Alfa Pages

[Ravi]

Hi All

I have been putting off the rust repair on my 33 for some time now. The rust has popped up, in typical 33 fashion, on the tailgate - just beneath the rear windscreen seal.

Originally I was going to do a patch up job using fibreglass, body filler, primer and touch up paint etc but WITHOUT removing the rear windscreen. The rust spot is about 4 cm in diameter, but the problem is it seems to 'emerge' from beneath the black windscreen seal.

Should i really just take it to a panel beater to get the job done properly (rear windscreen out and all) or should i have a go myself first? Alternatively, anyone tried removing and replacing the rear screen in a 33 - is it difficult?

All help greatly appreciated.

Cheers

R
_________________
1986 33 QV

Looking to upgrade to a 16v?...

[Ben_nz]

I think the problem 'emerges' from drain holes Alfa put under the window seal near each bottom corner. Water which gets under the seal is supposed to go through those holes and come out of the hatch down near the tail lights, but of course rust starts from the edges of the holes.

I had a panelbeater remove my rear windscreen, cut the rust out, weld new metal, repaint etc hoping it would stop the water which would drip into the boot from those points. It didn't seem to be too much trouble for the panelbeater to get that window out and back in again, but the wally did break both the rear window demister terminals off the glass in the process.
The terminals are right up close to the rubber seal, so be careful if you try that.
Also getting the rear spoiler off was hard because the old screws wouldn't loosen, the heads just got damaged.

After the rust repair was done, I bought a big tube of sealant for stopping leaky windscreens, and squirted so much of it under the seal that water now runs away in fear!
No need for strategically placed icecream containers to catch the drips now.

[Ravi - too lazy to log in]

Thanks for the reply, mate.

I'm thinking that when i joined this forum i should have said i was a girl!! You seem to get more responses that way!!!

[Ben_nz]

Hey, I'm an equal opportunity responder.

[done_fishin]

Thanks for opening this topic, don't know why I didn't see it before!!
I am just in the process of trying to repair my 33 without removing the rear windscreen. I am wondering though whether it might be better to go get a second hand one in good condition and replace it since the rust just seems to be everywhere, not to mention that the bodyfiller I found seems to dry up before I manage to put it on the car!
Can anyone also tell me what the purpose is of those 2 things are, that telescopically open, when I open the boot area and just before I place a long metal rod between the floor and the bootdoor to prop it open? They seem to be decorative but do nothing ! Can they be made "FUNCTIONAL" so that I don't need to use my prop any more?
_________________
A Brit in Athens since '87
resurrecting an '85 Alfa 33 1200

[Ben_nz]

Hahaha, yes they can be made functional again. I only put up with trying to load heavy objects into my boot with the lid resting on my head for a week or two before I had them fixed.

I took the car to a gas strut place where we removed the struts, and the guy took them into his back room and put the smoke back in them. It cost me fifty bucks, but try convincing people your car isn't an old heap of junk when your boot is being held up by a pole!

[greencloverleaf patrick]

hello everyone ive just registered to this im form england uk i have just brought a 1.7 sprint that needs work for £50 a good price as the body is not that bad .
i have worked at a restoration garage restoring cars from old bmws to lotus elans when you see rust on your car it works it way form the inside out so generally what you see on the outside is usually worse when you investigate my suggetion to you is take the screen out and get the rust cut out and wield new metal in because if you fill it yourself it will only get worse later .