Jug's linkage to the alfa club forum = regained my interest in the smaller hatch alfa;s..

the 1.7 ie or cloverleaf with RW or AWD and recaro's sounds interesting to me!


the old boxxer engines were great IMO (from early 145's I drove a 1.5 and a 1.7) but early 145's handled like a greenhouse on pram wheels.

are 33's any better with being RWD?

I know to expect rot, lots of, but for the money it can be sorted

faster4_tec said:

are 33's any better with being RWD?

Click to expand...

33's were FWD or AWD, unfortunatly never RWD i'm afraid - unless a AWD is missing the front driveshafts :devil: .

Yeah I think it was the 75 that was RWD. I like this era of Alfas though, and 155s with black wheels always get my pulse racing. I even remember the magazine advert with a transparent page in front with the racing livery on, which peeled back to reveal the road car. Genius.

oopps, boob on my part

the p4 (awd) ones seem to have some funky electromagnetic transfer box to disconnect the rear end (seems backwards to me, surely should run rwd normally?), would be OK if it was a lada/landy electro diff, but an alfa electro diff, sounds dodgy/cause for problems to me!!

been reading up a bit and seems later series 3 models (89-93/4) had galvanisd bodies so no rust on body but still get soggy door bottoms


really fancy the 1.7 16v cloverleaf, but appear rare to find a non rotton S3 example under a grand. was really hoping for some sub £500 alfa action :yum: then go to town on the already fairly highly tuned engine (137bhp as std, from a 1.7 na, from the 80's!!)

I had a boggo 1.5iE in perfect condition and it was a riot, a really smooth revvy fab sounding engine, handling was very good on 185s, but obviously the car will just understeer as the engine is very far forward, the 16v engines flood very easily and its a pain to get the plugs out, they are very quick though......I loved mine but the GPS replaced it, also watch water and big puddles as the plugs etc are low down, if you are considering it, get one, you wont regret it, but if you want RWD, a V6 75 is complete beast!!

excellent, just what I wanted to hear

the 75 v6 I wouldn't be able to run daily though, really after a car thats rare and interesting enough for me to want it, yet not so precious/expensive that I don't use it


as for flooding, do you mean from condensation draining into the cylinders when its parked up, or do you mean you've had probs with th twin carb 1.5 model? I would be after th 1.7 16v greenleaf in either 2 or p4 flavour :yum:

Also a fan of the flat4 engine note, drove a few 145's with the 1.5/1.7 that went into the earlier models.

my 1.5 was the injection model so it started properly lol, but the 16v engines flooding is a fuel injection problem, if they fail to start the 1st time, and then the engine gets re-primed when you turn the key again, they will struggle to start and run on 3 or possibly not start at all, and its plugs out time....

and obviously the cambelts on the twincam engines are longer by nature so need to be replaced on the dot....I do have to say, there is something very special about an alfa 33, my personal pick would be a late 1.7iE, less spec but less to go wrong and lighter than a 16v or P4, its well over 100bhp/tonne.

Also the 2 ive had (had a 1.7 ages ago) have been rust free 100% and all electrics have been fine, the flat 4s should burn a tiny little bit of oil but having said that neither of mine did, they are also dead easy to service and maintain. I say go for it!

just what I like to hear

as for the injection problem, got the same on phase 2 volvo 700 series with kjet. and citroen bx gti's. although they would clear with a bit of throttle.

for the right price I might settle for an I.E has to be alfa red though.

Fuzzy, my 155 would get your pulse racing then

i love the flat four, great warble

the 33 is a cool car, and as you say theres a exclusivity when out and about in an older alfa, the 145 / 155 and before is almost unseen on the roads and thats one of the things i love most, plus the pukka handeling