105 Spider Buyers Guide

[John Hanslow]

2 articles:

Firstly - Found this from Octane dated Jan 2012.



INTRODUCTION

The Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider briefly impacted on the wider public consciousness in the film The Graduate, but among car enthusiasts it's always been up with the MGB and Fiat Spider as a classic sports car mainstay. Underpinned by a shortened Giulia 105-series platform and powered by a range of twin-cam engines, this car is every bit as good to drive as it is to look at.

Like the MGB and the Fiat, the Alfa enjoyed a very long production run – a side effect of the lack of investment during the 1980s. This resulted in the Spider becoming pilloried for its ageing design as the years rolled by, but today it means you have a huge (and sometimes confusing) choice of cars. Do you go for the prettiness of the earlier car, or the usability of later models? 

MARKET VIEW

In simple terms, the earlier the Spider, the more potential value it has. The boat-tail cars command the highest prices: 'As the years go by, the value of the earlier boat-tail cars will pull away from the later ones,' says Richard Norris of Classic Alfa (in black T-shirt, above).

You need to spend between £12,000 and £15,000 for bodily excellent (or restored) cars, and up to £20,000 for concours. 'Right-hand drive ones are extremely rare,' adds Norris. Cheapest is the 1300 – up to 20% less than the 1600 and 1750.

The Kamm-tail S2 and S3 cars with full-fat 1962cc engines are the best to drive, but the market tends to value them some way behind – a project costs as little as £1500, '...but a well-sorted S2 comes in at around £10,000,'says Norris.

'The S3 tends to be devalued by its clumsy makeover, with MoT'd cars changing hands for £3000-4000, and nice ones for £5000.'

The S4 is the odd-one-out: the best appointed and easiest to live with, yet its 1990s vibe means that even the nicest fail to go for much more than £8000.

IN A NUTSHELL

Alfa Spiders have huge specialist support, both in the UK and worldwide, so they're a great bet if you want a 'sensible' classic with a whiff of the exotic.

Corrosion is top of the checklist. 'The areas most affected are door-bottoms, sills, the inner sill area around the jacking points, rear lip of the bootlid, rear wheelarches, floorpan and the boot floor. It's likely just about any car you check will have been afflicted by tinworm, but it's the quality of the repair that matters most,' says Richard Norris.

Also check the front crossmember under the radiator and the chassis members at the rear of the engine bay running under the front floor, plus the areas around the front and rear suspension mounts. The soundest advice is to buy a car with the best body you can find. The mechanicals are very strong, and parts are plentiful.

The hood frame is a potential source of problems on the Duetto: it needs to be intact because you'll struggle to find a replacement – S2 and newer cars' frames are still readily available. Those stainless bumpers cost about £500 apiece, too.

The 2.0-litre engines can suffer head gasket failure, but a full rebuild for any capacity is typically around £1000 in parts and £3000 for labour. Gearboxes can develop synchromesh issues, especially in second, and typically cost £500 for an exchange unit.

Tired suspension (knocks from worn front bushes and self-steering due to worn rear trailing arm bushes) is also common, but new bushes all-round and replacement springs and dampers will put that right.

'Rear axles are strong, but S4 cars seem to suffer from noisy differentials. Nothing changed in the design, so this is believed to be down to poorer component quality,' adds Richard.

Electrics and trim faults are easily cured. Cracked dashboard tops in factory left-hand-drive cars are easily replaced or retrimmed – less so right-hand-drive ones. There's more demand for the converted right-hand-drive S3s and S4s in the UK, but make sure the cut 'n' shut facia isn't a mess of peeling vinyl and rattling panels.

Some cars will have received performance upgrades, so make sure any modifications have been carried out to the highest standard.

CONCLUSION

'Something for everyone' is an overused phrase, even by cliché standards. But it could well be true here, as with the Alfa Romeo Spider your choices are unusually extensive.

However, they can be broadly simplified: buy an early car for its looks and future investment; the S2 and S3 for performance and value; and the S4 for all-round usability.

The truly desirable Spiders are, of course, the boat-tail cars. No question about that, given their rarity, originality, style and sweetness. They're the most expensive and offer the greatest potential return on your money.

But don't despair if they're already priced outside your range. The S2 cars, especially, are stylish in their own right and, with the option of the larger engine, offer a more rounded drive. The S3 tries hard to look like a newer car, but only partially pulls it off, while the S4 comes with more lavish levels of equipment and the promise of all-year-round thrills.

Octane's choice would be a boat-tail car. Its uncorrupted purity is irresistible – and its investment potential makes paying the extra worthwhile.
More ALFA ROMEO SPIDER (1966-1993):

2ndly January 2009



INTRODUCTION
The lifespan of the Spider was long and complex, with four different engines offered and an equal number of incarnations – all of which shared the same superstructure. But it doesn't matter which derivative you choose, it's always going to be a great drive thanks to wonderfully sonorous powerplants and a chassis that is so communicative you truly feel you're at one with the car.

As with many cars of the 1960s and '70s, the eighth owner some 40 years down the line wasn't really at the forefront of the designers' minds when the models were conceived. Consequently there are many traps for the unwary. Rust protection was pretty much non-existent and repairs are often complex and expensive. Buy a good one and it'll take years off you; jump in without looking and you could end up ageing very quickly!

If you don't want to get caught out, you will need to spend at least £5500 on a car that's usable and shouldn't require any significant work. Even better if you can stretch to £8000 for a Series 3 or £10,000 for an earlier model; these kind of figures will secure you something that's really good.

