1996 Alfa Romeo Spider Review - Does this cheap GTV have one too many problems?

[@benfearnhead9851]

“Is that a cubby hole? No it’s just coming off” I love these cars. They look better now than ever and rare enough to be quite a special thing when you see one.

[@craigsmith9055]

Ive owned one of these for the last 7 years. The same colour & wheels as this one but everything still works, including the electric aerial!! So much fun and a head turner with the roof down.

[@anthonyrussell7457]

I bought a 2001 model year Spider TS in Zoë Gold at the beginning on the year, summer in NZ. Less than 60,000m (93,000kms) and it's a little gem. Fingers and everything else crossed. The battery box should have a full carpet lining and separated luggage space. My daily drive is an SUV, getting into the Alfa is so wonderfully tactile, analogue and connected. Love it! Yeah, being yellow it's not very discrete and does get looks.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Love the Zoe Gold, did you take it to Gaydon the other week for the Zoe Gold get together?

[@Lucan-ve6zc]

We have a 96 Spider. Love it to bits. Popping the roof down takes about 20/30 seconds. Handling is spot on. Cheap, fun and the noise is utterly gorgeous. Decent forecast tomorrow. We're in west Cornwall. Thus, it will be a roof down and off to a pub somewhere out of the way for lunch. The 916 won a load of awards for good reason.

[@HereticRamza]

I have a 97 one and I love it too. The pushbutton to open the gas tank broke though. Do you know where I can find one? I've been to Alfa Romeo shops and general car part shops and I can't find a replacement.

[@Lucan-ve6zc]

@@HereticRamza I'd pick up the phone to Alfaholics in Somerset. Hugely helpful.

[@HereticRamza]

@@Lucan-ve6zc thank you!!

[@jaybee8414]

Clarkson said you can't consider yourself a petrolhead till you've owned an alfa.....mine was a 164

[@MadIIMike]

The battery placement looks like it's gonna be quite a experience to jumpstart in winter...^^

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Brilliant comment... and of course correct!! 😂😂

[@liamcorrigan3158]

It’s also fun if your boot lock is broken so the only way to open it is with the secret button in the glovebox and then the battery dies. Ask me how I know…

[@MattyBrad]

Trickle charge year round mate.

[@MattyBrad]

@@liamcorrigan3158 Secret button? I'm going searching

[@NEWEXODUSFILMS]

Ironically this happened to me in the first winter last year. Was actually quite Easy. Since then i've boosted quite a few cars which when the roof is down is very easy.

[@autoazure]

Speaking as an auld, Scottish engineer, car freak! These are exceptionally well built compared to most of the present day, disposable rubbish! Required proper maintainance, that's all! I have owned 2 of these so I am not talking pish!

[@yavoryankov2472]

Both not working windows and the not opening windows are easy and cheap DIY fix, shame to the owner that keeps the car like that...

[@holbeckghyll4997]

not working AND not opening?

[@kelvynmoore4882]

Had one of these on a 2000 facelifted 'W' from new. 2.0 TS silver with black leather. Glorious in many ways, but so let down in others. I'm afraid all the reports you hear about poor Alfa quality were true of mine. I so wish I could say otherwise and tell you it was fault-free, but I can't. How about being delivered with only one of the three brake lights working? Or parts of the protective plastic wrapping on the leather still being there on delivery. Within months it was stalling intermittently at traffic lights and T-junctions. It would restart OK, but Alfa never managed to fix that. The central locking locked me in on several occasions too and wouldn’t release. Thankfully being a young lad at the time, climbing out of the window was an option. The final straw happened when most of the buttons on the central console fell into the dash when I pressed the hazard switch. The list really does go on. Have I dared have another Alfa since? No, sadly I'm not brave enough. Pity really.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

That’s an impressive list!!!! And shocking. How could they not fix the cutting out?!

[@kelvynmoore4882]

@@GeoffBuysCars Classic intermittent Italian electrics I guess. On the upside, I'll remember the many long trips to, and around Cornwall. Plus, everyone wanted to have a go in it or asked me about it. Can't really say the same of the German cars that followed its departure. I hope the Geoff follower continues to enjoy it.

[@joseluisvillafane1636]

Pues me parece que te inventas estas historias que escribes. ...claro luego hablas de los coches alemanes... Yo tengo un Alfa Romeo GTV desde el año 2001 y ni un fallo de todo eso que tú dices tener...pero tampoco de otra cosa..si se cuidan los coches ..no hay fallos si se tratan como un carro de vacas ya no lo sé .. Creo que eres un mentiroso sin más

[@rogeropie189]

Thanks you so much , you portrayed it beautifully

[@Lot76CARS]

Perfect Geoff car, cheap, cheerful, runs and drives just a few of the electronics are a bit temperamental😂

[@GeoffBuysCars]

It’s proper Geoff this isn’t it!!

[@matthewstone1920]

Just seen you on Lotus Eaters... Mine is fucked bodily but the electric roof and windows work... Just. Fantastic cars, mine is 2.0 twinny 1995 with 150k miles.

[@karenmurray3098]

i could fix that door in a minet, the door handel needs a spring and the cable has stretched and just needs a shim to make it work like new and that radio is an after market one . i love my 1999 alfa spider the handeling is scalpel sharp and there is nothing better than a drive on a summers day with the top down . yes these cars have there problems but phase one cars are now over 20 years old. tel me of a 20 yrar old car that looks this good ?

[@Ph3NiX80]

If you are not driving the V6 3.0L 24V Busso engine....than youìre missing some nice sounding car.

[@CavalierLiberty]

Is there no proper boot in that scoot? What's all the space behind top cover panel?

[@SafeRaceregularity]

😂 love my one I race my on the track and she is 1998 twin spark 2L from Melbourne Australia

[@crazyforcars]

What a nice little shitbox. Had so much fun seeing the video. One correction: the car shown at 5:51 is not a BMW, it's definitely a Mercedes.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

I’m amazed you’re the only to spot this. When I was thinking of a good example of a car with a full width brake light I never considered the Benz, only in edit...!

[@gelaendewagenat]

Just take a look a the Operator's Manual 🤣: Closin' the roof is an easy job - but only if you know how it's been done correctly.

[@rizzrazz]

Alfa GTV spiders are great cars, but this one is a bit of a lemon for £1800! I'd not pay more than a grand for that

[@GeoffBuysCars]

It has some... ‘quirks’ 😂😂

[@paultrueman6700]

Off to autotrader to look at cheap Alfa's 😂

[@vintagepipesnightmares]

Ill take the brand new Z4 in a second

[@yaroslavbozhdynsky]

Later seats were MOMO.