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916 Spider values

4K views 35 replies 12 participants last post by  Unclejam 
#1 ·
I'm still considering the purchase of a 916 spider and I must say prices are all over the place...

I like the 99-2002 era... is this the phase 2 spiders? ideal car would be silver with blue roof/interior... I tend to keep my cars so then I was thinking TS or v6.... £10 a year difference in insurance costs...

Average 2ts price seems to be around £2500... Can they get any lower?? V6 around 6k.....

A lot of cars seem to be advertised for a long time.... Are they just slow sellers?
 
#2 ·
They aren't cars normally considered by the mainstream public looking for a 90s sports car or convertible since most are drawn to either a BMW Z3, either version of the Audi TT, and the MX5.

Alfa Romeo's (in my experience proven) reputation for iffy reliability and temperament means that few are actually actively looking, so cars tend to stay on sale longer.

That's the case in Malta, but I'm sure it's the case elsewhere too.
 
#4 ·
I would say that the question of reliability is down to reputation rather than actual reality. I have owned my GTV from new and not always given it the TLC it deserves. In 18 years I have called out the AA or whoever 4 times. Once with a lose battery cable (schoolboy), the car going into limp mode (fixed in 5 mins with a throttle reset) and twice for a ‘new starter motor’ which turned out to be a bad earth.

I often have people complimenting my Alfas and then asking what they are. That I believe is what is holding back 916 prices... people just aren’t aware of them and that is why prices can be so low. That said, they are 20 year old cars and will need a bit of looking after. There are pros and cons to paying more for a ‘sorted’ model or for buying cheap and keeping a few quid back for maintenance etc.

My Spider is without doubt the best £750 I have ever spent. And I know having a favourite car is like having a favourite child but you can’t beat it on a summers day with the roof down. I’m sure there will be somebody local to you who will be willing to take you for a spin and answer any questions.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the feedback... Agreed either go cheap and hold money back or pay more for a sorted car.... (but even then they can throw up faults)! Ideally I am after the silver/blue... they look so good in that combination... I reckon that I will be doing around 3-4 k per year max in miles..

I do like the idea of the v6 for longer drives... i'd like to know if it is more comfortable than the ts over the longer distances?
 
#6 ·
It took me months to find my Spider... there were plenty that were too far away and I looked at every one within about a 75 mile radius before I found one that wasn’t too expensive or had faults or wasn’t an absolute shed. I have never driven a V6 but a Twinnie will happily sit at 70mph all day long. I’ve had plenty of long weekends covering 500-800+ miles. Comfort is totally subjective... personally I find them very comfortable to drive, others not so much. If you get one, good luck keeping the miles down... I’ve regularly gone out the front door with the GTV keys to drive to work, seen the sun shining and gone back for the Spider keys or gone for a 10 min drive to the shops in the Spider and got home several hours, hundreds of miles and multiple coffees, bacon sarnies etc later.
 
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#11 ·
... I’ve regularly gone out the front door with the GTV keys to drive to work, seen the sun shining and gone back for the Spider keys or gone for a 10 min drive to the shops in the Spider and got home several hours, hundreds of miles and multiple coffees, bacon sarnies etc later.
Sorry....bit of an aside here......but where do you put your coffee??? I really struggle to find a good, sturdy cup holder. One capable of snugly enfolding a large (think Starbucks Venti) cup. A sturdy, well-made affair....not one of the dodgy, flimsy air-vent-mounted abominations, which drench you in coffee when you drive over a twig.

What do you use?

Back to the OP now....;)
 
#7 ·
I'm looking for one at the moment and have to agree with what you say, they don't seem to sell quickly and prices do vary wildly.

Quite fancy the zoe yellow with black hood & leather or red with tan leather/ black hood. But silver with red or blue leather is also very nice, and verde tropico with tan leather I like.
I decided on the 2.0TS, don't think I want any more from it (hopefully all 150 horses are still there or can be coaxed back!) and only want it for a weekend/ holiday car
seem to be quite a few on facebook marketplace and ebay
 
#8 ·
I suspect pricing is subjective, as in if the car has had a lot spent on it the seller is trying to recoup. The Mot history site tells quite a different story on for sale cars, especially ones "that have had no expense spared".
From the comfort point of view, it would seem the Ph1 seats are different to the Ph2 and the electric version are different again. My own experience with my Ph2 bog standard leather is that you sit on them not in them, which has been said many times by others as well. The spider does bash and crash over rough road services and long distances in it are not great (in comparison to my "company" late model Octavia that does 3 figures daily). As Nellytheroc says, when the sun is shining none of that matters.
 
#14 ·
This illustrates perfectly how subjective opinions on all aspects of a car can be. I like the way the Spider handles and the feedback from the road. It feels ‘tight’ and just as the suspension on a sports car should be. I find the standard phase 2 seats very comfortable and can quite happily drive all day. I have owned my GTV from new and had the Spider nearly two years now. In that time I have driven the occasional ‘modern’ hire car. They have all been that unforgettable I couldn’t even tell you what make they were with the exception of a particularly bad Citroen. They are soulless and gutless, totally lacking in character or enjoyment when driving. The Citroen was that bad that given the choice I would sooner use public transport.

Service history only tells part of the story. A basic service involves little more than an oil change but lots of checks. A stamp in the service book doesn’t tell you if any faults were found during those checks and what was done about it. I know I change the oil on mine every 6 months and do regular work on the car, checks etc but I can’t prove any of it if I was to sell. I would try to buy from an enthusiast on somewhere like here where the car is likely to be well looked after and you will get an honest description of the car.
 
