howdy
added 78 Sprint to my Alfasud farm yesterday. [two 76 1.2 4drs]
red /tan has a 1.5 dual carb set up.
Finally a car that moves!
Body seems pretty good, it was resprayed some years ago & re trimmed.
Pretty dirty under the hood, I think it must have sat unused for awhile, so plenty to clean up.
Electrics are usual Alfa & everything will need to be cleaned up [buy Deoxit shares now].
Most pressing are handbrake, high beams & getting the wipers to wipe across the screen, [they work when off the screen!]. New seat belts, fronts hardly retract & the rears have been changed from inertia to fixed.
Drove it home Ok, I think its needs a good Italian tune up, then road worthy & club plates. still on original plates, but I cant really justify the extra cost.
So happy to be driving a Sud. The steering & brakes seem a lot heavier than what I remember, but then its been 35 years since I drove a Sud!
Thinking already of a 33 1.7 front end & rear handbrake. [Does AROCA still do dirt motorkhanas??], Recaro seats & a nicer wheel than the wooden wheel that wouldn't be out of place on an old yacht....
Nigel
the tiller
tan
obligatory under the hood shot
thinking wheel offset at 20mm on these MOMO rims vs 39mm std could be the reason steering is heavy.
Any comments?
Lovely car. I was watching this on ebay. Looks like a great buy.
If the steering is heavy, then you must be an old bloke like me or, it needs a wheel alignment, the strut bearings are full of rust and have seized up, the steering rack is full of water and has seized up.
Jack the front of the car up and turn the steering wheel and it should be easy to turn, if it is not and is groaning, like the driver, see above, Colin.
Quote from: blazingsud on February 01, 2016, 01:14:39 PM
howdy
added 78 Sprint to my Alfasud farm yesterday. [two 76 1.2 4drs]
red /tan has a 1.5 dual carb set up.
Finally a car that moves!
Body seems pretty good, it was resprayed some years ago & re trimmed.
Pretty dirty under the hood, I think it must have sat unused for awhile, so plenty to clean up.
Electrics are usual Alfa & everything will need to be cleaned up [buy Deoxit shares now].
Most pressing are handbrake, high beams & getting the wipers to wipe across the screen, [they work when off the screen!]. New seat belts, fronts hardly retract & the rears have been changed from inertia to fixed.
Drove it home Ok, I think its needs a good Italian tune up, then road worthy & club plates. still on original plates, but I cant really justify the extra cost.
So happy to be driving a Sud. The steering & brakes seem a lot heavier than what I remember, but then its been 35 years since I drove a Sud!
Thinking already of a 33 1.7 front end & rear handbrake. [Does AROCA still do dirt motorkhanas??], Recaro seats & a nicer wheel than the wooden wheel that wouldn't be out of place on an old yacht....
Nigel
Col, which steering wheel should he use?
Quote from: blazingsud on February 01, 2016, 01:15:49 PM
the tiller
Polish the spokes and re do the wood a dark colour, grab a centre from a later sprint. I also concur, you will have rusted strut bearings
Thanks Colin. Last time I had a Sud that worked it wasn't that old!( and neither was I)
Also need to find the lift off "clunk" from the left side.
Is the Sud rear muffler the same as the Sprints?
Very cool
Mr. Garibaldi, [if that is your real name], the best steering wheel to use is the correct one from that model.
I know that cause, on the twin carb Sud i had, the steering wheel i was painting and putting a leather cover on the one for the car, so i was using a steering wheel off a single carb Sud, to keep me going, because the Sud doesn't have a spline, so i couldn't use a large pair of vice grips, i was using this wheel which wasn't quite right, but it was temporary until i fixed the proper one, one day turning right in Doncaster, just up the road from Lance Dixon, and the steering wheel locked up and a nearly hit several cars as the wheel wouldn't turn.
Turns out the single carb steering wheel has a slightly different canceller peg and it broke off the assembly and locked everything up, and i was only able to turn the wheel with brute force by breaking the canceller assembly, which are as rare as rocking horse droppings, laugh about it now....but then, no such problems with a good 33, Alfa improved those switches for the better, Colin.
