I'm about to park my Alfa for the winter and roll the Saab out, so it's time to decide what exactly my goals for the Alfa are.
It's a 1989 Spider "Quadrifoglio," the top spec model at the time. It has been a lovely summer daily driver, and is a lot of fun. The previous owner also put a lot of money into it, and it has full poly bushings, Koni yellows on Vick springs, fully modernized cooling system, reupholstered seats, etc etc. With some relatively minor rust repair and some interior work, it would be a pretty valuable car.
The problem is that I crave HPDE time and the Alfa isn't legal. Hardtops are as rare as hen's teeth, and they are ugly and expensive anyways. All bolt-in roll bars available for the car don't fit under the convertible top. I could have one made, but at 6'3" I'm looking at a set of racing buckets in addition to hammering the floor down for something that would fit under the top; I'm also hurting the value of the car to purists.
I paid $2k for it and with the work I've done, in addition to the interior restoration that's getting done this winter (already have the parts) I could probably get 2-3x that for it and just buy another X1/9 or MR2 turbo or maybe even a C4 Vette or Boxster. At the same time I do genuinely love the car and it is my favorite roadster so far, but making it trackable is a bit of an uphill battle for something slower than a Miata - and I could undoubtedly turn a large profit by flipping it. On the other hand building it as a track car would be pretty unique, and it's not like I have a super valuable Duetto or anything; plus, the suspension has already been done for me.
What do y'all think?
Especially given how tall you are, if I were you I'd look for something else to track. I think if you try to convert what seems to be a nice Spider into a track car you'll end up with a lot of custom work (read: expensive) and still a somewhat suboptimal result.
Duke
PowerDork
10/6/12 7:56 p.m.
From everything I have seen, roadsters are starting a long decline in allowability for HDPE. some clubs don't even let them run, even with a rollbar.
Given your height, and the broomstick rule, and your potential profiting the Alfa, I respectfully submit the thing to do is sell it and pick up something more track-ready. You have qualified as a true petrol head by owning it. So enjoy the experience a while longer, and pass it on in the spring.
not too many good looking alfas left anyway....
Sell the Saab & find a dual purpose winter-beater/track car? 
Yeah, ok. I know that's a stretch, given that you actually see pretty heavy snow up there regularly... At the very least, you'd have to do a complete suspension swap-out twice a year. Though if you could find a used production-class rally car, you might be able to make it serve both purposes without spending a fortune.
Seriously, if this car really is "the one", don't sell it, and don't hack it up. You may not get a chance to replace it. I'd suggest you be a bit more patient and wait until your situation allows for a track-day toy.
ddavidv
PowerDork
10/7/12 5:58 a.m.
Goodbye, Alfa. Far more valuable (and enjoyable) as a street car. Trying to make it into a track car will be an expensive exercise in frustration. Trust me, you'll grow very weary of constantly pointing by every single other car out there, because you will be the slowest car on the track. "Vintage" cars like that simply aren't at HPDE's in great numbers and it winds up being a frustrating experience for both the driver and everyone who has to pass you.
I struggled with a similar decision with a car I loved, spent lots of money and still found the experience lacking. Sold it and bought the right tool for the job and never regretted it.
