingers between the center and side segments. If carefully installed, you won't need to repaint the trunk lid; I painted the gaps black to minimize their prominence.

David OD
Laguna CA
View attachment 1666036 View attachment 1666037

Unfortunately. There not made by Zender. The original ones were back in the late 80's and through the 90's. Now they are reproduced by someone else and the fit is typical of a lot of the repop parts nowadays.

The hard plastic spoilers from mid 86 to 1990 are shaped a little different and have the third brake light in it. I'm sure pantera928 can post a picture of one.

 

[autobroker]

Welcome!

A couple things to look at regarding the suspension. Check for worn/dried out rubber bushings. In the rear, the trunion bushings can go and the rear will feel really loose. The trunion is the big pipe looking thing that attaches the rear axle to the body (not the trailing arms). It's the pipe that sits above the axle. Here's a picture of the rear suspension.

Look at bushing number 91034 - the T shaped pipe that attaches with busing 91034 is the trunion.

Also, check trailing arm bushings too.

When the suspension is right, Alfa Spiders drive sooo well! A bit of compliance is good - it makes the car livable and you don't get beat up driving.

 

[David O'D]

Do you think the fitment is much worse than the duck tail you had on before? . . . . . Also is that the finish the spoiler comes in? or did you paint it? I do like that simple clean black look.

Fellknives -

The fit of my original '84 soft spoiler was about an 8.5 from the factory; these cars weren't built with laser robots. The Zender I have now, or whatever my body guy (Stewart at APC) sourced, I'd say is in the 6.5-7 range, and definitely less precise.

It's hard rubber, and I left it natural. Goes well with the other black accents on my car, but then your entire car is black.

The 86-90 spoiler that Jim G mentions is hard plastic, and about 2/3 the height of the 82-85 soft foam spoiler.

I love my '84. For fun:cost, the Bosch S3s are tough to beat.

David OD
Laguna CA

 

[pantera928]

Thank you for all the good links! I had used classic alfa for the chrome for the headlight, indeed they are prompt, and the shipping surprisingly affordable for international. I'll definitely go back. Thank you for the confirmation on the fit for the spoiler too.

And yes thats basically exactly what i did for the wheel tub resto- thankfully it was not rusted through, so i hit it with a variety of wire wheels and a bit of flap disk on the real bad parts, then neutralized with a chemical i use for my work then dried and painted over with some rustoleum primer and then black color- most of the trunk is the original teal/green but i painted black to match the rattle can job it received after getting into an accident and having a small bondo job on the hood.



Thank you for the warm welcome 😜
I asked at Alfa Italia to check for any frames that might fit, they're extremely reasonable so fingers crossed they have one that will fit! if they do that will probably be the route i go, i'll look into fixing my own too, theres one main tab i know needs a good solid tack, then one of the joints needs either original or just more appropriate new hardware. Not sure how confident i feel redoing a top, if i do i'll probably have someone do it who's a professional haha.

Good suggestion, I was thinking about trying to do a transmission oil change first as I really want to put the bulk of my money into suspension right now, my girlfriend always complains it feels like it's going to flip over on turns... it really does feel like a boat.

I'll be reading that link in signature right after this post! thanks again.



THANK YOU, great photos for reference. I definitely see what you're saying, I can see the fitment issues- though it still looks better to me than the big rubber duck tail. Do you think the fitment is much worse than the duck tail you had on before? Mine definitely isn't perfect as is, I think there must have been some minor rear end damage on mine as things do look a little crooked on the back of mine under close inspection. Also is that the finish the spoiler comes in? or did you paint it? I do like that simple clean black look.



I was just thinking about trying to strip and repaint mine with the SEM paint in the meantime as a quick fix to make me feel better about everything, I dont think i'd bother buying and replacing it with another ducktail though, i prefer a slightly more low profile look.

As Jim said, the mid-86 through 89 are lower profile and you can use a third brake light in the center.

 

[pantera928]

Unfortunately. There not made by Zender. The original ones were back in the late 80's and through the 90's. Now they are reproduced by someone else and the fit is typical of a lot of the repop parts nowadays.

The hard plastic spoilers from mid 86 to 1990 are shaped a little different and have the third brake light in it. I'm sure pantera928 can post a picture of one.

