[ToyDC145]

Hi There.
Let’s make something clear, and I apologise if I created confusion.
Basil did not cut the racing block, but another one that ARSA supplied him with, so he could see its innards.
They had to make new sleeves, with a bigger bore.
One point that I would like to know, but don’t, is the distance from the centre line.

It should be noted that the BDA engine is claimed to have more power, but the Alfa's superior suspension and 5-speed box compensated for it.
Yes, the car you see with the wide body, and I enclosed another photo here, is the original car that arrived in September 1966. The step nose gives it away.
Cheers.
Toy

This is what the car looked like before it was widened.

 

[aguirola]

Hi Vince.
To increase the bore, Basil who emigrated to Australia and sadly passed on last year, machined the bores off-centre in zig-zag. Like that, the walls of say 1 and 3 bores were extended to the left and 2 and 4 to the right. Of course this intefered with the water passages, so he circulated the water on the outside of the engine block, entering one side and exiting the other.

Unfortunatelly the picture below is the only one I have taken at the time.
It was sent to me in 2017 by Basil after he had been in SA.
Basil v. Rooyen (R) with Nino Epifani chief development engineer at Superformance, and the new GTA head. Photo. B. van Rooyen.
He also sent me the following.
"The process called for pistons with offset domes to align the domes with the combustion chambers. This reduced any coolant flow to one side of the sleeves so a feed was supplied externally from the water pump. The engine gave 180 hp, up from 135 before (though Autodelta claimed 160) The first practice at Kyalami I think, confirmed our figures when the car was 6 seconds faster than in 1600 form, taking 2 seconds off my Mustang's lap record for saloons. Later when I handed the car to Arnold, to concentrate on a F1 opportunity, Autodelta had developed a mono sleeve which gave 2000cc and some better rear suspension stuff and he took the car still further."

Perhaps, being in Australia, you can find something about him from his descendants. (a shot in the dark) I believe at one time he was involved developing a two-stroke engine and later a pool cleaning machine.
As for the Autodelta dealings,. An Angolan driver bought a 33 and paid for a 2.5 litre motor. the car arrived with a 2.0 litre off tune engine. Chiti wanted to be paid in dollars which the buyer refused. The car is chassis #75033*015.
Best wishes,
Toy

Great story, and very happy to see my dear friend Nino, ....and such a long time ago!

Thank you all for the lovely contributions!

Regards, Alberto

 

[ToyDC145]

Great story, and very happy to see my dear friend Nino, ....and such a long time ago!

Thank you all for the lovely contributions!

Regards, Alberto

Hi Alberto.
I'm very glad to have contributed to it.
Best regards,
Toy

 

[Biscione]

Here is AR1530834 as seen this weekend at the Monterey Laguna Seca Reunion races:

 

[Biscione]

 

[ToyDC145]

Hi Biscione.
Thank you for the photos. Great shots. Are you aware of any 2000 GTAm, or 1300 GTAJ fitted with a 16-valve narrow, single-plug heads?

 

[gpv]

@Biscione hi do you have a photo from the engine? i barely can see in the second picture that the car running on carburateurs instead on Spica Fulel Injection!

I have saw the restoration of this car but i do not have any pictures from the engine!

 

[Biscione]

Hi Biscione.
Thank you for the photos. Great shots. Are you aware of any 2000 GTAm, or 1300 GTAJ fitted with a 16-valve narrow, single-plug heads?

Helmut Hahn prepared and Bernd Fischer raced for many years a GTA with a 16valve 1300 engine. Hope this answers your question.

 

[Biscione]

@Biscione hi do you have a photo from the engine? i barely can see in the second picture that the car running on carburateurs instead on Spica Fulel Injection!

I have saw the restoration of this car but i do not have any pictures from the engine!

Here is the engine:
(Note the connection from the coolant expansion tank to the cylinder head)

 

[gpv]

Here is the engine:
(Note the connection from the coolant expansion tank to the cylinder head)

View attachment 1893728

Ohh thank you very much for the photo, so it is running on carburateurs if i'm seeing right!

