My well used and modified Spider TS.

[kapiteinlangzaam 8]

Ive been posting over on AlfaOwner forums for about 7yrs, but only discovered this forum today.

This is my Spider. A 2.0TS Lusso from 98. Manual roof (my preference), black metallic paint and red leather interior. She is a very early Phase II model with the 155bhp engine.

As of today she has well over 250,000km on the clock and although cosmetically she is in a bit of a mess, mechanically she is doing OK.

Whenever something breaks or wears out I try to replace with OE or better than OE, ive learnt through experience and money that sometimes the OE stuff is best (brakes and suspension arms mostly!). Since buying the car in 2007 I estimate to have spent about €25k in either repairs or upgrades.

Spec:

Suspension: Eibach Pro -30mm with new Kyobi gas adjust shocks. Polybushed rear end. 15mm hubcentric spacers on the rear. Weichers strut brace. New OE lower arms.

Wheels: 17" multispoke alloys, 225/45 GY Eagle F1 assymettric 2 tyres.

Brakes: Recent OE Brembos all round.

Exhaust/Induction: Novitec panel filter, induction resonators removed. New OE stainless manifold, new OE CAT, new OE front silencer, Ragazzon Alfisti.net edition centre silencer, Raggazon Biscione racing 128x80mm rear silencer.

Engine: Standard, regular oil changes with Fully Synth 5w-40 and belt changes every 3 years.

Interior: Standard, new(er) seats, IPOD head unit, after-market door speakers (I forget the brand!)

Other: HIDS4U 6000k PRO hid headlamps (best mod I ever made).

I drive her like I stole her, once warmed up she is 100% pretty much all the time I love her to pieces and I will never sell. Mainly because I cant afford to!

The car has had an interesting life and has lived all over Europe. Bought new in Denmark, then registered in Germany, then France, then Luxembourg, then the UK and now in The Netherlands.

Next tasks on the car are new wheels and some kind of body refurb, I may re-spray her or give her a plastic wrap at some point.

Cheers

Alex

[Aleš H. 0]

25.000€ - that's insane!

[kapiteinlangzaam 8]

Yeh, she needed a lot of repairs over the years. I have given up caring now

If I wrote down everything that was replaced I think the list would be too big.

She has had a new ECU, CODE box, locks, doors, arms x 6, CV joints, drive shafts, radiators, 3x belt changes, rear arms, exhausts, seats, wheels, lots of tyres, winter tyres, brakes x 2 all round, all new suspension, brake hoses - thats just what I can remember from my head

[Persimmon 42]

Welcome to the Forum.

I recognise you and the car and the bills ( ! ) from AO.

I think insanity runs deep in most of us here !!

Alan

[Thanos 193]

Looking great!

Good to have you here.

Welcome!

[daveypark 2]

For that mileage she looks great Euroboy.

Have you had to do many engine repairs?

[kapiteinlangzaam 8]

The engine is the one thing on the car I have never had to repair in any shape or form! (touch wood).

My specialist says she sounds great and internally she looks good too.

Just regular oil and belt changes in my ownership (I cant vouch for before that).

[Aleš H. 0]

I too have changed almost 90% of the car, including full engine rebuild, but didn't come near your 25 grand mark - more like 4-5 000€ in 5 years of ownership (the first year was a killer...).

Are the prices so high in the Netherlands?

[kapiteinlangzaam 8]

Yes, everything in the Netherlands (and Luxembourg before that) is expensive. I am amazed you managed to change so much for less than 5000e.

Just last week I had to replace two parts of the exhaust and one lower arm on the front suspension - total cost was nearly 900e.

If you were stupid enough to take a TS to a dealer here for a belt change it is more than 1500e.

I buy my oil in the UK and ship it over - its 2 or 3x the price here in NL

[charlee 314]

You can do a belt change here for about 500€ for a TS.

[Thanos 193]

You can do a belt change here for about 500€ for a TS.

and for a V6 TB? with the water pump.

[charlee 314]

Not a lot more.

[Paso 239]

Over 250,000 km!!! Great! I think you are a winner here with that milage!

About cost - 25k EUR is not that much considering all the years and your milage. I keep an evidence of my ownership cost and now I am at whopping 38,930 EUR. However, that includes the car itself (it was 5 years old when I bought it) and all service, upgrades and insurance too. So, it's not that much. I'll do it again, I have no regrets.

