Alfa Romeo 33 1.7 Cloverleaf
Discussion
I owned one a good few years ago in black. Loved the little thing and it would spend most of its time blasting along Scottish B roads. Was great fun but as mentioned on the first page it had a dodgy fuel gauge. Only car I have ever ran out of fuel in.
Good luck with it. Its well worth saving.
Good luck with it. Its well worth saving.
SVX said:
Love these, my first Alfa was a 33 1.7 i.e. I chopped my rusty Delta HF turbo in against it. The boxer is a cracking engine and really loves to rev. I've always fancied a permanent 4. Someone please save it.
I had the 1.7 ie after the 1.5 ti. The 1.7 didn’t like to rev anywhere near as much as the 1.5. Not much point telling you this now but I always thought it was a step back in fun factor. Had a 1.5ti in red with the Zender body kit. Loved it to bits. Put P4 alloys on it & it looked the business.
Engine was great, lovely twin carb noise with the air box mod, & mine was 100% reliable.
Had it for 3 years. With the need for more space migrated to a 16v Sport Wagon in metallic green. Not so reliable, head gasket went...
The 16v had more power but lost some of the character with injection. The 1.5 was my favourite.
Check for rust on the floor pan under the boot and the sills.
It’s well worth saving this little beauty, it looks from the photos to be a good example.
Engine was great, lovely twin carb noise with the air box mod, & mine was 100% reliable.
Had it for 3 years. With the need for more space migrated to a 16v Sport Wagon in metallic green. Not so reliable, head gasket went...
The 16v had more power but lost some of the character with injection. The 1.5 was my favourite.
Check for rust on the floor pan under the boot and the sills.
It’s well worth saving this little beauty, it looks from the photos to be a good example.
Seems the 33 has good dose of PH history! Thanks for all the replies and notes of support, this one is definitely going to be a survivor.
Thanks also for the PMs on potential homes - I have logged them all in order!
My wife took this on Saturday:
Rust seems under control but any new owner would need to be vigilant and have the right equipment to keep on top of it.
Thanks also for the PMs on potential homes - I have logged them all in order!
shouldbworking said:
Awesome. If its anything like the series 3 cars the fuel light will come on sporadically anytime you fall below half a tank.
Better get those cambelts done though!
Edit oh, done already. That's an absolute result!
Yes belts done - Phil may be cantankerous but he is fastidious! Fuel light came on when on roundabouts so far.Better get those cambelts done though!
Edit oh, done already. That's an absolute result!
V1nce Fox said:
Bravo! Scrapping that would be a bloody crime.
More pics and details please. Is it RWD?
Not on my watch! More to follow below. FWD as Sud intended.More pics and details please. Is it RWD?
Andy665 said:
My dad had one in red from new as a company car, bought from Mangoletsi, sales man was Fraser Hudson who is now their MD I believe
Torque steered like crazy but was so much fun to drive
Remember the clutch went pop at 13k miles, when investigated if transpired that the factory had fitted a 1.5 clutch - the joys of Alfa!!!
Apart from that, over 2 years and 40k miles it was 100% fault free
That's a splendid factory fit story - and you must be an Alfa convert to say "apart from the clutch failing as it was the wrong one from the factory, 100% fault free". Love it.Torque steered like crazy but was so much fun to drive
Remember the clutch went pop at 13k miles, when investigated if transpired that the factory had fitted a 1.5 clutch - the joys of Alfa!!!
Apart from that, over 2 years and 40k miles it was 100% fault free
S100HP said:
I like the cut of your jib sir.
- tips tricorn*
MJK 24 said:
Brilliant.
I would be interested if it’s not rotten. My profile will show previous flat four experience.
Only hol I found was above the rear number plate, everything else is surprisingly solid.I would be interested if it’s not rotten. My profile will show previous flat four experience.
abzmike said:
I had two 33s back in the day... both 1.5s rather than 1.7s unfortunately. Both were utterly reliable (apart from a brake pad that disintegrated on the way to Edinburgh and made a scraping racket for 400 miles). Great fun, and I still very fondly remember the wonderful wooden steering wheel in the second one. Happy days. Hope you find someone worthy to take this lovely vehicle on.
Good stuff, I appreciate the 1.5 is a different animal given all these replies but I can't be choosy! The steering wheel here is a special kind faded grey leather. Looks smart with the gold, but the horn is spezzato.davebem said:
Nice peice of Alfa history, were the wind deflectors standard fit on the QF? The dashboard air vents look identical to whats in a Ferrari F40!
