Alfa Romeo 1966 to 1994 Spider Faq page 39

more difficult. The dashes stayed the same from 1970 all the way to the model"s phase-out in
1994. On cars without air conditioning, the side panels of the center console are interchangeable
until at least the introduction of the Series 4 cars.
How do you lock the bloody doors on this thing from the inside?
Well, it"s usually not a great idea to lock the doors on a Spider (do you really want them to cut
your $400 top to get at your $200 radio?), but, on Series 1 and 2 cars at least, the doors are
locked from the inside by pushing the interior door handles FORWARD, rather than pulling them
back.
I want to upgrade my lap-belt-only Spider to shoulder belts from a later Spider. How
difficult is this?
At first glance it would not seem difficult at all. As has been noted above, the cars" interiors are
pretty interchangeable. It is unclear exactly when Alfa converted the Spider to a shoulder belt
system. Certainly, it was later than most of the rest of the automotive world. There is at least one
report of a Series 2a with factory shoulder belts. If this is when the transition occurs, then an
upgrade is as simple as unbolting the hardware out of a wrecked 2a and bolting it in to your
Series 2 or 1. I"ve never actually heard of anyone even attempting this conversion. This is almost
certainly because four-point aftermarket seatbelt systems are easily available and are meant to be
fit into cars not designed for them. If you want more protection in a Series 1, 2 or 2a, it is
probably a lot less trouble to fit one of these third-party four-point systems (although many, if not
all, require a rollbar to be added as well).
Recently an aftermarket kit has appeared for a three-point system that is meant to fit on the
earlier cars. I have only seen pictures of this, but it seems well designed.
What about roll bars?
Roll bars are required by most racetrack-level sporting events, and do add substantial protection
to your Alfa Spider. However, "competition„ roll bars do not allow you to put the top up (making
you safe but a bit on the damp side during a rainstorm). There are other roll bar designs that
allow you to put the top up. These provide somewhat less protection but are still better than
nothing at all. Contact your favorite Alfa parts specialist for further details. It should also be
noted that roll bars *do* alter the appearance of the car noticeably.
I... ve heard it... s a Bad Thing to run a SPICA equipped Spider completely out of gas. Is that
true?
Yes. The pump section has four tiny pistons milled to fantastically small tolerances that move up
and down inside cylinders to push fuel to the engine. The gasoline is used as a lubricant in this
area, and running a pump completely dry can be disastrous. If you start running out of gas, SHUT
IT OFF. This is also true for Bosch-equipped Spiders, where the gas is used as a coolant instead
of a lubricant.
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