#9 · (Edited)
If you're only doing such low miles / year I'd absolutely go for the 3.0 V6. I've owned a number of both engines (3.0 V6 Alfa in 2 x GTV's & 2.0 TS in 156's & 166), the 3.0 V6 is unquestionably the better engine... and (general consensus & from what I've found) the more reliable & longer lasting so long as it's been serviced & looked after.

It's also beautifully smooth & unstressed and thus I found more comfortable over distances, an absolute pleasure to drive & listen to. I'll never forget the first time I drove my first 3.0 GTV back from Nottingham where I bought it, I was in-awe of how creamy smooth & comfy & beautiful it felt along the m/ways & dual carriageways. Though don't get me wrong - the 2.0TS is also a lovely smooth engine as well - it's just the 3.0 is in a different league & one of the all-time great engines. Ever. It's also much faster & wonderfully responsive.

Economy-wise, over longer distances the 3.0 will do high 20's & the TS mid-30's in my experience. So at your mileage you're only looking at a few hundred quid a year extra. Around town / start-stop it's a different matter...! Either way it is well-worth it. It also sounds glorious, as well know too well. I dearly wanted to get the V6 version of my 166 but as I'm doing 18k+ miles/ year the fuel costs were just a stretch too far hence my 2.0TS, which I still love BTW.

The major plus point for the 2.0TS is it does have sweeter & lighter steering / handling / feel than the heavier V6.
 
#16 ·
A lot for sale atm seem to be overpriced and hence not selling (8k for a low mile JTS anyone?,thought not),and also the increase in ticket prices is bringing out quite a few 'sat in a shed sorned for a few years' or relatively unused lately cars,which are a gamble tbh.
I've been looking to 'upgrade' from my £750 ebay special Ph1 spider basically since i bought it 6 yrs ago,with more intent as it creeps up to 120k miles,and haven't found the right one to go for as yet,so it can take a while :)
 
#21 ·
That looks like a well-cared for Spider! Lovely looking example & low mileage. Good ad.

Maybe worth checking if the variator has been changed in its life as they can start to get noisy at this kind of mileage (nothing to really worry about BTW, just rattly on start-up though gets worse as the miles pile on). And of course try to find as much evidence of regular oil top-ups / checks and regular oil / filter changes. Do check the dipstick - if the level's very low it means the owner prob hasn't been topping it up regularly which needs to be done in the twinnie engine. MOT is up in Sept - def worth checking the MOT history on the DVLA website for any eg) advisories about rust etc. Go through the service file with a fine tooth-comb to ensure it's been maintained regularly & ideally by Alfa specialists. Bear in mind though at this age nothing is perfect / inevitable gaps. Also check if the suspension has had any recent work done as this is regarded as consumable items!

But it does look a great example on paper. They do exist!
 
#22 ·
Worth having a look at that one,looks tidy.
Alfa did change from spacesaver to repair kit at some point,not sure when though.My ph3 has the kit. No problem though,should be easy enough to find a spacesaver if you needed one.
Whilst they are pretty good on rust,they do still do it,despite his claims to the contrary,so have a good check in usual suspect places - arches,boot floor (cant remember how easy it is to lift carpet) ,cant really check sills cos they're covered,jacking points can be rough too.My ph3 is starting to bubble on the bottom of the rear panel,under the 'pinifarina' badge which i dont think is that rare ,but that is maybe just a ph3 thing ,as they changed factories
 
#23 ·
Very tidy example. Rear suspension as mentioned, the norm seems to be polybush replacements so easier to spot and the spring pans for rot.The jacking points pinch welds for flattening from garage trolley jacks. The drivers seat o/s bolster looks collapsed (might be camera angle) was an £80 fix on mine a few years back, so probably nearer £100 nowadays.
 
#27 ·
My Spider is a V6.

It is now 18 years old and has done 129000 miles.

I bought it in 2012 when it had 46k on the clock.

In my ownership the rear suspension has been polyflexed and spring pans, springs and shocks replaced.

The front wishbones have been replaced three times (they don't last).

Radiator new as is the oil cooler and pipes. Clutch and flywheel replaced with GTA solid flywheel. Q2 fitted - the BEST ever upgrade for a V6 - torque steer disappears - seriously you can sling it around corners and just blast away from twinny owners who argue that is where their cars come into their own - trust me they don't. I was a twinny owner for 8 years and loved every minute but a V6 with a Q2 is so much better around corners and it was a revelation to me.

It is old and recently the alternator and starter motor have been replaced along with the water pump. I am up to date with cam belt changes .

Part of the rear floor pan has been cut out and replaced - you cannot see the joins from underneath.

Some of the paintwork is starting to peel so I guess a respray is the next in line. However it is my day to day car and does about 10k miles a year in all weathers - kept outside.

What is it worth? I have no idea but I bought it for £4k 7 years ago and must have spent at least another £10k since then. But £14k over 7 years to drive a car better than it was when new (Q2 - keep up) is such a joy. What can you buy for 14k today that comes anywhere near it?

So I am not really bothered what it is worth -maybe £5k - as I have had so much fun (still am) for about £2k a year so far.
 
#28 ·
+1 for the V6 version - it's just a great combination, although with the V6 the Spider is more of a fast A-road tourer than a back lane scratcher. I have owned my V6 for almost 5 years and I haven't had ANY problems during my ownership. The car has been proactively looked after and carefully maintained, which is probably the single most important factor.
 
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