ilusion of speed? where do you see alfas that are slow even the 1.3L is capable of achieving 190km/h my 72 GT2000 is easy to achiveve the 200km/h then even more but fastly 200km/h it´s a large car but low and the top is high as my waist
I remember when the Sud ti came out. Someone sent a letter to Autocar about it. He had been a satisfied Porsch 911 owner, and decided it was time to buy a new one to replace it. He placed his order, and found a buyer for his old one. While waiting for the new Porsche to arrive, he bought a Sud ti. After a while, he realised that he was enjoying the Sud so much that he cancelled the new Porsche.
I 've owned a 1980 Alfasud ti from new. Absolutely no rust in my Sud. Would have liked a Sprint but my budget wouldn't stretch that far. Single carb versions have a round air filter on top. The Sprint you tested has a dual carb. The Sud still amazes me whenever I drive it, which isn't enough these days. Paul from Australia.
I owned a 1.5 ti., fabulous car to drive but failed its third MOT with severe structural corrosion. The mcPherson strut towers separated from the inner wings and were pushing the bonnet open. I sold it for spares or a rebuild project. The Scottish climate didn't agree with the poor thing.
Someone really enjoyed that 👍🇮🇹Similar reaction to when you drove the 127 Sport. Don't be so surprised, this is what you get when you drive an Italian car from the 70's and 80's. One of the best looking cars ever made the Sprint Veloce and lovely to see one again.
@@jimdee9801 I had a chocolate brown metallic 1.5 Sprint Veloce for a while in 1989. Stunning looking car, but always struggled to get the carbs balanced properly
Definitely a dual choke, twin carb model , 95bhp from 1500c c with fantastic throttle response giving vivid acceleration in all years yet decent fuel economy .Very underrated engine, as all praise tends to go on Busso V6 or online twin cam . Had one , a 1983 model known as the Speciale' , loved her wish I still had her .A fabulous motor car.
There is a lesser specification engine with a single carburettor and an amazing cast inlet that goes to both heads. This has two twin-choke carbs, meaning a choke per cylinder, hence they sound superb.
I had 3 alfasuds 2 sprints and one saloon, the sprints where both special editions. The best was a metallic bronze with full webasto sunroof and cream and brown Interior and wood sterling wheel. That had the best carbs delorttos better than webbers happy days
@@engineered_images a choke per head twin cam shaft in-line one and 4 cylinder the 1.3 L had 95 h.p. in early 70´s i own one sprintveloce and a alfasud not sprint veloce both from the 70´s and more three alfas early 70´s (GT2000, GT junior 1.3L twin-cams both )and a sedan with 2.0L a 76 several names GTV with rp m counter in front of the steering wheel rest of the gages in the midle of the dash, the only i knew and the 80´s and the 90´s one(wich i also have)
Best video of the year so far Ian. I was in bad mood earlier today, but hearing you giggling with excitement as you ran through the gears, spinning up that dynamite boxer engine made my day!
One of the most fun cars I have ever owned, Ian. Mine was black and I too fitted a custom exhaust. Although I don't think the little car went any faster, it certainly SOUNDED like it did. The little boxer engine sounded almost Ferrari-like when she got up in the revs and it was like she was spurring me on! The sound was so intoxicating. This was in 1990 / 91 and mine was a '79 model, so identical to the one in your film apart from the colour. They DO handle very well and you will have noticed the 5th gear isn't an overdrive, but just another well spaced cog that fitted at the end of four other perfectly spaced cogs that kept you in the power band after each change at the red line. They could have done with a 6th for open road cruising, but the Sprints were NEVER a cruise mobile, really..... I laughed when you got in the car's boot, because I have a photograph of me in the boot of MY Alfa when I was packing to go away on holiday. I'd said to my sister that I was forgetting something. She asked what and so I got in the boot and said "Me!" So since she already had her camera out to take pictures of the car, she took one of me in there! In all practicality, the rear side window ventilation is more for letting air out than any in for the rear seat passengers, but the leg room in the back is quite surprising, isn't it? Blew me away when I tried it. The pedal layout and switch / stalk location and actions eventually do become second nature when you drive it for a while - even the choke being under the steering column almost seems sensible after a while! The vents on the top of the dash were rather pathetic though and were more like being breathed on by an asthmatic mouse than the blow they threw at your feet (I could never figure out why though), so defogging was better done with a cloth or an open window with the heater on your feet at full noise. When they came out in about 74, they had a 1.3 boxer as per the Sud of the time and when they stopped making them in 1986(ish), they could be had with a 1.7QV engine. I used to drool over one of those at the Alfa Club rallies and funnily enough, he wasn't keen to swap cars with me for a short stint on a drive day....but I think that was more to the fact I was 21 than he thought my car would be substandard! I haven't heard that sound in years and it took me back to the days when I was young and life was less complicated. Many thanks for reminding me what a great little car I had. I almost want to go and find another one, but any that have survived this long will be worth their weight in gold, I'm picking.....
