Barchetta V's Spider
Discussion
Would you get a "classic" shape Spider for that money? If yes I'd go with that, if it's between the more recent Alfa & the Barchetta I'd take the Fiat, although seem to remember that insurance expensive on the Fiat?
Edited to say- based purely on preference as I've never driven or been in either.
Edited to say- based purely on preference as I've never driven or been in either.
Edited by TCEvo on Tuesday 17th June 21:03
For £2500 you will get a far better Barchetta than Spider, whether its an 80s Series 3 or a 90s Twin Spark 916 series.
In my opinion having sold about a dozen of each over the last 8 years I believe the Barchetta to be more fun to drive, the handling is sharper and scuttle shake less noticeable. They do need a sports exhaust though to equal the sound of a twin spark. The Alfa is more of a cruiser than the Fiat, but it counters that by being just as impractical as the Fiat, albeit you can't get the Fiat in RHD.
I would say the Alfa is better built, but not by much, check the hood on the Barchetta as most will have had a replacement by now and some of the after market hoods are a poor fit. Alfa hoods seem to last longer. They both suffer from noisy cam variators although this isn't a costly repair, approx £250 if doing a cambelt service at the same time.
Best thing to do as always is drive a couple as only you can ultimately decide.
In my opinion having sold about a dozen of each over the last 8 years I believe the Barchetta to be more fun to drive, the handling is sharper and scuttle shake less noticeable. They do need a sports exhaust though to equal the sound of a twin spark. The Alfa is more of a cruiser than the Fiat, but it counters that by being just as impractical as the Fiat, albeit you can't get the Fiat in RHD.
I would say the Alfa is better built, but not by much, check the hood on the Barchetta as most will have had a replacement by now and some of the after market hoods are a poor fit. Alfa hoods seem to last longer. They both suffer from noisy cam variators although this isn't a costly repair, approx £250 if doing a cambelt service at the same time.
Best thing to do as always is drive a couple as only you can ultimately decide.
You're going to get a shed of a spider at that budget, pre-98 with the bland interior. Ignore the previous comment about speed - the spider is quicker than the barchetta, although there's not vast differences in it.
If you can live with the lhd, then at that price the barchetta is better as any spider you buy will probably end up costing you several grand a year until it's sorted.
If you can live with the lhd, then at that price the barchetta is better as any spider you buy will probably end up costing you several grand a year until it's sorted.
wadgebeast said:
You're going to get a shed of a spider at that budget, pre-98 with the bland interior. Ignore the previous comment about speed - the spider is quicker than the barchetta, although there's not vast differences in it.
If you can live with the lhd, then at that price the barchetta is better as any spider you buy will probably end up costing you several grand a year until it's sorted.
I was led to believe that in real world driving the barchetta was slightly quicker, due largely to the fact that it is 300kg lighter, however there is probably little in it and the spider has a slightly higher top speed.If you can live with the lhd, then at that price the barchetta is better as any spider you buy will probably end up costing you several grand a year until it's sorted.
MonkeyMatt said:
for the replies!
Anyone on here own either of these vehicles as it would be interesting to know what they are like day to day!
I had a barchetta for 2 years, as I said above it was fun to drive and generally reliable, it was cheap to run apart from expensive insurance.Anyone on here own either of these vehicles as it would be interesting to know what they are like day to day!
It was comfortable and fine for long runs apart from the fact that it was a bit noisy but it had a DTR stainless exhaust which was rather boomy.
My one had an after market mohair roof which was far better than the Fiat one, early cars had issues with the roof getting caught up in the mechanism so watch for that.
The LHD was not a problem most of the time, it was only an issue when overtaking large vehicles on country roads.
All in all it was a great wee car and I still miss it.
lots of info here
http://www.fiatbarchetta.com/
Edited by Pooh on Wednesday 18th June 18:14
I have had my barchetta for over 2 years now and I drive it everyday.
I've gotten use to it being a LHD and don't consider this to be a problem, even in car parks.
Mechanically its been fine, there are a few issues to look out for like the variator noise and freezing handbrake in the winter but nothing has been able to stop the enjoyment of driving such a fun car.
If you want more info on this go to www.fiatforum.com and find the barchetta section, we are a nice bunch of people on there.(As they are on here too)
I've gotten use to it being a LHD and don't consider this to be a problem, even in car parks.
Mechanically its been fine, there are a few issues to look out for like the variator noise and freezing handbrake in the winter but nothing has been able to stop the enjoyment of driving such a fun car.
If you want more info on this go to www.fiatforum.com and find the barchetta section, we are a nice bunch of people on there.(As they are on here too)
I've got a spider that I use everyday, but it's a 99 and I paid 5 k for it. For 2.5k, you're looking at cloth interior, black dash, high mileage, manual roof and wear and tear.
I happily use mine everyday, but they're not the cheapest of cars for parts. Plenty of room in them, the handling on a good one is sublime (fancy rear suspension) and it's a very pretty car.
But I think if you bought one at your budget, you'll end up disappointed. The barchetta is a safer bet at that price.
I happily use mine everyday, but they're not the cheapest of cars for parts. Plenty of room in them, the handling on a good one is sublime (fancy rear suspension) and it's a very pretty car.
But I think if you bought one at your budget, you'll end up disappointed. The barchetta is a safer bet at that price.
I was faced with the same dilemma last year on exactly the same budget and spent a good month doing my homework, eventually I bought a Barchetta and have not regretted one moment of it!
Initially I fell in love with the Alfa however after looking at about half a dozen in my price range realised that I was going to struggle to get anything with less than space shuttle mileage and a very basic trim, plus they seemed to suffer from rust a lot more than the b.
