Electric window

[Karu]

G'day, I have owned Fiat's and Lancia's and now I am a happy 1983 (October) Alfa 33 owner. It has 47,500 original kilometres and I love it. It was so cheap I bought it to sell at a profit but after driving it I quickly reconsidered. The only issue is the drivers side front window only goes down 1/3 before it clicks and stops. Any suggestions?  Thanks, Karu

[colcol]

Hello Karu, very hard to make profits selling 33's, as no one wants them!, the window issue, pull the door trim off, and have a look, and see what its fouling on, and while you are there, give all the mechanism a good clean and lubricate every thing with some silicone spray, and give the felt guides and rubbers seals a good clean as well, lubricate the felt guide, after you have cleaned it with some talculm powder, and see how you go, Colin.

[Karu]

I cannot understand why no one wants them. I will just have to enjoy it for the rest of my long life. I removed the trim and it appears that the cable reaches its limit when the window is a 1/3 down. I will try the talcum powder trick.

[colcol]

I can tell you why no one wants them, heavy steering, rubbish airconditioning, poor fuel consumption, not the most reliable when new, now very old and even more unreliable, poor spare parts due to the old Alfa Romeo leaving our shores when it got too difficult, nothing to do with the new Alfa Romeo [Ateco], i have not been to an Alfa Romeo dealer to buy new 33 spare parts for 20 years, as they no longer exist, new cars that are really good with long warranty's and very cheap, as to the electric window, if it is reaching its limit before the window is up or down, it sounds like the cable has stretched, may need a good second hand replacement motor, when you pull it out you will work it out, as its quite simple, despite all the negative things i said about 33's, i have had mine since 1986, and i still love it to bits and have no plans to part with it, they just kinda grow on you, Colin.

[Evan Bottcher]

Like a wart...

[colcol]

Like being on drugs, you know its doing you bad, but you are just hopelessly addicted to it, and i reckon if you are getting a new power window assembly, get one from the early series 1, 33, as they were all plastic nylon, where the later series 2 and 3 were metal and the metal didn't slide along as good as the plastic nylon ones did, how do i know this?, my series 1 got broken into by backyarders who forced open the drivers window and broke the power windows mechanism, and i replaced it with a series 2 metal one which never worked as good as before, Colin.

[colcol]

To remove a 33 power window motor, remove the door trim, take off the plastic sheeting on the door, remove the top plastic trim off the top of the door, the bit that runs along the top of the door, remove the trim on the outside of the door that has a seal on it, then there are 2 - 6mm bolts that holds the window glass in, remove the bolts and carefully remove the glass through the aperature at the top of the door, remove all the wiring from the motor, just disconnect the plug and remove all the wiring, which is usually held in with cable ties, then remove all the bolts that hold the triangulated assembly in, then jiggle it out through the opening on the inside of the door, get a replacement, there is one for sale on the 33 ebay site for about $180 [new], replacement procedure is the reversal of the removal procedure, hope this helps, Colin.

[tony8028]

It has 47,500 original kilometres and I love it. It was so cheap I bought it to sell at a profit but after driving it I quickly reconsidered.

Congrats on the purchase - these are just a brilliant car - have owned 3 with very little problems.

I will say that the speedos didnt work even from new, so you may want to treat those original kms with some trepidation !

[Karu]

I have to agree. I jumped at it because of the low K's, it had its 30,000 kilometre service in 2006. But I reckon you're right, it has done more than the speedo states. Pity, I would prefer a series 2 1.7 know knowing what I know about them now.

[VeeSix]

I had every 33 except the 4x4 station wagon, i even had a single carb at one stage and my last one was a 16 valve Permanant 4, my favourite out of the lot was the twin carb 1.7 litre with the red carpet, does anyone remeber the red carpet model or still have one? I think mine was a 1987 model white with a nice green stripe, damn she flew when tuned good and was so much fun, i found mine so reliable, i used it as my daily work car for about a year, i would still have a few 33s except i love the V6 engine the most and my whole collection has become V6, easier to keep spares too for just one type of engine regarding storge of engines and parts 

[colcol]

The !.7 33 twin carb had bucket loads of torque, but it tended to make you lazy by changing up early and not changing down for hills, i had a 1.7 twin carb in a Sud and going up hills the 1.7 would be in 1 gear higher than my 1.5 33 twin carb, but they both had a delightfull crackle on the overrun, and that famous boxer beat, that was unique to the Suds and 33's and Sprints, and if you looked after them they were reliable, Colin.

[Frank Musco]

my favourite out of the lot was the twin carb 1.7 litre with the red carpet, does anyone remeber the red carpet model or still have one?

VeeSix I agree. I also had the 87, white with the green strip and the beautiful red carpet. The car was too much fun with heaps of power for the road and that infectious exhaust snap, crackle, pop! If I still owned it I wouldn't have a license. The 1700 engine had twin 40's and solid lifters. What an awesome car!

[colcol]

The first 200 1.7's had solid lifters, after that they went to hydraulic, apparantly all the 1.7's were meant to have hydraulics, but the hydraulics were not ready in time, so they used the solids, to get the cars out the door, boxer motors have not hurt Suby sales too much, good if they would bring back a boxer engine, for Alfa Romeo, but too expensive to build, Colin.

[VeeSix]

Yes, as mentioned i had every 33 model except the wagon and that is the one that sticks in my memory as the best 33 experience, i think i only sold that one to get the 16 valve Permanant 4, a very nice 33 also but i found it a bit slow compared to the front wheel drive models and the tight turn knock, knock, knock a bit annoying, someone at Auto Italia once told me the knocking was normal becauase the 4wd system could not compensate? Anyone still have a 16 valve Permanant 4 here on the forum?

While i am here i was wondering has anyone seen or know of my 33, if it is still around, i guess they could have been removed but when i sold it it had a cloverleaf decal either side above the repeater side blinker and the 3 italian colours in angle stripes on the rear spoiler on the drivers side of the spoiler, also i think i colour coded the bumpers and side skirts all round at the bottom, click a light bulb with anyone? Would love to see a photo or find out where she ended up!!!!!