Yes, they were according to Alfapedia. Will part out the vents to cover petrol costs.TCEvo said:
Love that. Aside from Auto Italia can't remember last time I saw one.
There are some Sportwagons that frequent Alfa gatherings, but they're in showroom condition and owner tend to have Alfa t shirts, jackets, caps, umbrellas etc etc and so sneer at anything less. Auto Italia is far more normal (aside from the Lambo club), and I have seen a fair few there over the years.Nincompoop said:
Happy days! I used to own a 1.7 Sportwagon - it found its way to me after my second Thema turbo, a 16v, died and despite mourning my loss rather keenly I came to love the Alfa very dearly. I really shouldn't write this, but please would you PM me if you decide you're not going to take it on?
A peek at my car history on my profile should give you an indication of my automotive inclinations..!
Good stuff, they're almost extinct now - Thema turbos even more up my street, sad to see their number in single digits. You're on the list.A peek at my car history on my profile should give you an indication of my automotive inclinations..!
okenemem said:
beautiful but looks like trouble
Complete agreement on both. But Alfa x PH = karma.citizensm1th said:
I still have 95% of a 1.7 cloverleaf sportswagon on my drive, sadly far to gone to resurrect it will be heading to the scrappers soon as Mrs Smith is getting tired of it cluttering the drive
Aha! Does it have front seats? Door card? Probably 164 other little things that this one might be in need of? Let me know if it's truly going off to the rustarium...Cupramax said:
Excellent, not seen one of these for ages, I had one back in the day, F657SLJ, a red 1.5 Twin carb with 105hp I think. Seemed like a rocket ship at the time. 
Douglas Quaid said:
I had one of these, a 1.5 twin carb. It was lightweight, engine was very responsive and it accelerated to 80 quickly but you were revving the knackers off it if you tried to go any faster as the gearing wasn’t set up for it. That’s most driving though so it didn’t bother me. It was a bit of a s
theap in retrospect but I loved it at the time.
It seems ideal for 0-50 driving and weaving, plus the weight and size makes it quite competitive for negotiating dastardly holes and threading between modern roadhippos. So far, so fun.theap in retrospect but I loved it at the time. Alex said:
Check the sills! Hope they are solid.
I had a P4 (full name: "Alfa Romeo 33S 16V Quadrifoglio Verde Permanent 4"). It looked mint, but the sills were starting to go when I sold it.
Thanks and lovely picture - I'm a serial Rover owner too, I do think the two marques share more than most give them credit when it come to innovation, fervent owners and idiosynchratic traditions of design.I had a P4 (full name: "Alfa Romeo 33S 16V Quadrifoglio Verde Permanent 4"). It looked mint, but the sills were starting to go when I sold it.
Superhoop said:
That brings back memories.. I had a 33 1.7 Sportwagon... I loved it, right up to the point that a drink driver pulled out in front of me at a crossroads, which basically killed it.. I would have it back in a heartbeat..
Glad you made it out unscathed though - such a shame about the Sportwagon - more formers owners than of the hatchback variant on this thread!Woody.GTJ said:
Haven't seen Phil at AlfaCraft for ages, used to look after my GTJ and Spider. Is the German Sheperd still going?
He's ok, doing good business and pretty much unchanged but the place is under threat from developers and owners as a garage. Senna the German Shephard is in fine fettle and ready for either a wrestle or a game with a tennis ball whenever you drop in. If I could wave a magic wand I would set him up with a fresh rural garage for him to run out of the city, space for more projects and a few eager apprentices to test his patience all day.My wife took this on Saturday:
RC1807 said:
Wow - I had one exactly like that, OP, from 1996-1997.
I should have kept it instead of replacing it with a Vulva 480ES, which was an absoulte bag o'ste!
I always fancied a 480 until I realised I was only irrationally attracted to flip up lights.I should have kept it instead of replacing it with a Vulva 480ES, which was an absoulte bag o's
te! Uncle John said:
Had a 1.5ti in red with the Zender body kit. Loved it to bits. Put P4 alloys on it & it looked the business.
Engine was great, lovely twin carb noise with the air box mod, & mine was 100% reliable.
Had it for 3 years. With the need for more space migrated to a 16v Sport Wagon in metallic green. Not so reliable, head gasket went...
The 16v had more power but lost some of the character with injection. The 1.5 was my favourite.
