Alfa Pages

[NikolaiV]

Gdday all, I`m the current owner of a 1994 Legacy GT sedan, which unfortunetely has to be sold, due to the poor fuel consumption.

I have my eye on a 1985 Alfa 33 1.5Ti cloverleaf. My question is this? In terms of driving enjoyment, am I doing the right thing, I mean i took the alfa for a quick drive and it was fun, but comparing it to a 280hp, awd legacy is a big ask. I love the look of the Alfa, but what is the opinion of you experienced alfa owners? Twin Turbo Legacy or 1.5litres of Italian Boxer?

As an aside, am I better off looking at the later model injected cars, or are the earlier ones okay? (I have rebuilt/restored several landrovers and other horrible british cars, so I quite enjoy working on cars

Cheers, nick

[Ian M]

You should get the 33 but the 1.7 has more horses under the bonnet.
A 1.7 QV would be a better bet if you can find one
The later series 3 models are more user friendly with power steering etc
A 1.7ie is a good drive but if you want real fun its got to be the 16v which will hold its own with almost anything on the road
_________________
Presntly own
Red Abarth 500c

[Ben_nz]

The earlier 33s are good, they're pretty simple and it sounds like you won't have trouble working on one yourself.

I have a friend who until recently owned a (version 5?) Impreza WRX STi. He got into my 33 and wondered why the pedals were offset over to the left, he couldn't find the ignition, wondered why the key turned the wrong way, why the car wouldn't start without your foot on the accelerator, why the gearstick shook around etc, and that's before he started driving. I don't think he got it. I think he owned his Impreza because he was a bit of a technophile, and he wanted to go/stop/handle better than anyone else.
Make sure you know what you're getting yourself in for, going from a modern rocketship to what is basically a 'character car'. The carburetted 33s seem to act like even older cars than they are, idling a bit rough, backfiring and carrying on.. Don't expect a useful ventilation system, don't ask why they put the clock there or why you can't open the boot from the outside, don't be surprised if it leaks and doesn't start in the rain, develops strange problems to keep your weekends busy etc. It won't go/stop/handle as well as your Legacy either.

There's no rational reason (except maybe fuel consumption and theft risk) that you'd pick the 33 over the Legacy.
Nobody you show the car to is gonna see the 33 as an upgrade.
You have to just like it, to enjoy running round in your slightly absurd Italian sportscar cliche when your friends wonder if you're nuts. And then once you get attached to it you might spend more money than it saves you on fuel!

If you're considering that 33, check it for rust and make sure there's no major cracks in the body or chassis rails around the area where the steering arms pass through from the engine bay. Then cancel your appointments for the next few weekends and have fun!

[gritsop]

Hi,

I would like to add a few lines to what our friend Ben wrote.

Alfa Romeo is a "dogma" or "legendary" car make, rather than a usual one whose purpose is transportation from a place to another.

Alfa Romeo means direct communication of the car to the driver where every little thing "passes" to the driver. That's why you can fell the special character that each Alfa has, including the disadvantages that exist.

Also keep in mind that, at least in Greece, Alfas have friends rating from 18 years old till ?0

I have heard of car make fans having Owners Clubs like Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Triumph, Mini, 2CV but not Mercedes, BMW, Seat or Volkswagen.
This, I think makes a difference and tells a lot.


Regards,
_________________
Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

[NikolaiV]

Thanks for the advice... A question for teh NZ alfisti here, what is a fair price to offer for it?
Its the QV model w/ the recaros, sunroof, leather wheel, electric windows etc. It has the zender bodykit, w/ spoiler and driving lights and 14" speedline telephone dial wheels. It also has a $700 alpine cd headunit.
110km on the clock, been with the previous owner for the last 60km (he owns a tractor dealership/workshop so its been looked after - oil changes every 5km) Was his wifes car.
It has NO RUST anywhere, and drives straight. He after around 2k, is that reasonable? aside from the weathered paint, and a small tear in the drivers arecaro, its mint. Your advice is appreciated... Cheers

[Ben_nz]

$2000 sounds okay to me.. sounds like the car has got all the extras and that there are no obvious areas which require attention. Asking prices for the old shape Alfa 33s seem to range from a couple of hundred bucks up to about $3000-ish (for a nice 1.7QV), depending on what part of the country you're in.

Most old 33s are at the stage where they're finally falling to bits and failing warrants, and you'll see a lot of dodgy ones going for 'parts car' prices. The older 33s with some life left might be lucky and fetch a few grand, if the seller can find a buyer. Most of the sellers like their cars and think the prestige of the Alfa badge means they can ask a good price, but your average cheap car buyer would rather have a Toyota Corolla.
So there seems to be some value in the well-maintained QV 33s but the rest go for very little. People who know how to fix cars could probably grab a bargain.

One seller of a black 1.5TI 33 I looked at a year ago (but didn't buy) was upgrading to a Subaru Legacy because he said he needed something reliable for his new job!

What made this 33 catch your eye? Coming from a modern vehicle with aircon, ABS, fuel injection, power steering etc why pick a cheap old Italian car as a replacement? Just interested.

[Eddie W]

Hi NIck, I would have thought 2K is top dollar for an "85, however it does have the extras of the audio and the body kit which is quite rare in NZ. (Could you post a pic of the car?) I have a Zender bodykit for my daughters S2 1.7 which is nearly ready to go on. I had it fitted in white primer and the attention it got was quite remarkable.
Anyway back to your car prospect, I find the factory recaro seats a bit disappointing in terms of location when pushing hard and wound up putting some others in daughters wheels with more upper body location. The factory seats are also prone to material wear and the outside cushion on the drivers side collapsing. This can be rectified to a certain extent by swapping for the pasengers one . Easy to do and, in my opinion, actually makes the adjuster more accessible. Power windows are standard.
Personally I would agree with Gritsop that the pleasure of driving a 33 comes from the feeling that you are an integral part of the car and not just a passenger. I have found them very forgiving and ,contrary to some other Alfisti, not at all prone to FWD understeer except on low speed roundabouts which isn't surprising as a lot of RWD will do the same. For the seriously brave I guess that left foot braking would cure this.
A rust free '85 is a rare animal indeed and I would check very closely for any signs of paint touchup around the rear wheel arches,bottom of the rear window and the sills. Also the section of inner guard between the screen and the strut mount area.
Sure they require a reasonable amount of maintainance but they are an older car now and the cost reflects this allowing a budget for the purpose.
With my '86 1500 I did a mild head cleanup and mod at rebuild time and it is very little if any slower than our 1700s.
Check whether it has solid or vented rotors as the venteds are a nice upgrade when combined with decent pads.
If you fit decent directionals such as Grid 3s or equivalent I think you will find the grip more than adequate.( Doubling speed signs is easy wet or dry and trebling is possible also)
Must sign off now as" senior management" has some jobs for me.
Regards Eddie
_________________
A LITTLE FURTHER A LITTLE FASTER