Loved my Sprint. Great car. Some things a pain to work on (inboard front brake disks, with a front handbrake......). Some lovely bits of design. The bonnet catch works well, and no chance it is going to flip up if not latch fully (unlike more cars). If you need to make yourself known, pull it by the ears! Flashes the lights and toots the horn. Switchgear is great when you are used to it. You can swap the spacers around under the front seat (~1" spacer under the rear of the seats, take them out and put them under the front and you get more support under your knees - this was listed in the owners handbook). Heater actually worked pretty well. What it was capable of was providing a small amount of roasting air, which I liked. The pair of twin choke carbs work well. To start from cold, pump the throttle a few times then start, and blip the throttle while cold (taking advantage of the accelerator pumps) rather than bothering with the choke. Exhaust note sometimes called the "eternal fart"! Fun to play tunes with the gearbox. The late Sprint was 86hp in 1.3 form and 105hp in Green Cloverleaf form. Think this one is 95%. Valve adjustment is interesting and easy (rocker covers off, and there is a hole through the cam between the 2 lobes per valve - allen key through the hole and turn the adjuster in the bucket while holding the bucket steady). Cam belts easy enough. Heads are simple (flat, combustion chambers is in the piston crowns). It you find it pulling to one side occasionally, there are bearings half way down the struts (under the lower strut pans). When these fail the steering ceases to return naturally to the straight ahead.
Can you imagine that they actually used Sud Sprints in 1model celebrity rallyX races in the Netherlands?! Valkenswaard rallyX circuit. It was broadcast on Dutch public TV. These Sprints were special even when new. Most Suds were sedans(saloons) some were wagons(Giardinetta, also rare and collectible these days). No matter what model, not many left these days.
I had a red RHD Sprint Veloce in NZ when I was at university. It rusted and broke down quite a lot (blown head gaskets) but was awesome to drive. This video brings back a lot of fond memories :)
This was a really enjoyable road test to watch. You had so much fun in that little car! These are where the fun is at, a nippy engine, light body, good suspension, and no driver numbing devices. It's a good while since we heard you giggling so much on a road test. Great to see! 👍
That's a little gem. When you can have that much enjoyment and have such an involving drive on normal roads you really question the need for more power. Great video
Had forgotten those rear side windows. In fact totally forgotten despite owning one. The inboard front discs were also (for some inexplicable Alfa reason) used for the handbrake, and near impossible to see let alone work on. Later 1.7 litre cars were, I think, outboard at the front with rear handbrake though possibly that was just the Alfa 33. Useful boot demonstration, possible used in period by Italian gangsters? One of my favourite , if not favourite, car I have owned.
Pomigliano d'Arco, that's where they came from. I had three 'Suds ti, a 1.2, a 1.5 and a Cloverleaf/Quadrifoglio Verde. Then a few 33s and now that I've grown up I'm into Citroëns and Peugeots. But the 'Suds were great, no issues with rust on any Sud or 33 I had. PS: the black box under the bonnet is the aircleaner, with at either end a vertical twin choke carburettor over each cilinder bank.
I swear there is more than a bit of this car's DNA in the current 3-cylinder Fiestas! What a perfect day for chucking a slightly under-powered little bundle of fun around the roads. I love the tinkering videos, but I must admit it is great to have the car reviews back!
Very pretty little car with well thought out mechanicals. Brilliant engineer, Rudolph Hruska. The Lancia Flavia (with the flat four engine) predated the Alfasud by more than ten years and was Italy's first front wheel drive car - also an early adopter of Fuel Injection in the mid sixties. You need a spin in one of them
My father used to drive a non-Sprint Alfasud from new. I remember him fixing massive rust issues before the first TÜV (German MOT), so less than 3 years old. I also remember a rainy day on holiday when it decided to let all electrics die multiple times, waiting for contacts to dry.
The Arna is absolutely not what so many people automatically labelled it. It is a fine car with a practical body endowed with a very fruity thoroughbred engine. It sounded great and went like the wind. Certainly the best Nissan Cherry ever made, if not the greatest Alfa Romeo. I need to see one again.
Man, I came so close to buying one of those in the late ‘80s. I only chickened out due to the insurance (I was in my late teens at the time). Always one that got away though.
I love and miss my Sprint Green Cloverleaf... had a '85 white one in about '91. They are so hard to find now, a nice one is getting up at 10k in the UK... I'm looking!!!
That they were - it’s due to this era of Italian loveliness that I have a love of FIAT, Lancia and Alfa Romeo to this day (currently on my 3rd Alfa - which at 10yrs old has just passed it’s MOT with flying colours!)
I had a 1989 sprint veloce with 105 bhp and the zender bodykit in Alfa rec..and it's still my favourite of all the cars I've owned...thanks for this hubnut,you took me back to 1992!!!
Brilliant video mate,at last a bit of cuore sportivo hubnutiness.Ive got the 1.3 version of this engine in my 1990 Alfa 33, 88 bhp and 900 kilos puts a big smile on the face every time.
I have very fond memories owning one of those back in the 80's. As I recall the Sprint Veloce had two 40mm DCOE twin-choke Weber carbs, one on each side of the boxer engine meaning a single 40mm choke per cylinder whereas ordinary Sprints shared a single two choke Weber between the four cylinders. That plus slightly different heads with bigger intake ports gave the Veloce 115bhp over 105 bhp in the regular Sprint if memory serves me right. I modded my regular Sprint into the Veloce engine with a set of Veloce Carbs and heads I got from a local breakers yard. It made a lovely noise and had instant throttle response but the Webers needed an expert tune up from time to time. EFI cars have snail-like throttle response in comparison. I credit the first 'hot hatch' to the Alfasud, not the Golf GTI Mk1 as widely accepted. Just my humble opinion
Apart from the carb gaff (you can see them!) a great video. I had a very similar car in about 1990 and earlier than that an Alfetta GT. Both lovely but styling wise preferred the Sud - to me, although similar, the Alfetta always looked arse heavy. The Sud was just perfect. The Sud also gave me one of my most exciting motoring moment. The throttle stop on the floor was a large bolt, best part of an inch across the flats. The throttle pedal was a pressed tin item with the edges rolled under. First day of ownership I planted the loud pedal hard down on Maypole Lane Birmingham (Hubnut would know where). The inevitable happened, the throttle stayed fully open and I very narrowly averted a stationary bus - I had to pull into a side road and wait until my heartrate subside to sub 250.
