duncan-uk Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 I started this thread a week or so ago but felt better of it but now i'm home i can share. Been pondering a while as to the purpose of things and craved some adventure, i wanted too spend some time with my eldest child to chew the fat as it were and visit family. So on a whim (i say that i'm not a whim guy, taking a good while to decide but..) i made the decision to buy an 89 Alfa Romeo 33 in Portugal - its not a car i desired, lusted over or even wanted but was at the right price, seemed the right thing and interesting. Yes its quite prosaic but has an 80s charm. It's not quite so irrational as I have family in Lisbon and I was due a visit for a friends party so the stars aligned for me to visit, buy a car and then return with said child at a future date. Wasn't my first choice but like i say i wasnt trigger happy and missed some others. I have to say buying a car in Portugal was a convoluted yet enjoyable affair involving lunch and viewing many cars but he deal was done and the car was mine. I then drove it 260km to my sisters place were I left it with a neighbour and returned home... They say a true petrolhead needs to own an Alfa - i needed this qualification! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve VH Posted July 1, 2023 Share Posted July 1, 2023 It must be a good un if you drove it 280km after buying it, Alfa are a good seat of the pants, back road, drivers car, could it be replacing your F11, alot of modern cars are a pretty boring nondescript drive, when compared to 1980's cars. Lisbon is a great city for a weekend break as I found on a jolly boys outing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 1, 2023 Author Share Posted July 1, 2023 No, it won't replace the F11 but 260km was just the start! Buying the car blind was scary and i nearly bottled it a few times but chap said the right things and sent me 160 pictures and a video so i took the plunge, he couldn't have been more helpful meeting my brother in law and I at Campahana station near Porto airport. Car is quite characterful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 4, 2023 Author Share Posted July 4, 2023 So a week or so later I flew to Lisbon with eldest child to hang out with their Aunt and cousin, the next day we drove to Gois where car had been left. I'd had word a tyre had gone down so took precaution of ordering up a pair but on inspection there was no obvious issue ( no cracking, valve leakes, punctures, bead leaks) Took the view it was a maybe a bead sealing issue so popped in some tyre goo as a precaution and inflated - all was good and remained so. The follwing day we set off on our mission - UK or bust. First stop Salamanca, Spain. Should probably declare this car has not done 200Km in the last 7 years.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seesure Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 Love it, what's with the grass in the vents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve VH Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 A very rare sight in the UK, a traffic free road, where you can truly appreciate the delights of motoring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 5, 2023 Author Share Posted July 5, 2023 On 05/07/2023 at 10:47, Seesure said: Love it, what's with the grass in the vents? Rosemary from my sisters garden, kid thought we should bring some. Its actually my favourite herb and i believe too its a symbol of rememberance which was kind of relevant to the trip so a nice coincidence. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 5, 2023 Author Share Posted July 5, 2023 2 hours ago, Steve VH said: A very rare sight in the UK, a traffic free road, where you can truly appreciate the delights of motoring. Damned right - driving in europe is an utter pleasure - remind me why did we vote to leave? Made this adventure harder that it should be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 6, 2023 Author Share Posted July 6, 2023 So we headed to Salamanca which is a gorgeous city and spent a night there, would happily go back, after breakfast and a stroll I checked the cars vitals and off we set to Pamlona, not sure how i feel about the bull run but its cultrally interesting and on route. The following day was to Bordeaux via the Pyrennes - the plan was to take the scenic route and avoid the toll roads, the roads between Pamplona and Bordeaux were stunning and the car suited them. Worth noting at this point the car is in need of a little suspension refresh i would say but lots of 2/3/4th and blipping on down changes made it a fun companion, at no point were we going fast. It was at this point we had our first "issue" in the tunnels under the mountains switching on the lights would kill the instruments, illuminate the blue main beam light and the dash was in darkness... Some online reasearch told us to clean the earth point - a kind of spider where all earths connect to the body - et voila (as they say in france) everything was good. On to Bordeaux 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray112 Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 23 hours ago, duncan-uk said: Damned right - driving