Check for rust on the floor pan under the boot and the sills.
It’s well worth saving this little beauty, it looks from the photos to be a good example.
The carb noise is incredible, truly eye-widening. I wish I knew more about Dellortos though, these have defeated my existing knowledge. More research required to get the full 110bhp+ active.Engine was great, lovely twin carb noise with the air box mod, & mine was 100% reliable.
Had it for 3 years. With the need for more space migrated to a 16v Sport Wagon in metallic green. Not so reliable, head gasket went...
The 16v had more power but lost some of the character with injection. The 1.5 was my favourite.
Check for rust on the floor pan under the boot and the sills.
It’s well worth saving this little beauty, it looks from the photos to be a good example.
Rust seems under control but any new owner would need to be vigilant and have the right equipment to keep on top of it.
Right, where were we? Ah yes, the 33 was safely taking up drive space, and sounding a bit better wiht some fresh Shell Optimax coursing through its system. At startup the strong fuel smell was evident, along with some pinking and general characteristics of over fuelling. I raised the idle on one side and turned one mixture screw (i think) a quarter turn back and the engine sounded healthier at idle. I know a little about Zeniths and Strombergs but decided to stop fiddling as Dellortos are sensitive and car was running at present. Maybe one for Phil to school me on when I see him next.
One item I always have to address are number plates on a car. The 33 had its original dealer plates, in great condition, but the screws were fetid mushrooms, a pustule of blight on fields of yellow and white. They had to go. In both cases the screw heads rusted as to be entirely smooth, and pliers where required for extraction.
Then on to the important stuff - oil looked healthy on the dipstick, but there was serious blarf around the breather hoses and filler neck which I expunged:
Fuses were all ok, but need a clean. So far the horn and the rear demister don't work, but the stalks for lights and wipers were all just replaced with NOS items from Phil's store and work perfectly. Washers, motors and fans are all 100%.
Air filter and box look ok.
Rotor was ok but I gave it a quick sand, distributor cap was new and leads all in correct Ohm ranges.
The vacuum advance hose was loose and badly cracked, so I trimmed it by an inch to get a tight fit and flexibility.
I then tightened Every. Single. Hose. Clamp. Some clips disintegrated, some only started weeping after I looked at them and most were just fine.
I also gave the coolant system a partial flush, as it has the consistency of quarry water and was clearly overdue.
It's a strange situation when you're grateful the cause of your orange coolant is 'only' rust, not a headgasket failure
Bottom radiator hose off, some orange removed:
Clips decide they can expire:
All hoses I could access were removed and scrubbed.
Hose purging in progress:
Full disclosure - I didn't remove the thermostat as I wasn't quite sure of the housing configuration and it looks like a fair few other bits need to come out of the engine for access. I'll run it with water for a weekend and see if I can purge more.
Also found one of the fuel filler hose clamps to be loose, I'm hoping all of this tightening will lessen the smell. Unlikely.
So it's off to the Festival of The Unexceptional on Saturday morning, maybe with a quick polish if I get time but certainly with the Miami Vice compilation tape on the perfectly working Blaupunkt!
One item I always have to address are number plates on a car. The 33 had its original dealer plates, in great condition, but the screws were fetid mushrooms, a pustule of blight on fields of yellow and white. They had to go. In both cases the screw heads rusted as to be entirely smooth, and pliers where required for extraction.
Then on to the important stuff - oil looked healthy on the dipstick, but there was serious blarf around the breather hoses and filler neck which I expunged:
Fuses were all ok, but need a clean. So far the horn and the rear demister don't work, but the stalks for lights and wipers were all just replaced with NOS items from Phil's store and work perfectly. Washers, motors and fans are all 100%.
Air filter and box look ok.
Rotor was ok but I gave it a quick sand, distributor cap was new and leads all in correct Ohm ranges.
The vacuum advance hose was loose and badly cracked, so I trimmed it by an inch to get a tight fit and flexibility.
I then tightened Every. Single. Hose. Clamp. Some clips disintegrated, some only started weeping after I looked at them and most were just fine.
I also gave the coolant system a partial flush, as it has the consistency of quarry water and was clearly overdue.
It's a strange situation when you're grateful the cause of your orange coolant is 'only' rust, not a headgasket failure
Bottom radiator hose off, some orange removed:
Clips decide they can expire:
All hoses I could access were removed and scrubbed.
