1978 Alfa Romeo Spider

Following on to the Milano sedan we featured yesterday, the Alfa Romeo Spider is another car that has me longing for some fall motoring fun. This 1978 Spider for sale in Colorado has been well maintained and looks sharp in black with its red leather interior trim.

1978 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce

Click to view listing

For Sale: One 1978 Alfa Romeo Spider. A three owner lifetime dry climate Denver car in excellent condition. This car was delivered to Schomp Alfa BMW in 1978, where the factory AM/FM/Cassette system was installed. All owners have been Alfa enthusiasts, first owned if for 6 years, second 4 years, and last owner for 24 years! I can testify that over the past 24 years, the car has never been driven in inclimate weather, and only around 17,000 miles total were put on the vehicle. Original owners manual and maintenance manual, all service records, dyno sheets, and manuals for upgrades are included. This is a fantastic Alfa, black with red interior. It is very quick and has been a top placer in recent Alfa Club of the Rockies track day events.

Features and upgrades:

Professional paint job in 2002
Rebuilt head with oversized valves
Weber DCOE 40 carburetors
Electronic ignition with new coil and wires
5 speed transmission was rebuilt with new second gear synchros. Flywheel replaced '03
Chrome headers and full Ansa exhaust system
K&N air filters
New radiator core
New windshield
Good cloth top
New front brake rotors, and rear rotors included for future use
Centerline sport springs and KYB shocks
Panasport 14" sport rims & tires
Roll bar and 3 point shoulder seat belts
Stock bumpers have been recessed, and a 74 front grille added. Huge improvement in bumper style.
Replaced in the past 5-10 years: water pump, both fuel pumps, oil pressure sender, clutch pressure plate & slave, master cylindar and booster, front bearings, ball joints, U joints, speedo cable
The body is solid without rust issues. Trunks and spare tire well are clean. High quality Die Hard battery. All gauges work well.

Interior is original. Passenger seat bottom has one small repaired tear. Interior has been redyed. Carpets are original but good. Dash has some repaired cracks. Needs a new headlight switch (only high beams work) and horn. Engine is exceptionally clean, and runs well. For all of the mechanical upgrades, all have had time to "shake down" and be perfected over the 20+ year ownership. This car has a lovely exhaust burble, loves to rev above 5000 (try that with your Bosch car), and corners like it's on rails.

If you're looking for a fun car for leisurely drives or canyon carving, this one will be perfect. It is reliable, super fun, and is a striking color combination rarely seen in Alfas. Tonneau cover is included. This car has always been owned by Alfa enthusiasts, and maintained by Alfa specialty mechanics. I am only parting with it for financial reasons. You can't get a marginal Miata for $10,000, so here is an opportunity to get a beautiful Italian sports car for that price or less. Thanks for looking. Hope you'll bid.

There are some really rough Spiders out there for under $10,000, but this is certainly one of the nicer ones that I've seen. True, it's not the iconic Duetto or the later, more reliable Series 4, but this car is charming in its own right and has been looked after properly. I've never been a fan of late 1970s Spiders, but at $7,500, this is an excellent value and a classic you wouldn't hesitate to take out regularly for some exercise.

-Paul

One thought on “1978 Alfa Romeo Spider”

  1. This series looks really sharp in black over red, and it does appear well cared for. I question the “dry climate” in Denver comment, and the current (4th) owner (flipper?) apparently doesn’t count, but it’s still priced reasonably. As long as there isn’t something ugly somewhere (accident history, etc.), it seems like a good opportunity.

Comments are closed.