Thanks for all the advice (new spider owner)

["Bruce Cannon" <brucecannon@domain.elided>]

Please accept this lazy method of response to the many fine folks who took
the time to send me thoughtful, detailed emails about the subjects of
handling, tires, springs, owner's groups, mechanics, buying used cars, etc.
Thanks also to those who responded in this forum; this is clearly going to
be a great resource!

In response to those several people who were somewhat irked by the
contradictions in my tale, what can I tell you?  I just reported the
situation as it is.  I'm as nonplussed as the next person by inconsistency
(or more so; I'm in the engineering field), that's why I was writing in the
first place.

In response to the variations on "why'd you buy it in the first place if it
was so bad?": I bought my car because it was clean inside and out,
rust-free, strong running, cheaper than the other cars I'd been looking at,
had low miles and because I have no problem with replacing things like
shocks, springs, bushings, tie-rod ends, tires, etc., I just don't want to
rebuild an Alfa engine or transmission ($!).  I figured I could spend
$500-1k on handling and have a strong car for a couple of years.  The
problem I was writing arose when trying to get this done: the diametric
difference between my seat of the pants evaluation and my mechanic's.  I
sought more experienced drivers to help me interpret that discrepency (which
I got; thanks!).

Will update post-Import Doctors inspection if interesting (recommended by
many writers, and coincidentally the very mechanic who was too busy to
inspect the car before I bought it).

Thanks again,

Bruce Cannon
88 Graduate

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