Superb. I love this, and have to say the giggling is infectious. The twin carb 1.5, like this had twin choke Dellortos or Webers under the alloy elbows either side of the air filter housing so one carb throat per cylinder and that glorious snappy throttle response and induction noise you get with that arrangement. Depending on the market and year it had either 95 or 105bhp at about 6000rpm, peak torque at 4000rpm. Little rippers, those engines, and they continued to be in the Alfa 33 that used a development of the same engine too.
The throttle shafts would get notched and you get digital on off response on the Dellortos and your co-driverswhiplash at every gearchange :-) The cars frontend frame tends to soften and the suspension would stop working...giving a harsh ride. The non catalytic engines sound just great. The brakes were though but would fade. Better than most cars though.
Love these little cars, I remember them well! Looks like a miniature GTV with all the magnificent engineering of the Alfasud. Oh, and the Lancia Gammas had flat fours as well despite their size.
Amazing little cars that are absolutely bursting with character. Sadly you dont see many around these days. As always a joy to watch you enjoy driving an interesting car.
Marvellous - probably mentioned in other comments that the Italian cars were always streets ahead in spirit, it was just the chemical reaction of the metal work when introduced to inclement weather and saline solution that let them down here in the UK, another information loaded presentation Ian.
Just Russian hot rolled steel, where the rust in the rolling got compressed into the metal. No amount of surface preparation, short of stripping to bare metal, etching and then a generous coating of electochemically deposited zinc, would help there. Even then you would need to have at least 4coats of etch primer, 4 of undercoat, 3 paint layers plus a sealing coat to have any chance, plus fill every cavity with wax after painting to try to keep water out. My father took his brand new one for corrosion treatment, and it already, 3 months out the factory, had rust that they had to treat, before the underbody and cavities were filled with wax. It still rusted at all sort of places.
The Japanese had the same problem with building cars out of rusty metal . The other thing was that the Sud was built by Italian farmers who would strike 🪧 and go sick leaving a lot of the bare shells outside with no protection.
They did get a lot better after SAAB taught Lancia about rust protection, then FIAT group adopted galvanised body shells. The Italian cars I’ve had have all been fine for corrosion - my current one is 10yrs old, and has just sailed through an MOT.
My very first car was a orange/brown/rust 1.5 sprint veloce. MLW 823V, I absolutely adored it, fantastic to drive and the boxer engine was amazing. So good to see a review.
Always wanted an Alfasud since I was a child in the 70s. Particularly the earliest non hatchback with the square headlights. I'd love to see you test drive one of them. There is something simultaneously workaday and exotic about them.
One used to buzz, pop and fart down my road every day when I was a kid - that and the GTV6 I sat in when I was 11 or 12 started my lifelong love of Alfa Romeos
@2.34 I had owned an exact this 1982 RH drive model, the "veloce" comes standard in 1.5 engines with Twin Weber carburetor, Twin spark plug per cylinder. While only the 1.2 Alfasud or 1.3 Sprint has single carb with big round air filter atop the carb. The "black box" air filter you pointed has air intake single central entry, eventually splitting both side leading to left and right side for each carburetor. Both carbs are "synchronized action" by a connecting rod of throttle linkage and cable.
What a stunning and rare survivor it is. Nice to see. They were very popular here in Oz in the day, a mate had a red one who pulled the birds! You never see them these days - survivors know doubt in the hands of dedicated enthusiasts. Thanks for the test.
the first and only Alfa boxer but most of all the first and only front wheels drive car Alfa has ever made before Fiat kicked in. thanks for this beautiful video. sounds funny noise uh? now you're hooked ;D
I had a 70s 1200ti. Best handling fwd I have driven. Very playful - you could flick into a drift and hold it there with the throttle. Very revvy it had a rev limiter which would cut in @8000. Used to bounce it off the limiter all the time, especially while drifting it. Did 100 000 miles like that - engine seemed to thrive on being thrashed. But after about 3 years it started decaying into alfa particles, then a friend wrote it off trying to emulate my drifting style.
Liking this a lot too . Always loved the Sud and Sprint and all things Alfa and Lancia and the odd Fiat too . Great to watch after a rubbish day at work . My spirits are lifted 👍👍👍
The more bendy the road is, the more fun an Alfasud is to drive, it just sticks to the road. High level drivers can even make them slide the rear, like you see with Mini's raced on a track. Fast into a bend, let of the throttle and the rear gets loose. It don't understeer like most front wheel driven cars.
I owned a standard Alfasud hatchback in the mid 70s with the 1300 engine. It was huge fun to drive, and the engine was just so sweet. Not a lot of power but I enjoyed the best fast drive of my life in that car. This was on dirt roads in a remote part of South Africa with no traffic cops within a hundred kilometres... I covered a large distance in a ridiculously short time! Great car.
had an alfasud gold cloverleaf my second ever car in 1985 in rosso red loved it drove aroun with the windows down even in winter just to listen to the exhaust it lived its whole life with me and before me in scotland and never had any rust at all. would embarass many bigger engined cars and handled like a roller skate, wish i had it now:(
Cloverleaf fuel cap (sorry vents!)... I wrote an essay on Giugiaro for my Art & Design college course way back in 1989. Had a picture of the Fiat Uno on the front cover.
Fantastic! Giugiaro was (and still is) a hero of mine - when I was at Art college, and later when I did a Product design degree - I always had pictures the Lancia Delta and the Pininfarina designed Lancia Gamma coupe on my wall by my work bench.
