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rather than over road hazards, especially if you have lowered the car in any way. An impact with
something as innocent as a smallish rock can literally shatter an engine. Sump guards are
available, but project under the car even more, and may create a risk of frame damage in an
impact at speed.
Be careful with the front spoilers on Series 3 and 4 cars as well, as these can be almost as
expensive to replace as cracked sumps.
The early cars
“
crumple-zone design means there is precious little to hang a tow rope to in case
you get stuck or need a bump start. I have had the most success from the front by wrapping a tow
strap (not chain) through the front shield grille and around the cross brace for the front bumper
(on a Series 2
goodness knows what a Series 1 owner would do). From the rear, the closest
thing you can wrap a rope or chain around is the torque-T over the top of the rear axle
almost
half way under the car. There is probably a risk of frame or mounting damage if you try to pull
the car this way. Call a tow truck instead.
When cruising long distances in a Spider, try to keep your foot totally parallel with the
accelerator pedal (heel under the pedal). The more natural foot position seems to be with the heel
under the brake pedal and the ball of the foot on the accelerator, but this can lead to your right
thigh cramping up after a few hours.
Never tighten the mounts to the signal light lenses (front and rear) on the early cars more than
JUST snug. Overtightening can break the mounting points and ruin the lens.
What
…
s *the* most important tool I should take with me when I go on a long trip in my
Spider?
A cellular phone. Think about it.
Final Words
In the long run, I have found the Alfa Spider to be a surprisingly practical car, for all its sports car
heritage. Its comparatively large size and superb layout give it far more cargo space than is
available in any modern counterpart (indeed, my
…
74 Spider had roughly the same cargo capacity
as my brother
“
s
…
77 Pontiac Trans Am, a car over twice its size). It also has amenities such as real
roll up glass windows, a convertible top light years ahead of its original competitors, a real heater
that can keep you warm on the coldest of days, and seats that, while narrow, are still quite
comfortable.
Mechanically the car was years ahead of its time. Aluminum dual-overhead-cam engines would
not become commonplace in the general automotive market for another twenty years after the
Duetto
“
s introduction (and Alfa had them already for years). Five speed transmissions, four
wheel disk brakes, fuel injection
all were standard equipment on Alfas literally decades before
they became well known anywhere else in any numbers. It is a testimony to the soundness of the
design that, until the introduction of the Honda CRX Si in 1984 and the Mazda Miata in 1990,
