Let me tell you once and for all,
spares are no problem for your Alfa Romeo. There are lots of
vendors and sources on the web. Try Google for instance. The
tricky part might instead be to find the Alfa you are looking
for.
When the first Spider, named the
Duetto in a competition, was launched at the 1966 Geneva Motor
Show, it attracted a mixed reception. BTW, Alfa Romeo never
launched the Spider under this name, they only used Alfa Romeo
1600 Spider in the official sales material. The name Duetto
was abandoned by Alfa, there was a biscuit! with the same name
and Volvo had a delivery van with a similar name, the Duett in
the 60's. Many spectators felt that the Pininfarina-designed
body missed the mark. But everybody agreed the new Alfa drove
delightfully. Its 1,6-liter alloy engine and sharp handling
were universally praised.

A year later in 1967, the Duetto
became the legendary 1750 Spider Veloce, when it was given the
1779 cc engine used in the GTV and, in 1968, it was joined by
the identical 1,3 liter 1300 Spider Junior. Round-tailed rear
end of early Spiders considered by most to be the more
desirable. Even with the optional hardtop fitted, the car
still retains its elegant lines. In 1970, both versions
received a re-styled rump, the rounded attractive round-tail
being replaced by a sharply cut off Kamm-tail.
In 1971 the Spider got the sweet
2-liter Alfa engine which it retains today. The name was now
Spider 2000. UK imports of the Spider ceased in 1977 while
most production was diverted to the insatiable American
market, besotted with images of Dustin Hoffman behind the
wheel in The Graduate. However, in the UK Bell & Colvill
began to import Spiders from 1983 onwards, converting cars to
right-hand drive. As of July 1990, the Spider once again was
available direct from Alfa Romeo.
The Spider has been a classic hit for
several years. The combination of the syllables in "Alfa
Romeo", coupled with the rarity of any affordable open
sports cars from this era, makes the Spider irresistible.
In today's market, even the best of
the early Spiders and Duetto is unlikely to exceed £ 12 -
15.000, and reasonable cars can be picked up for half that
figure. But, inevitably, there are pitfalls awaiting the
aspiring Spider owner, who must be certain not to be blinded
by the undoubted charms of this smooth Italian. As with most
Alfas, the biggest single enemy is rust. True, the Spider is
not afflicted to the same extent as the Alfetta or the
Alfasud, but compared to other metal-clad cars, the Spider is
a body just itching dissolve. Alfas need to be driven
regularly since they do not deal well with sitting.
The problem stems from Alfa Romeo's
rather feeble attempts at rust prevention. Pininfarina
assembled the bodies before given a primer coat, so that areas
unexposed to the spraying machinery were left bare and
unprotected.
Keeping a Spider garaged or car
covered always pays off.. Just storing it outside and not
driven it will sooner or later cause rust, electrical problems
etc. Water pools and muck and everything, you know what I
mean. . . Trouble ahead if so!
The best advice when checking an Alfa
is therefore; make sure that the bodywork is sound. Go to the
service-station and lift the car so you can examine it from
every angle. Mechanically, any problem can be sorted out
fairly simply, but a rotten body is a lousy project.

The bottom six inches of the bodywork should be thoroughly
checked. Often, small signs of corrosion on the outside of the
car might indicate serious trouble on inner panels. The inner
sills are structural on the Spider body, and corrode very
badly. If they are damaged, the remedial work is expensive, as
the wings have to be chopped and new pieces fabricated when
the inner sills are replaced. The cost of those might be high.
Check www.highwoodalfa.com for panels
and parts. It is important to control all around the sill
areas. Do not forget the wheel arches, which sometimes are
notorious water-traps, the entire floor including the boot,
plus the front cross-member underneath the radiator. Watch out
for patch-up jobs using bridging pieces of metal to disguise
more serious corrosion elsewhere.
Very poor Spiders can be made to look
great cosmetically, and fetch a high price on the strength of
that. But still, it's the underneath that counts. What may
look like superficial rust bubbling could mean that the inner
section is badly corroded. Peeling back the rubber mats at the
door base can reveal a rotten inner sill wall. Check seat
runners, they can indicate a rotting floor too.
Another rust area is the front jacking
point. If this is gone, the crucial inner sill is also likely
to be rusted. Any plating preventing a look at the inner sill
around the jacking point is bad news. Lift the carpets to
check the floor, inspect the inner sills from the cockpit, and
check the seat sliders for rust.
On Duetto and Spiders, the Round-tail
rear tends to be a vulnerable to attacs of the orange enemy,
rust. Replacement panels are available, but might make a big
hole in your wallet. Sometimes, the rear wings are close to
impossible to find, but don't give up. Try the vendors on the
web.