Alfa Smitten

hello Jack,
Firstly, as you have never abused your engine to the extent the rest of us have ????? lol then I suspect it's not gonna be anything too major. I just pulled the head off mine as I've not had it too long which I do as a matter of course when I buy a new buggy so I can actually see what I've bought. Yaeh I know I must be mad, but, If I see excessive wear anywhere then I get shot of it asap lol. Mine is an unknown quantity, no service history and had done 99k.
When the head came off, I was gob smacked!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is absolutely no wear at all in the bores with the cross hatching still plainly visible and no wear step in the top of the bore at all where the rings go to TDC.
The head in all aspects is like new, the valves had hardly any carbon deposits on em inlet or exhaust and only needed a slight wire brushing by hand and a light lap and were good as new. Although I changed em even the valve stem seals were still doing their job and sealing well round the valve stems.
As mentioned by Phil D the only things that can cause smoke are, head gasket, valve stem seals, piston rings, cracked head, or if you have one blown bearing seals on a turbo shaft.
Did the car run hot? or over heat at all? If so you may have a head gasket blown. Either way, don't drive it too much cause if the head gasket has blown and in the right place it will wear your head face away and then you'll have to have the head built up with weld and re faced, so not worth driving it !!!!

Hope you get it all sorted without too much cost and grief to you.

Regards to you all

Alec