Yes/No to 1986 2000 Spider Veloce

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dan.hildebrand@gmail.com - 06 Jul 2005 21:17 GMT

Ok, it's an unfair question but I have very little time.

I can buy a 1986 Spider Veloce for $5000 here in Arizona. The outside
car is in fantastic condition. The engine is not all that clean but
runs. I have all the service records and the car had $4500 of repairs
done 3000 miles ago. Engine was disassembled, multiple things
fixed/replaced, re-assembled, and re-installed.

Basic question ...

Am I asking for trouble buying this car for this price? Are parts easy
enough to get? I love the car but have a slight uneasy feeling that I
may be buying a headache.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated !

Dan
Chandler, Arizona

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dan.hildebrand@gmail.com - 06 Jul 2005 21:22 GMT

One point/question. The owner says that when he gets to a certain
speed (didn't elaborate), he gets a "rattling" under the hood. Any
idea what this may be based on your own experience?

thanks again ... Dan

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Catman - 06 Jul 2005 22:08 GMT

> One point/question. The owner says that when he gets to a certain
> speed (didn't elaborate), he gets a "rattling" under the hood. Any
> idea what this may be based on your own experience?
>
> thanks again ... Dan

Probably soemthing loose like the cold air duct or similar. I'd need more
info to be more precise.

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Dr. Boggis - 06 Jul 2005 21:30 GMT

> Ok, it's an unfair question but I have very little time.
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Any help here would be greatly appreciated !

The consensus opinion on the Alfa BB (go there if you haven't already
tried it - www.alfabb.com) is that the most important thing to consider
when purchasing is the state of the body and level of rust at the more
prone places (rockers, spare tyre well etc), and the condition of the
interior upholstery and fixtures. All the mechanical stuff is much more
easily and cheaply fixed, and parts are much more readily available.

That said, $5000 sounds a bit steep, but it depends on the mileage and
condition, obviously. Have you tried driving it? Got any pictures?

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dan.hildebrand@gmail.com - 06 Jul 2005 21:42 GMT

Thank you Dr. Boggis but your response actually surprises me. I would
have expected the opposite answer ... that the mechanical stuff is more
critical. The odometer says 55,000 miles but I'm doubting this could
be accurate for a 19 year old car. It would seem more believable that
this went around to 100k and then to 55k but I really don't know. The
car body is in great shape but I should crawl underneath and check the
underbody for signs of leaks, etc.. No pics unfortunately. Thanks for
the URL above. I will go there immediately. I'm trying to get
educated reallllll fast here in order to make a good decision.

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Dr. Boggis - 06 Jul 2005 22:08 GMT

> Thank you Dr. Boggis but your response actually surprises me. I would
> have expected the opposite answer ... that the mechanical stuff is more
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> the URL above. I will go there immediately. I'm trying to get
> educated reallllll fast here in order to make a good decision.

Glad I could help. Definitely check out the Alfa BB and see what the
rest of the crowd there have to say. I suspect one of the major pieces
of advice you'll get is to have an experienced Alfa person look over it
to check for any major gremlins. If you specify the car's location there
are probably people on the BB who would help you with this, either by
recommending a nearby mechanic, or offering to check it out themselves.

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Catman - 06 Jul 2005 22:08 GMT

> Thank you Dr. Boggis but your response actually surprises me. I would
> have expected the opposite answer ... that the mechanical stuff is more
> critical.

Much mis-understood, are Alfas. That engine is good for 150k easily if it's
looked after. Sounds like yours has been

> The odometer says 55,000 miles but I'm doubting this could
> be accurate for a 19 year old car. It would seem more believable that
> this went around to 100k and then to 55k but I really don't know.

My parents have cars of similar age with less miles on them. Check the
condition of the pedal rubbers and steering wheel as well as the shift
knob. At 55k they should look used, but not used up. 155k the wheel and
knob I would expect to be smooth and shiny.

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dan.hildebrand@gmail.com - 06 Jul 2005 22:33 GMT

Thanks again, fellas. The car is in Phoenix, Arizona. There is a
place in Tempe, AZ that has worked on this car before so I may ask the
owner to let them have a look at it. I'm thinking if I can get him to
lower his price to, say, 4000 .. this may make the "risk" a little more
palatable.

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Paulus-Milanomotorsport - 28 Jul 2005 04:35 GMT

"" wrote:

> Ok, it's an unfair question but I have very little time.
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> Dan
> Chandler, Arizona

Hi Dan

What goes above is spot on. The only real little mechanical problem I
know of that these things suffered from time to time were gremlins in
the Fuel Injection.

I may be wrong but I think the oddometer on those goes up to 999,999
miles so if it HAS done 155,000 it should read that. I think?

$5,000, lets see that’s about £2,850. What else you gonna get for that
money? Maybe a nice little 146? Or a Mondeo? You won’t get anything
else classic that I can think of!

Best

Paulus

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dan.hildebrand@gmail.com - 28 Jul 2005 20:36 GMT

I'm in total agreement with you Paulus. It's still a little hot here
in the desert but I've been out a few times and love it. Despite what
the previous owner claimed, I am seeing a few drops of oil on my garage
floor .. but you know what? I don't care at all. I'll just add a few
drops every so often and put a carpet down on the floor. It's not
worth "opening a can of worms" by bringing it into the shop. The
previous owner already payed thousands to have the engine taken apart,
patched up, and re-assembled. I've also noticed that when I turn the
ignition key, there is sometimes a very slight "hesitation" if that's
the right word. When I feel that hesitation, I turn just a bit harder
and it starts. New battery in the car so I'm thinking it might just be
the starter. Again, though ... this is a car to drive and enjoy, not
to worry about potention problems.

I haven't uploaded pics of it yet to alfaBB but I will the moment I can
free up some time.

This is a wonderful car to drive. It's more fun than the Harley
Davidson Road King I recently sold.

Hmmmm, sold the Harley for 19,000 .. bought the Alfa for 5,000 ..
banked 14,000 ... still having a blast. I think I did a good deal :)

Dan

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Paulus-Milanomotorsport - 29 Jul 2005 00:36 GMT

"" wrote:

> I'm in total agreement with you Paulus. It's still a little
> hot here
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
>
> Dan

Wise man say "$14,000 will buy many cans of beer. Many cans of beer
brings all other things into perspective!"

Enjoy your wheels!

Paulus

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