[Aleš H. 0]

TS cambelt change is 800€ in SLO if you go to a certified AR garage (the spark plugs are 150€, variator 150€, MAF 300€, front susp. arms 120€/per piece, air con re-gas is 70€, front pads 100€, rear pads 80€, complete rear suspension arms 1200€ etc).

I do the oil changes myself, the cost is about 60€ per year/10.000 km: 40€ 5l Motul X-Cess 8100 engine oil, 6€ oil filter, 15€ air filter.

I don't consider tyres, brake pads, ensurance, gas and other expenses to be relevant - you just need tyres to drive the car, pads to stop it and so on. Insurance is a must, too. So no point in adding these numbers up. Still, just for info/comparisson: my TS costs 500€ a year to insure (used to be 650€ 4 years ago, but you get a -5% every year). This is your basic insurance for damages, plus mirrors, headlights and natural disasters. The MOT is another 170€, so total is about 700€ a year for insurance and inspection + road tax.

[kapiteinlangzaam 8]

Added some 15mm hub-centric spacers this weekend. Bargain from eBay (50 quid for all 4 including the 20 bolts. Id normally expect to pay that just for the bolts).

I really like the rears, but im not sure about the front.

[kapiteinlangzaam 8]

Its been a very long time since I was on the forum here.

 

The car has had a few changes in this time.

 

Some 17" GTA wheels.

 

Then some 18" Azev A wheels (in various colours).

 

Now finally back to its original 16" wheels, with new tyres and plastidipped in Anthracite.

 

The car has also had a new roof, new clutch, some new seals and gaskets.  I only drive about 3,000km per year with the car, so the mileage is not much higher than last time I posted.

 

Some more recent pictures:

 

17" GTA wheels:

 

 

 

18" Azev:

 

 

 

 

 

and darker

 

 

 

 

and with my new aeropack splitter

 

 

 

and now finally, how she looks today

 

 

 

 

 

[kapiteinlangzaam 8]

Observant people will also notice the new licence plate.

 

I removed it from Dutch tax free / diplomatic plates, and now drive it on regular Dutch licence plates.

 

My family car (XC90) has now got the tax free licence plate, and that saves me €2,300 per year in road tax!!

[Filip 124]

I really like the Azev wheels as they are so rare! Wondering if you ordered the Aero lip from a dealership or if you managed to find a used one - it's small but improves the looks. 

[kapiteinlangzaam 8]

I really like the Azev wheels as they are so rare! Wondering if you ordered the Aero lip from a dealership or if you managed to find a used one - it's small but improves the looks. 

 

I bought the aerolip second hand, it was literally in almost new condition and I got it for only €50, which I think was very lucky.

 

I really liked the Azev wheels, but they rubbed the rear arches quite a lot when going over dips/bumps in the road, plus I like to change my wheels once per year, just to have a bit of variety

[kapiteinlangzaam 8]

Update time.

 

Car is now riding on 17" Zender Sienas with Vredestein Ultrac Cento tyres.  I really like them

 

In March the car was fitted with Stage 1 CATCAM fast road camshafts, and in May I added a custom chip tune from Savali Tuning in NL.

 

This now makes it an 'official' H&S Corse Evo Stage 1 spec.  Perhaps something around 170bhp depending on how many escaped over the years!!

 

Ive also added some 305mm discs, and 4-pot Callipers from a 166.  Stopping power is now fantastic!

 

I recently purchased a Biscione/Ragazzon 2x70mm rear section exhaust, and im waiting for delivery on a CSC stainless middle section.  I also have the unsilenced small post-cat pipe from Ragazzon waiting to go on the car.

 

So, quite some upgrades in the last 6 months

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[vassilis 26]

the rear disc brakes..and callipers are the same from the factory?i will make the same ''brake tuning'',with the 166 brembo callipers and 305 discs..but i am not sure for the rear brakes..to leave the factory brakes..or change anything..what is your opinion?my car is a 2.0 twin spark..

[Nico 5]

That is cute! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GTV-TB 315]

the rear disc brakes..and callipers are the same from the factory?i will make the same ''brake tuning'',with the 166 brembo callipers and 305 discs..but i am not sure for the rear brakes..to leave the factory brakes..or change anything..what is your opinion?my car is a 2.0 twin spark..

Most of the brake force on a 916 (FWD) is managed by the front brakes, rear brake task is more to keep the rear end in place.

I use the 330mm brake discs and 6 pot calipers  at  front with OE rear brakes and it works very well.

[GTV-TB 315]

 

 

So, quite some upgrades in the last 6 months

 

Those upgrades looks really good , good work.

[trebol 12]

Sorry, I read 2300 and road tax?