Looking at buying a 33 - What should i be looking for?

evilgidget · #1 (**permalink**) 07-29-2004, 06:47 PM

I've been looking for a 4-door for the missus to drive when bub arrives, and i've been looking at a little red 1987 Alfa 33. They reckon it's a Ti, but i'm not too sure...
What problems do they tend to suffer from and does anyone know what the differences are between the base models & the Ti?

This one has normal black bumpers & fairly boring looking mags, wheras i thought the Ti came with painted bumpers and/or the zender body kit.

Any help please? I need an owners expertise before i get myself into big trouble...

fettaguy · #2 (**permalink**) 07-30-2004, 03:29 PM

Whatever you do check the usual rust spots, make sure that if there's no receipt for timing belts, get 'em changed (same with all boxers). Every 60'000km's i think is recomended. Main worries though will be electrical. We just bought one and the gremlins are going crazy in the thing.

Usually it'll just be intermittent stuff like the tacho stopping working then five minutes later it's back again. It just blew both headlight fuses simultaneously.

As long as all lights, switches, gauges and other bits like that work and the usual maintenance has been done it should be a goer.
As for the Ti bit, are you in australia? I know someone who's got the specifics on each model over here but overseas might be different.

fettaguy · #3 (**permalink**) 07-30-2004, 03:51 PM

Dumb *** me. You're in queensland. I'll see what i can find out.......

evilgidget · #4 (**permalink**) 07-30-2004, 05:58 PM

Other than a slight bubble right next to the sunroof, the car looks as straight & rustfree as a car that just rolled off the factory floor. Even the black bumpers that always go the horrid grey colour are still naturally black (no sillycone "protectant" is obvious).
Even with 122 thou on the clock, the interior looks brand spankers.
Only vague electrical-looking problem is what looks to be an air filter indicator light that's always on.
Fan belts are new, owner says timing belt has been changed but i'm not too sure...(not taking the chance either). Has the clutch master cylinder out being rebuilt at the moment, brakes done 3 months ago (the dipsh*t who took it off left brake fluid sitting in the tray underneath, so the paint has gone all crinkly

). The only problem i can see mechanicly is there seems to be an lot of oil under the left bank, and the bottom of the gearbox is soaking wet with it too.

Obviously with the clutch inoperable i can't drive it either, so am i taking a big risk here?
Engine runs fine though (but needs a good blast around the backblocks to blow out the "cobwebs"

)

Any help is immensely appreciated

fettaguy · #5 (**permalink**) 07-31-2004, 12:12 AM

If it's got rust next to the sunroof it'll probably have rust in other places. Have you checked under the spare wheel? Get a small but fairly strong fridge magnet and check for bog in the wheel arches, around the front and rear windows, check the bottom edge of the tailgate and carefully pull back all rubbers (ie boot and door seals) and check there. The other place is the floor so get under the car and check that.
122 thou is pretty good but the speedo's are electronic and they do play up so it may have done slightly more than that.
If he says timing belts have been done find out where, phone them and ask them. They should have also checked/replaced the two belt tensioners and the water pump (this saves having to do the whole thing again later if they pack it in). We just bought a car that had no receipts or history of this being done but were willing to shell out cause the body was mint and the gearbox felt reconditioned. Keep in mind it cost me $800 to get the belt, one tensioner, the water pump and a couple of other things sorted. Mostly labour costs though. While i'm thinking of it, if you can't drive the car you can't check if the gearboxes synchro's work properly.
Has the car been sitting a while? it sound like it might if you gotta blow out the cobwebs. If it has been sitting, check things like exhaust rubbers, cv boots, etc. This'll be a sign of things starting to deteriorate.
It's a pity you can't drive to a european mechanic. I called up Eurosport about one car and he knew the car. Straight away he said leave it, the chassis is bent and will never go straight. But i spent $50 getting our new 33 inspected, best fifty ever spent. See if it's possible to get a guy up your way to come out and inspect. I've never asked any one so i wouldn't know if they do.
The gearbox leak is fine, probably just the gearbox sump plate. Engine hopefully is just a sump too and not a head gasket. Check the coolant. If it's even slightly milky looking it might be a blown head gasket or even a cracked head. If the coolant looks off, walk away. Getting heads replaced/removed is expensive. Also put your finger in the over flow bottle and scrape it along the bottom. There should be very little rusty stuff.
Hopefully i've been a help. This was pretty much what i did as a ritual on my last car hunt.

