Faults:

Wheel bearings replaced.

Front calipers replaced.

Heater rotted away.

Continual rust.

Electrical faults.

Clutch replaced.

Lights were very poor at speed.

General Comments:

This started out as a mild-mannered, slightly tired silver sprint.

I got bored quite quickly, and rang up the local Alfa agent, and spent some serious (well for me anyway) cash.

He had a wrecked 33 1.5 twin carb, very low mileage, and offered me the engine.

The engine ended up being ported, polished, balanced. The carbs were re-jetted. The emission gear disappeared (I would not do that today). The exhaust system was significantly opened up, as was the air filter box. A upgraded distributor and points were fitted with an 8,400 rpm rev limiter. It was fitted with a Koni fully adjustable suspension and progressive rate springs, lowered 3 cm, 185/60/14 Yokohoma A509 tyres on Alfa alloys (you don't need any wider tyres... they lose their balance and scrub). Interior stripped of any unnecessary trim.

It went like an absolute rocket right up to 8,400 rpm. It could seriously out handle many more expensive cars, and used to scare many of my friends because it was surreal through tight corners.

My top speed was 192kph - from memory it ran to around 7,500 rpm in 5th gear. It sat at that speed for about 15 minutes before I got scared (this is Australia, and there are kangaroos and other furry critters that do hop / walk / run out in front of cars now and then)...

I think it ran from 0-100 in about 6.9 seconds - but I never did a real drag run...

In truth I would rather have a 33 1.7 IE... the sprint was fast, fun but ultimately an uncomfortable, noisy and expensive to maintain, car.

Faults:

Purchased at a good price, as the previous owner was returning to the UK on holiday and had no where to store it. There was some rust to be removed around the bottom of the window screen, the right rear guard, the bottom of the passenger door and inside the doors on the body frame. The clutch also had to be replaced, it was totally toasted.

About 1000kms into my ownership the gearbox expired, and required a total overhaul as there were no reconditioned units avaialble... ouch!

Next on the repair/restore list is the upholstery (the hounds tooth weave wears appallingly), then a re-spray. Mechanically it may need to have the tappets done on the next service.

General Comments:

Once the major mechanical problems were out of the way it's settled in nicely. It's had a few trips away and has handled them really well.

Performance is about par with a new 2lt saloon due to it's light weight, but the lack of power-steering and some tourqe steer hampers it around town, especially in the wet.

Only complaint is the exhaust knock due to the oddball "s" design, it sounds great, but can grate on the motorway occasionally.

Faults:

Nothing seriously wrong so far. Except that water pump needs to be replaced soon. $120 - $200 AUD (Australian Dollars) for a new one.

The drivers seat has worn a little bit, but nothing that could not be fixed easily with a needle and thread. After the seats had been removed from the car obviously.

The original Alfa Romeo radio was broken when I bought the car. The radio was actually an Alfa Romeo branded Eurovox. The circuit board had snapped inside the radio, which I am told is a common fault. This could have been fixed, but it was fairly expensive to do so. So I fitted a new Alpine unit instead.

The dashboard is cracked from being left in the sun for too long by the previous owner. This can be fixed with a vinyl repair kit.

The plastics that hold the driver and front seat passenger sun blinds in the locked position, are pretty badly damaged through age.

The plastic strip that runs across the back of the boot has broken. This strip has the contacts for the rear wiper in it.

The above plastics problems seem to appear in all the Sprints I have seen.

Rust does tend to pop up in few places. One bad place I have got is where the base of the right hand windscreen wiper attaches to the metal body of the car. Another place the Sprints get bad rust, is behind that plastic strip that runs down the length of the car. The rust does not come up the whole way down it, but it does show behind the piece that is right behind the front wheels.

The car could do with a little more power too.

Apart from those minor problems, there is nothing else worth mentioning.

General Comments:

It is a very nice Italian sports car. Whilst it could do with a larger engine, it seems to cope OK with the 1.5.

You can tell a Quadrifoglio Verde by the green four leaf clover on the back of the car, where it says Sprint. Quadrifoglio Verde actually means Green Four Leaf Clover in Italian.