quadrifoglio spider buying question

1291 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Zunige, Sep 27, 2007

Alfasergio

Discussion Starter · Sep 26, 2007

hello i have been looking to buy a 1988 quadrifoglio spider i just wanted to check if the price is right or not its ob sale for $4400 usd i live in the bay area here is the sellers discription.

Very unusual automobile for sale: a Quadifoglio with intact hardtop. Very sound mechanical condition for a car with 158000 miles. Great compression, new electrical, new brakes, recent clutch. Work receipts available.

Very good cosmetic, with new convertible top, upholstery, and factory carpets. This car is so much fun to drive, and no worries. DOes have small dent in left front fender (visible in photographs.)

The hardtop alone is worth $2000, and best of all you can jump in and drive and not have to fix anything up!!! Also, good mileage (25 city/30 highway).

Come by and have a look; if this is your type of car you won't regret it.

here i sthe link to the pics

http://albums.photoshow.net/Images?id=1170634-givtgake

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jarrington

· #2 · Sep 26, 2007

It needs some stuff. A perfect hardtop goes for only $1k or so, that one substantially less. It has 14" wheels instead of the phone dials the quads came with, the (fake?) Nardi with no center cap is a bit gauche, and the seats are from a Veloce, not a Quad. It's not bad, but I'd have someone who really knows these cars give it a thorough once-over before biting. Lots of miles, too.

-Jason

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Nicola

· #3 · Sep 26, 2007

I agree with Jason on all points, except...a minor point
I thought the Quad seats were the only ones with different color stitching. My Veloce seats, anyway were stitched with thread of the same color as the leather. I almost think those could be seat covers.

Totally agree that you should have cars (esp. with this many miles) thoroughly checked out by someone who knows Alfas.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

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Zunige

· #4 · Sep 26, 2007

criler said:
hello i have been looking to buy a 1988 quadrifoglio spider i just wanted to check if the price is right or not its ob sale for $4400 usd i live in the bay area here is the sellers discription.
...

I also agree with the comments in prior posts... My biggest concern is that it very much looks like a car that has been neglected at best, and abused at worst... Note that the entire interior has been replaced and it has been done like that of a Veloce, instead of a Quad. All Quads of all years came with red carpets throughout, and grey leather seats with red stitching. The seller is certainly exaggerating with his comment about the condition of his hardtop, and the price of one that is perfect. This car is certainly cheap, but I would do a thorough inspection because it really has a lot of signs that it could be a nightmare... If it is mechanically sound, then you could live with the incorrect features and cosmetic issues for that price.

Best regards,

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jarrington

· #5 · Sep 26, 2007

Quad seats were all grey with red stitching, no matter what the color. And I've personally seen Veloce seats - on a 20k mile car, so I assume original - that were black with the contrasting red stitching. That plus the Veloce wheels makes me a bit leery that this car may be a bitsa. I prefer a car that has always been in one piece.

Edit: yeah, what Enrique said.

-Jason

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Elio Comello

· #6 · Sep 26, 2007 (Edited)

I have an 87 Quad, which I bought for $7200 3 years ago.

It was and is a great car in excellent shape. The big thing going for it is NO RUST and great Original paint.

My advice is find a "better" Quad. By the time you sort out all the things this one needs to be "fresh" and drive like it was meant to handle you will wish you would have started at a high level.

I can send you a list of the things I did to my quad since 93, (it had 73Kmi i'm now at 82Kmi).

Unless many were already done by the PO, and/or you are going to do them yourself, the costs at the Alfa shop are quite high!

Recored rad
Shocks replaced (with Sachs gas)
rear wheel bearings,
Manifold vacuum sensor
Thermostat
Rad hoses
Valve adjustment & chain tension
flex joint
Oil pressure sensor (idiot lite)
O2 sensor
Diff bottom plate gasket
trunk cable
Lic plate lite bezel
Alternator
Motor mounts
Lower ball joints
one set front wheel bearings (pass)
Ignition wires
Trim pieces here and there,
Shift boot
Windshield gasket
etc, etc,
in the plans, refresh the trans, valve stem oil seals.

