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12/03/2003
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Cars in the past used to be more fun than they are today! Perhaps that statement is a sign of my advancing middle age - but I know there are many enthusiasts, of all ages, who agree with me.
The trouble is that modern cars are being ever more sanitised by the day. Computer design and control makes them so close to being foolproof and ultra-reliable that they are losing character.
Take the Alfa Romeo 33 for example. It is great fun to drive, with an immensely willing engine, steering that feels as though it anticipates the driver’s every wish, excellent brakes and a general zest for life that displays its Italian heritage to perfection.
OK, so it’s not the most reliable car on the market, is hard to get comfortable in and rust can wreak havoc with your bank balance. But these are minor irritants to the true Alfa enthusiast, indeed the full-on Alfisti actually looks on these ‘problems’ as providing added interest to their lives. “Never knowing where the car will stop next adds a huge amount of interest to my life!” they will smile. OK!…
The Alfa 33 is a direct descendent of the Alfasud, Alfa Romeo’s first attempt at an everyday family car - as opposed to a sporty family car. Despite its humble intentions, the Alfasud proved to be a sporty, fun car that built up an immense reputation in Australia.
Though there are fewer 33s on the used market than Alfasuds, they are probably a better bet as the old ‘Sud really is getting on in years. The Alfa 33 first went on sale here May 1984 and ran through until the end of 1992. Some may not have been first registered until early 1993, but should be classified as 1992 models as that is the year they were built in.
Particularly popular are the Alfa 33Ti, sold new from 1985 until 1990; the 33 Boxer 16V (16-valve), 1990 - 1992; and the 4WD station wagons, 1985 to 1987.
Alfa 33 engines are all water-cooled flat fours, they had a capacity of 1.5 litres until 1987 and 1.7 litres from then onwards.
Both the 1.5 and 1.7 were sold with the option of a single-carb or twin-carb engine. The 1.7 was also offered (from 1988) with fuel injection. Most engines had eight valves, but 16-valve (or quattrovalvole, or QV, if you want to go all Italian about it) units were on sale from July 1990.
The extra grunt of the bigger engine makes it the favourite, particularly when it has both fuel injection and 16 valves, but don't turn up your nose at the smaller engines, especially if you take great delight in ‘rowing a car along’ with the gearbox.
Speaking of the latter, all are manuals and all have five speeds. Not for Italians the boring life offered by automatic transmissions!
Most Alfa 33s have a five-door hatchback body, but four-door sedans were sold in 1991 and 1992 and five-door station wagons between 1985 and 1987. The Alfa Romeo Sprint, from 1988, can be viewed as being an Alfa 33 with a two-door coupe body but is in a slightly different market category. Sprints prior to 1988 were based on the Alfasud, not the Alfa 33.
Front-wheel drive is the norm but some sedans and all wagons had four-wheel drive for additional traction.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Troubles in the electrical system were less common in the Alfa 33 than in older Alfa Romeo models. Nonetheless, try all the electric components, not just the lights, to make sure they operate consistently.
These cars are often driven hard and may have had the odd prang or two. Look for incorrect smash repairs: paint overspray on non-painted parts; mismatched colour between panels; ripples in the panels when viewed along their length; and poorly repaired out-of-sight areas such as inside the boot and under the bonnet.
Rust can get into many areas of the body: look at the door sills, the bottom edges of the doors, the edges of the mudguards and the surrounds of the front and rear windscreens.
Pull the handbrake on hard and make sure that it goes off when released.
Make sure the engine starts reasonably quickly, especially if it’s a fuel injected unit. Look for a smoking exhaust, most noticeable when the engine is revved after it has been idling.
Listen for untoward noises in the clutch and gearbox. Feel for sticking in the gearbox, it is most easily provoked if changes are rushed through very quickly. Be sure the clutch pedal is light and easy to use. |
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