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Spider Graduate, New Black Paint, Cloth Top, & Pirelli Tires Virginia on 2040-cars

US $6,950.00
Year:1987 Mileage:90000
Location:

Alexandria, Virginia, United States

Alexandria, Virginia, United States

Are you ready to take your summer up a notch on a sun-dappled winding road? This 1987 Alfa Romeo Spider Graduate is here to assist!

A factory-trained Alfa tech recently overhauled this straight and original car, including rebuilding the engine and transmission. We have driven it 3,000 miles since finishing the projects, so it's road-tested and ready to enjoy.

As the photos show the car is handsome. It has fresh paint in its original "nero" black color, which many consider the best color on this generation of Spider as the distinctive rubber spoiler and other trim blend well. The paint shines, and reflects the clouds and trees going by. Brand new cloth top with a  clear rear window. The interior is nice driver quality. The seats have been upgraded to black leather ones with red stitching from a Veloce model. They feel great but the leather is 25 years old and has some seam splits and flaws. Another notable Veloce upgrade: the beautiful five-spoke alloy wheels (plus a fifth in the trunk!) Mounted on those wheels are new Pirelli tires -- new tires make such a difference in ensuring Alfas handle beautifully. A nice modern addition to the car is a Pioneer CD stereo with four speakers (the Graduate came with only two; rear 6X9s have been added).

The owner overhauled both the engine and transmission. This man is a genius with trannies -- he has rebuilt several for me and he always hits home runs. This Spider has no synchro issues. It downshifts exceptionally smoothly. The engine has new rings, rods, bearings and a valve job. Carfax shows a discrepancy so to be on the safe side, we're assuming the car has 92,000 miles rather than the 72,000 that show. With the engine and tranny just gone over, the car's mechanicals have effectively been reset recently so the condition, not the miles, are what matters most.

Additional recent work this year includes: Front brake calipers, front and rear brake pads, a tie rod end, lower ball joints, clutch master cylinder, and gas tank replaced along with main and tank fuel pumps too. Add that to things like the new top and tires and we are talking about thousands of dollars invested to make this car reliable and strong -- and ready for your driving pleasure!

One thing my friend did, since the car was for his own use, was remove the air conditioner. Why carry all that weight if it's not working, and in these cars, with the top down and vent windows open, a/c is sort of superfluous anyway. If the buyer desires it, the a/c unit, minus the compressor, would be made available at no charge. But it's in Maryland, not currently in or with the car. As shown in one of the photos, the A/C knob is not attached.

This Alfa looks sharp and runs well. It's a very decent representative of the marque. Remember just 10 or 15 years ago when you could buy a 1960s Alfa, a Duetto or GTV, in this sort of shape for under $10,000? Mm hm... Well those days are long gone. '60s Alfas in this kind of nice driver condition bring $25,000 and more while many 1970s Alfas are climbing toward that range. Plus the reintroduction of the Alfa Marque with a dealer network this summer after a 19 year-absence is going to bolster interest. A 1987 Spider like this one is a solid investment, never going to go down and all but certain to go up in value even as you enjoy the heck out of driving it!

I am including photos that give an honest view of this Alfa and I have more if you want to see anything or I can shoot video of it running. I've owned a dozen similar Spiders and as an Alfa Romeo Owners Club officer and concours judge, I am glad to share my insights. Alfas that have been sorted as this one has are not hard or expensive to keep happy. Our Club, www.aroc-usa.org, has chapters to keep you connected around the country and there are great sources for parts online. I've never had to wait more than a day or two for any part and they cost no more than VW parts from the same era. The car is garaged at my house in Alexandria, VA, convenient to National Airport (DCA) if you want to fly in and drive home, or I'm glad to meet a shipper. If you're local come by for a test drive. Thanks for your interest!

Auto Services in Virginia

Williamsburg Honda-Hyundai ★★★★★

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Address: 7277 Richmond Rd, Wicomico
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Webb`s Auto Body ★★★★★

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Transmissions Inc. ★★★★★

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Auto blog

Mazda engineers urging execs for more RWD models

Wed, 02 Oct 2013

According to Edmunds, Mazda engineers are pressuring the company to create more rear-wheel-drive models, in an effort to better differentiate itself from its rivals. This push is reportedly coming from middle and senior engineers within the company, and these folks at Mazda believe this rear-drive strategy would allow the automaker to produce more distinctive, fun to drive cars. Mazda discontinued the rear-drive (and rotary-engined) RX-8 a few years ago, leaving the MX-5 Miata as the company's only RWD offering.
As enthusiasts, we're fully on board with Mazda offering more rear-drive cars, but unsurprisingly, the company's top management isn't exactly keen on the idea - and with good reason. First and foremost, the cost associated with redesigning fresh architecture for new models would be very high, and considering the fact that Mazda hasn't exactly been raking in the dough lately, an expensive new venture like this doesn't make a whole lot of sense. What's more, Mazda's latest front-drive models - the Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5 - have been very well-received, and are helping the company gain sales momentum.
But that doesn't mean there aren't other options. Edmunds reminds us that Mazda is already partnering with Alfa Romeo on the next-generation Miata, and if this collaboration is successful, perhaps the relationship could bear additional fruit. After all, Alfa Romeo is said to be working on returning to its rear-wheel-drive roots, so Mazda's engineers might be able to make a case for more RWD goodness after all.

Chrysler appoints new heads of Alfa Romeo and Ram

Mon, 18 Aug 2014

Chrysler has announced to two key appointments to its senior leadership, both of them taking immediate effect. First up is Reid Bigland, who has been named head of the Alfa Romeo brand for North America. Bigland has served until now as head of the Ram Truck brand, a portfolio he now hands over to Robert Hegbloom, who had served until now as its director.
As a result of the appointments, both Bigland and Hegbloom will take up seats on Chrysler's NAFTA Leadership Team, and Bigland will also join the Fiat Chrysler Group Executive Council - the highest decision-making body in the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles empire.
As per Sergio Marchionne's leadership style, Bigland will continue to serve in two major capacities, maintaining his role as president and CEO of Chrysler Canada. Other senior executives who hold multiple key portfolios include Harald Wester (who serves as the group's Chief Technology Officer and also overseas Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Abarth), Olivier Francois (group Chief Marketing Officer and head of the Fiat brand) and Michael Manley (head of the Asia-Pacific region and the Jeep brand).

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata

Fri, 18 Jan 2013

Although a little bit later than expected, Mazda and Fiat have signed a final agreement that will bring a next-generation MX-5 Miata to the Japanese automaker and a new roadster to Alfa Romeo. When the proposed arrangement was announced back in May, the two automakers had hoped to seal the deal last year, but it doesn't appear that the production timeline for these cars has slipped any, with both expected to start rolling off assembly lines in 2015.
Other than a shared chassis with a rear-wheel-drive layout, it sounds like the two cars are still planned to be distinct in their own ways from their styling right down to their engines. Mazda will produce both cars at a plant in Hiroshima, Japan, but it isn't clear what role each automaker will play in the cars' developmental process. The big question, of course, is what clever portmanteau name we can come up with, like Toyobaru. Mazda Romeo is the easy choice, but Alfazda might roll off the tongue a little better.
Scroll down for a brief press release from both automakers.