Best regards, Elio

BTW I have a great hardtop, realistically worth $800 to 1K$.

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Dolce86

· #7 · Sep 26, 2007

IMO - the asking price is too high. Looks very different from my 86 Quad

ie: non phone dial rims, knock off steering wheel, incorrect interior - seats. Looks as though this car was assembled using parts from other Spiders. Although not unusual, the work that was done is not in keeping with the Quadrifoglio's styling which set it apart from the veloce. The hardtop is also not in the greatest shape and nowhere near worth $2000 - don't believe it!

I paid about that for my car not long ago. My car though was all stock, no body/chassis issues (thank you God!) and only had 16000 miles. I'm with Elio -find a better one - they are out there.

Good luck

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mojave

· #8 · Sep 26, 2007

The car is also missing the passenger side sun visor. However, I don't think the price is too high. Now that I have a Spider, I think the price should be as high as possible.

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Little Luigi

· #9 · Sep 26, 2007

Besides the wrong seats, the door panels are incorrect, they should be two tone (black & gray). It is hard to say from the pics, but quadrifoglios have different suspension springs (lower body height) and this one looks like a veloce.

Also, all Quads 1986 - 1989 have motorized seat belts.

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Zunige

· #10 · Sep 27, 2007 (Edited)

Little Luigi said:
... It is hard to say from the pics, but quadrifoglios have different suspension springs (lower body height) and this one looks like a veloce.

Also, all Quads 1986 - 1989 have motorized seat belts.

In the interest of accuracy, I am going to comment on these assertions, but I certainly do not mean to discourage anyone from posting their observations...

The OEM springs on a Quad are a little taller than those of the Graduate and Veloce models. This is to compensate for the added weight of the hardtop. Quads do not have a lower ride height than other models. (One thing to watch out for when buying a used Quad is in fact the springs. If the OEM spings have been replaced with those used in cars that didn't have the hardtop, the car will sit lower.)

Quads did not come with motorized seat belts, except in 1988, as did other Veloce models of the same year. The motorized seat belts were mandated by U.S. regulations for 1988 model years. All manufacturers had to implement these in a percentage of their cars, and these are found across all marques that were sold in the U.S. The experiment did not fare well and so, it was not required in any subsequent year.

Best regards,

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Little Luigi

· #11 · Sep 27, 2007

Enrique,

You are not discouraging anyone, thanks for the information, I'm still learning. I just wrote my comments based on experience with other Spiders, mine has a lower ride (by 1/2 in.).

On the other hand, I was told (and I believed it) that all quads were built with motorized seat belts. My mistake, I apologize.

Once again, thanks and I'll look forward to learn more from this site.

Regards,

Luis

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Dolce86

· #12 · Sep 27, 2007

Confirming 86 Quad has manual seat belts. Seats are light Grey with red stiching. Door panels are two tone grey with black arm rest and red carpet about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom edge. Standard rim size also 15"

Zunige said:
In the interest of accuracy, I am going to comment on these assertions, but I certainly do not mean to discourage anyone from posting their observations...

The OEM springs on a Quad are a little taller than those of the Graduate and Veloce models. This is to compensate for the added weight of the hardtop. Quads do not have a lower ride height than other models. (One thing to watch out for when buying a used Quad is in fact the springs. If the OEM spings have been replaced with those used in cars that didn't have the hardtop, the car will sit lower.)

Quads did not come with motorized seat belts, except in 1988, as did other Veloce models of the same year. The motorized seat belts were mandated by U.S. regulations for 1988 model years. All manufacturers had to implement these in a percentage of their cars, and these are found across all marques that were sold in the U.S. The experiment did not fare well and so, it was not required in any subsequent year.

Best regards,

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Zunige

· #13 · Sep 27, 2007

Luis,

First - Welcome to the BB!

I'm really glad to see your post an your great understanding. I cannot tell how much I have learned about our Alfas from new owners. I'll be looking forward to your posts!

Best regards,
Enrique

P.S. Great cars you have!

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