Driving Your Alfa Spider - Alfa Romeo 1966 to 1994 Spider Faq

seldom purchased. Because of this, your sources will almost certainly be far, far better than
theirs. An example from my own experience: my "74 Spider was once hit very hard in the rear (as
I said, people love running into these cars, crumple zone worked as advertised). After two weeks,
the adjuster called and told me used body panels were "impossible to find„. After getting off the
phone with him and making three calls, I had an entire rear body shell purchased total time: 15
minutes.
If the insurance company is undervaluing the car (a very likely occurrence), whether you want it
fixed or not, you will have to fight them. And make no mistake, you can fight them. By reading
your policy very carefully you will be fully aware of your arbitration options. If you disagree with
the company, say so and ask to enter the arbitration process. They can"t say no to you. By
keeping receipts religiously, you have a documented, official record that the car was maintained
properly and in good condition. Any improvements (rust repair, major mechanical repair) will
also be documented and must be included in any value estimate. You will have the high ground,
as they say. Many times, if you are really that well prepared, the adjuster will be so intimidated
he or she will agree rather quickly to substantially raise the offered settlement.
However, if you do go into arbitration, be aware that you have probably now irritated a very
large, very rich bureaucracy. Some insurance companies will assume that you are trying to cheat
them, and do their very best to wear you down. This means never returning your calls, taking the
absolute longest time to do anything, putting you off when you do call, and sometimes other, less
subtle tactics. TAKE HEART! You aren"t trying to cheat them; you just want what"s right. Be
pigheaded about it. Never, ever take no for an answer. Always be polite, but always be firm. The
bad news is, it will probably take three to six months to settle. The good new is, you will win.
Be wary of having the car totaled and then buying it back from the insurance company (usually
for a 25% deduction on your settlement). Many states require a notice that the car has been
totaled to be printed on the title. Needless to say, this will slay the resale value of your car, even
to another Alfisti. Repair first, salvage last.
I don"t mean to be discouraging. However, I have found in both my own experience and from my
conversations with others that, of all aspects of automobile ownership, people know the very
least about insurance. In some respects this is probably a conscious conspiracy on the part of at
least some insurance companies what you don"t know helps them. In other respects insurance
companies are sincerely trying to help you out in the same way they help out thousands of car
owners every year. It"s not their fault you treat your Spider better than members of your
immediate family. Be careful, realize that insurance companies are one of the top three
employers of both lobbyists and lawyers (just like the administrators of any successful protection
racket), and always assume that you are right and they are wrong. Remember, there"s no such
thing as a car that just can"t be fixed.

Driving Your Alfa Spider

It has been said that every Alfa is a race car. This actually isn"t much of an exaggeration. Alfa has
a long, deep, and successful history of racing in many different classes, and the cars they
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