Looking for buyer's advice

[CASAPilot]

I've just started the process of looking for a Spider, I've found some promising ads, none particularly close to me, so I'm looking to avoid a situation where I drive a few hours each way to look at a car that I would've known to walk away from had I asked the right questions of the seller beforehand. I know I should ask about the basics (ownership history, garaged or outside, summer car or daily driver) and I've been told some Spider-specific items (floor rust, quarter-panel rust, rocker rust, front crossmember bolts). I'm not looking for a perfect car, just one that starts and drives at a minimum; one of the main reasons I'm interested in one is getting a chance to get my hands dirty. But I do want to avoid any problems that are a death-sentence or not worth fixing. What should I ask before I go see the car, what should I ask while I'm looking at the car? Would a standard PPI be useful or should I be looking for someone with model-specific expertise for a PPI? I'm very excited to start this journey, and while I may seem to be in over my head I believe that is the best way to learn!

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I think your best option would be to find someone familiar with spiders, that would be willing to tag along as you look at possible purchases. If such a person is not available, here's how I would approach it.

Everything mechanical can be fixed, but in some cases the cost might be prohibitive. Poorly running engines are usually straightforward to address, but engines with deep internal knocking sounds are going to be problematic. Transmission work can be expensive, so I'd shy away from cars that pop out of gear, grind gears when you shift, or have excessive noise in general. Really noisy or vibration-prone rear axles or drivetrains could also be a sign of needed work, potentially pricey. Cars that pull to one side when driving is another warning sign. Pulling when braking is fairly common on spiders that have sat for a while, and is fairly easy to fix, but a car that pulls heavily to one side when driving likely has issues.

Minor body issues like dents and surface rust are OK, but deep rust on the front shock towers would be a deal-breaker for me. In fact, rust around the front suspension, crossmember, frame rails, etc. could be very expensive to fix. Same with the attachment points for the rear axles: shock towers, locating rods, etc.

I think people generally underestimate what it costs to fix up the interior of the spiders. Yes, virtually everything is available, and seats can be reupholstered, but if you start adding up what it costs to replace dashboards, gauges, consoles, carpets, seats, door panels, trim pieces, etc, etc, you will soon be looking at many thousands of dollars.

Wheels: try and find a spider with a decent set of wheels and tires. If you need to replace them, you're looking at $1,000 at a minimum, and $2,000 and up for good stuff.

Brakes: Not too expensive to fix, and almost all the work can be done yourself. So, don't be dissuaded by a great car with weak brakes. That can be fixed.

I think what you want is a relatively rust-free spider with faded paint, a good interior, and with an engine and drivetrain that sound OK.

-Bryan

[CASAPilot]

Thank you for all this very helpful advice! Seems like 90% of the Spiders up for sale are rusting from the inside out unfortunately. But I will keep up an aggressive hunt until I find a relatively rust-free one within my budget!