- Seller: Brian S
- Location: New Plymouth, Idaho
- Mileage: 91,405 Shown
- Chassis #: ZARBA5419G1036575
- Title Status: Clean
If you are into sports cars then there’s a good chance you’ve owned an Alfa Romeo Spider… or will one day soon. If you’re in the market, this 1986 example might be worth a look. It’s located in New Plymouth, Idaho, and is being auctioned off with a reasonable reserve right here on Barn Finds! Keep reading for more details and be sure to place your bids below.
The Series 3 Spider benefited from a Bosch electronic fuel injection system. Luckily, the sweet twin-cam engine was still in place and that’s what really makes these cars special. That little two-liter makes the most pleasing sounds and actually punches above its weight. The 5-speed transmission and disc brakes are also Spider hallmarks.
Don’t expect neck-breaking acceleration. These cars were more about balance. They go, turn, and stop well. This particular one is no exception. I had the pleasure of taking this one around the block and was pleasantly surprised with the experience. So much, in fact, that I went out and bought one for myself!
This car does have its flaws. It takes a few cranks to start and the biggest concern is the rust in the driver’s side rocker. Alfas are well known for their engines but also for their rust. It’s part of the game but the corrosion found here shouldn’t be a deal breaker. Just be sure to save a little for a rocker replacement down the road.
Great Britain may have popularized the roadster but Italy gave us something much more sophisticated with the Spider. It sat somewhere between a basic MGB and a complicated Ferrari. Today, it feels like something special that a shade tree mechanic can keep on the road, albeit one with internet access and a Centerline catalog.
This will be a fun car for someone who likes to drive and wrench. It’s going to need some love but that’s part of what makes classic car ownership enjoyable for many of us. Be sure to look through all the photos and don’t forget to watch the driving video above. Feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comments below. Happy bidding!
Bid On This Auction
- JimBob bid $4,625.00 2023-10-25 10:40:16
- Lar bid $4,425.00 2023-10-24 15:49:11
- JimBob bid $4,175.00 2023-10-24 15:09:20
- Hack64 bid $3,800.00 2023-10-24 03:43:22
- JimBob bid $3,375.00 2023-10-23 12:36:12
- CaptJeb bid $3,050.00 2023-10-22 16:06:49
- JimBob bid $2,725.00 2023-10-22 14:49:48
- Hack64 bid $2,400.00 2023-10-20 07:48:35
- JimBob bid $2,075.00 2023-10-19 07:47:30
- 1Drive&Fast! bid $1,750.00 2023-10-18 21:45:38
- Stacy bid $1,500.00 2023-10-18 18:42:53
- JimBob bid $1,239.00 2023-10-18 10:43:13
- macaw bid $916.00 2023-10-18 10:31:34
- 1Drive&Fast! bid $666.00 2023-10-17 16:12:03
Louie bid $351.00 2023-10-17 12:49:56- nkt88888888 bid $101.00 2023-10-17 10:08:47
One of the best driving cars ever built. As the service manager for the local Alpha dealer in the early ’80s I got to drive plenty of these. Pure fun.
He liked it so much, That He went out and bought a different one ? What’s wrong with it?
We had already committed to auctioning this one so I bought the other Spider from the same collection. It’s older and more of a project. We will share some updates once we get it running.
One party trick this Alfa received in 1986 was variable intake valve timing. The twin cam 2.0 is a good engine and as I have said before is a happy Alfa is one that gets driven on a regular basis. Perform regular maintenance and this car will be your next reliable companion. In 86 there was 3 trim levels and of the 3 the Veloce was the best with leather interior and the nice wheels. The Quadrafoglio got fancy pin-striping on the seats and a factory hard top which lets face it this is a fair weather car so the hard top is unnecessary and claustrophobic. Transmission synchros are the same as a Porsche 915 transaxle so give the gear oil time to come up to temperature and be nice to it. Especially 2nd. gear.
Oops! I meant piping on the seats not pin-striping. Will BarnFinds ever give us the edit function?
The edit feature is still there but must not work for everyone. We will take a look into it. Thanks.
Jesse, the edit feature has not been available to me for at least a month. It would be nice to have it back.
Same here.
Never owned an Alfa but I did own a Fiat 124 Spider. It ran great-the time I had it. Tony had it quite a bit, too!
Ya the synchros had enough time to warm up, I would suspect replacements are in order here. I wonder if BobHess has any opinion on that since he was a dealer, that video of the drive hurt me every time the car was shifted.
It sounds worse in the video than it is. There’s a heat shield or something making noise. Second gear was the only one causing problems but it helped to slow down my shifts a little.
Beautiful, but that steering wheel looks like something out of the Flintstones
Jesse,
Good luck with the new to you Alfa Spider! Having owned two Alfas back in the day (a1957 type 750D Giulietta Spider s/n 1495-01577 and a ’63 type 101.12 Giulia Bertone Sprint s/n 10112-356464), I am very much an Alfisti and follow current sales and values of Alfas produced from 1956 to 1992.
Automotive writers of the day proclaimed that the Satta designed DOHC engine was an absolute jewel. Jewel it may be, however, it definitely requires
strict compliance with the factory maintenance schedule with an occasional Italian redline tune-up. The Giulietta and early Giulia maintenance schedule should also include replacing the head gasket at every 25K miles or watch it blow by 30K.
I haven’t owned a Series 3 Spider but, haven’t heard much about head gaskets with the 2.0L engine. The 2nd gear syncro on Giuliettas and early Giulias had a tendency to snick on a 1st to 2nd shift until the gearbox was thoroughly warmed up. Hopefully those problems were corrected decades ago and are of no concern to a buyer of the seller’s car or your “new” Spider.
When buying a new or used car (excuse me , “pre-owned”), this old gent always looks for a bargain but, considering the condition of the seller’s Spider, I believe the early bids to be rather insulting. Hopefully, the seller will receive a fair price and the buyer will consider his purchase to be good value for money.
BarnFinds Auctions has done a commendable job in posting information and photos of the seller’s Alfa Spider. I regret not having BarnFinds handle the sale of my Lancia which went to a collector several years ago.
BTW, one of my current rides is a Stelvio 2.0L TI. FWIW, I have no interest in FWD Alfas.
Is your Voloce rear wheel drive