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I got this info off the BB.
It's from
OldAlfaGuy AKA Ted Atkins
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 16
V8 Alfa Dragster
Leon Greff of Metaire, Louisiana (a suberb of New Orleans) built a GTV-based dragster with much support from Alfa Romeo, USA. He had an import repair shop and was briefly an Alfa Romeo franchised dealer. As an import drag car fan, he talked Alfa into helping him build a dragster.
First, he tried a Montreal "marine spec" engine that Alfa Romeo USA loaned him. But he said it would not "pull a greased string out of a cat's _ _s." So they took the Montreal motor back and sent him a 2.5 liter Tasman V8 motor that they had laying around. They had it back after loaning it to Horst Kwech who tried to compete with it in the old Formula 5000 series (that series called for 5 liter stock block, or 3 liter race engine design. Horst was not competitive. I forget what formula car chassis he put the Tasman motor in. I heard that he had fuel delivery problems that he never really solved.) But it had Lucas slide throttle injection, dual Bosch ignition, gear driven cams, etc. Neat motor.
Anyway, Leon used a step nose GTV chassis, but since he had to run in one of the Gas classes, he took advantage of the liberal rules for the class and butchered the car to try to make it competitive. Solid front axle, Ford 9 inch rear, Borg Warner Super T-10S four speed, seriously gutted. He finally got it to run in the high 10's in the quarter mile. But the class record was way into the nines.
Back about 1979, after he had given up on the project, I heard about the car, and on a trip to New Orleans, I stopped by to see it and talk to Leon. He wanted $3,500 as I recall. That is when I got all of the above information - direct from Leon. When I was there, Leon said the motor would not start, so I passed on it. Leon went on to (or back to) drag racing Porsches. He said you could tweak a turbo Porsche to get it into the low nines in the 1/4 mile with no sweat. He said trying to get the Montreal motor, and then the Tasman motor, to run right was tough.
I never forgot about the Alfa dragster. Then 5-6 years later, I called Leon to see if he still had the car. He said he had sold the Tasman motor, and that a friend had put a small block Chevy in the car. I bought it over the phone - less the Chevy motor (and I honestly don't remember how much - I think it was the same $3,500 figure). I went and got the car and had visions of restoring it with a Montreal motor. In fact, I bought a freshly-rebuilt Montreal V8 from a guy who was going to make a can-am type car with it but chickened out; and I got a Montreal ZF gearbox from Matt who now owns Re-Originals, Inc. My plan was to have a chassis/suspension guy install the engine and gearbox, and take out the solid front axle and fabricate an independant double wishbone setup.
The car, Montreal motor and gearbox sat at the chassis guy's shop for months. I got impatient, listed it in the Alfa Owner magazine, and sold it to John Murphy, who lived in Atlanta and had a great collection of Alfa's. Several GTA's and tons of GTA parts, a couple of Montreals, etc.
John Murphy passed away before doing anything with the drag car and drive train. It was in his estate, which was liquidated. Leon Greff also passed away about that same time.
Oh, and about that Tasman motor ithat was in the car when I first went to look at it - later I heard that a guy in San Francisco bought it and when he opened it up, it was junk inside. A rod had let go, damaging the crank, block, heads, etc.
But it would have made one dynamite street rod, even with only the Montreal motor. On the other hand, I sold it to John Murphy for what I had in it - car, engine and gearbox. I am probably lucky in that regard. It could have ended up being one of the biggest Alfa money pits of all time!
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