in europe is an utter pleasure - remind me why did we vote to leave? Made this adventure harder that it should be! In Europe drivers actually check mirrors to see if someone is following and move over to outside lane as soon as safe to do so, while in UK drivers check mirrors to see if someone is following and then slow down to upset you as much as possible, then move over and speed up so there's no point to overtake. Sad reality about British road culture seen every day on UK roads. Sometimes I just have one question, how the hell those morons did get a driving licence. It's a pure pleasure to drive in Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 6, 2023 Author Share Posted July 6, 2023 Lane discipline is so much better in europe but there are also issues, tailgating and not letting you out being the main ones - does encourage you to look along way ahead. There is lunacy too - taxi i got from Porto to Campahana scared the bejesus out of me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray112 Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 9 minutes ago, duncan-uk said: Lane discipline is so much better in europe but there are also issues, tailgating and not letting you out being the main ones - does encourage you to look along way ahead. There is lunacy too - taxi i got from Porto to Campahana scared the bejesus out of me! Taxi drivers seem to think they have their own rules. This issue can be seen in quite a few countries already for decades. But overall I'm always enjoying my summer roadtrips across the Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 6, 2023 Author Share Posted July 6, 2023 I don’t disagree. We tend to head to the south of France most years generally by car. it’s possibly my favourite country, has everything I want. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 @duncan-ukI came across this, haven't watched it myself but might interest you. https://youtu.be/Tz1gMRvdl_Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 13, 2023 Author Share Posted July 13, 2023 Thanks. Yes I’ve seen it. It’s a strange car. Not pretty but interesting looks. Engine is nice. Ergonomics odd. Quite endearing. Looking forward to getting it legal here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 21, 2023 Author Share Posted July 21, 2023 Update coming soon, should have import paperwork very soon so can register and MOT - list of jobs i want to do on it then enjoy it until i sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevecvo Posted July 24, 2023 Share Posted July 24, 2023 Did you have to register the transfer of ownership at a registro in Portugal before you took it out of the country? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 24, 2023 Author Share Posted July 24, 2023 It’s an on going process. We bought the car in my sisters name as a Portugal resident with tax number etc so she could insure it. I then drove it to uk. It’s insured in uk on the vin to drive it from port to home and to mot station (pre brexit the insurance would have covered us as an eu member 🙄) i did worry it might raise questions at dover but no reason you can’t drive a Portuguese car here and we had all paperwork. Chaps at uk passport control on french side more impressed with the trip than anything else I’ve used an import company to do the import declaration and pay duty. Once I have MOT I can complete a V55/5 and pay £55 plus road tax and get it registered with uk plates My sister needs to deregister it in Portugal which seems to be a simple form. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 27, 2023 Author Share Posted July 27, 2023 How about a little update then, I now have my NOVA declaration so can now look to get the V5 and a registration number. Used a company called YFT logistics to deal with this aspect as you can't do it yourself and they were really helpful and quick - paid my duty and £85 and its now officially in the UK. Next step is an MOT - local place to my mums does drop in mots - its been recommended by a neighbour who takes his cars there and they don't do any repair work so are not fishing. I didn't do any prep and went in cold - I was expecting a fail but how big of a fail I didn't know.... Puddle is not mine - from the AC of the car before - i have AC but it doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 27, 2023 Author Share Posted July 27, 2023 Yes it failed, i thought it might need some suspension work as is not as tight as i would like but no all good and he took a good long look at everything. Commented twice how clean it was underneath. Basically 5 things: Windscreen wiper blades - easy. Fog light not working - suspect bulb as switch illuminates Headlamp aim - well yes its LHD and just come from Europe but will be solved with deflectors. No rear seat belts. I doesn't have them, has mounts for them but doesn't have them, though not law to use them until the early 90s seems it was a requirement for all cars post march 87 to have them. So some parts sourcing to do. The tricky one is emissions are high on the CO - i say tricky because i can't check so will change plugs (air filter done) change oil and filter, fuel filter, check the timing, check for vac leaks and check the choke isn't