One of my favourite Alfas. I only got to drive the 33 in nearly all its various guises, but they were not quite the same experience as a sud saloon or coupe. Thanks for dishing up a treat !
Before I bought my Fiesta ST in 2015, I watched a bunch of reviews on TH-cam. One of the reasons I settled on the ST was that almost every road test video included lots of giggling. Having watched this, I strongly suspect that I’d love an Alfasud as well.
Owned a Sud 1.5, 33 1.7, 75 turbo evo, 146. Drove 6, Sprint, GTV, Giulia, Guliettas. The dual carb Sud was a hoot to drive and reving to 7500. Drove the Arna. Sucked. The 75 evo was the best of the bunch.
Yay, someone else now knows the truth about these wonderful cars! I have a 1980 Sprint in red (the only colour for a Alfa), owned since 1987, so know it well. Simple fun car, very reliable (nothing sinister in the electrics really!). Rust not an issue here in NZ. Thanks HubNut.
That does sound well! You certainly looked to be enjoying yourself there. When I read road tests years ago,I was always drawn to the Alfa for some reason but I have yet to own one. Nice video.
Great video! I have a very similar car in terms of tune, but in hatchback form. It’s such a good car for reminding you how the development of modern cars sadly dulled the driving experience along the way. Inevitable perhaps with the additional considerations of safety, comfort , emissions, economy etc adding weight and dumbing things down. Love my Alfa 🥰
You should seek out the ‘Where’s The Progress’ article that Car magazine ran in the mid ‘90s - even when pitting a ‘Sud against a 33 (which was based on the Sud, and used an updated 1.7ltr boxer engine), the writer concluded that the ‘Sud with its inboard rear brakes, lighter weight, and superior road manners, was the better car.
@@glennpowell3444 I don’t think that motoring journalists are too bothered about doing their own maintenance - they were just commenting on how it went!
My first car! Silver 1983 Sprint Green Cloverleaf reg A601WAB. So so unreliable but I loved it deeply. The smoothest sweetest engine you could ever want.
I had an Alfasud Ti Green Cloverleaf when I was 18, it replaced my beige Hillman Imp. I still smile when I remember putting my foot down that first time of many.
"The illusion of speed without the expense and inconvenience of having achieved it" gotta love Italian cars!
that tiny engine is around 100 HP little less little more depending on version, not bad on a 1000Kg car
ilusion of speed? where do you see alfas that are slow even the 1.3L is capable of achieving 190km/h my 72 GT2000 is easy to achiveve the 200km/h then even more but fastly 200km/h it´s a large car but low and the top is high as my waist
Silly comment from a silly person.
@@DavidM-mb1vx I don't think so. Have you driven one of these cars? HE describes the feedback and sensation they deliver very well.
I remember when the Sud ti came out. Someone sent a letter to Autocar about it. He had been a satisfied Porsch 911 owner, and decided it was time to buy a new one to replace it. He placed his order, and found a buyer for his old one. While waiting for the new Porsche to arrive, he bought a Sud ti. After a while, he realised that he was enjoying the Sud so much that he cancelled the new Porsche.
Haha, great!
I 've owned a 1980 Alfasud ti from new. Absolutely no rust in my Sud.
Would have liked a Sprint but my budget wouldn't stretch that far.
Single carb versions have a round air filter on top. The Sprint you tested has a dual carb.
The Sud still amazes me whenever I drive it, which isn't enough these days.
Paul from Australia.
I owned a 1.5 ti., fabulous car to drive but failed its third MOT with severe structural corrosion. The mcPherson strut towers separated from the inner wings and were pushing the bonnet open. I sold it for spares or a rebuild project. The Scottish climate didn't agree with the poor thing.
Blimey. Well done on that - 41 years.
@@julianevans9548 Yeap, can't bring myself to part with her. As I like to tell my wife, I love old things.
@@paulkling2193 The older the fiddle,
The sweeter the tune 🎶
Someone really enjoyed that 👍🇮🇹Similar reaction to when you drove the 127 Sport.
Don't be so surprised, this is what you get when you drive an Italian car from the 70's and 80's.
One of the best looking cars ever made the Sprint Veloce and lovely to see one again.
Yes the looks and comments I used to get. More than any other car I had
@@jimdee9801 I had a chocolate brown metallic 1.5 Sprint Veloce for a while in 1989. Stunning looking car, but always struggled to get the carbs balanced properly
Definitely a dual choke, twin carb model , 95bhp from 1500c c with fantastic throttle response giving vivid acceleration in all years yet decent fuel economy .Very underrated engine, as all praise tends to go on Busso V6 or online twin cam . Had one , a 1983 model known as the Speciale' , loved her wish I still had her .A fabulous motor car.
They are twin carbs, and twin choke which is why they sound sooo good...
Yeah, they sound great!
There is a lesser specification engine with a single carburettor and an amazing cast inlet that goes to both heads. This has two twin-choke carbs, meaning a choke per cylinder, hence they sound superb.
I had 3 alfasuds 2 sprints and one saloon, the sprints where both special editions. The best was a metallic bronze with full webasto sunroof and cream and brown Interior and wood sterling wheel. That had the best carbs delorttos better than webbers happy days
@@engineered_images a choke per head twin cam shaft in-line one and 4 cylinder the 1.3 L had 95 h.p. in early 70´s i own one sprintveloce and a alfasud not sprint veloce both from the 70´s and more three alfas early 70´s (GT2000, GT junior 1.3L twin-cams both )and a sedan with 2.0L a 76 several names GTV with rp m counter in front of the steering wheel rest of the gages in the midle of the dash, the only i knew and the 80´s and the 90´s one(wich i also have)
I'm not sure I've seen any of your road tests where you giggled quite as much. 😁👍
Alfas have that effect on people.