Well, since JimG put me on the spot, here are some photos. The white car has the new style spoiler and the red car has the spongeBob spoiler. The newer style is a little lower and about 1/4" longer measuring front to back.
FYI, if you go with newer style with the middle brake light, the contacts that are for the license plate lights are the same ones used for the later model center brake light.
I think you would have to get wiring diagram for both models to figure out how to wire it but it should not be too hard.
Enjoy

 

[David O'D]

My '84 had no third brake light; neither the earlier foam spoiler, nor the Zender-ish aftermarket spoiler, accommodate a third brake light. I added one from ebay to my license plate frame. It's low-profile but has bright LEDs.

David OD
Laguna CA

 

[pantera928]

My '84 had no third brake light; neither the earlier foam spoiler, nor the Zender-ish aftermarket spoiler, accommodate a third brake light. I added one from ebay to my license plate frame. It's low-profile but has bright LEDs.

David OD
Laguna CA
View attachment 1666170

Yep, the third brake light came in mid-year 1986.

 

[Fellknives]

My '84 had no third brake light; neither the earlier foam spoiler, nor the Zender-ish aftermarket spoiler, accommodate a third brake light. I added one from ebay to my license plate frame. It's low-profile but has bright LEDs.

David OD
Laguna CA
View attachment 1666170

Do love that low profile look.

thank you all for taking some time to share this wealth of information!!!

stimulus check came in yesterday, that should pay for some parts nicely, or just contribute to the transmission costs.

I need to try just changing the oil that’s in there now to the redline stuff though to see if that does the trick. Would be nice to save the rebuild money for some suspension parts!

off to the internet to get some oil and look up exactly the procedure for trans oil change on the spiders.

 

[Fellknives]

Well, I’m sure you all know how life goes lol, been a while and haven’t had much time to work on the spider due to crazy landlord situation at my old workshop and having to pick up and leave the space and start up fresh in a new spot… getting to the end of all that madness thankfully, and the spiders been running great so I haven’t been pressed to do too much either.
My buddy and I polished the (very badly done rattle can) paint as best we could, I wanted to sand it but with no clear coat and I’m assuming a fairly thin layer of paint we just did some cutting compound and polish compound and applied a ceramic to help keep it cleaner!

happy with how that came out, definitely made the car less of an eyesore.

the soft top has pretty much completely given out- BUT…a few days ago, day before my birthday, I was talking with my apprentice at work about the car and talking about wanting to get a new top as the current was just such an eyesore it was almost outweighing all other jobs needing done… a few moments later he hollers at me telling me to come check out the computer, sure enough a very affordable quadrifoglio hard top was on the screen, newly listed and only 40 minutes from my workshop, hit the guy up, got gas and cash and drove over immediately.
It’s a bit rough, needs new paint as it was REALLY poorly painted cream over factory red, with the worlds worst tape job and overspray almost everywhere - somehow they managed to keep the windows clean and in tact, the headliner while stained with some weird brown tar looking stuff, I think may actually clean up pretty well too with the right products.. any tips for really cleaning up nasty crap from the headliner?

also I’m looking for some of the seals for it, mainly the base seal to protect the body. Realistically I should replace them all as I am going to restore it over time, but with a tight budget I want to get a base seal on(even if just non OE temporary protection) and the J Hooks sorted, ordered the pair off of eBay from the Canadian vendor, may fabricate a temporary one if I figure out a seal before the hooks arrive. I’m dying to drive with the top on lol, perfect for so cal summer heat…🤣

if anyone has ideas for non OE seals that may just work for the 86+ quadrifoglio hard tops please let me know!

I did find a “group buy”for a complete set of new ones which I messaged the guy about on here, so fingers crossed I hear back!!

 

[Jim G]

On the J hook. There’s supposed to be a regular nut on the hook side of the bracket and a nylock on the top.

 

[Fellknives]

On the J hook. There’s supposed to be a regular nut on the hook side of the bracket and a nylock on the top.

thank you! Very good to know!
I’m actually also slightly unsure.. do they attach to the frame of the soft top or to the body somewhere? Haven’t gotten the hooks yet so hard to tell exactly how long they will be/where they will land.

I wanted to remove the soft top and frame when I get the hard top on so I can repair the frame at my workshop- there’s a snapped piece of metal that needs welding and a few missing rivets I’ll need to replace, but if the top is secured by the frame then I’ll have to rethink my plan and dedicate a few days in a row at the shop to get it all done…

 

[Jim G]

They hook onto the soft top frame.