Help! '74 spider questions. (longish)

["J.K. Chapman" <tsar72@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greeetings digesters.
I am a long time car nut and lurker of the digest. I have some problems 
with a '74 Spider I am trying to restore for my wife. I hope I can get 
some help or pointers from the group.

My Spider was kind of neglected before I got it. I am supposed to be the 
3rd owner. It has 95k miles on it and it is not is bad shape for its 
age.

My problem comes with the motor. I spent nearly $1,100.00 on bad 
mechanics and their stabes at fixing the Spider.
The first problem was the charging system. They went to replace the alt. 
and did it 2 more times. Finally Rich Hirsch of the St. Louis alfa club 
came through and found the wire to the start from the alt. was broken 
off. That solved that problem.
I was running along the freeway when the low fuel pressure warning light 
and buzzer came on. It stopped and came on again and the car wetn way 
rich. It stopped and that was it. Towed it to a garage that fixes Fiats 
and such, "Oh yeah, we got trained Alfa guy here".
They replaced plugs and points (after I told them about IAP for the 
parts). They tuned it up and called it good. The car died at the end of 
the drive. They said the ballast resister was overheated. I was mad 
enough to spit nails so I asked them not touch the car and put a ballast 
resister in and got it off their lot and it died and was towed home.
I want to order a Bosch coil from IAP but am not sure what happened. 
Could the ballast resister go south due to a bad coil? Will replacing 
the coil solve this? Any hints or other advice would at this time keep 
my sanity. I know that if I sort this out the little red head will run 
like the day she was built, I just can't find out what to do for it.
If you want to post to me privately use : tsar72@domain.elided

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

jkc

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