fettaguy · #6 (**permalink**) 07-31-2004, 12:21 AM

Forgot to mention, if you go to www.alfaclub.org.au there's a bunch of links for service centres, parts, dealers, etc australia wide.

fettaguy · #7 (**permalink**) 07-31-2004, 04:00 PM

Found out a bit about the Ti. It's essentially the same interior as the Gold clover leaf but it should have an oil pressure and voltage gauge in the centre console section. It'll also have red coloured needles on the gauges and a removable reading light mounted in a map pocket on the drivers side door trim.

evilgidget · #8 (**permalink**) 07-31-2004, 10:09 PM

ok, well if those are the only differences between the ti & the lower models, it should be ok. I thought maybe the Ti was meant to come out with a zender body kit or maybe a spoiler (wishful thinking obviously

)

Have checked most of the things you suggested, coolant isn't milky, you're probably right about the source of the oil leak for the 'box, engine looks to need plugs & a cam cover gasket. It'll cop a new cam belt/tensioner/water pump when it gets "home", along with filters & oil & stuff (it's started already - i'm already fixing it...). ABSOLUTELY NO RUST other than the tiny spot next to the sunroof the size of a 5cent piece (which will be fixed before it even leaves for a rego check - can't have it running around in the salt air here with it or it'll get to the size of a 20cent piece in about a week here....

)
I think the only problem i'm yet to investigate is the gearbox, but considering the mint condition it's in, i've decided it's worth the risk of finding out.

Hence, It arrives at my garage in the morning

Thanks heaps for the advice - Much appreciated (and more than that, maybe i can help out with some of your electrical problems now as i can look at what you're trying to describe & maybe help find it.

Incidently, you mentioned speedo troubles - i test drove 2 other 33's and they both had dud odometers but the speedo worked ok. Is this common? How about a remedy (or should i focus my electronic skills to figure that one out myself...

)

fettaguy · #9 (**permalink**) 08-01-2004, 12:08 AM

Dunno about the kit. Mighta been an option. Sounds like a damn good buy. Even if the gear box turns out to be a dog it shouldn't be a hassle to pick up a replacement.
Dunno about the speedo. The one in our car had been fixed before we got it. Apparently the speedo worked but the odometer didn't. Dunno how it gets fixed.
I know the alfetta we got has a few problems with bad connections and connections vibrating loose. I reckon it must be a similar story in the 33. We got most hassles sorted and others have fixed themselves

(like the tacho stopped working and now it's back, ditto the dash lights).
My parents have just thrown me a copy of an alfasud manual with a supplement for later model sprints. If you can get your hands on one that'll cover pretty much all your mechanical stuff.
Wouldn't mind seeing some pics of your 33. You gonna post some eventually?

evilgidget · #10 (**permalink**) 08-01-2004, 11:23 AM

Good buy? My thoughts exactly!

We towed it home today, steers & brakes like a new car even. Only problem with the trip was a little scrape on one of the back doors getting it in the garage

. Oh well, something else to touch up

Anyway the Sprout is "home" now

fettaguy · #11 (**permalink**) 08-01-2004, 11:47 AM

Did they throw in the air freshener for free or did you have to bargain over the price of that one? Has the sprout got a name yet?

evilgidget · #12 (**permalink**) 08-01-2004, 02:29 PM

It was the deal clincher

Name not decided yet. I've had enough troubles over the last few weeks just with deciding on the nearly-bub's name...

Got a few minor quibbles to fix up in it, so i'll post as i get to them, or until i can get hold of a workshop manual.

EvilG

Marc33Milano · #13 (**permalink**) 08-18-2004, 02:49 PM

Hey, Evilgidget, goodlookin' TrentaTre you've got there!

Fettaguy, I see you also own a first series 33! What specs?

fettaguy · #14 (**permalink**) 08-20-2004, 01:10 AM

Yeah, series 1 it is. It's your basic 33. A 1984 build Gold Clover Leaf delivered to australia in 85, which basically means it's a 1.5 single dual throat, with no real extras. This ones had air con fitted though and i'm not sure if the ti wheels are factory on the GCL or a later addition.

Marc33Milano · #15 (**permalink**) 08-20-2004, 04:08 PM

Hm, in Holland that would be a 33 1.5 Quadrifoglio Oro, hardly basic over here! The European basic 33 was the 1.3 (no addition). I've owned a '85 1.5 QV (Green Clover Leaf) for a while and I guess it had the same specs as your 33 (105 DIN HP?). My current 33 is a '86 1.3 Milano (hence my nick), the final edition of the first series in Holland.