[Jim G]

I listed more of my Alfa factory special tools on here and on ebay. Prices here are cheaper.

Also went and looked at a nice 1985 spider yesterday. Has no compression on number 4 cylinder. Interior is very nice. Paint good. Price was right. So I bought. That makes number 11. Not counting the 4 parts cars.

Also spent some time cleaning out the 1981 spider with webers to sell. Non running car. Engine turns over by hand. Typical rust. Did I mention it has webers. :grin2:

 

[Jim G]

Hello All -

New to the BB but I can see I'm at the right place. I went shopping for my first Alfa today. I've been looking for a project car and found one close to home. It's a 1980 Spider with a fairly rust free body and fair condition. It originally had a fairly rare (from what I understand) single butterfly intake and Spica but the current owner replaced it with the individuals and now it won't maintain idle. Think I'll have much trouble getting it to run? Can anyone direct me to the best threads or topics for my application? Thanks.

The single butterfly intake could be considered rare. They were only on 80 and 81 models. Which were the worst years for the Spica system. Mainly because of the single butterfly intake. The current owner replacing it with the earlier intake is a very good thing. If you buy it. Make sure he has the factory airbox to go with it.

 

[Jim G]

When I stripped it, it turned out to be a aluminum "puck" in the center of the spring. I assume the upper rubber bump stop hits it. Attaches with a single bolt through the bottom of the spring pan. Is this unusual?

No. Thats what the 1600 Duetto's had.

 

[Jim G]

I bought a 1985 spider 4 or 5 months ago to repair and hopefully sell. Good paint and a really nice interior. The owner said it burned an exhaust valve 3 or so years ago. Got the head of and sure enough it bad an exhaust valve. What he failed to mention was he kept driving it until it dropped the valve seat out. Then kept driving it until it trashed number 2 cylinder that dropped the seat and the number one cylinder when it passed metal through the intake. Good thing I have a good used engine for it.

Also just picked up a 1986 spider thats been in a garage for the last 16 years. It went into the garage a year after getting a 4000.00 grand paint job. Someone keyed it and the owner got mad and parked it .he keying is easily repairable.

 

[Jim G]

I removed the burman box from the 71 dream spider and replaced it with a ZF that I rebuilt. Would have liked tokeep the burman but it was badly cracked in several of the bolt holes and was able to locate a ZF from a friend on the cheap; stripped it down, checked everything, replaced the seal, and all is good.

Make sure the steering lock slot on the column is in the same space. I think when they went to the ZF box is when they started using the ignition switch that goes in at an angle. I don't know that the slot is different. But you probably want to check before you get to far.

 

[Jim G]

I think I'll call it a day for now, gotta read up on how to get that dang parking brake apart :whistling:

Easiest way is to pull the bearing off. Once the bearing is off the whole brake assembly will come off. At that point you can clean it without taking it apart. Its a pain to do it on the car.

 

[Jim G]

you got the switch (the one that is both 4 way flashers and rear defroster) and the relay fitted, right?

if not, over in the classifieds is this:
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/7779666-post1.html

You also need the relay that goes in the fusebox.

 

[Jim G]

Yeah, I found a switch on Ebay and a relay. Are there supposed to be two relays? I have one in the fusebox...
Probably more of a question for another thread, but if the gauge pod bulb for the defroster was bad, would it keep the defroster from working? Mine doesn't light, but I have at least 3 other out also.

Just one relay. Alfa moved the the location of the relay around on the fusebox. I think the location difference is whether you have a bullet fusebox or the blade style fusebox.

 

[Jim G]

I don't know what MOMO used for the original finish. But it was almost a satin finish. But it became a gloss finish after use from the oil on your hands. Which is why a lot of times the wood in the center seems duller then the rim.

 

[Jim G]

In Georgia you can use Year Of Manufacture (YOM) plates. Georgia recently updated the YOM law. You can now use a YOM tag on a 1989 model year and earlier.

 

[Jim G]

If you leave the front bolts out you should be able to move the seat forward on the rails where the screw is not under the seat pan. Once tight move the seat back and put the front ones in.

 

[Jim G]

I am rebuilding a 750 gear box for a Spider and waiting for gaskets from Alfa Stop.

I just finished rebuilding 2 for customers.

Do you want patterns to make the gaskets?

 

[Jim G]

I've rebuilt about 15 or so over the last 30 years. There not that hard once you figure out the easiest way to get them apart and reassemble them.

 

[Jim G]

It’s a good idea with Alfa’s to go with guaranteed value insurance rather than insurance with your other daily drivers. Especially since values tend to be rising a bit. I use Hagerty for mine. But there are several companies that offer these policies.

The great thing about Hagerty's is if the other persons insurance wants to total it or is just being a pain in the a$$. You call Hagerty's they send an adjuster. They pay to fix your car. Then they go after the other persons insurance.

 

[Jim G]

Refurb trolley jack— got this thing on a local “free /dump ready” group. Honestly when I picked it up it looked like it had spent 15 years outdoors under the pine tree in Michigan.

So far 12 ish hours let’s see how she goes tomorrow after paint settles and hardens up

That looks like one of the original Lincoln jacks from the 80's. Those things were about 400.00 bucks back then.

Plus you couldn't kill them to save your life.

The alfa shop I worked at back in the 80's. We had a spider that went on a road test and the rusted out front spring pan blew the bottom out of it pin the front spring between the suspension and the ground. We took one of those jacks and jacked up the right front pulled the spring out then cranked up the car and drove it back to the shop with another guy sitting on the fender steering the jack.

 

[Jim G]

Cleaned and used some 303 on the interior; fixed the digital clock; treated the leather seats and headrests; locked down some speaker grills, and set properly the 2 vents on the dash.... then called it a day.

Is yours a 1985 and is it the original color?

 

[Jim G]

Verde Chiaro, metallizzato. Dopio Strato. (green, light, metallic, dual layer).
Original color and paint, yes. MY 1985, built 9/84.

I thought so. Alfa only used that color for the 85 model year.

 

[Jim G]

The clover leaf ( Quadrifoglio ) is Alfas good luck charm through out their racing days. So its is fitting to any Alfa if you want to put it on there.

The one sad thing is the people making the Quadrifoglio stickers do not make them right. The correct ones are left and right sided. The stem is suppose to go towards the rear of the car.

 

[Jim G]

You have two Alfa's, wow only thing better would be three!

3 or more means you have the dread addiction. Then you have to join Alfa Anonymous. Beg your wife for forgiveness and explain how many you have hidden around town. That she doesn't know about.

Please. I beg you don't go that road. Take from me I've been there. Well honestly I'm still there.

I got to go I found another one to go look it.

Oh then there is all the other Alfa stuff to start collecting. Alfa Special tools, parts books, signage, models. Holy crap. I need to stop.

 

[Jim G]

Finished those items off. Along the way discovered that the spade connector on the bottom of my inertia switch would sometimes loose connection inside if I wiggled the wire just so. I took that apart to investigate, ending up soldering that joint.

Since you have the topped taped down. You might as well just connect the wires together and do away with it.