70s Fiat Spider vs 90s Alfa Romeo Spider

I have become interested in 60's-early 70's Fiats myself lately, having owned them when they were new. Unless you know of some secret source, you won't find anything except various "project" cars that need a zillion hours or dollars of work. So basically buying a nice one is going to be a long, challenging process. And while there are some parts, the selection is minimal.

The 90's Alfa Spider is basically the same car that came out in the mid-60's and was a contemporary of the Fiat, but it continued in production for decades. I'm no expert on these, but from some time in the 80's they switched from Spica mechanical to Bosch electronic injection, and they should be relatively reliable cars. And there are probably enough of them out there that you could actually find a nice one.

 

Not too familiar with the Fiats but more with the Alfa's. The Alfa spider design was best expressed in the late 90's on the S4 or the early boat tail models, both will cost quite a bit in mint condition. A late 80's QV model has a decent amount of kit, fairly priced and looks good. It has a timing chain so no engine removal. Components are simple and very few electronic gizmos to go wrong. Watch out for second gear synchros.

Your best bet would be to go for the Alfa, more parts available and more models to choose from.

 

Since a 1969 124 Spider was the first car I ever owned, I am too biased (in favor) to give an objective answer.

 

I had a '71 Fiat 124 back when all the "dealerships" in the US were Pontiac/Fiat or Cadillac/Fiat -- Fiat marketed through GM dealers.

Parts were unobtanium, and the "dealer" shops didn't know aluminum. When I bought my Fiat, I had to have the aluminum bleeder valves on all four calipers drilled out and re-tapped; the "dealers" had twisted them all off.

The alternator oil seal was back-ordered all the way to Pellucidar, and the oil leaks would glaze the points and/or drip oil onto the exhaust manifold -- people at stop lights constantly thought my engine was on fire.

Rebuilding the carburetor required partially disassembling the carb before you could even reach the bolts to fasten the carb to the maniford.

In '79 I replaced the Fiat with an Alfa Spider (115 model). The Alfa is more nimble with more horses and a flatter torque curve. The Alfa Spider is a bit larger than the 124 Spyder.

The Alfa has twin chains, compared to the Fiat's timing belt. My Spica injection has been fairly reliable, properly maintained. (Knock wood -- I still own that '79 Alfa.)

Both have simple electrics. Both have potential rust issues. (The undercoating I put on the Alfa when it was new was one of the best investments I ever made.)

The earliest Alfa spiders had dual twin throat webber carbs. The US models switched to Spica mechanical injection in the '70s. In 1980, the US model switched to Bosch L-jet injection. But the 80-81 models had a very early type of variable cam -- which was a massive problem source.

International Auto has quite a few parts for both Fiat and Alfa (including that distro oil seal), and sells a dual webber conversion kit for Spica cars.

The Alfa Spiders were imported for many decades --- until Fiat took over Alfa and destroyed the dealer network; Fiat just doesn't know how to run a dealer network in the 'States. I think '95 was the last year that US model Alfas were imported. (There's been a few converted Euro models since.) That would make the Fiats and post '85 Alfas the rarer machines today (if you can find any that the "dealers" didn't destroy). I had thought that Fiat stopped importing in the '70s, but International Auto has parts for the X1/9 through '87, and Alfa parts through '95.

Your average mechanic won't be able to handle either of them, so if you like doing your own maintenance, start reading up.

Personally, I prefer the handling and engine of the Alfa. The Alfa isn't a "race car" by today's standards: it flexes enough that you can make it dance around turns, with the wheels side-stepping. But if you like playing the throttle against the steering, it's very "tossable".

The Alfa's brakes were pretty good for its day, but the stock tires are 165s, so after the EVO, the Alfa is just plain scary -- the standards have shifted.

FWIW; every speeding ticket I've ever gotten has been in an Alfa Romeo -- half of them in that Spider. Read into that what you will. (But the "Disco Volante" shape in steel does make it a "challenging" radar target -- on the radar stops, the radar was just plain wrong, and the road-side "your speed is" radars don't do any better.)

 

I have had ALFAs and currently an 81 FIAT 2000. The ALFA parts will cost almost exactly 2X that of FIAT parts. They are both nice, the 90s ALFAs will be somewhat more reliable with modern technology.