@@LooLooRacer Or tears...
@@davidy80 haha
Best video of the year so far Ian. I was in bad mood earlier today, but hearing you giggling with excitement as you ran through the gears, spinning up that dynamite boxer engine made my day!
One of the most fun cars I have ever owned, Ian. Mine was black and I too fitted a custom exhaust. Although I don't think the little car went any faster, it certainly SOUNDED like it did. The little boxer engine sounded almost Ferrari-like when she got up in the revs and it was like she was spurring me on! The sound was so intoxicating. This was in 1990 / 91 and mine was a '79 model, so identical to the one in your film apart from the colour. They DO handle very well and you will have noticed the 5th gear isn't an overdrive, but just another well spaced cog that fitted at the end of four other perfectly spaced cogs that kept you in the power band after each change at the red line. They could have done with a 6th for open road cruising, but the Sprints were NEVER a cruise mobile, really.....
I laughed when you got in the car's boot, because I have a photograph of me in the boot of MY Alfa when I was packing to go away on holiday. I'd said to my sister that I was forgetting something. She asked what and so I got in the boot and said "Me!" So since she already had her camera out to take pictures of the car, she took one of me in there! In all practicality, the rear side window ventilation is more for letting air out than any in for the rear seat passengers, but the leg room in the back is quite surprising, isn't it? Blew me away when I tried it. The pedal layout and switch / stalk location and actions eventually do become second nature when you drive it for a while - even the choke being under the steering column almost seems sensible after a while! The vents on the top of the dash were rather pathetic though and were more like being breathed on by an asthmatic mouse than the blow they threw at your feet (I could never figure out why though), so defogging was better done with a cloth or an open window with the heater on your feet at full noise.
When they came out in about 74, they had a 1.3 boxer as per the Sud of the time and when they stopped making them in 1986(ish), they could be had with a 1.7QV engine. I used to drool over one of those at the Alfa Club rallies and funnily enough, he wasn't keen to swap cars with me for a short stint on a drive day....but I think that was more to the fact I was 21 than he thought my car would be substandard!
I haven't heard that sound in years and it took me back to the days when I was young and life was less complicated. Many thanks for reminding me what a great little car I had. I almost want to go and find another one, but any that have survived this long will be worth their weight in gold, I'm picking.....
Oh! That’s where the choke is? Had one in 1990… GREAT car…ergonomic nightmare!🤣
such a shame noone makes cars as fun and quirky as this, the pure charm and style of it - fantastic review Ian.
It is always fun to see Ian get excited about a car, as I sit here at work with Hubnut playing in the background the day is a bit brighter.
The interior is as brown as Ashens' sofa! But she is gorgeous from the outside...
I drove one of those many many years ago. I didn't realise any were still around. Loved that car
Loved my Sprint. Great car. Some things a pain to work on (inboard front brake disks, with a front handbrake......). Some lovely bits of design. The bonnet catch works well, and no chance it is going to flip up if not latch fully (unlike more cars).
If you need to make yourself known, pull it by the ears! Flashes the lights and toots the horn. Switchgear is great when you are used to it.
You can swap the spacers around under the front seat (~1" spacer under the rear of the seats, take them out and put them under the front and you get more support under your knees - this was listed in the owners handbook).
Heater actually worked pretty well. What it was capable of was providing a small amount of roasting air, which I liked.
The pair of twin choke carbs work well. To start from cold, pump the throttle a few times then start, and blip the throttle while cold (taking advantage of the accelerator pumps) rather than bothering with the choke. Exhaust note sometimes called the "eternal fart"! Fun to play tunes with the gearbox. The late Sprint was 86hp in 1.3 form and 105hp in Green Cloverleaf form. Think this one is 95%.
Valve adjustment is interesting and easy (rocker covers off, and there is a hole through the cam between the 2 lobes per valve - allen key through the hole and turn the adjuster in the bucket while holding the bucket steady). Cam belts easy enough. Heads are simple (flat, combustion chambers is in the piston crowns).
It you find it pulling to one side occasionally, there are bearings half way down the struts (under the lower strut pans). When these fail the steering ceases to return naturally to the straight ahead.
Can you imagine that they actually used Sud Sprints in 1model celebrity rallyX races in the Netherlands?! Valkenswaard rallyX circuit. It was broadcast on Dutch public TV.
These Sprints were special even when new. Most Suds were sedans(saloons) some were wagons(Giardinetta, also rare and collectible these days).
No matter what model, not many left these days.
I had a red RHD Sprint Veloce in NZ when I was at university. It rusted and broke down quite a lot (blown head gaskets) but was awesome to drive. This video brings back a lot of fond memories :)
How hard was it to replace the gaskets? Thanks
I just loved these cars.. they went well, like the Sud.. the one I nearly bought, the twin choke carbs were bolted directly on the cylinder heads ..
This was a really enjoyable road test to watch. You had so much fun in that little car! These are where the fun is at, a nippy engine, light body, good suspension, and no driver numbing devices. It's a good while since we heard you giggling so much on a road test. Great to see! 👍
One of my dream cars. I’ve been in love with these things since I first found out about them when I was 16.
That's a little gem. When you can have that much enjoyment and have such an involving drive on normal roads you really question the need for more power. Great video
not rusty , very nice surprise after a very bad day , thanks Ian and team at HubNut HQ
Many years ago when I was at college one of the lecturers had an Alfasud. What caught my attention was the sound of the engine. Quite unique.
One of my first cars. I loved it so much. Light, amazing engine, great sound, great look. I miss it every day.
