Faults:

Welding needed on NSR seat belt mounts.

Lambda sensor not working.

Fuel tank leak.

Handbrake cables needed replacing - but one side was no longer available from dealer.

Terrible brakes.

Rust.

General Comments:

Better than the 1.ie that I had previously, but only slightly.

Awful brakes, in no way were they up to the performance of the car; think 15 cars ahead and use a crystal ball...

Handling was OK, less roll on the front than the 1.ie, but still not the crisp handling of the 'sud.

Terrible dealer service, she needed the handbrake adjusting for the MOT, so I inquired about parts at my local dealer, only to be told that older Alfas were no longer important to the company, so they had deleted all the parts!

Rust was creeping up, but I suppose she became quicker as she got older...

To give Alfa the credit, the 16 valve engine was a screamer. The first time I drove her any distance was a hoot; I managed to get worse fuel consumption than my 3 litre TVR, because I was driving her so hard. Oh for the days of cheap fuel.

Faults:

The drivers side window came into the cabin when I wound it up,£5 window bracket from Alfa dealer.

The cat and back box needed replacing, which cost me about £380 if I remember correctly.

Some of the usual dodgy Italian electrics, but nothing serious.

First and second gearbox synchros were a bit naff.

General Comments:

The boxer engine was brilliant, it pulled 90 mph in 3rd and I got 137mph out of it even though it was only rated at 120 mph.

Everyone who saw it remarked on how good it looked.

The pedals were a bit close knit, but after a while I got use to them.

It may have had its downsides, but the pro's far outweighed the con's, and I would say that it was the best car that I have ever owned.

Faults:

All shocks absorbers were replaced by 4 yellow Koni's.

New radiator at 169,000 km.

First, second and reverse gears' synchrony is poor.

Power lock's booster at the rear left door.

Normal ware.

Very small spots of rust here and there.

Climate control cable is broken.

Fog defroster switch for the rear window doesn't work.

General Comments:

Great car, especially because it's very cheap to purchase. However, maintenance is a bit more expensive, yet not something hysteric.

Steering is not very sharp (my baby is not equipped with power steering).

The engine is extra ordinare, it has a lot of power. The Manuel book says the top speed is 181 km/h, however, I saw 200! (and it could take a bit more higher, but I didn't want to push it too far). There's a little oil consumption, but it's really minor. Once you pass the 4,000 RPM, the sound is like a million dollars, and the acceleration is as well.

Stability during turns is not gorgeous.

My exemplar is the complete anti-stereotype of the Italian cars' electricity problems.

The plastics are generally in a good condition, yet you can find some evidences that they are Italian made.

The front seats hold your back very good, especially in turns. Even after a long ride, I don't feel tired.

The pedals are too close to each other.

Faults:

Electrical malfunction of the right indicator.

Electrical malfunction of the interior lights.

Malfunctioning right window. (electrical problem aswel)

Second gear is wearing.

Engine went dead om motorway caused by bad electrical connections.

Cat replaced.

Dashboard is falling apart. (glove compartment)

A bit of rust here and there.

Red paint gets pink or purple. And the blank paint is getting off here and there.

Usual wear.

Ehm, that was it.. for now. I am awaiting an engine blow up.

General Comments:

The Alfa 33 is the successor of the Alfa Sud. The 33 has a bad reputation with the general public, inherited from this rusty Sud. And that is why this car is so cheap to buy secondhand. Hurray! (bought mine for 1000 euro's)

I think this car is very good looking. My car is of the 'sportwagon' type. It looks never bores me. Considering the paint is getting old and rust is showing. This means the car itself is pretty?

The engine is the best bit of the car. It sounds like a proper race engine. How it changes its tune climbing the rev-band is addicting. With full throttle at low revs it grumbles deep. (In which the 1.7ie engine sounds different from the 1.7 16v type engine). At high revs it sings like a Ferrari (I suppose). A pity the fun stops at 6300rpm.

It has plenty power for this sub 1000kg car; 107hp . It seems to accelerate to 100kmh in slightly less than ten seconds. Unfortunately you will have to change to third gear just before arriving the 100kmh benchmark.

In city traffic it has enough power down under to stay in third gear almost all the time. Only just before a halt it is recommended to change down to second. Third gear reaches to a sufficient 130-140 kph if required. If forgotten to change down at trafficlights it is possible to drive away in third.

On the motorway the boxer engine is rather quit. Above 150 kph it begins to spin like a happy cat. Very cozy and assuring. And it does so at his top speed of 190 kmh (200 on the counter).

Well, what else to say.

I have some praise about the big boot and general space in the cabin.

Dashboard looks nice. Seats are o.k. Heating is sufficient. It comes standard with central locking, electric windows and power steering. Essentials most affordable Germans of that age do not posses.

In general this car is mechanically reliable. 1.7ie engine is capable of 300.000km without overhaul. Gearbox is not though. Brakes are o.k.

Then there are some drawbacks too. Build quality is poor. Electrics are rarely completely reliable. It rusts a little (not as bad as the 33's used to do in the eighty's). Paintwork is poor. Gearbox is fine, but its second gear wears out quickly. With me behind the throttle it uses 10L/100km of fuel. And worse in the city. It seems to dislike cheap fuel, and likes the high octane stuff (only on his birthday). It does not accept cheap lubricants.

Though I'm still very happy with it, I will make some adjustments to the car in the coming year. I do that myself, can't afford professionals. Next up is an 1.7 16v engine (132hp) and fresh gearbox. Then some slight lowering and suspension mods. Body and paintwork should be done too. Parts are cheap (only buy second hand), very cheap.

I would recommend this car to nobody except me and other petrol-heads or italofiels. When you have more money to spend look elsewhere.

Hey, did I forgot to mention it corners good too?

Faults:

Brake pump broken.

Exhaust pipe rusted.

General Comments:

A nice car to choose when looking for your first secondhand car. Slightly harsh driving mainly due to suspension. Finish details not so good as its "elder brothers" 155 and 164.

Astonishing acceleration, although braking has not got the corresponding performance level.