I did introduce myself on someone else's thread, about a Rosso Spider, but I don't want to hijack that any more :cheeky:
I'm Nick, live near Harlow Essex, and have had a few Alfas over the years. I sold an S4 automatic Spider recently (I still have a manual S4 ) and wanted something more lively and V6 for a bit of fun. So, after searching for a few weeks, and having the benefit of the helpful comments of folk on this forum I went down to Sussex Alfa this morning.
After an hour and half of inspection and test driving I have bought this Silver Spider.
Kevin Dermott who runs Sussex Alfa is well regarded by people who take cars to him for service and I spoke to one very satisfied customer whilst I was down there. Kevin was very open about the good points and less good points about the car.
It is what I would call a very honest car. It hasn't been tarted up for sale (so a good valet will be done when I get it back home). Kevin put it on a ramp for me and I had a good root around underneath. Hardly any rust and certainly nothing to worry about, apart from a couple of oil cooler unions which were corroded and will need doing in the next year or two I think. The rear has been polybushed and it all feels taut when driving. Paintwork has the stone chips expected on the bonnet but is otherwise fine. Wheels are all good, as are the tyres.
Exhaust is a sportier one with fewer silencer boxes than standard. Sounds good at low revs, great at high revs.
The gear lever movement was not as fluent as it should be but this is apparently due to top hat bushings in the linkage and will be sorted before I pick it up.
All the electrics worked, bar the remote boot release which will also be sorted before I get it which will hopefully be in 10 days or so.
I'm all excited now; it appears to be a great base for me to do some tinkering, fettling and enhancing - uprated ARBs, chip it etc.
Oh, and I might drive it too :thumbup:
I'm Nick, live near Harlow Essex, and have had a few Alfas over the years. I sold an S4 automatic Spider recently (I still have a manual S4 ) and wanted something more lively and V6 for a bit of fun. So, after searching for a few weeks, and having the benefit of the helpful comments of folk on this forum I went down to Sussex Alfa this morning.
After an hour and half of inspection and test driving I have bought this Silver Spider.
Kevin Dermott who runs Sussex Alfa is well regarded by people who take cars to him for service and I spoke to one very satisfied customer whilst I was down there. Kevin was very open about the good points and less good points about the car.
It is what I would call a very honest car. It hasn't been tarted up for sale (so a good valet will be done when I get it back home). Kevin put it on a ramp for me and I had a good root around underneath. Hardly any rust and certainly nothing to worry about, apart from a couple of oil cooler unions which were corroded and will need doing in the next year or two I think. The rear has been polybushed and it all feels taut when driving. Paintwork has the stone chips expected on the bonnet but is otherwise fine. Wheels are all good, as are the tyres.
Exhaust is a sportier one with fewer silencer boxes than standard. Sounds good at low revs, great at high revs.
The gear lever movement was not as fluent as it should be but this is apparently due to top hat bushings in the linkage and will be sorted before I pick it up.
All the electrics worked, bar the remote boot release which will also be sorted before I get it which will hopefully be in 10 days or so.
I'm all excited now; it appears to be a great base for me to do some tinkering, fettling and enhancing - uprated ARBs, chip it etc.
Oh, and I might drive it too :thumbup: