Alfa Pages

[Pavel]

Hi everyone

I'm new here and I'll be looking to buy a 33 this year. I was at first hoping to get a series 3, preferably 1.7ie, but after a bit of looking, it may be a bit out of my budget to get a series 3 as they are ridiculously expensive here (i live in cyprus).

I'll still try finding a series 3, cuz every so often they come up for cheap, but I most probably wont.

There are plenty of Series 2 1.5Ti alfas for good money. What I would like to know is how much would I give up in

1) Performance
2) Fun
3) Reliability

by picking the 1.5Ti Series 2 over a

1) 1.5 series 3
2) 1.7 series 2
3) 1.7ie series 3.

Thanks!

Pavel

[Ben_nz]

The 1.5Ti series 2 is:

1.) Faster and more fun than a 1.5 series 3 (8hp more powerful, 10kg lighter?)
2.) Not as fast as a 1.7 series 2 (same weight, about 13 less hp)
3.) More fun** and almost as fast as a 1.7ie series 3 (2hp less, 10kg lighter?)

**The carburettors mean the series 2 will make cool backfiring noises. You can drive around backfiring on purpose and pretending you're a classic sportscar enthusiast, rather than someone who couldn't afford a series 3. The 1.5 carburetted engine is arguably one of the best sounding of the 33s - I took a series 1 1.5QV for a test-drive when looking to buy, gunned the 200,000km+ motor to check for smoke, and it sounded so goddamn gorgeous I couldn't believe it, I had to do it again!

You might get more trouble from the carburettors than the fuel injection (opinions, anyone?) and with an old car like that, it might need a good tune to get it producing something close to the power it used to. I had to get the floats in the carburettors of my 1.7 series 2 replaced, along with some ignition system components and the air filter, plus getting it tuned, now it goes faster. But when you give it just a little throttle, the car lurches and doesn't run smoothly. Hill starts are hard (due to different 1.7 gear ratios?) and you can't really drive with the motor doing less than 2000rpm.

Here are the 33s in order, quickest to slowest (corrections/additions?):

33 16V / P4
33 1.7QV series 2
33 1.7ie series 3
33 1.5Ti series 2
33 1.54x4 series 2
33 1.5ie series 3
33 1.3S series 2
33 1.3 series 3
33 turbodiesel

With older 33s, remember to look all over the car for rust, and check the body from the front strut towers forward for any cracking (occurs by the rubber flap where the steering arms pass from the engine bay out to the wheels, and can occur in the chassis rails..)
If you wanna bargain the owner down, complain about the first and second gear synchros being stuffed (they probably will be).. See if the steering clunks as you turn it and then check whether the car goes straight after you've just turned the wheels to full lock. Check for boot leaks and try all the electric stuff, 33s seem to be a lot of work to look after so you'll be able to find something not working.
Don't worry too much if some electrical stuff plays up or doesn't work though; you can fix that more easily than you can fix your car falling in half from rust and cracks.

[Ben_nz]

Oh yeah, I'm basing those performance figures on these two websites:
http://riemann.unica.it/~lucio/alfa/tech.htm
http://home.tiscali.be/be047705/46/performance.html
and also on the owners manual from my s2 1.7QV.

[Guest]

Thanks, thats a lot of help!

Quite a bit put off by the fact that they require maintenance like you said (the carb versions) since that is one of the reasons I am selling my current car (a mini). I don't mind tinkering with it every so often, but this needs to be a daily driver and not a project car

I think I'll try find me an injection model and if I can't find one for decent money, then I'll just get a 1.5Ti and spend the leftovers on a proper tune up!

[Buck Bundy]

I doubt rust would be much of a problem in Cyprus?

Myself, I would go for a carb'd car. Find a decent 'old school' mechanic who understands how to balance carbs properly, and you should be fine.

If you could afford a cheapish 16v, I would still avoid it as there are too many expensive problems you could encounter. You should never have too many problems with carbs. If reliability is a problem - buy a second hand pair of carbs, rebuild them (details for the 1.5Ti carbs are in the Haynes manual - plenty of cheap copies on ebay!) and keep them as a spare!

I was looking for a series 2 1.7QV when I came across my Sprint - apart from the rust I would drive my Sprint everyday (when It's finished!).

Buck
_________________
Sprint Veloce 1.5 - Ebay £310!!! (In need of TLC)

[joey]

well, dunno too much about the series 3, cos there arent many here in OZ, (however, it also uses bosch motronic 4.1 ecu), but its generally true that the carbs will give less trouble than the injection model series 2.

persoanlly, if fuel isnt a problem, or major concern i should say, i'ld go for the 1.7 series 2..

33's tend to have a few "electrical gremlins" so u dont want em affecting your EFi.. i've certainly heard more horror stroies on EFi models than carbies... including the odd one catching fire...

not good.

add to that, the 1.7 twin carbie has the most power avaiable to the 33, apart from the 16v, but is fitted to a lighter car, and has greater torque down low, and with proper tuning, could no doubt be competitve with a stock 16v.

cheers

joe

[Pavel]

Okay guys thanks for all the help but after looking around, I'm pretty decided on a 1.5Ti

They are plentiful here and cheap and fast etc. cheap insurance too!

Good choice?

I'll be test driving one soon, can you give me a few pointers what to look for when looking at different ones...

So far after reading, I know to look for rust (but not specifically where...), 2nd gear synchro and electrical problems.

After debating about carbs, I came to a conclusion. Webers dont use adjustable nuts etc, they use replaceable Jets, yes? Wouldnt that mean that the carbs only really need setting up once, since they cant just lose their settings?

I'll be able to find spares (spare carbs, engine bits etc.) rather cheap for a 1.5ti (there's one abandonned one nearby), but i rather not have to do this.

I've heard they are dogs in traffic but I don't mind revving the engine if it can take it...

Are the 1.5 engines good for revving? What mileage is good?

Thanks again

[Ben_nz]

[joey]

yup, 1.5ti is a good choice..even here in OZ they can be had for a song, and is prolly the one i would go for.. but u never kno.. could get lucky with a 1.7 for a good price...

anyway... rust? ben got most i think... but dont forget to check out bubbling around the wheel arches, and if u can, pop under the car to check out the crossmember and such, these are of course important structural pieces, and not uncommon for them to rust out. u'll most likely see the onset of rust in the windshields and under the bonnet tho...

can the 1.5 rev? u bet your sweet ass ! these are the kinds of cars that feel fast by nature, but then, blasting along with the sweet banshee-like wail of the boxer motor @ 7,000rpm will do that !

carbs? correct... once set up with mixtures they are maintainence-free, but it is critical for you to get someone that knows twin-carb set ups to properly calibrate them, otherwise it will run like a dog.

mileage? i'm not sure up where u are at.. but the best bet is to look at condition instead.. if u nab a rust free one, u're halfway there IMO... if the engine and box feels solid and the electricals behave, then you're on a winner.

boxers have been known to go 300,000km+ before requiring overhaul.