Another one for the stable!

[lanciachris]

Won on ebay this am.







That is a fine arse might have to lose the huge tailpipe trims though.

Powered by (ok, not quite, but very similar) :


Oh, did I mention - twin weber downdraught carbs, with k&n filters and a custom made stainless exhaust system?

Now, lets see what it needs for an MOT (gulp!)


>>> Edited by lanciachris on Sunday 27th February 12:07

[lanciachris]

£410........ classic car mags say average condition with mot tax etc. should be £1k. I think I paid a fair amount for it considering it has a sony cd player and speakers, the new exhaust, k&ns, isnt obviously desperately rusty and has plenty of spares included. And i have the parts needed to fix it already.

Even if its a basket case id be able to break it and get my money back. and I wanted a set of those wheels at the very least

[lanciachris]

As shown by the picture its a flat four engine. It could be used as track till death, but most likely im going to use it as daily commute until either it dies, or if it lasts long enough then track it.

I will be having the wheelarches repaired - repair panels for £50 a side, which should sort it for a couple of years at least.

Just depends on how rough the rest of it is really

[FHCNICK]

looks like it could with little work be a nice example of IMO the last of the great alfa's: nice one chris, there ain't enough alfettas on the road these days.

[williamp]

FHCNICK said:

looks like it could with little work be a nice example of IMO the last of the great alfa's: nice one chris, there ain't enough alfettas on the road these days.

Nice buy Chris. Shame you're not thinking of a rolling restoration type car- there cannot be too many of those about now

[lanciachris]

It certainly could be a rolling restoration - as I said, the rear arches, which are the worst spot are going to be done, and there are a few spare panels included.

I will know more once ive actually picked it up and had a look underneath - wait for saturday! If its all 'barely alive' then I will drive till it dies, if its mostly sound and just a few bits, then I will fix it up over time.

[Martin_S]

williamp said:

FHCNICK said: looks like it could with little work be a nice example of IMO the last of the great alfa's: nice one chris, there ain't enough alfettas on the road these days. Nice buy Chris. Shame you're not thinking of a rolling restoration type car- there cannot be too many of those about now

For the record, it's not an Alfetta. It's a Sprint - essentially a sexy, coupe version of the Sud.

I'm with William, though - Sprints are pretty rare these days, so it would be a shame just to run it into the ground and throw it away.

[BrianTheYank]

That car is hawt for a cheap banger.

[lanciachris]

someone said:

For the record, it's not an Alfetta. It's a Sprint - essentially a sexy, coupe version of the Sud. I'm with William, though - Sprints are pretty rare these days, so it would be a shame just to run it into the ground and throw it away.

I always thought that the sprint was regarded as the bastard child of the sud - a nice car victimised by 80s plastic bumpers and wheelarch extensions

I actually happen to agree with the view ive quoted to a point - I would rather have a 1.5 sud than a sprint, but id rather have a sprint than say the comparable alfa 33 of the same year.

See earlier comments regarding if it gets to live for long or just another year or not

[bruciebabie]

I had a succession of Suds culminating in one of the first Sprint Veloces. As standard it would drive round virtually every early 80s car. Then I fitted Bilsteins and P6s. People could not believe it's capabilities. And the sound it made, just so evocative. And the times I had in it. Nostalgia creeping in here.
Please make sure it is genuinely structurally sound. A young couple from a village I lived in were T boned in a Sud and it literally disintegrated killing them both.

[lanciachris]

Picked it up this morning. Its brilliant ok, its not brilliant, but its a bit better than what I expected. Failed mot on a few minor points - localised rust basically, but the underside as a whole is absolutely sound and the bodywork proper is good too. The interiors even quite good.

Didnt have to use the radio on the way home - the big twin carbs with k&ns and the exhaust kept me grinning away its a proper sound - slightly offbeat idle, imposing but more-to-come noise through to 3000, then to 4000 and it merges into a fantastic classic rorty beast im gonna eat your children noise! and beyond that, I dont know, because I dont know how old the belts are, so they need to be done first

Only bad point is that as I suspected, the lowering was a set of cut springs, which will have to be replaced.

