Buying a 164

[120L]

Hi

I'm seriously thinking of buying either an Alfa 33 1.7 or a 164 but I'd like to know what to look out for. Any particular problem areas and also if parts are available. Overseas is fine as I have a 1973 Renault and I'm used to sourcing parts from overseas.

Any advice or suggestion would be greatly appreciated

[Italian Supermodel]

Hi Centoventi,  wow these two models seem poles apart.  Tell us more about how you've scaled down your selection to these.  Personally, I owned an immaculate white 164 from 2001 to 2005 and used it as a daily. In those days you couldn't give them away so it was passed on to my 18 year old nephew who wrote it off within the week. Rookie mistake of entering a roundabout too quick in the wet and snapping front and rear axles on the closest kerb.
Anyway now I have a 1991 Q and it's been brilliant to drive. The best stick four door saloon for the money by far IMHO.

[120L]

Hi Italian Supermodel.

Wow never written to a Supermodel before!

Thanks for your reply.

My selection comes about from looking for a late model classic that can be on NSW Historic Rego. I basically want a classic and need it to be a back up second car if needed.

So I racked my brain as to what were good looking fun cars in the late 1980 and early 1990s. What I came up with was the 33 and 164. Very different but both looked unique in a world were  differences were fast fading and both were fun to drive in their own way. 164 with glorious exhaust and tons of power and the 1.7 33 with the joys of a manual and individual looks.

[Italian Supermodel]

Hi Centoventi, 
  yep, good enough reasons for me.
My thoughts of the two are swayed as I don't think I've driven a 33 but I could write a thesis on my 164Q. As I wrote initially,  it offers so much to the driver, and yes the 'sound effects' on launch mode with the tacho dancing past twelve o'clock is intoxicating. The five gears of the tight short shift conducting the 3.0 ltr Busso makes every drive special. So, if you can get your hands on a Q do so. The last one I remember for sale was a black one a couple of years back in Melbourne, sold for under 10k.
I'll post some shots of mine shortly, bought in 2015 .

[Italian Supermodel]

File size restrictions are annoying on this site.

[Italian Supermodel]

Image no.2

[Craig_m67]

Sud/Sprint/33

That's where I started. Nothing I've driven since creates the same smile.  They're just really good
(and simple)

[Alfatango]

It all depends on how much you want to spend.

There are usually 3 types of older alfas.

1. Scrap heap and not coming back.

2. Off the roads for many years but could come back.

3. Really clean ones that cost a lot.

It depends on how much you want to spend in terms of time, money and your own skill levels in terms of fixing them up. Also storage is something to consider as you need the space.

Look out for rust as that's the number one problem. Engines are pretty cheap. Glass and doors can be found. Interior bits you can find for free some times.

In terms of fixing it up yourself, take a realistic assessment of how long it will take and than triple it and you will probably have a good estimate.

Also if you are committing to it for a while, than make sure that's the right model that you want. Which comes back to storage as this car could take up the space of a car that you really want. But sometimes you just buy it and figure this all out after you bring it home.