staying on. I have a Gunsons carbalancer and colourtune but not sure i want to start fiddling with settings so lets start with basics. Overall i'm really happy with that - got an advisory on "service brake fluctuating but not exessively" which i think is discs out of true? Can't feel anything through the pedal so will have it all apart and clean things up, exercise calipers and change the brake fluid and give it a good look over (the last is due anyway) Over all i'm pretty happy with that - intertestingly a KPH only speedo is fine (i bought a digital GPS one for £8 to fit anyway and a micro usb to feed it) which is probably sensible and will fit along with a USB power socket but plans are to pass MOT, service it, register it and drive it a bit then sell it as its purpose for me is done. Might look at AC but for me probably not worth the investment - "just needs a regas mate" Though it will get polished to death and is entered in a local show. Thus far it gets lots of positive comments - had "cool car" more than once! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyjawa Posted July 28, 2023 Share Posted July 28, 2023 Not too bad really then! Does it have an AFM? Whenever I've had slightly high CO on my 205, a good squirt of carb cleaner into the AFM has helped no end, and also adjusting the idle mixture (if its possible to do that on those). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted July 28, 2023 Author Share Posted July 28, 2023 It’s twin carb. Dellorto I think. i remember the 205 AFM idle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted August 4, 2023 Author Share Posted August 4, 2023 Some progress today to obtain the mot pass I need to register. new Bosch wipers fitted. Quick and easy. rear fog was a dirty connection BUT only NS. I need OS for MOT. Left and right are different arrangements but there is space for a bulb. I spliced a feed wire. Before realising there was a positive circuit for the fog bulb position there. So we had power and a holder that said it didn’t grip the bulb that well but a quick raid of the kitchen and a bit of foil sorted that. For the positive. I used a spade connector as my spring bit and now I have OS and NS fogs. Next up was rear belts. I bought a generic set rather than lots of money for a tatty old Alfa specific set. All bolts are there and worse part was cutting the mint boot sides but needs must. On the look out for a bit of trim to suit now to tidy that up. seat base out and sadly no money found but all done. Not a factory perfect instal but will do the job. For 4 bolts a side it was surprisingly labour intensive and my back is wrecked! next up is the emissions. Changed plugs ( v sooty) car wouldn’t then start with air filter off. Odd checked everything nothing amiss. Tried old plugs. Still no joy. Resigned I might need to dig out the multi meter as seemingly no spark I put it back together. Last try of key fired right up. Suspect I may have flooded it. oh well that’s a job for another day 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted August 7, 2023 Author Share Posted August 7, 2023 Woohoo. Mot pass! Spent a few hours today sorting the emissions. After the no start I kept engine running whilst I took the air box off to check it didn’t die. Got car the car good and hot first. Then I tried a gunson colour tune but can’t say it made much sense in that tweaking the mixture screws didnt seem to change much! So changed plugs one at a time and restarted after each. All good. Originals were very sooty. After that I wound in the mixture screws half a turn on each choke. Let it run. Same again until it’s started to splitter and die. Wound them back a bit (noting what I’d done if i needed to go back to the start point) Wound in about 1&1/2 and felt less fluffy and revs crisper I think, exhaust seems less wet. The moment of truth then, drive to test station literally 500m and as a retest in time they could just check the wipers, fog, seatbelts and then the emissions. I was nervous of course as i was doing it "blind" but need not be as it seemed to be pretty much spot on 2.97% CO (max 3.5) 731ppm HC (max 1200) I understand carbs like to run on the richer side anyway. The tester then stuck on reflectors for lights on for me and a pass was awarded. Quick squirt up by pass and now tucked up whilst I wait for a registration number. Very happy with my tinkering. Needs a good polish up now and I want to fit a hard wired gps mph Speedo and a usb but other than that good to go. Will give it a good service too. Ie oil, filter, fuel filter, brake fluid, check over discs and pads, gearbox oil and coolant. Think i will give the suspension once over and an alignment. I Will then just enjoy it until sold as it will have served its purpose. The raspy engine with pop bang exhaust overrun is great! - I definitely havent been on ebay looking at K&N filters or fruity back boxes - absolutely not... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted August 8, 2023 Author Share Posted August 8, 2023 V55/5 completed and docs sent off to DVLA, hopefully a VRM and being able to use it on the road is in sight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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