On a random note - does anyone know if its ok to remove a tyre from a wheel and then refit it on another wheel? I assume it would be but i want to be sure..

[2 Smokin Barrels]

You drove it home with no MOT!

[lanciachris]

2 Smokin Barrels said:

You drove it home with no MOT!

I drove it to an mot station - then drove it home from mot station - all perfectly legal

I just moved it from its temporary parking spot to my driveway. Im now grinning like a madman from the happy snorty gurgle it makes

[2 Smokin Barrels]

lanciachris said:

2 Smokin Barrels said: You drove it home with no MOT! I drove it to an mot station - then drove it home from mot station - all perfectly legal I just moved it from its temporary parking spot to my driveway. Im now grinning like a madman from the happy snorty gurgle it makes

Pre booked MOT no doubt!

[lanciachris]

Yes a pre booked MOT station!!!!! 11am appointment at the mot centre just off of the nunney catch roundabout on the a361.

[lanciachris]

And a day of fettling later things are looking brighter. Thatll be partially due to the fact that both main beams now work, as opposed to just one. A blown bulb? youll be lucky

200 cleaned connections later all the dash gauges work again, particularly glad about the oil pressure, which now shows a healthy 4 bar, as opposed to ... nothing

Reading through the receipts showed that this car must have been stacked about 20 times, or at least for whatever reason had plenty of new front wings. There is evidence under the bonnet of at least one light front accident.

Reading the receipts etc. shows that it has adjustable koni shocks on the rear and that the engine has been ported - pity it doesnt specify to what sizes or anything and the carbs rejetted accordingly.

Im firmly in the grip of new project fever.

[bruciebabie]

lanciachris said:

And a day of fettling later things are looking brighter. Thatll be partially due to the fact that both main beams now work, as opposed to just one. A blown bulb? youll be lucky 200 cleaned connections later all the dash gauges work again, particularly glad about the oil pressure, which now shows a healthy 4 bar, as opposed to ... nothing Reading through the receipts showed that this car must have been stacked about 20 times, or at least for whatever reason had plenty of new front wings. There is evidence under the bonnet of at least one light front accident. Reading the receipts etc. shows that it has adjustable koni shocks on the rear and that the engine has been ported - pity it doesnt specify to what sizes or anything and the carbs rejetted accordingly. Im firmly in the grip of new project fever.

The engine likes to be fitted with Golden Lodge Spica 4 electrode spark plugs. Other manufacturers list equivalents but I have heard of this reducing power and even leading to burnt out pistons.
The oil filter is on top of the engine and has a ball bearing non return valve. It rattles when you shake it. Non OE equivalents such as fit a Fiat 127 do not have the valve so the filter loses it's oil when the car is standing and your bearings run dry for a few seconds every time you start it. This can be heard and is obviously very unhealthy for the motor.
The inboard front disk pads are very small and so need regular replacement. Once again it is best to fit the OE if you value your safety.
All the Suds and Alfettas I had were fitted with very cheap and nasty shock absorbers and so responded very well to upgrades. I see you have the rear done, it may be worth considering the fronts.

[lanciachris]

I already have a set of new monroe shocks ready to go on the front. The front brakes are outboard on mine, in fact, I think they were wearing vented discs, but I probably imagined it. Thanks for the tip on the filter - kinda hard to miss where it is

I am now plus 4 front wings to add to my panels collection.

[bruciebabe]

lanciachris said:

I already have a set of new monroe shocks ready to go on the front. The front brakes are outboard on mine, in fact, I think they were wearing vented discs, but I probably imagined it. Thanks for the tip on the filter - kinda hard to miss where it is I am now plus 4 front wings to add to my panels collection.

The earlier sprints were basically a squashed Sud TI with inboard brakes at the front etc. When the Sud was replaced by the 33 they re-engineered the Sprint to be more like a squashed 33 with outboard brakes at the front etc.