1981 Alfa Romeo Spider

4 cylinder

Manual

zarba5417B1012199

This freshly renovated 1981 Spider is ready for summer fun! Buy it now and you can hit the road to the North American Alfa Romeo Owners Convention that will be in Toronto June 20-24 (AlfaCanadese.) I have known this particular Spider for years. My friends Tom and Chrissy bought it as their second Alfa from a seller in Texas several years ago and drove it home to Virginia. It was a nice solid car and a previous owner had converted it from Spica fuel injection (Alfa's own system, generally decent but not so good in 1980-81 cars due to emission controls) to dual dell'Orto carburetors. This conversion brings the car closer to the sound and pep of classic 1960s Alfas. The long-running Alfa Spider was introduced as the Duetto in 1966 and received a Kamm tail in 1970. From 1975-1982 the cars looked like this one, and in 1983 the body was revised with new bumpers and a rear spoiler that people love or hate. This 1981 is equipped with power windows, vinyl seats and top, and factory steel wheels with trim rings. My friends sold the car locally and I came across it for sale on Craigslist this fall without realizing it was a car I already knew. Upon looking at it I saw it was the Texas car and it was solid but needing some cosmetic love and mechanical attention. I had my mechanic at Crown Auto work on the brakes, carburetors and general tune-up, plus he added a choke that really helps on starting up. I went over the body, which had almost no rust but a few dents from its 30 years on the road. I didn't shoot for perfection but for a decent appearance. Then I had a shop that has worked on many other Alfas and other collector cars I've owned repaint it in the original Alfa red. This red is somewhat orange and works perfectly on this era of Alfa... a more candy apple red just doesn't seem to work on these as it did on some other Alfas, I find. There are some ripples in the body work under the paint; the photos show the car as it is and if you want to call it a 10-footer I won't be offended. The interior is really nice for its age and originality. The seat have some splits as the photos show but are not bad. The wood steering wheel is unusually nice. The radio is a cheap old one but it works. The top looks like new and the rear window is clear. The tires are also close to new and in good shape. This car isn't perfect but it turns heads and is fun to play with, and it has really low mileage, less than 2,000 miles a year! This car has lots of life ahead of it. Enjoy it now, and restore it more fully as time and funds allow. The value of these Duetto-derived Spiders is only going to go up from here on out, and in the meantime they are surprisingly easy and affordable to live with and enjoy. Make the most of the experience by joining the Alfa Romeo Owners Club. I have been playing with Spiders for almost 20 years and am glad to share tips for getting parts, service, and connections to maximize your ownership experience. I am starting this listing at 19.81 and there is no reserve. That means you the bidders will determine what it is worth. For reference, a very similar 1979 Spider sold at the April Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach, FL for $10,450. That car had 82,000 miles and while it may be a fine car it was less original than mine and had some trim missing. I see the price it pulled as indicative of the increasing interest in Alfas of this era. One small caveat -- I am going to the AROC Convention myself as I'm a club board member, so arranging delivery prior to July 1 will be possible but challenging. After that will be simpler. I would like a $500 PayPal deposit and the remainder can be paid by check and I will mail the title on payment clearing or we can arrange payment upon pickup. I would consider delivering the car to certain locations for a modest fee. If you send a shipper to pick it up I can meet them and ensure that the car is loaded safely. I welcome any questions you may have. If this is the Spider you want, bid away! If not, keep looking for the right one -- these cars are the best fun per dollar value you can find. On Jun-10-12 at 22:58:54 PDT, seller added the following information: I forgot to include any photos of the top in the up position. I have these and would be glad to email them to you. I also will be happy to take any other photos that would be helpful. Or video of the engine running, you name it, we can take you on a virtual test drive! Anyone who has a true test drive is going to want to drive this buggy home.