Buying a Spider

[Alfalfa]

Hey guys,
my cousin is interested in buying a 1973 spider. He's a first time alfa buyer and doesn't know that much about them and has asked me to sniff around. Basically he's wanted one since he was a little kid and now he's in a position where he's able to get one. I know my way around a gtv, and this spider is a 2 litre so i'll be fine with the motor! Any particular things to look out for in the spiders?

this is the one we're looking at. so far so good!

http://www.carsales.com.au/used-cars/private/ALFA_ROMEO/SPIDER/details.aspx?__sid=11923F6759C9&Cr=0&__Ns=pCar_PrivateSpecialFlag_Int32|1||pCar_ImageCount_Int32|1||pCar_LastModifiedDate_DateTime|1&State=Victoria&distance=25&silo=1003&seot=0&__Nne=20&Model=SPIDER&R=5549860&__N=4294967249+82+834+285+257+4294967166&Make=ALFA%20ROMEO&state_id=82&trecs=19

cheers

[Jack]

Did your brother find his Spider?
I checked out the link and the car was sold or no longer for sale.
Cheers
Jack.

[Alfalfa]

yeah it's still up there, I can't get the link working but if you do a private seller search for a spider in victoria, its the silver one in carrum.
and no, cousin hasn't bought it yet, we're going to look at it on saturday.

so still, any advice on spiders would be much appreciated

[Jack]

Advice on Spiders?
I'm not sure I'm the one to be giving advice on these cars.
I've had mine for nearly two years and really like it.
I've got issues with where to store it at the moment and most of
all, time to put into the things I want to do to it let alone take it on
long drives!
What I can say is that I'm suprised at how simple these cars are in their
basic systems.
Jobs I've done include:
Replacing axle bump stop rubbers and suspension straps
Installing a new clutch master and slave cylinder
Installed a Hall Effect electronic ignition device and cleaned up the distributor
Re timed the engine
Replace engine to dash heater hoses
Sundry other small electrical and mechanical cleanups.

All pretty basic stuff.
The engine is not so basic as I understand it being a design from the seventies
yet very advanced for it's time.
All alloy, double OH cams, etc.
That goes for the gearbox to.
You mentioned you know your way around these engines Opto, then i may be writing you for advice.
I'd love to rebuild mine but I understand you need quite a few special tools. Is that true?
Then theres your carbies. Double Webber or Del Orttos.
They've got to be set up and running plus balanced at least ok for the engine to be happy.
Having said that one of my Del Orttos is out of wack somehow and the plan is to buy a kit
and rebuild them. If I get in trouble I'll just have to hand them to a pro but I'm looking forward
to giving it a go.
Your cousin should be willing if not eager to do all these little jobs, as if he cant then a car like this
will cost him a lot of money.
Maybe he's got a lot of money and wont mind spending it on himself. That would be great to!
Being a convertible and with Alfas rust history I have mine as a fine weather fun car.
A car like this in good nick would be an awesome daily driver but you'd want to garage it.
Parts are quite easy to get. I've got things from overseas and locally.
You can get just about anything for the car if you look hard enough.
I got the link on the Carrum car to work when you copy the whole thread manually.
This car looks very nice. The only thing that does not really impress is the engine bay.
The car has more finished bits on it than mine but then he wants a pretty penny as well.
If your cousin wanted a bit more of a developer for a bit less then I am thinking of handing mine
on (in the cold light of day when I forced the think practically) to someone who'd look after it.
Anyway, good luck this Saturday.
Happy motoring.
Jack