Looking for a quality Duetto? You'll need more in the region of £15,000 – but for that you'll be able to get one of the best cars out there. If you'd prefer a challenge, you could buy a restoration project for £1500 upwards, but be warned: putting one of these cars back together is not the same as with your typical Meccano-like Triumph or MG.
ENGINE
The all-alloy twin-cam fours fitted to the Spider are renowned for their sweetness, the basic design having first been used in 1954. However, they don't take neglect very well, and a common malady is for the head gasket to blow, giving the usual tell-tale signs of white emulsion in the oil.

One of the rules which is often broken by owners is to let the engine warm up thoroughly before exercising it – being an all-alloy unit this is especially important. As long as the motor has been serviced properly (preferably with 3000-mile oil-change intervals and the correct anti-freeze) it should last for 120,000 miles before needing a rebuild.

One of the things that doesn't help the potential buyer is the fact that Spider engines can still appear healthy long after a rebuild is due. The nature of the unit means it'll always sound a bit thrashy with noise emanating from the timing chains and valvegear, but it shouldn't be unduly unpleasant.

Oil pressure should not fall below half way on the clock (4kg/sq cm) once above tickover, and make sure you check the air cleaner: if the engine is on its way out, this will have traces of oil from the breather pipe. Other weak spots are the O-rings below the camshaft bearings. If these have failed there will be a trio of oil trails down the side of the engine block (from the head) or traces of oil in the cooling system's header bottle.

Because of its cast alloy construction, the engine block is easily damaged by frost. Modern sealing compounds can hide this quite effectively, so check the thermostat housing for evidence of them. Also, engine mountings have a habit of failing (especially on the exhaust side), so you should make sure you rock the motor via its cam covers to check these.

TRANSMISSION
Apart from some US-spec Series 4 models, all Spiders were fitted with a five-speed gearbox. This should be quiet and easy to use – the first problem you'll encounter is likely to be worn syncromesh on second ratio. It's probable that the gearchange won't be too sweet until the box has fully warmed through, but once up to temperature it shouldn't be at all baulky.

The clutches originally specified were prone to wearing out quickly, but by now most have been replaced with much stronger units. Meanwhile, the back axle rarely gives any trouble as it's the same as is fitted to the heavier saloons and coupés. Any whines coming from it could indicate that there is trouble ahead. The most likely cure is a replacement axle, and the most cost-effective solution is buying a secondhand unit for around £100.

Rear hub bearings can be a problem as they're not very easy to replace. There's a shrink-ring used to retain the bearing, but if you're not too handy with the toolkit a specialist will ask around £50 to fix each side.

SUSPENSION, STEERING AND BRAKES
Right-hand-drive cars were fitted with recirculating-ball steering, but some Spiders were reputedly equipped with a worm and roller set-up. Neither system normally gives problems, but the bottom steering joints do wear to cause MoT failure.

If you need to buy lower ball joints, don't go for the cheapest available as some aren't really up to scratch – generous tolerances give enough play to produce an immediate MoT failure. The bushes within both the steering and suspension systems are also wear-prone, as are those in the rear suspension's trailing arms. Another area that gets neglected is the central reaction trunnion locating the rear axle.

These are cone-shaped rubber bushes which quickly wear out, allowing the back wheels to feel unstable. When replacing this it is worthwhile fitting a bush made of harder rubber or nylon, available from specialists.

As if that's not enough, there's another fault which often afflicts the Spider's suspension: the Metalastik bushes in the wishbones. There are four bushes, all of which can be affected by seizure as a result of water getting into the trunnion. If left, the wishbones can be damaged by the undue strain.

Replacing these is a big job, and again you should be wary of cheap bushes. At the same time check the lower spring pans for rust. Furthermore, inside the pan is an aluminium shim that tends to dissolve with the passing of time. These are selectively fitted in order to control the height of the suspension. This isn't easy on older cars, but EB has shims ranging in thickness up to 10mm.

Another job that's well worth doing every 20,000 miles or so is to ensure the tracking, caster and camber are set correctly. To get the best handling out of the car the suspension must be set up very accurately, but it's not easy to find somebody who can do it properly. A good bet is BenAlfa in Westbury, Wiltshire, which charges £140.

Check the anti-roll bar mountings, which will probably have corroded and may need to be welded up. Front anti-roll bars often pull out of their retaining links as the bushes tend to be of poor quality, but new links complete with bonded bushes are available for £20. As well as brake servos leaking, the master cylinders are particularly prone to bore wear. A regularly used car may need a new cylinder within four years of replacement. If you're looking at a right-hand-drive model that was built between 1970 and 1978, it's fitted with a dual cylinder which costs £195.

Brake calipers can corrode and seize up, and after years of having to settle for rebuilt units which were sometimes not that great, it's now possible to purchase new ones again. They're the same price whether you're buying for the front or the rear: £130 apiece.

CONCLUSION
Buying a Spider isn't to be taken lightly, and if you're thinking of purchasing a car imported from America you could be setting yourself up for huge amounts of grief thanks to the specification differences between US-market cars (which featured Spica fuel injection from 1969) and European models.

However, the parts supply situation is better now than it's been for years. Because of the car's complex structure it's worth looking into who has done any work and, if possible, getting hold of supporting pictures to show it being done. It's easy to buy an example which has been badly restored and will end up costing you even more to put right than an honest car needing a complete rebuild. But find a good Spider and you'll wonder why everybody doesn't have one!