Be careful on recommending a 91 Spider

["Fetsch, Ralph" <RFetsch@domain.elided>]

	Jay wrote;

	In Digest #844, Luke briefly mentions taking a 91 Spider in lieu of
	the 94 model, due to value.  Offhand, I would agree, but---last week
	at DiFatta's in Baltimore,  Paul, their sole and top mechanic, was
	replacing a head on a 91 Spider.  I asked, What for?  Turned out to
be
	a cracked cylinder head, and that that was not the only 91 Spider
	which had suffered from a cracked head and this is with less than
50K
	miles.  Paul claims that the head is revised for the 91 version and
he
	weighed the cylinder heads with previous 2000 heads of earlier
years,
	finding that the 91 cyl head weighs some five to seven pounds less. 
	The areas where coolant passages exist have reduced mass, or cross
	sectional area and may now be prone to developing cracks.  I know
this
	is a very small sample set to draw conclusions from,  but felt it
was
	worth mentioning anyway.  Is there any other incidence of this
	occuring?

	I would imagine that if anybody wanted to call up DiFatta's and ask
to
	speak with Paul about this, he would be available to answer any
	questions.

	Best of luck,   Ciao,   Jay
	
	I have approximately 163,000 miles on my 91 Spider and it has the
original head. The head gasket was changed at about 2500 miles, I figured it
went when I  mistakenly hit 7500 RPM's in first gear, which was about 65
MPH, yes 65 I have a three speed automatic that at red line goes 50 mph. 

	I've soloed this car and so far have not had any head problems.


	Ralph Fetsch
	Houston, Texas
	91 Spider Veloce w/auto 163,000+
	64 Giulia Spider soon to have disc brakes.
	  

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