Biturbo Spyder - Thoughts

[jasonc]

Hi there. Tossing up whether to buy a 91 biturbo spyder from a dealer. Car seems to be in reasonably good condition would probably get a check from McGrath before buying. A couple of things though -

1. Any common problems or issues for a new owner?

2. there is a small amount of body rust low on the driver side. Seems easily repairable. is this a car that won't cope with being left outside at all?

Thanks Jason.

[mr_tony]

not an expert on biturbos - so if I was you I'd give the guys at McGrath a call - they're everso helpful and will happily spend 20 minutes giving you the lowdown on a prospective purchase.

[shnozz]

personally I wouldn't like to keep anything other than the very recent maseratis outside, even under cover. the early 90's cars did suffer terribly from rust and the signs are this one is no exception.

[jasonc]

Thanks. that is what I thought. Best wait until i can cover it or go with a car that was more rust resistant.

[oagent]

If its left outside for a year it will be worthless basicly. Never use it in winter because 1. it will rust even quicker, and 2. you will end up exploring the countryside backwards.

Lots were autos.. best avoided.
terrible scuttleshake
look for failing turbos.. Each bank exhausts independently so hold your hand over each exhaust through the rev range and make sure you dont see more oil on one hand than the other
poor breaks etc...


but having said all that... quite good fun in a sadistic way

[IanA]

McGrath will charge you £100 (2 hours labour) to check it over. Money well spent. They are sadistic fun and when you experience your first 'teflon tyres' moment, you'll know why most of them live in their garages until the roads are nice and dry. Mine lives under a Halfrauds Tyvek cover- the medium size fits perfectly. Just don't put it on a dirty car as it will sandpaper the edges.
Bonne chance mon brave.
Ian

[andy355]

i had a biturbo once. carb not injection like the one you are looking at. injection ones are better Spyder E they were called i think. Really do get it inspected - and dont be surprised to find 2 or 3k worth of work to be done even on a good looking car. If you get a good one and its been looked after properly esp by bill mcgrath or marios at autoshield then you should be alright. These biturbos are much more difficult to service then the more modern cars. I had a ghibli (Lhd 2 liter 306 bhp) which was fantastic. I agree with comments on sideways action. Very scary and happened to me at 20mph on a roundabout in both ghibli and biturbo. I wouldnt buy anither car without traction control but maybe im a coward....
Good fun and pretty car tho. Best of luck!