Alfa 33 Help.

[restaboy]

Hey all new to the alfa scene and was just wondering if you helpfull regulars could tell me what kinda price range would this model go for these days!

Have been offerd this 1986 alfa 33 .Has done 180k's.

Would also like to know if there are quite alot of parts for these as i dont see alot of these in sydney. Love the shape tho.

What other alfa car parts would be compatible with this car eg.

engine,bodykit,suspension.

Any Help would be GREAT!

[oz3litre]

Welcome to the BB! 33s are great little cars. Parts are easily obtainable and no dearer than parts for more common small cars. The Spare Place and Turin Imports here in Adelaide have everything you need for them at hard to beat prices. The engines are a flat four boxer like a Subaru and come in 1.5 or 1.7 litre 8 valve in series 1 and 2 and 1.7 16 valve in the series 3 models. The one you are looking at is a series 1 with a 1.5 engine and twin down draught Weber 36 IDF carbs. They are wonderful, free revving and almost indestructable engines which sound fantastic when revved out. The cars themselves are great fun to drive with excellent handling for a front wheel drive. Like any old car there are likely to be things that need fixing and replacing and for that reason I wouldn't pay any more than $1000 for a series one and would preferably pay less. Check it carefully for rust (33s are not too bad in that respect as a rule), try the brakes and gearbox out (crunchy 2nd gear synchros are common but not overly expensive to fix), and check the quality of the paint. Check for fluid leaks around the brake and clutch master cylinders. If you hear a loud clicking noise when turning corners you probably have worn cv joints which, again, are average price to replace. The shocks should be quite firm when you bounce the car up and down. Front struts cost about $400 a pair to replace with new and are not always easily available. The rears are fairly inexpensive and easier to get. If there is no record of when the timing belt and tensioners were last replaced, get a good Alfa mechanic to do it before you drive it any distance or you will be asking for trouble. There are likely to be loose, broken or missing bits in the interior because that was one of the weak points in 33s unfortunately.

These are the basic things to look for and the most common problems you will find in my experience. If you get the car cheap enough it will be well worth getting it up to scratch. A mechanically sound 33 can be circuit sprinted with no modification and provide a great deal of fun for little outlay. I hope this helps. Other people might have more to add. Oh, and one thing to be aware of is that owning a 33 is likely to infect you with the Alfa disease and you will learn what "Alfa" stands for - "Always Looking For Another".

[restaboy]

hey thanks for that!!!

Appriciate it Heaps...............

BUt

I have found out from the last owner that the car has been sitting in storage for 5 years!

Never started

Shoot thats a long ti9me for a car to sit around should i be worried??
Going to get it a full service plugs, oil, maybe drain the gas put in new stuff.

What other things should i do????

[evilgidget]

Gearbox oil - Use GL4 oils, don't be tempted by GL5's or your synchro's will make you pay for it. If you can afford it, use a cheap GL-4 for a week or 2 to get things lube'd, then drain it & fill with Redline MTF (about $115 for 3.5L... Cheaper than a gearbox rebuild though).

Coolant flush, also check that the thermostat works, the fans come on & that the heater works (come to think of it, it probably won't - it also doubles as a filter for all the accumulated scale in the cooling system )

************************************************** *********************
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TIMING BELTS!!!<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
************************************************** *********************

If it's been sitting, I CANNOT STRESS TO YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS!!! I learned that the hard way... Bend valves are not fun when the belts let go... Also, the tensioners are only about $35 each. They probably need doing too. Better to be safe than sorry.

Don't forget the brake fluid too - It'll bring you & your new car undone very quickly otherwise if the fluid has absorbed water.



Have fun

[evilgidget]

Oh, if you need help with it, it might make it easier if you fill in your details so we know where you are... Then if you're lucky, someone nearby might offer to help you out.

[oz3litre]

Personally I'm not sure about MTF (Manual Transmission Fluid). I put some in a 1985 Rangie I used to have and it improved the shift but a few months later the gearbox started making horrible noises and getting stuck in gear, forcing me to trade the car in.

[restaboy]

Booked a mobile machanic today just to make sure car had no hidden surprises!

Machanic came round did his thing took a hour these were the faults he mentioned:

1: All belts would need changing.

2:Autornator needs replacing.

3.4 x tyres

4:clucth needs changing.

5:rear brakes are leaking.

6:new battery needed.

7:needs a good tune (Mixture out)

Now i always knew there would be some work and i dont mind but the clucth
could be a major. Anyone have a idea of cost machanic said on this would be quite expensive that true???