Had forgotten those rear side windows. In fact totally forgotten despite owning one. The inboard front discs were also (for some inexplicable Alfa reason) used for the handbrake, and near impossible to see let alone work on. Later 1.7 litre cars were, I think, outboard at the front with rear handbrake though possibly that was just the Alfa 33. Useful boot demonstration, possible used in period by Italian gangsters? One of my favourite , if not favourite, car I have owned.
Pomigliano d'Arco, that's where they came from. I had three 'Suds ti, a 1.2, a 1.5 and a Cloverleaf/Quadrifoglio Verde. Then a few 33s and now that I've grown up I'm into Citroëns and Peugeots. But the 'Suds were great, no issues with rust on any Sud or 33 I had.
PS: the black box under the bonnet is the aircleaner, with at either end a vertical twin choke carburettor over each cilinder bank.
I swear there is more than a bit of this car's DNA in the current 3-cylinder Fiestas! What a perfect day for chucking a slightly under-powered little bundle of fun around the roads. I love the tinkering videos, but I must admit it is great to have the car reviews back!
Had this exact car and my wife had its twin. We both loved our Sprints. Always reliable, economical and great fun.
What an entertaining car, and what a terrific sound at higher revs. I always wanted one.
Has to be one of my favourites, what a sound...
That looked an absolute riot!
Great to see road tests again!!! You're enjoying yourself Ian, how driving should be!!! Thank you so much for entertaining me for years now. 😊
Very pretty little car with well thought out mechanicals.
Brilliant engineer, Rudolph Hruska.
The Lancia Flavia (with the flat four engine) predated the Alfasud by more than ten years and was Italy's first front wheel drive car - also an early adopter of Fuel Injection in the mid sixties.
You need a spin in one of them
My father used to drive a non-Sprint Alfasud from new.
I remember him fixing massive rust issues before the first TÜV (German MOT), so less than 3 years old.
I also remember a rainy day on holiday when it decided to let all electrics die multiple times, waiting for contacts to dry.
You kept 3 cans of spray oil in the rear, just for those kind of issues.
Looks like your having so much fun being out and about again driving awesome cars, the smile on your face says it all
You just could not resist climbing into the boot! True Italian style 👌. We have just witnessed a man fall in love 😍.
But can it fit a 44-gallon drum like the P76? :-)
I was nervous he would fall right through, but thankfully this one had no rust lol
Delightful! One of my favourite 70s Alfas........hope you manage to track down an Arna to try!
The Arna is absolutely not what so many people automatically labelled it. It is a fine car with a practical body endowed with a very fruity thoroughbred engine. It sounded great and went like the wind.
Certainly the best Nissan Cherry ever made, if not the greatest Alfa Romeo. I need to see one again.
Man, I came so close to buying one of those in the late ‘80s. I only chickened out due to the insurance (I was in my late teens at the time). Always one that got away though.
Ditto. Got a 127 Sport instead. Great little car but the Sprint....
We had 2 sprints, including one just like this. Fondest memories of many grins. Such characters.
I had a Cherry Europe which led me into my love for all things alfa
I liked this video before I even watched it! Brilliant, well done Ian👍
Great Video Just wanted to say thanks for the fast delivery of my Hubnut stickers and the free "Beer Matt" :D
Looks like its done well to survive the usual tin worm. 👍👍
Best not take it back to Wales... 🤔
kept in Spain most of it's life by the look of the Alfa. Cars just don't rust here
@@Grimwriggler They do rust in the north.
@@Grimwriggler Not true they do, Northern Spain is very wet, and if parked by the sea it gets salt from the sea.
I love and miss my Sprint Green Cloverleaf... had a '85 white one in about '91. They are so hard to find now, a nice one is getting up at 10k in the UK... I'm looking!!!
Quattrofoglio!
That was the pinup car I had on my bedroom wall in the 70s ... alas, I’ll never drive one. Love the crackles on the overrun with this specimen.
Lovely car from my youth,thank god it wasn’t raining when you filmed it Ian,Chris
My older cousin had a green fiat X19 we all thought that was the future,
Alfa's and Lancia's from this era are absolutely beautifull.
That they were - it’s due to this era of Italian loveliness that I have a love of FIAT, Lancia and Alfa Romeo to this day (currently on my 3rd Alfa - which at 10yrs old has just passed it’s MOT with flying colours!)
@@simonhodgetts6530 My sister (self proclaimed Queen of Small Cars) just bought a Fiat 500 electric, pretty funky car.
I had a 1989 sprint veloce with 105 bhp and the zender bodykit in Alfa rec..and it's still my favourite of all the cars I've owned...thanks for this hubnut,you took me back to 1992!!!
Brilliant video mate,at last a bit of cuore sportivo hubnutiness.Ive got the 1.3 version of this engine in my 1990 Alfa 33, 88 bhp and 900 kilos puts a big smile on the face every time.
I drove an Alfa down to the south of France in the early nineties. That really was living the dream.
I LOVE the sud sprint, gorgeous cars!!
When you indicate to turn right, the blower comes on. I love that!
When a car sounds as nice as that Ian, the soundtrack is so much better than any radio station!
I have very fond memories owning one of those back in the 80's. As I recall the Sprint Veloce had two 40mm DCOE twin-choke Weber carbs, one on each side of the boxer engine meaning a single 40mm choke per cylinder whereas ordinary Sprints shared a single two choke Weber between the four cylinders. That plus slightly different heads with bigger intake ports gave the Veloce 115bhp over 105 bhp in the regular Sprint if memory serves me right. I modded my regular Sprint into the Veloce engine with a set of Veloce Carbs and heads I got from a local breakers yard. It made a lovely noise and had instant throttle response but the Webers needed an expert tune up from time to time. EFI cars have snail-like throttle response in comparison.