 

[ToyDC145]

Helmut Hahn prepared and Bernd Fischer raced for many years a GTA with a 16valve 1300 engine. Hope this answers your question.

Thank you very much. It does. I have seen them, and at one time, Alfa Romeo South Africa, where I live, wanted to power the Alfetta GT Special with them in 1976, but nothing came of it.

 

[ToyDC145]

Ohh thank you very much for the photo, so it is running on carburateurs if i'm seeing right!

Hi. I'm sorry it took me so long to answer, but I had an internet connection problem.
Here are three photos of the 16-valve engines. The middle one is obviously from an Alfetta.

 

[South Africa]

Hello Toy,

Arnold Chatz raced the Telefunken ALFETTA in South Africa. To the best of my knowledge, the 16valve motor was very problematic. I believe that the 16valve motor was replaced with an 8 valve motor at some point in time!

Carlo

 

[Zagato_Olaf]

Hi Biscione.
Thank you for the photos. Great shots. Are you aware of any 2000 GTAm, or 1300 GTAJ fitted with a 16-valve narrow, single-plug heads?

Hi Toy

We know that #1530841 (ex Hähn Harald Ertl) now has a 16V engine engine in it. Installed for hill climbing events.

Ciao, Olaf 👌🍀

 

[aguirola]

Here is the engine:
(Note the connection from the coolant expansion tank to the cylinder head)

View attachment 1893728

 

[donrencos]

Hi Biscione.
Thank you for the photos. Great shots. Are you aware of any 2000 GTAm, or 1300 GTAJ fitted with a 16-valve narrow, single-plug heads?

Take a look here. The ex "Kugelfink" GTA from Hans Fink / Austria, now in Munich.

https://www.alfabb.com/threads/pista-and-piloti-2021.710062/?post_id=8673679#post-8673679

 

[ToyDC145]

Hello Toy,

Arnold Chatz raced the Telefunken ALFETTA in South Africa. To the best of my knowledge, the 16valve motor was very problematic. I believe that the 16valve motor was replaced with an 8 valve motor at some point in time!

Carlo
View attachment 1893757

Ciao Carlo.
The Alfetta that Arnold raced in SA was brought here by Autodelta to enter the 1976, Winn's 1000Km. It was driven to 4th overall by Merzario and Dini.
The car had an 8-valve engine and was never, to the best of my knowledge, fitted with a 16-valve head.
Bianco proposed a 16-valve engine for the GTV, which was to be called "Special".
Sampie Bosman swapped the steering and dashboard to suit local conditions. A locally made car was sent to Italy in exchange. It was a champagne colour. Unfortunately, the wipers were never changed to European standards (LHD). The car was bought by a Spaniard who had lived in SA. After a close inspection, besides the holes behind the dashboard, he also noticed the Dunlop tyres said, Made in South Africa, in Afrikaans.
The idea of a production 16-valve was canned in SA as it would be too expensive. At the time, Autodelta had other priorities as well.

 

[South Africa]

Hello Toy,

hope you are well?

I remember when I lived in South Africa and was a member of the Alfa Romeo Club of SA you, Dr Hugh Gearing, Piazza Musso, … were the ‘go to guys for Alfa Romeo History!

Do you know/remember the history of these two motors/motor vehicles?

Oops - cannot attach photographs!

Carlo

 

[South Africa]

Hello Toy

photographs as ….

Were we talking about this ALFETTA?

Bunny Wentzel in his GTAm (?) - original?

Motor with black tappet cover - as taken from the Chatz ALFETTA! Airfilter only to keep junk out!

Motor with red tappet cover - original AUTODELTA GTAm motor.

Hello Toy,

Photographs for comment - would not load from my phone!

 

[South Africa]

Original GTAm motor with Basil van Rooyen in his workshop circa 1970’s.