Re: alfa-digest V7 #569

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

In a message dated 3/19/99 2:27:13 PM Central Standard Time, owner-alfa-
digest@domain.elided writes:

<< From: richard <juju34@domain.elided>
 Subject: automatic tranny spyder questions
  [1]how much should one deduct, for an automatic transmission, in a
 91     spyder retail value
  [2] conversion, back to 5 speed, has any one made the conversion???
 
 thanks to all who respond,
  richard, a scot in exile
  >>

	My wife and I looked at buying a 91 Spider on a dealer's lot.  Turned out it
was an automatic.  As I had several transmissions, I made a low offer telling
the salesman I planned to convert it.  (No add on for an automatic Alfa, no
matter what the blue book shows.)
	A major problem will be the console as the automatic shifter sits rather to
the rear from the standard and the HVAC controls were all located where the
shifter normally is.  The brake pedal box is the same as the standard, so just
add a clutch pedal, linkage and clutch master cylinder.  The gear box and
flywheel would have to be from a Bosch spider, i.e., any spider after 82 to
provide the magnetic pickup on the flywheel for the computer and tach.  You
might have to change the drive shaft, or at least the front half.  This is all
from observation of one car on a dealers lot and probably suffers from having
occurred some years ago and from my not having gotten under the car.
	I have no idea what differences there may be in the computer.  For all I
know, there may some sort of load leveling device (like on the automatic
Milano) or something similar on the spider that I totally missed.  As I said,
I looked at one automatic and was not willing to have a "shiftless" wife
driving an Alfa.  Save the effort and find one with a 5 speed, we did.
Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City
91 Spider Veloce (garage queen)
87 Spider Veloce (daily driver)
87 Graduate (for sale)
and some other Alfas.

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