Transmissions are less expensive to deal with on the FIAT, but better balanced on the ALFA.

I did major work on my FIAT last year, here were the prices at that point:

Top end Engine rebuild including reworking the head etc. 2K.
Transmission, Clutch / throwout etc. $700

This is after owning and driving the car as a daily driver for years. Of course always buy the best car you can find regardless of make. It's far cheaper to let somebody else invest a good for instance in fact is my car. After spending all this I have decided to sell, currently working on a deal for $4500. The guy I am selling to will be able to drive for several years without issues, that's what you want to look for.

 

The Alfa's shifter is very smooth (the trans is right there), but the throw is a bit long, for my tastes. The shift pattern is also tilted a bit, so you're shifting up as well as forward for 1,3,and 5.

The Fiat --- I just don't remember specifics; it's been 27 years. Nothing particularly sticks in my memory, so it can't be all that bad.

 

If the transmission is correct either one of the two should shift very smoothly. If they are "clunky" it means either:

1) Dead Syncros (person did not know how to shift .. )
2) Bad bushings etc.
3) Bad throughout bearing, clutch etc.
4) Bad linkage (FIAT)

These range from cheap to fix to rebuilding the transmission.

 

I drove a '79 Fiat Spider in college (late 80's early 90's) and currently own a '79 Alfa Spider.

The Fiat was pretty stock with a single carb. It leaked oil onto the exhaust manifold and would smoke madly at stop lights. It also leaked coolant which had a nice sweet smell as it burned. The transmission broke, I can't remember how, but it cost about $900 to fix. My steering box broke. I had voltage regulator go bad which boiled my battery-good thing it was summer, because those fumes were nasty. The car wouldn't idle as I pulled to a stop, so I had to learn to heal/toe to keep the engine running. There weren't any mechanics willing to put any time into the Fiat, so I lived with it. Despite all the problems, I loved that little car. It started every time, had heat and never left me stranded.

My Alfa has the dual weber conversion. Getting them perfect takes a skilled mechanic. Bushings are starting to go and will need attention soon. I have to shift slowly into 2nd or I'll get a grind. I installed springs and shocks but now need to find some spacers as one side sits about an inch lower than the other. The car has heat, but the some of the hoses are missing, so I will need to spend some time getting that sorted. These missing hoses could explain why the gas/engine smell is so strong in the cabin. Right now, driving with the top up is not an option. The car runs strong, but needs some attention. Saturday, I put 180 highway miles on it. The body and frame are exceptional. My frame has been reinforced, so I can jack up the front end and still open the door.

I guess my long-winded point is that no matter which car you get, expect to put some time and money into it. They can work as daily driver, but it is best if you have the knowledge and/or willingness to tinker with the car.

I'm not a fan of the 80's rubber spoiler/bumper combo on the Alfas, so I bought an older car knowing that it would need more attention. This isn't a big deal since I plan on keeping the car for a good long while. For me, I bought a piece of my youger days that I was missing. Luckly, I didn't have to go to BJ and pay six figures for it.

 

I own a 1977 Fiat 124 spider and it has generally been low maintenance and fairly inexpensive to maintain. Rodney was correct in his prior post that Alfa parts cost almost twice that of Fiat parts. My only question would be what is your purpose for the car? If it is for a highway cruiser, then go with the Alfa. The Fiat may have better acceleration, as the gearing is probably lower. Generally, my Fiat has gear ratios similar to that of a Mazda Miata. The engine gets about 17 to 18 mph at 1,000 rpm's in 5th gear. The Alfa has a gear ratio of somewhere around the low 20's per 1,000 rpm's. Thus highway speeds in the Alfa are probably more relaxed. If you need a car for mostly driving around town, then the Fiat may be one to consider. The last series Alfa will have power steering, a passable AC system, air bags, anti-lock brakes, modern fuel injection, emission controls, etc. You can get AC on some older Fiats but none of the other features/headaches. My 1977 has the benefit of a very small back seat that I had fitted with seat belts for my young kids. It is just right for a summer evening trip for ice cream. Alfa is 2 people only.

Good luck with your purchase.

Regards,

Jeff
Dallas, Texas

1999 Mercury Mystique (wife's car)
1994 Alfa Romeo 164 LS
1977 Fiat 124 spider