Sprint looks great and believe the rear mufflers should be the same given floorpans are identical.
Col makes me laugh - locked steering wheel. I use the thicker S3 Ti steering wheel on my Sud and keep the leather original on the wall in my garage (only gets put if car is on show) so understand the indicator cancel issues!
Thanks for replies.
I sprayed some Inox & dribbled some bicycle synthetic lube into the bearing area , as the shock boots are torn (RWC item I guess too). Much better but still binds at full lock.
Wheels of ground it feels pretty ok, no binding at lock, so guessing it the strut bearings as the rack should be crap every where ?
I can find original strut bearings from Italy $45 ea, or a plastic version, I presume that's the cage from Just suds - same priceish, or another Ebay vendor from Hong Kong, that are about $18, but you need to leave out a washer as they are thicker. Best option?
What is the going wrecker price in a 33 front end for a change over? There is a complete 33 1.7 IE for sale at $850, which to me seems a better option. Thoughts?
It also has a/c and as my sprint has a/c fitted I could use the mount. As my sprint has a twin carb fitted the old single carb compressor mount doesn't fit any more. Yes I know it'll run backwards, but for summer & wife it's a good option.
Bushes for suspension. Go original or poly? In the past I thought poly squeaked, is that still the case?
Shocks? My struts have the small bolt at the bottom. Apart from trying to source some old Konis, what else is recommended to fit. Searching the net doesn't give any current info.
Thanks nigel
Ok, for the strut bearings, get the correct ones, as there are many variations, they fill up with water and mud and seize up, i like the 87 onwards for 33's, as they are sealed, but they are different to earlier ones.
The front suspension has six bushes, they are still available and easy to replace, just need a small press or bush pulling tool, the bushes i purchased new from Italian Automotive Spares in Brunswick.
I would stay away from poly bushes, as the suspension has to have to have some compliance, i remember seeing a wish bone mount pulled out of the body on a Sud, as all the compliance and movement was going on the mount and it just failed, the Suds are a good little handler anyway, and if the standard bushes are good, don't mess with the unknown.
If your struts have a bolt in the bottom, thats good news as the standard damper has been replaced by an insert, on the standard damper, you grind the top off the strut with an angle grinder and the leaking SPICA falls out, then you drill a hole in the bottom of the strut [12mm], push the replacement damper thru the strut and pull it down from the bottom with the bolt, Colin.
Thanks for the plug Col,
I'd like to mention that we are working with a supplier in Italy for new front Shock Absorbers for both the SUD's and the 33's as they're becoming harder and harder to source. We're looking at some options, complete struts and/or inserts and possible some sports options. For the time being it is just in discussion, but hopefully we will have an answer in the next few weeks.
NIgel,
I hope things are well. Just wondering how your Sprint is going. Fixed and awesome?
Hi, no sprint is static art at the moment in various garages.
Still finishing the 928 off, but might swap them over during winter as I'm not actively driving 928 in the wet. Just had to rebuild the auto as it munched the friction plate surfaces$$$$$ or as I call it, 928$4
Re Sud;
Just got new exhaust made up from Exhaust World in North Melb. Lovely & quiet now.
Also now has breaks in it so I can remove engine to tidy up the engine bay & heater area, fix the struts, steering, rebuild all the braking system, new bushes, wiring clean up etc etc
Replace front seats at least as they are sooooo uncomfortable, tyres, stereo & a few other bits I guess. I've already collected a lot of parts in preparation.
Had to move it from one car park to another, so first drive in probably 10 months.
New battery, plugs & leads, started straight away.
I did discover that I think the distributor is installed 180 degrees about , as the plug order on the cap is 180 out to the manual.
Brakes felt seized up too, but I'm totally rebuilding as a matter of safety.
Life goes slowly sometimes, but car fixing is for me like sludge!
Always amazed at the fast fixers...
Ciao nigel
Some Speedlines purchased to replace those Momos. Moved car from one parking bay to another!