re: buying a spider

[ssg <gymnasiet@domain.elided>]

I recommend this:

Snipped from the Spider website at:

http://hem.passagen.se/veloce/buy1.htm

start by checking: BTW, the "dots" refer to a picture from that 
site. Hope this in addition to other postings will help you obtain 
a real spider.

1. Rust at jacking points. Red dot. Feel the edges of the sills 
all the way, even underneath. If they feel pitchy, check even 
more. 
2. Lift carpets to check floor for rust. Have a glance behind and 
under the seats too. Lift the rubber carpet behind the seats and 
hood. 
3. Check wheel arches for rust. Again, use your fingertips. The 
edges should feel clean and smooth without any pitches. 
4. Rear wings are notorious water-traps, check for rust, even from 
underneath. Green dot. 
5.Boot floor, around tank and spare wells, another rust spot. Lift 
 the entire rubber math and look under it. 
6. Front panels, upper part close to doors, also a rust spot. 
Purple dots. 
7. Lower area between door and rear wheel, rust spot close to the 
farina badge. Blue dot. 
8. Braking system and booster. 
9. Missing or damaged headlamp cowls. Later US cars did not have 
them. 
10. Missing or damaged lights and lenses. Especially the tear-drop 
lense at the panel side, close to the door, is hard to find. Later 
Spiders had a round one istead. Yellow dots. 
11. Rear bumper stops for sagging rear suspension. Check both 
sides for the rubber dumper, fixed to the body just above the ends 
of the rear axle. 
12. Dashboard for cracks. RHD dashboards are hard to replace. 
Interior and instruments. Jaeger gauges are what you should have 
in a Spider. 
13. Engine for cracks and leaks. Oil leaks between head and block 
indicate you will need a new gasket before long. As with any Alfa 
Romeo engine, blue smoke when accelerating and stopping, tells you 
to check the engine at your Alfa garage. 
14. Second gear syncro. Common on all Alfas. 
15. Hood, sturdy but might be costly to replace. Came in black and 
tan and was easy to handle by one person. The Spiders also had a 
hood-bag as an option. 
16. Rearview mirror at front panel instead of door tells you that 
it's an old Spider. Black dot. If it has, you are facing a Duetto 
or early 1750 Veloce. . . lucky you! 


Peter
 

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