I credit the first 'hot hatch' to the Alfasud, not the Golf GTI Mk1 as widely accepted. Just my humble opinion
Even better than the car is seeing your joy at driving it and being out and about. Cheerful indeed :)
Apart from the carb gaff (you can see them!) a great video. I had a very similar car in about 1990 and earlier than that an Alfetta GT. Both lovely but styling wise preferred the Sud - to me, although similar, the Alfetta always looked arse heavy. The Sud was just perfect. The Sud also gave me one of my most exciting motoring moment. The throttle stop on the floor was a large bolt, best part of an inch across the flats. The throttle pedal was a pressed tin item with the edges rolled under. First day of ownership I planted the loud pedal hard down on Maypole Lane Birmingham (Hubnut would know where). The inevitable happened, the throttle stayed fully open and I very narrowly averted a stationary bus - I had to pull into a side road and wait until my heartrate subside to sub 250.
Er no I didn't expect you to jump in the boot but then your off kilter approach is what attracted my interest !
Superb. I love this, and have to say the giggling is infectious.
The twin carb 1.5, like this had twin choke Dellortos or Webers under the alloy elbows either side of the air filter housing so one carb throat per cylinder and that glorious snappy throttle response and induction noise you get with that arrangement.
Depending on the market and year it had either 95 or 105bhp at about 6000rpm, peak torque at 4000rpm. Little rippers, those engines, and they continued to be in the Alfa 33 that used a development of the same engine too.
The throttle shafts would get notched and you get digital on off response on the Dellortos and your co-driverswhiplash at every gearchange :-)
The cars frontend frame tends to soften and the suspension would stop working...giving a harsh ride. The non catalytic engines sound just great. The brakes were though but would fade. Better than most cars though.
Love these little cars, I remember them well!
Looks like a miniature GTV with all the magnificent engineering of the Alfasud.
Oh, and the Lancia Gammas had flat fours as well despite their size.
Driving an Italian work of art! & it didn't break down or rust while you were driving it!!!! Awesome!!!
Amazing little cars that are absolutely bursting with character. Sadly you dont see many around these days. As always a joy to watch you enjoy driving an interesting car.
loved the alpine and now the alfasud, what a collection you have jumped into!
I had one in the 80s, it was black, great car happy times.
Marvellous - probably mentioned in other comments that the Italian cars were always streets ahead in spirit, it was just the chemical reaction of the metal work when introduced to inclement weather and saline solution that let them down here in the UK, another information loaded presentation Ian.
Just Russian hot rolled steel, where the rust in the rolling got compressed into the metal. No amount of surface preparation, short of stripping to bare metal, etching and then a generous coating of electochemically deposited zinc, would help there. Even then you would need to have at least 4coats of etch primer, 4 of undercoat, 3 paint layers plus a sealing coat to have any chance, plus fill every cavity with wax after painting to try to keep water out. My father took his brand new one for corrosion treatment, and it already, 3 months out the factory, had rust that they had to treat, before the underbody and cavities were filled with wax. It still rusted at all sort of places.
The Japanese had the same problem with building cars out of rusty metal . The other thing was that the Sud was built by Italian farmers who would strike 🪧 and go sick leaving a lot of the bare shells outside with no protection.
They did get a lot better after SAAB taught Lancia about rust protection, then FIAT group adopted galvanised body shells. The Italian cars I’ve had have all been fine for corrosion - my current one is 10yrs old, and has just sailed through an MOT.
@@simonhodgetts6530 got a Lancia Dedra and Beta Saloon, both rescued from garages, both rust free.
My very first car was a orange/brown/rust 1.5 sprint veloce. MLW 823V, I absolutely adored it, fantastic to drive and the boxer engine was amazing. So good to see a review.
Always wanted an Alfasud since I was a child in the 70s. Particularly the earliest non hatchback with the square headlights. I'd love to see you test drive one of them. There is something simultaneously workaday and exotic about them.
One used to buzz, pop and fart down my road every day when I was a kid - that and the GTV6 I sat in when I was 11 or 12 started my lifelong love of Alfa Romeos
Great episode, I used to own a later model. That engine had 2 twin choke carbs on it, which helps with the great engine note.
Very Italian... magical. Nice to hear you back in a ‘different’ car, and laughing/smiling. Great vid Ian👍
@2.34 I had owned an exact this 1982 RH drive model, the "veloce" comes standard in 1.5 engines with Twin Weber carburetor, Twin spark plug per cylinder. While only the 1.2 Alfasud or 1.3 Sprint has single carb with big round air filter atop the carb. The "black box" air filter you pointed has air intake single central entry, eventually splitting both side leading to left and right side for each carburetor. Both carbs are "synchronized action" by a connecting rod of throttle linkage and cable.
What a stunning and rare survivor it is. Nice to see. They were very popular here in Oz in the day, a mate had a red one who pulled the birds! You never see them these days - survivors know doubt in the hands of dedicated enthusiasts. Thanks for the test.
Beautiful designed cars. Absolutely fantastic sound as well
My late dad bought a Sprint veloce brand new. Fond memories, thank you.
the first and only Alfa boxer but most of all the first and only front wheels drive car Alfa has ever made before Fiat kicked in. thanks for this beautiful video. sounds funny noise uh? now you're hooked ;D
What a beauty, glad it lives in Spain, struggle to survive here!
Love cars like this. You can have the time of your life driving at eleven tenths without even breaking the speed limit. Absolutely marvellous.
