Page 115 - Wayne Carini's Guide to Affordable Classics

Substantially redesigned in 1990, the final Spider had numerous upgrades, but returned to a simpler profile.
Living With an old Spica
Alfa Spiders are divided about half-and-half between Spica and Bosch or Motronic-injected cars. If you’re shopping for a Spider, chances are good you’ll test-drive at least a couple with Spica. Here’s how to have a good experience: The owner will probably have some unique advice for starting that particular car, and you should follow it because such knowledge is typically the result of extensive experience.
But if you’re starting from scratch, just turn the key and wait a few seconds. The fuel pump needs to build pressure. Resist the urge to touch the gas pedal with your foot. Try the starter and wait for the engine to hit. Be prepared to do this a few times, until the gas is really getting to the engine and it wants to run. Then feather the throttle ever so gently until the engine spins up and runs smoothly. Give it some time to get a little heat into the system, and then drive off. Remember, an Alfa tends to reward patience.
Once the Spider reaches operating temperature, drive it like you stole it.
Grind Your Espresso, not Your Gears
The youngest Alfa Spider is 26 years old as we write this, and almost all of them use the same five-speed manual transmission. This unit was actually designed by Porsche engineers, and it’s a good, reliable gearbox. But time takes its toll on all things mechanical, so have a heart if you want an Alfa transmission to keep working into the future.
The Alfa gear clusters are known to be heavy, so the old synchros need a little bit of time to spin things up smoothly. Don’t cram it into gear with a snap-shift as if you’re driving a Honda. Concentrate on smoothness and gentleness, especially downshifting from third to second gear. At this point, all Alfas need a moment for that downshift. Get to know your Alfa and you’ll execute your shifts with nary a grinding noise.
Understand the Handling
Driving an Alfa Spider is a dance, not a wrestling match. You can toss the car into a corner, own the apex, and take advantage of that rev-happy engine as you exit, but the Alfa rewards all the skills of an old-time driver. Get your braking done in a straight line, transition to throttle, and trust the tires. When you get to know your car, you’ll know how to do the dance in harmony. If you find yourself fighting the Spider at any point, you’re doing it wrong.
One thing to watch for is cowl shake. Especially with an older Spider, the unibody has quite a bit of flex to it. Drive over a railroad track and you can feel an Alfa Spider shimmy like a go- go dancer. That’s OK; it’s the flip side of a suspension that’s supple and responsive.
Alfas are legendary for “cornering on the door handle.” Even with the sway bars, that soft traditional sports car suspension moves more than a modern car. Driving the Alfa Spider is a master course in managing weight transfer and traction, but you’ll be surprised how easy it is to drive this car well.
Alfa Romeo Spider
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