1985 Alfa Romeo Spyder GRADUATE
I have had a lot of tire kickers and time wasters looking at this Alfa. Please, if you don’t have the garage space, can’t scrape the money together, or don’t have the wife’s permission to buy the car, don’t bid on it. If you are serious about buying the car, rest assured it is a very nice car the owner has priced aggressively to actually sell.
Now, enough of my ranting and raving, let’s get to the car:
I am pleased to offer this great 1985 Alfa Romeo Spyder Graduate. VIN # is ZARBA5416F1023507.
This 1985 Alfa Romeo Spyder Graduate is an example of one of the best years of the Graduate model run and represents a bygone era of Italian Sports cars that will never be seen again…
The condition of this car is very nice and very well presented. The car shows very few signs of age and shows 62,300 original miles on the odometer. The owner believes that he the third owner from new.
BODY:
This Alfa wears its original factory applied Rosso 514 (red) paint. The actual color has more of an orange cast to it, so please pay attention to color in the photos. If you need additional photos of the body color for verification, please let me know and I will provide them. All of the body panels are rust free and very nice and have never had any sort of accident damage.
One very important point on the body description…There is not one “patch panel” anywhere on the car.
The paint is in very good overall condition, given it is the original paint, and still retains its shine, obviously the result of the car being garage kept all of its life. There is no checking or cracking evident in the finish.
The glass and seals are in excellent condition. The windshield had a small chip when the owner purchased the car and has since been replaced with a brand new windshield.
INTERIOR:
The interior is trimmed in the correct black vinyl interior. The seating areas are in good condition except for two small tears on the driver’s seat, which you can see in the photos. The door panels, dashboard, and console are in very nice original condition as is the carpet.
All of the accessories, including the climate control are in working order. The car is fitted with optional air conditioning, which is operational, although it will need a re-charge. The AM/FM radio currently installed works, although it is not original equipment to the car.
All of the windows as well as the door locks and trunk release work. The trunk is in very nice condition, and the trunk carpeting is also in very nice original condition with no rips, tears, or missing pieces. The original spare tire and wheel are also in good condition, as is the plastic cover for the battery.
There is a custom fitted front end bra that is included with the sale of the car, as well as a matching fender cover for working in the engine compartment.
CONVERTIBLE TOP:
The convertible top on the car is original. While it is in presentable condition, fits very well, works perfectly, and has very nice rear window plastic, there are two small tears in the roof (see photos). And while the owner recommend going through a car wash, he has never had a problem with the top and has never seen the need to replace the top.
Obviously, originality of the car is important, and the top was too well preserved to replace. The new owner can choose whether to keep or replace it. The original boot is in very nice condition and also comes with the car.
UNDERCARRIAGE:
The underside of the car is commensurate with a well cared for car. Again, it is rust-free and very well preserved, with no evidence of any floor rot. Owner can provide detailed photos of the undercarriage at your request.
ENGINE and ENGINE COMPARTMENT:
The powerplant in this Alfa is the original 2 liter 4-cylinder engine. It needs nothing. All aspects of the motor are in perfect working order, and the compression ratio is exactly where it should be.
The engine bay is completely original, with all components in operational condition. Every detail of the engine compartment is “Alfa Correct” and well preserved. There is some very minor wear to certain painted surfaces due to age, but overall, it is very presentable.
TIRES AND WHEELS:
The tires are in brand new Pirelli Cinturato and are the correct and original style and size.
The wheels are the original Alfa steel wheels with the trim rings, and are in good condition, with expected wear evident. All of the center caps are original and in good condition.
OVERALL DRIVING IMPRESSIONS:
This Alfa runs and drives as it should – It’s barely broken in! The 4-cylinder 2-liter powerplant runs and accelerates smoothly and very quickly and the 5-speed transmission shifts as it should. Please don’t send me questions on what “shifts as it should” means. It means what it says. Yes, the synchros work from 1st to 2nd. No, there is no gear grinding in any gear, up or down. It works as it should period.
The car drives around town and on the open road with no squeaks, creaks, or rattles. It has had all of the necessary service recently performed including oil-change, tune up, installation of new battery, and gearbox and differential service. I also had a brand new clutch installed. The car needs absolutely nothing to drive, show, and enjoy. All of the mechanical aspects of the car work as they should.
PLEASE NOTE:
This 1985 Alfa still retains all of its original or N.O.S. components! This means the engine, transmission, rear end, etc. are original or correct to the car. All of the numbers, markings, etc., are correct. THIS Alfa HAS NEVER BEEN MODIFIED IN ANY WAY! It is an original car that, as evidenced by the low mileage and condition, has been driven very sparingly and properly cared for during the last 25 years…
If you’ve never driven an open Alfa of this period, you are in for a treat with this one!
If you are serious about purchasing this vehicle, I encourage you to come, take a look, and drive it. I can also provide you with additional photos of any specific part you have questions about, including detailed photos of the undercarriage.
You or your mechanic are also welcome to put the car on a lift and perform any drivetrain inspection you wish, including a compression check.
