Welcome KTRAV!!
My first Spider was not my first car, but I was 17 when I got it, so I can recall the feelings at that age. (I'm a Grandpa now, and 2 of my kids tell me they want Spiders as their first cars
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)
You'll find enough info in this forum and so many helpful people I would call experts that I think you're well on your way.
remember to enjoy the car. We all like to B**ch and moan about what previous owners have done to our cars... but right now, this is YOUR CAR. Don't let doing a job "right" keep you from driving it NOW. With your first car, my advice is: "Good-enough is Good-enough". Drive it. you'll fall in love every time you do. And then you can buy a 2nd one to fix "right".

I'm no Boy-Racer..... but if I can't take every on-ramp at TWICE the posted limit.... I'm a total failure!