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Colotti transaxle


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#1 antonvrs

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Posted 24 June 2009 - 16:40

I have in my shop a Colotti transaxle of unknown origin. It's been owned by a friend of mine for so long that he doesn't remember if he ever knew what it was.


IMG]http://i34.photobuck...R/FSCN13351.jpg[/IMG]

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If I'm lucky the above will produce photos which may help identify it.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Anton

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#2 David Birchall

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Posted 24 June 2009 - 17:40

Well, it's not a T37-I have one of those.
I searched online and found this written by Michael Bowler in 1969-it at least gives a time frame for when Colotti began calling his company Gear Speed Developments:

The project was pretty well under way when Hans Tanner, a Swiss motoring journalist, returned from the 1958/9 Tasman series. He took an interest in the Tec-Mec programme and decided that he would like to become un patron with a partial financial involvement. Come Spring 1959 and Gordon Pennington, a wealthy Floridan, arrived in Modena to buy and later race Italian cars, primarily Formula Junior. By chance he was staying at Tanner's hotel and the inevitable happened; Pennington agreed to sponsor the Tec-Mec project at a time when it was beginning to get bogged down. Scarlatti then sold what he had invested in the venture to Hans Tanner and Gordon Pennington. At this point Tanner decided to call his new company 'Tec Mec Automobili' to give some continuity at the risk of confusion with Colotti's budding 'Studio Tecnica Meccanica'. Exit Colotti, understandably, from company and project; he then changed his company's name to G.S.D. (Gear Speed Developments S.p.A.), and Tanner and Pennington moved to the other side of town.

I hope it is of some help/interest.

#3 David Birchall

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Posted 24 June 2009 - 17:50

Alf Francis joined Colotti in about 1960/61 didn't he? So your transmission would presumably come from a brief period post TecMec and pre Colotti Francis....

#4 Ray Bell

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Posted 24 June 2009 - 21:08

Originally posted by antonvrs
I have in my shop a Colotti transaxle of unknown origin. It's been owned by a friend of mine for so long that he doesn't remember if he ever knew what it was.


Posted Image

If I'm lucky the above will produce photos which may help identify it.


You could have been luckier...

Let6's see that first pic.

#5 scooperman

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Posted 25 June 2009 - 00:13

send an email with your pictures to Colotti. When I sent an inquiry about some mystery gears, I received a response from Mr. Colotti the same day. Very helpful.

http://www.colotti.it/Engl/company.htm

#6 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 25 June 2009 - 12:23

send an email with your pictures to Colotti. When I sent an inquiry about some mystery gears, I received a response from Mr. Colotti the same day. Very helpful.

http://www.colotti.it/Engl/company.htm


Thoroughly agree with the above. Valerio Colotti has passed away, but his two sons gave an instant answer to the query I had about him & so friendly too.

#7 molestrangler

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 20:47

Looks like a T34 which was a 6 speed F1 box used in one and a half litre F1.
Any history on it at all?
If I`m right it`s quite valuable.
Regards.

#8 Peter Morley

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Posted 18 July 2009 - 18:06

Looks like a T34 which was a 6 speed F1 box used in one and a half litre F1.
Any history on it at all?
If I`m right it`s quite valuable.
Regards.


It doesn't look like the T34 6-speed that I had in the 1963 Scirocco F1.
It is exactly the same as used in the 1966 Shannon F1, which I also had, but I never established exactly which model that was - it certainly wouldn't have been the latest brand new model!
Must be an earlier 5 speed box, possibly a T10 like would have been used in some 2½ litre cars or the slightly later T29.

#9 Lotus21

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Posted 30 July 2009 - 18:07

I have a lotus 21 (1.5l climax) with a Colotti T29 gearbox, this looks identical to your photos. This 'box was known as a 'Chapman' and was I think designed for intercontinental, ie probably 2.5l cars. If anybody knows where there is a Colotti T34 'box for sale I would be very interested.

#10 David Birchall

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Posted 30 July 2009 - 18:24

There is a T32 here:
http://www.race-cars...es/complist.htm

And I have a T37 for sale for Much less (Advt)

#11 Lotus21

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Posted 30 July 2009 - 18:34

Thank you for the lead but unfortunately the T32 is very much the same as the T29 in that it is a 5 speed. The correct gearbox for my car, as recorded in the priod journals, is the 6 speed T34.

#12 Lotus21

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Posted 20 November 2009 - 13:08

I have in my shop a Colotti transaxle of unknown origin. It's been owned by a friend of mine for so long that he doesn't remember if he ever knew what it was.


IMG]http://i34.photobuck...R/FSCN13351.jpg[/IMG]

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

If I'm lucky the above will produce photos which may help identify it.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Anton



#13 Lotus21

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Posted 20 November 2009 - 13:11

I have in my shop a Colotti transaxle of unknown origin. It's been owned by a friend of mine for so long that he doesn't remember if he ever knew what it was.


IMG]http://i34.photobuck...R/FSCN13351.jpg[/IMG]

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

If I'm lucky the above will produce photos which may help identify it.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Anton

Is this Gearbox for sale? I have a T29 and would be interested in purchasing it for spares - do you have a price? Also where is it located?
Many thanks

#14 antonvrs

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Posted 20 November 2009 - 17:50

Is this Gearbox for sale? I have a T29 and would be interested in purchasing it for spares - do you have a price? Also where is it located?
Many thanks


Yes, it is for sale. It's located in Marina del Rey, CA and there are a few sets of used gears with it.
I can be reached at 310.420.1293.
Anton

#15 pwoolley

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Posted 27 November 2009 - 11:40

I also have a colotti type 29 box but it does not look like the one above. Are you sure this is not a type 32. I can send photos of mine if required.


#16 Lotus21

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Posted 27 November 2009 - 18:33

I also have a colotti type 29 box but it does not look like the one above. Are you sure this is not a type 32. I can send photos of mine if required.

I have a set of drawings from colotti which I thought definitely identified my box as a T29, this is the same as the photographs from antonvrs.
Would be very interested to see photos of your 'T29' gearbox.