Hose purging in progress:
Full disclosure - I didn't remove the thermostat as I wasn't quite sure of the housing configuration and it looks like a fair few other bits need to come out of the engine for access. I'll run it with water for a weekend and see if I can purge more.
Also found one of the fuel filler hose clamps to be loose, I'm hoping all of this tightening will lessen the smell. Unlikely.
So it's off to the Festival of The Unexceptional on Saturday morning, maybe with a quick polish if I get time but certainly with the Miami Vice compilation tape on the perfectly working Blaupunkt!
Had a red 1.5 Green Cloverleaf (preceded by two Alfasud Ti’s) bought from Cubleys of Ainsdale. C969OKB. It was written off in what I later realised could easily have been a fatal (for me) accident.
Insurance paid out and I upgraded myself to a 75 Twin Spark, from the aforementioned Mangoletsi and Fraser Hudson.
Somebody asked about the wind deflectors, they were standard on this model, my earlier car didn’t have them. 33 is properly rare now and remarkably more Alfasuds probably survive. OP’s car looks very original.
Insurance paid out and I upgraded myself to a 75 Twin Spark, from the aforementioned Mangoletsi and Fraser Hudson.
Somebody asked about the wind deflectors, they were standard on this model, my earlier car didn’t have them. 33 is properly rare now and remarkably more Alfasuds probably survive. OP’s car looks very original.
My Stepdad had one of these. Same spec and colour. He had been a (rear engined) Skoda man for years before this, so I was delighted when I managed to convince him to go for a nearly new Alfa.
We had a few Alfas in our family. I had a beautiful Sud Ti (which I stuffed into a tree). My Step brother had a GTV, a Sprint and a 146. He raced the GTV and 146 very successfully. You hardly see these even in Italy now (saw a 33 sportwagon in all over primer this week!)
We had a few Alfas in our family. I had a beautiful Sud Ti (which I stuffed into a tree). My Step brother had a GTV, a Sprint and a 146. He raced the GTV and 146 very successfully. You hardly see these even in Italy now (saw a 33 sportwagon in all over primer this week!)
Spinakerr said:
Seems the 33 has good dose of PH history! Thanks for all the replies and notes of support, this one is definitely going to be a survivor.
Thanks also for the PMs on potential homes - I have logged them all in order!
Yep it has a full interior the only parts missing is the bonnet and a few front suspension parts ,i even have a compleat 1.7 engine and gearbox sat in my garage, all the lights lenses are there and unbroken as wellThanks also for the PMs on potential homes - I have logged them all in order!
citizensm1th said:
I still have 95% of a 1.7 cloverleaf sportswagon on my drive, sadly far to gone to resurrect it will be heading to the scrappers soon as Mrs Smith is getting tired of it cluttering the drive
Aha! Does it have front seats? Door card? Probably 164 other little things that this one might be in need of? Let me know if it's truly going off to the rustarium...If you want it you can come and get it you will need a trailer though.
I see your car originally came from Amersham Motors. I bought a beautiful Sud Sprint from them over 20 years ago.
They became part of the Perrys group. I'm not sure if the dealership is still operating, last time I drove past, the showroom was full of Hyundais.
Well done for rescuing that lovely 33!! The noise they make is really unique.
They became part of the Perrys group. I'm not sure if the dealership is still operating, last time I drove past, the showroom was full of Hyundais.
Well done for rescuing that lovely 33!! The noise they make is really unique.
TypeR said:
I see your car originally came from Amersham Motors. I bought a beautiful Sud Sprint from them over 20 years ago.
They became part of the Perrys group. I'm not sure if the dealership is still operating, last time I drove past, the showroom was full of Hyundais.
Well done for rescuing that lovely 33!! The noise they make is really unique.
Perrys Amersham is now a Majestic. It must have been WELL over 20 years ago that you bought a Sud Sprint from there.They became part of the Perrys group. I'm not sure if the dealership is still operating, last time I drove past, the showroom was full of Hyundais.
Well done for rescuing that lovely 33!! The noise they make is really unique.
I think the reason that more Alfasuds survive than 33s is that the Sud is a prettier car. Today I'd happily have a 33 (e.g. this one), but 20 years ago I would only have accepted a Sud or a Sprint.
Mr Tidy said:
I don't remember seeing many of them around even when they were current models!
Anyone with any sense had been scared off by the Sud's propensity to spontaneously rust to pieces. Apart from me I had a Y/83 plate Sud prior to the 33 and it failed its 2nd MOT on rust, thats some going for a 4 year old car 
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff