03-04-2007, 03:58 AM
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Location: SALE Victoria Australia
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Cheap Alfa 4 Sprinting ?
All,
From an Aussie perspective, what do you think would be the cheapest Alfa to buy and maintain for a bit of lighthearted sprinting. 33, 75, 116 Giulietta ?
Are 'Sud Sprints difficult maintenance-wise ? How bulletptroof is the boxer engine ?
What about a stripped-out 33 ? They are certainly plentiful and cheap.
I'm thinking that the vehicle would need to remain registerable (in Victoria), but then again I have a car trailer sitting idle...............
Think FUN  not COMPETITIVE  . Must be CHEAP as another Alfa is going to be a difficult sell at home  .
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Beatle Bayly
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03-04-2007, 06:19 AM
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Location: Adelaide, Australia
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whats cheap though i mean to go sprinting you do need a certain level of mechanical competence in the car... so i guess the question is how cheap can you get a reliable car or how cheaply can you make it reliable!
theres also a big difference in fwd vs rwd... do you have a preference?
i think you could be looking at a fair bit of money turning a cheap runabout into a reliable sprint car
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No more Alfa ..
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03-05-2007, 12:57 AM
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90's are cheap, but unfortunately not so plentiful. They roll a bit, but great handling, and hang on really well with decent tyres. I've sprinted mine a few times now, with the only mods being decent brake pads and fluid, and a set of race tyres.
I spent around a grand getting the car reliable for sprinting. Just a major service and check-over, making sure brakes were in tip-top shape etc.
Just did the AROCA sprint at Winton short track, the 90 was half a second behind a Brera V6, so they can get going.
All in all, great fun for very little outlay, and cheap and easy to upgrade. And you still get a comfortable ride home. Just don't break the headlights.
Love to see another one out there.
Last edited by C&S; 03-05-2007 at 01:01 AM.
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03-05-2007, 06:07 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Armidale, NSW
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by beatle_bayly
All,
From an Aussie perspective, what do you think would be the cheapest Alfa to buy and maintain for a bit of lighthearted...
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The 90 is in much the same boat, but the V6 engine is more expensive to maintain.
'suds are cheap, handle well and are relatively easy to work on. 33 engines can be found for a pittance if you blow yours up (unlikely). You'll be welding far more than fixing the mechanicals. The handbrake cables are a real pain, but other than that they're easy. the 'suds are lighter than the 33s.
I have a 82 'sud at the moment with an excellent shell that I'm in two minds over whether to finish. It needs wheels and tyres, a windscreen and the engine is smoky, but it has a new radiator and heater core. Dashboard is a mess (has a transplanted sprint gauge set). Has a new handbrake cable. If I thought it was going to a good home you could have it free as long as you payed the transport costs, but they'd be prohibitive I think (northern NSW).
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03-06-2007, 02:33 AM
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Location: Byron Bay, Australia
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Hey drubie, where are you located exactly? I am just outside Byron, always excited to hear about another alfist/local. I did know a guy a few years ago who was nuts about Suds and lived in Lismore... And the chances are?
I'm with Sud Beatle - I think its a terrific lot of fun and quite robust. Sprinting cheaply is probably a total misnomer, but in the Alfasud you have a car which, once stripped out, is relatively simple and has an inherant advantage in design as a great handler. There's something very special about driving an Alfa flat 4 fast!! I cut my teeth on them.
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03-06-2007, 04:37 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by italiansedanman
Hey drubie, where are you located exactly? I am just outside Byron, always excited to hear about another alfist/local. I did know a guy a few years ago who was nuts about Suds and lived in Lismore... And the chances are?
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03-06-2007, 06:58 PM
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Hi I was born in Armidale
You don't know Dave Buckly by any chance? Or Rob Beasley? |
03-06-2007, 07:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alfettish
Hi I was born in Armidale
You don't know Dave Buckly by any chance? Or Rob Beasley? |
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03-06-2007, 08:43 PM
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Oh. Well Dave owns a white T-Spark 75 and a 105 GTV, along with a few other Peugeots (403 and something else).
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03-07-2007, 04:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alfettish
Hi I was born in Armidale
You don't know Dave Buckly by any chance? Or Rob Beasley? |
Beatle, for cheap and disposable, and a bit of fun, I reckon a 33 is okay. My daughter has just started sprinting hers as a complete novice and has a ball. It's all stock and her drive to work/uni too, no issues at all within the boundaries of having a fun day at the track and driving it home again. Outboard front brakes are better than Sud, less loads on CVs too, as no reverse torque from brakes. Pays to put a simple baffle in the sump to help prevent oil surge under brake/cornering.
Cheers, Vin.
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03-07-2007, 04:23 AM
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What about inboard and outboard brakes. A guy did that to his Sud for Improved production years ago. Nothing could out brake it around Mallala.
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[COLOR="Red"]So many Alfas so little time![/COLOR]
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80 Alfetta GTV 2.0
70 1300 GT Junior
83 Giulietta 1.8/2.0 (Track car)
73 Mercedes 280 SE (Big Track car!)
79 Alfetta Sedan (Rally Car - RIP)
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03-07-2007, 04:41 AM
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Location: Canberra, Australia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vsharp
I'm porting some 3.0lt v6 heads for a Rob Beasley (Canberra area), maybe the one and same??
Beatle, for cheap and disposable, and a bit of fun, I reckon a 33 is okay. My daughter has just started sprinting hers as a complete novice and has a ball. It's all stock and her drive to work/uni too, no issues at all within the boundaries of having a fun day at the track and driving it home again. Outboard front brakes are better than Sud, less loads on CVs too, as no reverse torque from brakes. Pays to put a simple baffle in the sump to help prevent oil surge under brake/cornering.
Cheers, Vin.
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Rob Beasley is my mother's husband and the father of my brother
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04-02-2007, 01:17 AM
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Hows about a stripped 164 ?
Oh, hang on......auto boxes 
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Beatle Bayly
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04-02-2007, 04:55 AM
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Quote:
Hows about a stripped 164 ?
Oh, hang on......auto boxes
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They react well with bad behaviour like scandanavian flicks, tending to get a hint of oversteer if you're REALLY getting it going
As for longevity? Well... Mine has lasted 2 years of my chronic abuse on the street - i'm sure a weekend sprinter will be fine as long as you dont shunt it into anything. These things are tougher than you think as long as you're not totally stupid with it...
They're more rigid than a 33, more powerful, less prone to chassis cracks or rust, more sedate styling (this is VERY important if you're sprinting against other marques and you plan on destroying them ), and once you get the armour plating out of the doors, strip the sound deadening, air/c & non-important comfort rubbish out of it, it'll be much lighter and probably more reliable as the electrical gremlins will cease to exist...
Best of all - A reasonable one with electrical issues & a ****ty interior is worth about the same as an equally marginal rustbucket 33 on ebay.
I say go for it.
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04-02-2007, 05:10 AM
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In case you're new here, we call 'stick shifts' manuals.
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