Spider vs. Spider:

[thechadzone]

I just finished a 250 mile round trip from Eugene, Oregon to the coastal town of Newport (Oregon) in my '69 124 Spider. It was a good day for it, and I got some damn nice Highway 101 top down action in. The car did very well, and I'm amazed that I was able to get it above 100 MPH without feeling like I was going to launch a piston through the hood. It has an '80 2 liter in it with the 1800 head conversion, and a weber 32-36 DFEV carburetor.

Is it faster than my 2 liter dual carbed Alfa Spider?

I can't tell! I also don't have a willing participant to race me in my other car. I jumped into my Alfa right after I got back from the coast to get a better feel for the differences between the two cars, and it seems to me that my Fiat Spider accelerates quicker and revs up quicker, but for some reason I'm having a hard time trusting my impressions of the two cars because of my bias toward my beloved '69 Fiat. I also don't have a working speedo in the Alfa...

Do any of y'all also own these two cars? I'm looking for other people's driving impressions of the two Spiders. I do think that the Alfa is a more sophicated car and I love it, but I also think that the Fiat is more fun overall. The Fiat also sounds better, despite the Alfa's Weber DCOE set-up. Both cars have Monza twin tip exhaust systems. The Alfa drifts more predictably than the Fiat does, but the Fiat seems to have more low end torque to initiate a drift. TheAlfa is more stable at high speeds than theFiat is, but the Fiat is more exhilerating (for me) to drive at five grand in fifth.

I know were all a bit biased here at fiatspider.com, but I wanna know what y'all have to say. Thanks in advance...

[So Cal Mark]

seems to me the Alfa is rated about 20hp higher than the Fiat. Interesting comparison though

[mdrburchette]

I don't own an Alfa and have never driven one. Do you know if the two cars weigh the same? I know my 72 is just over 2k lbs and it's a quick and nimble little thing. Also, I noticed when I had a Holley carb installed it had more bottom end torque but the 40 idfs gave it more umpf on the top end.

[mbouse]

I also don't have a willing participant to race me in my other car.

hell, i'll do it. Which one do i get to drive?

[speedracer]

I've never driven an Alfa spider, but I have driven a TR6. Like the Alfa, the TR6 has more HP and I'm sure more torque than the Fiat, yet it didn't really feel as quick as my 79 Fiat, which is stock except for the pollution junk being stripped off and a better exhaust.

I do know that the TR6 is bigger than the Fiat and you can sense the size of it. It also has a straight 6 cyl. engine which is not nearly as free revving as the dual overhead cam engine in the Fiats, so I think for those two reasons the Fiat just felt quicker. I'm quite sure in a quarter mile dual - a very slow dual! - the TR6 would best the Fiat, but I don't think it would feel that quick. So in my comparison, I also give the nod to the Fiat for being quick and nimble.

Maybe it's the same with the Alfa?