Faults:

Had to change the clutch and brake pump.

General Comments:

Excellent weekend driver. Very fun to drive with the top down. Although not as fast as modern cars, it sounds faster.

A/C doesn't work very well, but who cares when you're topless. The car turns heads in South Beach as much as a Lambo. This Pininfarina should be worth a lot more than its current Bluebook.

Faults:

Inherited from 89 year old father with as follows:

A/C out... live in AZ.

Passenger electric window non-functioning.

Strong smell of gasoline in cabin/trunk.

Addressing all of these at present.

General Comments:

Drove the car from Ohio to Southern AZ. 30 to 33 mpg at 75 mph to 95 mph.

Squeaky hardtop.

More fun with the soft top down.

Looking forward to many years of enjoyment motoring around Arizona.

Faults:

Battery dies without regular, twice weekly use.

Brakes, brake lines and calibers replaced at 60k miles.

Wipers are weak.

A/C never very cold.

Interior lights never work.

General Comments:

I never knew what a fun to drive car was until I bought Alfie. The car has reasonable 0-60 acceleration of 7-8 seconds, great passing power, and incredible steering (not power) and handling. Very comfortable for two; we regularly take long weekend trips from New York to Boston and Washington, DC. Trunk is more than adequate for luggage and regular shopping. Very warm inside, and the hardtop is absolutely stunning. Alfie is very reliable, but the battery runs low without regular use. Wipers are very weak. Steering requires brute force at low speeds in parking garages, but is extraordinary at speed. We regularly get stared at and applauded in New York traffic. The car has an incredible classic look, especially with the hardtop on, that can't be beat for the price (about $5000).

Faults:

The muffler rusted out at 57000 miles. Not sure if this was the original muffler.

When I first got the car, it surged if you gave it too much gas in first gear. The problem was "false-air"--that is air entering the fuel injection system without being monitored by the air-flow meter.

General Comments:

Beautiful car--its sixteen years old and the paint looks like new.

Rich exhaust note--sounds much better than a Miata.

The engine is somewhat outdated. the 2L engine puts out 120 horses, compared with modern engines that put out 160 horses for the same displacement.

Lack of power is compensated by excellent handling. non-power steering puts one in touch with the road.

Faults:

The rubber hose to the airflow meter came loose, causing poor idle. It was an easy fix with a screwdriver that I could complete myself in less than a minute.

The dash has cracked from sun exposure. I have covered it with a dash cap, which is a less-than-ideal (but extremely affordable) solution.

Considering the terrible reputation these cars have for reliability, I have found this Bosch-injected car to be extremely reliable and it has been a faultless daily driver for almost two years now.

General Comments:

If you want a Spider, but are afraid of reliability, buy a well maintained Bosch-injected car (1982 or later). The only things that cripple these cars are lack of maintenance and sitting idle, but if you take good care of it and drive it regularly, it will be a remarkably good car.

This is not a particularly quick car by modern standards, but it FEELS quick, which is every bit as nice.

The handling is inspired, and the Spider rewards a skilled driver with the ability to run seriously quickly on a winding road.

Shift VERY slowly into second gear, or better yet, double-clutch the shifts. The transmissions are very weak, and a ham-fisted driver will destroy the synchros in a matter of months.

Faults:

Oh, plenty.

Gear synchros.

Clutch failed (twice).

Constant oil leaks from the engine.

Unsolveable exhaust smell.

Leaks from the rear axle.

Dashboard coming apart.

General Comments:

Plenty to fix, but when it goes, it's a fun car to drive. Nervous when the roads are wet. But with the roof down, on a good mountain road, constantly on the verge of over-steering, this car can keep you smiling.