Re: alfa-digest V7 #967

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 8/15/99 6:53:55 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

<< S.O.S. 71 alfa spider
 
 the car in question is a racing green '71 spider with SPICA fuel injection 
 (though a manual choke which says "throttle" on it, even though i can't even 
 pull it out..hmm) with 50k miles on it.. the thing looks 
 great, and until now, ran very well. now it wont even start.
 
 for the past month, i noticed a strange behavior in the vehicle. once it 
 started (which sometimes took a little nursing), it ran very well until it 
 heated up (10 minutes or so), then it'd get extremely weak. it would then 
 start lurching like a bucking horse through the gears to a point where i was 
 lucky if it kept rolling.... usually if i got it up to highway speed, it 
 could maintain the speed.... i would feel extremely relieved each time i 
 parked it.. 
 then after it'd cool down, it would run fine again until the same problem 
 occured. also, i noticed it was only getting 10 miles to the gallon.
 
 i took it to a mechanic who showed me that 2 of the 4 bosche spark plugs 
were 
 wet, and who then proceeded to tell me that i needed a new engine, and that 
 they 
 couldn't help me.
 
 i don't know if the air or fuel filters have ever been replaced... the 
 mechanic had two weeks earlier recommended a new 'carborator kit' which he 
 said would be around $300 IF he could find one.. he never cound.. but later 
 told me my fuel injection is weird.. (contradiction)
 
 what the fuck do i do? have you EVER heard of this malfunction before? 
should 
 i sell the car? i'd hate to, but if so? to whom?
 
 thanks
 matthew (chicago)
  >>

DO NOT SELL THAT SPIDER!

I am still kicking myself over selling my green 71 spider some years ago in 
order to move into the GTV6.  Don't get me wrong, I love the GTV6, but my BW 
and I both miss the spider.  Yours is probably worth a little effort and it 
will reward you for years to come.  First, throw away the phone # of the 
mechanic you spoke with and get your car to someone who KNOWS Alfas.  I bet 
there's nothing much wrong, considering.  And BTW, considering the absolute 
worst, it's no big deal to replace the motor if something catastrophic has 
happened (doesn't sound as though it could have, from your description of 
starting and running cool).  Even a sad and abused 1750 Alfa engine should 
last AT LEAST 150k miles so yours is still a youngster that can look forward 
to 3x life expectancy.  I wonder why it has so few miles in so many years?  
That is likely a part of the problem: improperly driven and long periods of 
sitting and neglect.  At the least, the soft parts (hoses, seals, etc.) are 
probably ready to be replaced and leaking, which itself could cause some of 
the condition you report.

A 71 SPICA spider is one of the very best cars ever made on this planet.  It 
would be criminal to give up on it because it's been neglected!

In good running condition, a 71 spider should be getting 25 - 28 mpg around 
town and 32+ on the highway, largely depending on how much you weigh and how 
often you have a passenger.

But if you absolutely want to get rid of it, call me first!

BTW, that knob is not a manual choke; the SPICA has no manual choke -- it is 
a manual throttle that you can use as a primitive form of cruise control to 
maintain approx. engine speed w/o use of your right foot.  Anyone (even me!) 
can keep it in good working order with the simplest tools and possibly parts 
(hand brake cable) from a bike shop.

Charlie
AROSC, LA, CA, USA

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