21k Original Miles: 1985 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
This 1985 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce is a claimed low-mileage survivor, with just under 22,000 original miles and still presenting in showroom condition, according to the seller. The Alfa went into storage following the death of its original owner and was later released to the seller as part of an estate sale. The Alfa has been fully serviced following its years in captivity and is said to run as well as it looks. The Spider will come with complete ownership and maintenance records, along with a clear Florida title. The car is listed here on craigslist with an asking price of $13,500.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Ikey H. for the find. Perhaps the most refreshing feature of this car is the fact that it isn’t red or black. The seller claims the original Jade Green Metallic paint is in fine condition, and it pairs nicely with a black leather interior. The classic wood-rimmed Alfa steering wheel is a treat to see, along with the curious (but very driver-friendly) location of the shifter. While we’re accustomed to seeing cars come out of estate sales in retiree-loaded Florida, it’s not often they’re as special as this preserved Spider is. Given how many of these show up as total basketcases, a preserved specimen with its maintenance up to date is a find.
And for the money, how do you go wrong? It’s an Italian sports car through-and-through with a lineage any enthusiast can appreciate. The later cars did lose some of the style of the earlier models, with the huge U.S.-spec bumpers the single greatest offense. The integrated rear spoiler was always a good look, and the blacked-out taillight panel helped mask the largess of the bumpers. The Alfa looks stock from the top down, including its original Campagnolo wheels. The seller notes the top is the original fabric assembly and in excellent condition, a testament to how it was stored both before and after the original owner’s passing.
The seller lists a full accounting of the maintenance that was tackled following its many years off the road, and it includes: all fluids, tires, brakes, master cylinders, and numerous other wear items being updated or replaced, which is a must-do even on low mileage specimens like this. The sale will include a custom tonneau cover and car cover for the Spider, along with receipts and records. Finding an Alfa Spider is not particularly hard, but finding a time capsule specimen with up-to-date maintenance and listed for a very fair price is more of a trick. This one looks worthy of a look, and a test drive if you can prove to the seller you’ve got the cash in hand.
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Comments
Nice looking Alfa. I worked on these back in the early 90’s at the dealership. The Veloce was the middle of the lineup with alloy wheels and leather, power windows. The Graduate had hubcaps and vinyl, and the Quadrofolio had all the above with a hard top. Early Spiders were light and fun to drive however in the 70’s the car gained weight and lost power and just felt sluggish to me. Add to this all the oil leaks and water leaks from the top, and below average reliability and to me they were just a nice looking car. The Milano and later the 164 was much more entertaining to drive. I owned both and would do so again.
I bow to your first-hand experience, alphasud, but it looks so damn good!
The twin cam four cylinder engine in the Spider, with its Bosch fuel injection and chain driven cams is bulletproof compared to the busso V6 in the Milano and 164, not to mention the Milano’s transaxle with its sketchy synchros and rubber driveshaft donuts. I’ve owned and worked on many Alfas, and later Spiders like this one are probably the most reliable if not the fastest.
I love the Busso V6 and given the choice it would be the Milano all the way! Sure the syncro rings are weak but the spider has the same Porsche design and both are prone to wear if abused. If you are referring to a early spider like 73 and earlier with Spica or Weber’s then yes they run strong and are fun to drive much like the early GTV of which I would donate organs to own. I’m referring to late 70’s to the end of the run. Those are lackluster but could be made to run with mods. I’m sure you have driven a Milano Verde. That car will spank any Spider and sound better doing it.
Amazing to see an 80s Alfa without a cracked dash and torn seats.
Car is located in Ocala, FL
What’s not to like? Someone jump on this who is near an Italian specialist.
This is a good deal in this shape.
These are pretty easy cars to live with, the bosch injection and electronic ignition is very reliable.
They are higher maintenance than a new car but not that bad.
2nd gear syncros will give you problems if you try to rush it, but drive it smoothly they will last a long time. I have 200k on a box I built a long time ago and it shifts without scrapping.
Valve will last about a 100k but I have 200k on the valve job on mine but I will live with a little smoking, but it is due a valve job.
Head gaskets use to be a problem but not anymore, as the new gaskets are of much better quality.
Waterpump last about 80k and new ones are currently not available. I have them rebuilt at a cost of around 150 bucks, you can buy a new pump for one without ac for 75.
Suspension has a fair amount of rubber in it and if it hasn’t been changed it probably should regardless of the mileage.
I have several spiders and use 1 in particular as almost a daily driver. It is closing in on 500k miles, and still enjoy driving it. The car presented here is a nice car but to be really enjoyable I would recommend a few up grades.
Go to slightly stiffer springs and Koni shocks. Keep the factory front sway bar but change the bushing to Delrin. Drop the rear sway bar.
Dump the horrible exhaust header and either change to the factory 4-2-1 header or better yet a good aftermarket one. Both Spruell and Alfaholics make nice ones.
Finally change the cams, I like Spruell’s 11.1 cams but there are other good ones. You will lose the VVT but it is worth it. Doing these changes makes the car more fun to drive, but they do put you on the slippery slope of doing more changes.
The Bosch system is a good system and makes the car liveable as a daily driver, but it is also the limiting factor for performance.
Cheers
It’s been sold.