For more on the 1985 Alfa-Romeo Graduate, read on…
The Alfa Romeo Spider (105/115 series) is a roadster produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1966 to 1993 (190 Spiders were badged as 1994 Commemorative Editions for the North American market).[2] Widely regarded as a design classic, it remained in production for almost three decades with only minor aesthetic and mechanical changes. The three first series were assembled by Pininfarina in Grugliasco and the fourth series in San Giorgio Canavese. The last Spider was produced in April 1993, it was also the last rear wheel drive Alfa Romeo produced before Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione was introduced.
The Series 3 Spider was previewed in North America for the 1982 model year with the introduction of 2.0 liter Bosch electronic fuel injection to replace the SPICA mechanical injection.
The Spider underwent a major styling revamp in 1983, which saw the introduction of black rubber front and rear bumpers. The front bumper incorporated the grille and a small soft rubber spoiler was added to the trunk lid. The change altered the exterior appearance of the car considerably and was not universally praised by enthusiasts. Various other minor mechanical and aesthetic modifications were also made, and the 1600 car (never available in North America) dropped the “Junior” name.
The Quadrifoglio Verde (Green Fourleaf Clover) model was introduced in 1986, with many aesthetic tweaks, including sideskirts, mirrors, new front and rear spoilers, hard rubber trunk mounted spoilers with integral 3rd stoplight and optional removable hardtop. It was otherwise mechanically identical to the standard Spider Veloce model, with a 1962 cc double overhead cam, four-cylinder engine (twin two-barrel carburetors in Europe; North American models retained the Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection introduced for the 1982 model year except that the VVT mechanism was now L-Jet activated) and five-speed manual transmission.[8]
The interior was revised with a new center console, lower dash panels (to meet U.S. regulations) and a single monopod gauge cluster (with electronic gauges). For the North American market a model dubbed the Graduate was added in tribute to the car’s famous appearance in the 1967 film, The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman.
The Graduate was intended as a less expensive “entry-level” Alfa. While it had the same engine and transmission as the Quadrifoglio and Spider, it lacked the alloy wheels and luxury features of the other two models. The Graduate model had manual windows, basic vinyl seats, a vinyl top, and steel wheels as standard. Air conditioning and a dealer-installed radio were the only options. It first appeared in 1985 in North America and continued until 1990.
Minor changes occurred from 1986–89, including new paint colors, a center high mount stop lamp (CHMSL) midway through 1986 for North American models, a move away from the fade-prone brown carpet and new turn signal levers. Some 1988 models featured automatic seatbelts that extended from a large device between the front seats.
References
1. ^ “Spider 1600 Duetto”. hem.passagen.se. http://hem.passagen.se/veloce/spiders.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
2. ^ a b “Affordable Classic: 1991-94 Alfa Romeo Spider 2000”. sportscarmarket.com. http://www.sportscarmarket.com/affordable-classics/2001-April/1991-94-alfa-romeo-spider-2000.html. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
3. ^ “1966 Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider Duetto”. carfolio.com. http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=29194. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
4. ^ a b “Used Car Test: 1968 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider”. Autocar 136 (nbr 3967): pages 22–23. date 27 April 1972.
5. ^ a b “History 1960-1970”. alfaromeo.com.au. http://www.alfaromeo.com.au/default.asp?action=article&ID=17553. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
6. ^ “1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto”. conceptcarz.com. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8834/default.aspx. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
7. ^ “Affordable Classic: 1971-81 Alfa Romeo Spider”. .sportscarmarket.com. http://www.sportscarmarket.com/affordable-classics/2005-September/1971-81-alfa-romeo-spider.html. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
8. ^ a b “Affordable Classic: 1991-94 Alfa Romeo Spider 2000”. ..sportscarmarket.com. http://www.sportscarmarket.com/affordable-classics/2001-April/1991-94-alfa-romeo-spider-2000.html. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
9. ^ “PRODUZIONE COMPLESSIVA” (PDF). pininfarina.it. http://www.pininfarina.it/repository/Gruppo/Produzionecomplessiva.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
In Summary |
– A fun, red, Italian sports car – and it’s a convertible
– Priced for the collector who has a budget
– An honest Alfa Spyder – tons of fun for the money
Vehicle Condition |
I have not personally inspected or photographed this vehicle. I am relying on the pictures and descriptions provided by the seller. I know the owner personally and he and his family are well known and very astute collectors. This Alfa is presented in very good condition with low mileage. Feel free to ask questions about this car and I will get them answered quickly.
I invite and encourage any interested party to inspect this car in the Elmhurst, IL. area and determine for yourself that this car is in very nice condition. Seeing is really believing.
A note to European & Canadian Bidders |
I have shipped many classic American, Italian and German cars to Europe. It is very possible that this Alfa will find its way back to Italy or other European country. I welcome European and Canadian interest and will be very glad to assist in making arrangements to have this car shipped safely across the ocean or to the Great White North.
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Sold For: $5,300