I had a 70s 1200ti. Best handling fwd I have driven. Very playful - you could flick into a drift and hold it there with the throttle.
Very revvy it had a rev limiter which would cut in @8000. Used to bounce it off the limiter all the time, especially while drifting it. Did 100 000 miles like that - engine seemed to thrive on being thrashed.
But after about 3 years it started decaying into alfa particles, then a friend wrote it off trying to emulate my drifting style.
Lovely Jubbly, never seen Mr HubNut enjoy himself so much.
Do a short vid of that sound at the end. It will go VIRAL. That is music
Liking this a lot too . Always loved the Sud and Sprint and all things Alfa and Lancia and the odd Fiat too . Great to watch after a rubbish day at work . My spirits are lifted 👍👍👍
Can't remember seeing you hammer it so hard through the bends before, there's Italian handling for you. Gorgeous looking car, a lovely package.
The more bendy the road is, the more fun an Alfasud is to drive, it just sticks to the road. High level drivers can even make them slide the rear, like you see with Mini's raced on a track. Fast into a bend, let of the throttle and the rear gets loose. It don't understeer like most front wheel driven cars.
I owned a standard Alfasud hatchback in the mid 70s with the 1300 engine.
It was huge fun to drive, and the engine was just so sweet. Not a lot of power but I enjoyed the best fast drive of my life in that car. This was on dirt roads in a remote part of South Africa with no traffic cops within a hundred kilometres...
I covered a large distance in a ridiculously short time!
Great car.
Brilliant little cars. Even the standard ones were great. Excellent.
Great review. Cars were just so much more entertaining in those days!
My uncle had an 1981 Alfasud 1.5 that was built right here in South Africa back in the early 80s. Lovely little cars.
Excellent to see another fantastic Hubnut road test. Lovely stuff. Thank you!
You are spoiling us Ian. Well done. A great find. And great memories of these too
had an alfasud gold cloverleaf my second ever car in 1985 in rosso red loved it drove aroun with the windows down even in winter just to listen to the exhaust it lived its whole life with me and before me in scotland and never had any rust at all. would embarass many bigger engined cars and handled like a roller skate, wish i had it now:(
Cloverleaf fuel cap (sorry vents!)... I wrote an essay on Giugiaro for my Art & Design college course way back in 1989. Had a picture of the Fiat Uno on the front cover.
Fantastic! Giugiaro was (and still is) a hero of mine - when I was at Art college, and later when I did a Product design degree - I always had pictures the Lancia Delta and the Pininfarina designed Lancia Gamma coupe on my wall by my work bench.
One of my favourite Alfas. I only got to drive the 33 in nearly all its various guises, but they were not quite the same experience as a sud saloon or coupe. Thanks for dishing up a treat !
Before I bought my Fiesta ST in 2015, I watched a bunch of reviews on TH-cam. One of the reasons I settled on the ST was that almost every road test video included lots of giggling. Having watched this, I strongly suspect that I’d love an Alfasud as well.
Owned a Sud 1.5, 33 1.7, 75 turbo evo, 146. Drove 6, Sprint, GTV, Giulia, Guliettas. The dual carb Sud was a hoot to drive and reving to 7500. Drove the Arna. Sucked. The 75 evo was the best of the bunch.
They have 2 twin choke carbs each side, 2 x Weber40 IDF carbs. Or 2 x Dellorto DRLA 40 carbs.
Yep !!! straight down it chuff, they sound the business.. 🎵🎵🎵🎶🎶
1 each side surely....
@@johnmoruzzi7236 I would say his left ball would be more fitting.. to go with the lefty attitude..
Absolutely love a good old Sprint!!! Fast, happy, rewarding cars.
Yay, someone else now knows the truth about these wonderful cars! I have a 1980 Sprint in red (the only colour for a Alfa), owned since 1987, so know it well. Simple fun car, very reliable (nothing sinister in the electrics really!). Rust not an issue here in NZ. Thanks HubNut.
Italian cars...so much sharper than the competition back then.
Sadly lost the plot (almost) entirely now.......😔
Great to see you drive a Sud Sprint Ian. One of my favourite all time cars. They are great cars. Loved my green cloverleaf.
That does sound well! You certainly looked to be enjoying yourself there. When I read road tests years ago,I was always drawn to the Alfa for some reason but I have yet to own one. Nice video.
I'd never get bored of hearing that engine it sounds amazing
Great video! I have a very similar car in terms of tune, but in hatchback form. It’s such a good car for reminding you how the development of modern cars sadly dulled the driving experience along the way. Inevitable perhaps with the additional considerations of safety, comfort , emissions, economy etc adding weight and dumbing things down. Love my Alfa 🥰
You should seek out the ‘Where’s The Progress’ article that Car magazine ran in the mid ‘90s - even when pitting a ‘Sud against a 33 (which was based on the Sud, and used an updated 1.7ltr boxer engine), the writer concluded that the ‘Sud with its inboard rear brakes, lighter weight, and superior road manners, was the better car.
@@glennpowell3444 I don’t think that motoring journalists are too bothered about doing their own maintenance - they were just commenting on how it went!
@@glennpowell3444Really? Maybe you should re-read my comment - I was buying Car magazine in the 90s!!!
@@glennpowell3444 is this turning into a spitting contest to see who is oldest?
My first car! Silver 1983 Sprint Green Cloverleaf reg A601WAB. So so unreliable but I loved it deeply. The smoothest sweetest engine you could ever want.
Such a beautiful car to look at as well as super fun to drive, like most italian cars of that era.
I had an Alfasud Ti Green Cloverleaf when I was 18, it replaced my beige Hillman Imp. I still smile when I remember putting my foot down that first time of many.