Re: Some Spider questions, car for sale

[Scott Fisher <sefisher@domain.elided>]

David Rubie asks some questions about the Australian-market '75 Spider
he's taking delivery of next week.  First -- congratulations, David!  

Next, regarding the Carello covers:

>  I suspect some
>  front end repairs have removed the hole where the mounting
>  screw goes, plus the slots on the top/side of the light.

That may be so -- in answer to your question of whether the '75 should
or shouldn't have them, the only comment I've read in my limited
literature says that they were used in European Spiders "at least
through 1974," which doesn't help much.  However, photographs of Spider
Juniors look as you describe -- recessed lights (that is, without the
large US-style bezel) but no headlight covers and no holes for the
mounting tabs or clip.  Is your '75 a 2L or a 1600? (Oh no, not the
engine-size wars again...)

>  Does anybody know whether the '75 should have the light
>  covers or not?  I'd like to fit them anyway, 

Have to say I can't blame you.  I'm very glad to have found a car with
them, and in particular one in which they were installed the way they
are -- recessed into the fender, as you say, rather than protruding from
it with the large chrome bezel.

>  IAP have a listing (including hardware), so I assume they
>  are relatively easy to get?

Yes.  When I accidentally broke the RH cover from my '74 (a tab was
cracked, and while I had the cover off trying to work out a repair, it
slipped to the floor and broke all three mounting points...), my wife
was able to locate a new one through Jon Norman in Berkeley, who shipped
it out in a couple of days.  I presume that the full kits are as easily
accessible; they'll include the chrome clips that hold down the front,
as well as some trim you may not need, designed to go around the
headlights when they're recessed as you say yours already are.

As for fitting them, if the lights are already moved the rest should be
easy.  The covers are marked D and S, for Destro and Sinistro (or, given
the placement of the steering wheel in Oz, "Driver's side" and
"Scared-person's side" :-).  Note that this is destro and sinistro from
the passenger's compartment, not from standing in front of the car. 
Find the markings and orient the covers to the correct fender,
*carefully* mark off the location of the tabs that go around the
headlamps, and drill them out.  The tabs are about 5mm wide and 1mm
thick, so you may need to drill several holes and then file them smooth
to get things the right size.  (This of course assumes that the kit
doesn't have templates for the holes -- it may very well, for all I
know.  But I think I'd still check the actual covers before I started
drilling or cutting my bodywork...)

Then when you can slide the covers fully into place, use a scribe to
find the center of the screw hole in the little chromed clip that holds
down the front edge of the cover.  Drill that hole and use the
sheet-metal screws which appear to be in the full kit.

A really careful installation will seal inside the tabs and holes with
something that will prevent rust from forming.  

Note that in rain and when washing the car, water does tend to collect
under the headlamp covers -- they're not gasketed, neither on my car nor
on the few US Spiders I've seen with these covers.  If you live
somewhere with hard water, this can result in water spots on the paint
under the covers; I remove them every few washes and clean under them. 
Just be careful about where you place them when they're off the car --
they're very slippery and at about US$80 apiece, you don't want to
replace them often.

About seats: 

>  but I'm not sure where to start looking for
>  a pair to suit a RHD car

I can't imagine a difference in the *seats* -- dash, firewall, etc. yes
of course, but what would be different about the seats?  Perhaps someone
from a RHD country can elaborate...  I've read a small amount about the
Bell & Colville RHD conversions in the UK, but the seats in the photos
I've seen of such cars look indistinguishable from the seats in
contemporary LHD cars.

> Is anybody making reproduction rubber floor coverings for these
> older cars?

Yes -- Re-Originals is one source with pretty much all the rubber pieces
for a huge selection of Alfas (not just Spiders and GTVs), including NOS
pieces as well as reproductions.  So far I've only browsed their catalog
(but Christmas is coming, and there are a *few* pieces my largely
pristine '74 needs, Mr. Claus...).  I believe your '75 (like my '74) was
originally equipped with carpets; my photo-gallery books of Spiders all
seem to show the later cars, at least, with carpeting.  I recall
somewhat dimly that the Junior-series cars may have used rubber mats, at
least in the early days -- I know that my '67 GT Junior has rubber mats
instead of carpeting, but I'm not sure whether that held true for the
Spider and Spider Junior as well.  Certainly if you're looking for a
comfortable daily driver and not a 100-point show car, the carpeting
gives a nice finished look to the interior.  I expect that there are
Digest members who have served as concours judges, and I'd be interested
to hear what they have to say about the authenticity of carpeting in
these cars.

Once again, congratulations and best of luck with the car!

- --Scott Fisher
  Sunnyvale, CA

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