I have mentioned on another thread that I am building a 'Special' to evoke the sports racing cars of the early fifties-the HWMs, FN LeMans Reps, the Ferrari 166, the Maserati A6GCS etc. To this end I have intended fitting an Alfa 2 litre 4 cylinder engine but have been considering the Alfa 2600 engine although the size, weight and the location of the oil pump are problematical. Friends have been offering advice, as only friends can-and yesterday I got an email from a friend who said there was an interesting Alfa engine for sale on Craigs List (The internet classified ad site). I followed up and this is what I found: A four cam, dry sumped, Spica fuel injected V8 Alfa engine complete with clutch and flywheel but missing the ignition distributer! Sitting along side the engine was a transaxle-"Oh, that goes with it" said the seller-it said "Colloti-Francis" on the casing
I bought the whole shebang immediately (and cheaply)-we managed to lift it into my Volvo wagon and I high tailed it for home with thoughts of T33 Stradales shrieking in my brain.

Well, the engine isn't from a T33 Stradale-it is from a 1972 Montreal according to the engine number-which is just fine! The engine is fitted with headers that point to the rear rather than down-as if they are from a sports racer.... The transmission-which had never been attached to the engine I was able to determine-is a Colotti T37 and seems to be in good condition. I have no idea how these two items got together or got to Vancouver.

Funny old world innit?

Yeah... luck is running with you there...

But now the real fun begins! Is there a magneto in your future?

Possibly Ray! The original would have used twin coils and dual points.

The headers are Montreal headers I have learned--the engine was so far forward in the Montreal that the headers had to go back to clear the cross member. Would make it easy to fit this engine in the back of a single seater....

Pardon my ignorance, but this thread has been puzzling me the whole day. I know a colostomy is a surgical procedure, but what is a colostomi?

An Italian colostomy. Ask a silly question...

A Latin one perhaps, if we are speaking medical terms here and then David B must surely be the gynaecologist turned car mechanic who accomplished the impossible...Scoring 100% in his first practical as motor mac.

It might be a 'Colostomi' because I am unsure yet if it is a gearbox or a Sh**box!

There was a guy in Orange County California who had a Montreal with a flat crank about 20 years ago....I think it was an ex-Bobcar racing car...

AHAA! The oracle speaks!

Stu, I'm sure this is a plain jane Montreal engine ( in as much as a Montreal engine can be plain jane).
I think I found a reference to the engine you mentioned while searching the web. It was an AutoDelta engine originally I think.

The next step is to find a home for this Colotti T37-I cannot see me using it. Serial number 1056.

The engine would look really nice in a single seater or rear engined sports racer... I wonder.....