Something about the prospect of a very hot weekend on the western seaboard brings to mind the idea of a convertible in which to enjoy all that sun. And what’s better than spending a hot weekend like that in a car with vinyl seats, no roof, and no air conditioning, plus a noticeable lack of insulation from the engine’s heat? Kidding aside, what’s particularly nice about a convertible on very hot days is going out for an evening drive with the top down – you can enjoy the breeze and the engine sounds without having to layer up, and without the sun burning you up. So in honor of the heat wave, here are a handful of Alfa Spiders. Let’s start with this 1982 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce for sale for $4500 in Rosamond, CA.
White actually suits the spider quite well, and is a welcome change from the ubiquitous red. This one looks to be in nice condition, far nicer than you’d expect from a car that lives in the heat of the Inland Empire. 1982 was the final year for the Series 2 Spider before they went all aerodinamica on us with 1980s spoilers, though you do get the practical-but-not-pretty impact bumpers, together with the reliable Series 3 Bosch fuel injection. There are no good shots of the interior, but what can be seen shows a car that needs a little detailing, but is generally decent, suffering only from some minor splitting at the seats’ seams.
Things look tidy under the hood, and the car has a fairly recently rebuilt transmission with new clutch, and a rebuilt engine as well. The cooling system has also had attention, with a flushed out radiator and new thermostat, and the car also benefits from new brake fluid, brake pads, brake booster and master cylinder, and a new battery to round things off. Things look pretty tidy under the hood, but hopefully you’ll be good for a while with all the work the car has had.
A new top has also been installed, so you’ll stay dry when the rain finally does appear. There’s no mention of air conditioning, but it appears to have additional vents for a/c inside the car, so if you’re in a hotter climate that might make the car more usable (though harder to service since there’s not much space). If white’s not your favorite, though, or you really want to jump in the deep end, why not check out these 1977 and 1979 Alfa Romeo Spiders for sale for $6000 (or $3500 each) somewhere in Yamhill county, OR.
The 1979 car (likely the car on the right) is said to need points, and has been parked for about four years. The 1977 on the left has been parked for about two years, and is said to run, though no further details are given. Both are said to have low miles, but take these kinds of claims with a grain of salt, since the odometers have only five digits. These were his and hers car for a husband and wife, but if their cosmetic and mechanical conditions check out (as much as they can), these might be a good deal – with a little effort, you could get both going and sell one off to fund the other.
Because those kind of plans always work out, right? Or maybe one is backup for the other! Either way, these look like they might make for a fun pair of summer drivers.
Tags: 105, 115, alfa romeo, convertible, Feature, italian, spider, veloce
Rusty But Trusty 
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