Spider (Type 939) 2006 - Current

My Alfa inspiration came from my late dad, John, who bought a 164 3 litre in the early 1990s and subsequently imported two 156 2 litre TSs - a saloon in Fantasy Blue followed by a Sportwagon in Africa Grey - from Denmark.  In the photo above he is in my Spider at the Leicestershire Aero Club, summer 2019, with his old (and favourite) aeroplane Papa India, a Commander 112A, closest in the background.

My first Alfa was a 155 2 litre TS Widebody bought in 1998, taking over the 156s in turn before buying an Alfa Red Giulietta 170 MultiAir in early 2015 which I ran for 67,000 miles.  The Spider - a 2008 LE - was bought as a long term keeper at the start of 2018 as a 'significant birthday' present to self.

I joined AROC on buying the Giulietta, on the recommendation of the local guy who bought the Sportwagon.  Wish I had joined sooner in my Alfa journey!

Acquired with a shade over 50,000 miles from a south of Birmingham garage, I'm the third owner.   Initial work included a thorough inspection by Dave Knott at IntaServices, Leicester, followed by replacement of the front and rear badges (the rear complete with associated boot lock), sorting out one or two small bits of corrosion and switching the registration to the plate I bought through DVLA Select Registrations.  The car came with only one key, so a second was sourced (including recoding) from the then Nottingham main dealer.

Fairly early in my ownership and due to worn bearings, I had the M32 gearbox overhauled by Dave French in conjunction with IntaServices.  A new clutch and flywheel were also fitted and I took the opportunity to substitute the stock gear change linkage for a short-shift version.

For a while I had a recurring EML issue which despite best efforts and several component replacements (timing chain included) proved frustratingly elusive until Dave found a poor connection in the EML triggering circuit.  No problems since.

The 939 roof mechanism is complex and has a reputation for problems, keeping on top of maintenance is not cheap but essential.  Of particular importance is replacing the four small gas struts as soon as the clearance between roof & hoops starts to diminish (4-5 years between replacement appears to be typical).  I had mine done about a year into my ownership, and again in November 2023 as part of other roof work carried out by convertible specialist HoodTech in Chester (very experienced with 939s & thoroughly recommended).

In September 2023 I had the 19" TI wheels completly refurbished at Perfection Alloys, South Wigston, including new centre badges which I'd had in stock for a while.  They're the stock finish with the addition of a little sparkle to the mix, which looks great in the sunshine.

Having - with much relief - had my driving licence reinstated in early June (a medically mandated driving pause meant I was without it for six+ months), the Spider is taxed and ready for the rest of the season.

I'll be at NAD and have tickets for the AROC paddock at Salon Prive, Blenheim at the end of August.