After about 6 weeks of searching I finally found this (on eBay) advertised for 3.5k, finally managed to get it for 2.9k (slightly over budget but I am sure you agree it was worth it).
The b's are very well priced and I can only think its because they are all left hookers (hence group 19 insurance). They are an excellent car to live with on a day to day basis with the only obvious drawback being car park barriers! Boot is a good size for a 2 seater, they are reasonably well equip - if you get a model with a 'comfort pack' you get leather, leccy mirrors, leather steering wheel etc.
Although the insurance is group 19 they don't cost too much to insure, my wife and I (both 35) are insured fully comp with a total loss a year ago for £280 a year, in general expect to pay between £300-£500 for fully comp.
The best bit about the b is how it drives! It is very light and enthusiastic, it is fitted with a VVTI engine so at 3.5k rpm you get a little extra (and a noise to die for!!), it handles extremely well and is VERY 'flickable'. They are all 130 bhp as standard but an induction kit and stainless steel exhaust will see you 140-150 with a re-map!
I have owned lots of cars in the past and have to say that the b is the only car to put a smile on my face EVERY time I drive it!
If you are in the Thames Valley I would be more than happy to take you out for a spin, if you do decide to go for one let me know as I will happily give you a list of things to look for - in fact I helped a chap buy a b earlier this year!
It is also worth mentioning how easy the Barchetta is to modify, I have fitted lower Eibach 'progressive' springs, induction kit (brining it from 130-140 bhp), fast road grooved discs and pads, strut brace and a host of other bits - all of the above work I was able to do myself. Parts are easily available as the engine was also fitted to the HGT Punto as were the brakes etc.
I am not going to have a pop at the Alfa 'cos I also really love them however chatting to a couple of spider owners at the ACE Cafe I get the impression that they are a bit more temperamental than the b and are not quite as 'sporty' in terms of ride!
Oh, and finally - the lines, there is not an angle that the b does not look good from - despite being almost 10 years old it still gets a lot of attention wherever I go!!
Initially I fell in love with the Alfa however after looking at about half a dozen in my price range realised that I was going to struggle to get anything with less than space shuttle mileage and a very basic trim, plus they seemed to suffer from rust a lot more than the b.
After about 6 weeks of searching I finally found this (on eBay) advertised for 3.5k, finally managed to get it for 2.9k (slightly over budget but I am sure you agree it was worth it).
The b's are very well priced and I can only think its because they are all left hookers (hence group 19 insurance). They are an excellent car to live with on a day to day basis with the only obvious drawback being car park barriers! Boot is a good size for a 2 seater, they are reasonably well equip - if you get a model with a 'comfort pack' you get leather, leccy mirrors, leather steering wheel etc.
Although the insurance is group 19 they don't cost too much to insure, my wife and I (both 35) are insured fully comp with a total loss a year ago for £280 a year, in general expect to pay between £300-£500 for fully comp.
The best bit about the b is how it drives! It is very light and enthusiastic, it is fitted with a VVTI engine so at 3.5k rpm you get a little extra (and a noise to die for!!), it handles extremely well and is VERY 'flickable'. They are all 130 bhp as standard but an induction kit and stainless steel exhaust will see you 140-150 with a re-map!
I have owned lots of cars in the past and have to say that the b is the only car to put a smile on my face EVERY time I drive it!
If you are in the Thames Valley I would be more than happy to take you out for a spin, if you do decide to go for one let me know as I will happily give you a list of things to look for - in fact I helped a chap buy a b earlier this year!
It is also worth mentioning how easy the Barchetta is to modify, I have fitted lower Eibach 'progressive' springs, induction kit (brining it from 130-140 bhp), fast road grooved discs and pads, strut brace and a host of other bits - all of the above work I was able to do myself. Parts are easily available as the engine was also fitted to the HGT Punto as were the brakes etc.
I am not going to have a pop at the Alfa 'cos I also really love them however chatting to a couple of spider owners at the ACE Cafe I get the impression that they are a bit more temperamental than the b and are not quite as 'sporty' in terms of ride!
Oh, and finally - the lines, there is not an angle that the b does not look good from - despite being almost 10 years old it still gets a lot of attention wherever I go!!
I had a Barchetta for 9 years, one of the first in the country and 113th off the production line.
I loved this little car. I used it regularly for 2 years and then it got promoted to weekend/fun car only, which helped preserve it.
bodywork and finish was to be applauded, however the plastic bits like boot release were constantly snapping.
The engine was reliable and always punchy. This car never ever let me down.
.....apart from when I tried driving underneath a BMW on the M1, but that was my fault!
I loved this little car. I used it regularly for 2 years and then it got promoted to weekend/fun car only, which helped preserve it.
bodywork and finish was to be applauded, however the plastic bits like boot release were constantly snapping.
The engine was reliable and always punchy. This car never ever let me down.
.....apart from when I tried driving underneath a BMW on the M1, but that was my fault!
trumpet600 said:
I had a Barchetta for 9 years, one of the first in the country and 113th off the production line.
I loved this little car. I used it regularly for 2 years and then it got promoted to weekend/fun car only, which helped preserve it.
bodywork and finish was to be applauded, however the plastic bits like boot release were constantly snapping.
The engine was reliable and always punchy. This car never ever let me down.
.....apart from when I tried driving underneath a BMW on the M1, but that was my fault!
I loved this little car. I used it regularly for 2 years and then it got promoted to weekend/fun car only, which helped preserve it.
bodywork and finish was to be applauded, however the plastic bits like boot release were constantly snapping.
The engine was reliable and always punchy. This car never ever let me down.
.....apart from when I tried driving underneath a BMW on the M1, but that was my fault!
Good fo taking your GF out on a pre shag date too.!!! lol
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