Rover V8

[blauwmarc]

I thought I search for an old thread about V8, but the search option gave no results. So I had to start a new thread to show you this V8.
Its a V8 -as far as I know- from a Rover, but the valvecovers say Buick. This picture was taken back in 1991, at a big german meeting. The GT is from the Netherlands, I can't remember the owner's name. The car was stock, nothing modified, except for some minor changes at the fenders. The hood was also stock. The first impression ofcourse was that it looked like a 1.9 GT. But the sound was awesome
http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-TZNGYM4Q.jpg

[RallyBob]

Its a V8 -as far as I know- from a Rover, but the valvecovers say Buick.

Buick designed the engine in the late 1950's, it was used in various Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac models from 1961-1963. The design was then sold to Rover, where it was used in many British Leyland vehicles abroad.

[Welsh Wizard]

Now this is having fun with a V8 ...

YouTube - V8 Chainsaw

Back on topic...we loved the Rover V8 in the UK it was our only real chance of hearing that famous V8 gurgle associated with the American muscle.
I can think of plenty of Rover V8 installs but I don't recall seeing a Manta back in the day, maybe Rob in Toronto came across one on his travels. It's a light motor and very workable.Vitesse Twin Plenum (SP?) could certainly get along !

[Ricky Slade]

This is a subject that I have become involved in. The GM 215 V-8. Read up on the origin and why it now belongs to Land Rover. The all aluminum V-8 was utilized in Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick. The major build problem was casting the aluminum motor with steel sleeves in place. This became the very reason GM sold the patent. Land Rover merely decided to cast the block and insert the steel sleeves after casting. Duhhh... GM had an exceptionaly designed engine slip through their fingers. I am installing the 1963 Buick version in my GT. Many older MG's owners have a engine swap kit available to them to convert to this engine. Check out D&D Fabrications. This retired GM engineer and son have quite a successful business with the 215 V-8 their primary concern. The last year for the 215 was produced with an all aluminum four barrel intake maifold. With a custom bellhousing and T-10 or T-5 Borg Warner trans makes a kicker setup. Hopefully in a few weeks my engine will be completed at the machine shop. It will be fun getting this motor back in the car after an awful lot of pre-work. There is a Rover V-8 for sale in the classifieds on this site. Same motor as I own and can be used with vintage Buick, Offenhauser and GM parts and accessories. Check out D&D and tell 'em Ricky Slade sent you.

[trailblazer2727]

Note, After 63 Buick continued to use the block. But it's bore was changed .5 inch, to make it the 300 CI. These blocks were used by British Leyland in the Triumph TR8.

[jtb]

Trailblazer, I think you are not telling the whole story. I had a couple of 215's and also a 300. The 300 I had was a cast iron block, aluminum heads, where the 215's were all aluminum. BTW, some of the parts on these engines are interchangeable, the 300 heads will fit on the 215 block, and so on. There was a machine shop in WA state that specialized in these engines years ago... Don't remember the name, but there was a write up on it in an old HotRod magazine. I can dig it up if anyone is interested.

BTW, I had a TR7 with a buick 300 under the hood.

Cheers,

jtb

[GTJIM]

Rover used a 3.5L (215 CI) motor in its P6B(uick) cars from 1965-75 and then on into the new shape SD1 series till 1985 (these had a different distributor drive). RangeRovers and later LandRovers also used this motor with slight differences - particularly a different front cover with a very high water pump position.

As RangeRovers got bigger and heavier the displacement was increased to 3.9L using a larger bore.

A new serries of motors was then introduced in 4.0L;4.2L & 4.6L - these were still based upon the Buick alloy block but had a crank snout mounted oil pump and larger main bearings with longer strokes but the same bore size as the older 3.9L motor.

Both 3.5L and 3.9L motors can be increased in capacity by using the 300 CI Buick V8 crankshaft with modifications to make it fit (2.3" main bearings and special rear seal adaptor etc.). The 1964 300 CI Buick V8s had alloy heads which fit the Rover block and provide bigger combustion chambers and ports for these stroked motors.

Well worth investigating as these alloy block and head Rover V8s weigh only 325 lbs - very similar weight to the CIH 1.9L four-cylinder - and are quite narrow compared to small block Ford and Chevy V8s.

BTW: Buick 215CI V8 intake manifolds, distributors (right through to 300-350 CI V8s) and timing covers (with oil pumps attached) all fit Rover blocks. Some of the Buick V6 bits fit as well - I have used Buick V6 'Grand National' front covers (and water pumps) on them with their nice big oil pump!

[CoriolisSTORM]

I am now interested! A 300 Lb V8 that fits good in an Ascona? Sign me up! Does the rear end need changed to handle it? Would a limited slip in the rear end make it able to handle it?

[jeff denton]

We covered every inch of this in another thread not too long ago.
The 215/Rover/whatever remains my favorite Opel GT V8 swap candidate!
The reason MG owners like it is because it came stock (optional) in an MGB/GT, they called it the MGB/GT/V8 and it was a little rocket.

[Ricky Slade]

Try the link D&D Fabrications: Engineering & Fabrication Services

[blauwmarc]

from a german GT forum member:

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/4876/primer3cl4.jpg

[trailblazer2727]

you're right jtb, my post is wrong. When Buick punched the block, they went to cast iron for the block but kept the alum heads for a while. The heads swap as do the later cast heads. Rover kept using the alum block. Sorry if I misled anyone, what I wanted to point out was that the design continued and parts are available. Trailblazer