Spider hard tops

quick question guys - are all the spider hardtops the same? I've seen a couple advertised recently, one for a '78 and one for an '80 and i was wondering if these would be suitable for a series 2 ('74) spider? I think a hard top would be a good investment for a scottish based spider

According to "Int. Auto Parts", a US based supplier of part to Classic Italian Sports cars, there are 2 versions, 1967-69 (Round tails/Duetto) and 1970-94, Series II-IV.
So the ones you've seen advertiesed should both fit you Spider.
However, I find the soft top suffisient leak tight for Danish cercumsansis. I prefer driving with the top down but even when I drove mine back from Munich last winter I was warm and confortable all the way .
Regards
Erik

Cheers Erik - i managed to get one on ebay for 200 squid so fingers crossed it fits! I thought it would be quite useful with car living over in the west coast of scotland which isn't exactly the driest climate

Hi Neall - yea, I visited the lovely west coast trice so I know what y mean. Lovely roads, thou, and home of the best, good dam, whiskies on the isles .
God luck getting it fitted, I believe y'll be able to find new fittings as necessary in the UK.
Mine 1750 Kamm is in habitation for the winter, which seems to go on and on. I can hardy wait for getting it out and drive .
Cheers
Erik

Originally Posted by niallmoran

Cheers Erik - i managed to get one on ebay for 200 squid so fingers crossed it fits! I thought it would be quite useful with car living over in the west coast of scotland which isn't exactly the driest climate

I know!


I had a slow internet connection, thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it. A bit of a bargain methinks, they normally go for over £400


JaB

JaB - i see that hard top you got has been relisted cause it didn't fit? What was the problem? I'm getting worried now that the one i bought (not got it yet!) might not fit either

Niall,

I don't know about the hard top you're looking at, but I do have a little cautionary tale.

When I bought my spider, a hard top was included. Now it wasn't until I got the car home and got to playing with it (the car wasn't a runner when I bought it and the hard top was just another part in the parts bin that came with the car) that I realize that the hard top didn't fit. Now I have no idea who manufactured it. I couldn't seem to find a maker's mark, so I can't warn you about which specific top to avoid.
--Toronto

oh dear - that would be a bummer....i guess i won't know for sure till i get it

When not in use hardtops must be cared for or they will go out of shape and will not fit the car. They are not the easiest things to fit at the best of times and I would consider it a two man job and you need to know what you are doing in order to secure the roof.

Some years ago with my first Spider I decided to try and locate a hard top and I found an 'new' one for sale at a former Alfa dealership run by Italians whom I thought must surely know their Alfas.

Part of the deal was that they were to fit the hard top on my Spider.

The garage was a six hour drive for me, the garage knew this and they had assured me that they had all the necessary parts to secure the roof.

I arrived at the garage, left the car in the workshop and greeted the garageowner who was all smiles (but not for long).

I went for a coffee and returned 30 minutes later to find a crowd of 'mechanics' around the Spider ...........the hardtop was sitting on the Spider but they could'nt make it fit and to make things even worse they had not got all the fittings required.

The top should be secured, front, middle and rear. Front has two latches, similar to soft top. Middle has two securing clamps and the rear has two hooks.

They had the connections for the front ( standard latch like the soft top) and nothing else. Despite the top being the correct top for the car,it had got out of shape as it had not been stored away properly by this former Alfa dealership.

Despite the fact that the hard top was NOT fitting properly and NOT secured correctly they still expected me to leave and drive the six hour journey home. The top would have 'blown off ' the car without doubt. Things got very heated and I left without the hard top.

I later located a hard top in London from an Alfa Specialist who knew his Spiders. He had the top on in double quick time, secured and safe. He also wired the connector for the interior roof light and heated rear window and put the on/off switch gear in the dashboard to control the heated rear window(series 4).

I was pleased with the hard top and it made the cabin a quieter and more comfortable place to be in winter.

I sold the car nine months after with the hard top still in place.

My current Spider does not have a hard top.

For those considering getting a hard top ..... my advice is that before you buy......make sure it fits. It is not something I would recommend buying from eBay but I hope that you have bouught yourself a 'good one'.

Also I believe that hard tops are still available from ALFA spare parts for the Series 4 Spider but they are expensive.

eeek - now i'm even more worried! I better keep everything crossed then....

Has your hard top arrived yet? Any news?

nope - not yet....delivery has turned out to be a big problem as the top won't fit on a pallet - cheapest quote i've had is over a 100 squid....think i might just take a hit and relist it on ebay unless anybody a bit closer wants it??

Originally Posted by niallmoran

JaB - i see that hard top you got has been relisted cause it didn't fit? What was the problem? I'm getting worried now that the one i bought (not got it yet!) might not fit either

yeah was a bummer. we tried for an hour and a little frustrating because it should have fitted. That said it wasn't a "genuine one".

In theory, you plonk the top on the chrome strips and slide the whole thing forward.

I have 2 small latches on the chrome strips just at the top of the bootlid.

With the latches attached to the car, the top was either too short or too long depending on where the top was placed on the car. We took the latches off the car and could make the hood sit in the right place and it latched nicely to the top of the windscreen but there was no way to lock down the rear of the top. I may have been tempted if I hadn't had to drive 140 miles because I think with a lot of mucking about it could be made to fit.

JaB

don't suppose you want to give mine a shot?!?

Originally Posted by niallmoran

don't suppose you want to give mine a shot?!?

Your car is a s2 Kamm tail.
I'm almost certain you'll have no issues.

JaB

finally got the hard top on - fits fine

It's not a genuine alfa one though so only has the clips at the front and two screw type hooks that clamp the sides down....seems to work okay and actually makes the car seem more rigid - just need to sort the scabby headlining and it's all good!