Re: Need help with pre-purchase of 1990 Spider

[Hal Taylor <taylor@domain.elided>]

Ken,

Hard to say about the price.  Go look at it, and if it looks promising,
have it
checked over by an Alfa-knowledgeable mechanic.  As for pre-purchase
inspection, well, with 12k miles (if that's accurate), the car is still
almost
new, and should look it.  Check all the electrical devices, as grounds
may have
gotten funky over time, and check rubber pieces for rot, but mostly you
should
be able to figure things out ok if you've got a decent mechanic to help
you
out.

1991 saw a few revisions for the spiders, the most significant of which
(cosmetically) is a revamped body kit, with cleaned-up front and rear
clips.
The interior got some minor sprucing up, but is pretty similar.  Also,
compression was increased slightly, injection went to Motronic, and the
cooling
fan changed from engine-driven to electric.  These changes are all nice,
and I
prefer the '91-'94 cars (mostly for cosmetic reasons), but the '90 was
not a
bad car, and if you've really found one in exceptional condition, that's

certainly something to consider.  I also prefer the Veloce to the
Graduate, but
one could make a case that the stripped-down Graduate is more true to
the
nature of a sports car.

The Graduate was the base model.  If I remember correctly, the Veloce
added
A/C, power windows and mirrors, leather seats and alloy wheels.  The
Quad added
to that a different front spoiler, rear apron, side skirts, custom color
scheme
(often with red carpeting and red detail stitching on gray leather
seats) a
different alloy wheel set (15" as opposed to 14", I think) and a hard
top.  The
Quads came in a very limited color palette; red, silver and black,
perhaps.

Hope this helps.  Good luck.

Hal Taylor
'86 spider veloce "Strega"

Ken Ross wrote:

> I have found a 1990 Alfa Romeo Graduate Spider for sale with only 12K
miles.
> The ad reads as follows:
> alfa romeo spider graduate.  It is a 1990 and looks brand new.
> It has 12k miles on it, air conditioning, AM/FM cassette, power
mirrors,
> and a tan interior.  The price is $8500.
>
> Is this price too low?  Should I be weary of something wrong with the
car?
> What is the difference between the various spider models (graduate,
veloce,
> and Quad.).  What do the 1990 and older models lack that the newer
post 1991
> models have?  Any pointers as to what I should look for in a
pre-purchase
> inspection?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Take care,
>
> Ken Ross
> Kdross@domain.elided

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