Rover V8

[bushy]

considering a swap into an early z and was wondering if anyone had considered a small rover v8, such as the 3.5L version. i know these can be built to just over 300 horses at the flywheel, and would be better on fuel than a 350. any info would be great

[280z1975]

considering a swap into an early z and was wondering if anyone had considered a small rover v8, such as the 3.5L version. i know these can be built to just over 300 horses at the flywheel, and would be better on fuel than a 350. any info would be great

This website is full of great information, but for the best conversion information you should try HybridZ.org, http://forums.hybridz.org/, as the site is more dedicated to modifying your Z car.

[Black Beaut]

Check out this thread:

http://www.zclub.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4699

Wyn has basically stuffed a 4.0l RV8 from a TVR Chimaera in to his Z in record time.

BTW to get around 300 ponies you need to be looking at 5.0l engines, at which point fuel economy is laughable anyway

Cheers,

Rob

[240ZGL]

The Rover 3500 started life as the Buick 215 back in the early 60's. BMC bought the motor and developed it. I did one in an MGB back in 1970. It was a rocket. It's more than possible to get 300hp out of one. It has been the hot rod motor in the UK for since the 60's. What's nice about it is it's small and very light. You can get carb and FI manifolds for them.

[Pete84]

The time and parts that the 4.0 Rover / TVR took to get set into that Z was incredible! Compared to a SBC, how much less effort and weight does that 4.0 take?

[speedyblue]

Well, the V8 weights 15kg less than the cast iron 4cyl you would find in a Triumph TR7, plus it's shorter than the L6, so you could sit it close to the firewall to get the weight further back. Then bolt a supra gearbox behind it and have some fun. The sump should clear the x-member, but you would need engine mounts. You could use the nissan gearbox in the stock position to save modifying the gearbox x-member and tailshaft, but I don't know how it would do with the torque. Then you get to play with the exhaust and get the cooling hooked up. Still, would be a fun car.

[Pete84]

Well, the V8 weights 15kg less than the cast iron 4cyl you would find in a Triumph TR7, plus it's shorter than the L6, so you could sit it close to the firewall to get the weight further back. Then bolt a supra gearbox behind it and have some fun. The sump should clear the x-member, but you would need engine mounts. You could use the nissan gearbox in the stock position to save modifying the gearbox x-member and tailshaft, but I don't know how it would do with the torque. Then you get to play with the exhaust and get the cooling hooked up. Still, would be a fun car.

Is it an aluminium block????

How much lighter is it to say a LS1?

[brdave]

I have one in my mgb. It is an aluminium block and weighs 40lbs less than the cast 4 cy. which it replaced. For some good info search D&D Fabrications.

Good Luck

Dave

[Mr Camouflage]

Heres one in a Z.

[Pete84]

Just saw an old Top Gear in which they had a short tribute to the Rover V8, as it had just been taken out of production.

Doesn't Land Rover, TVR, and others, use this engine in their current models? What has replaced it??

Wow, lighter than an iron L4, that has got to do wonders for a Z!!

[THE73Z]

considering a swap into an early z and was wondering if anyone had considered a small rover v8, such as the 3.5L version. i know these can be built to just over 300 horses at the flywheel, and would be better on fuel than a 350. any info would be great

If you're serious about doing the V8 swap, get the Jags That Run conversion manual. Jagsthatrun.com. It'll save you all kinds of headaches. You generally have to move the hood latch to clear the distributor on the SBC, but it would seem you could avoid that with the Buick/Rover since the distributor is in the front.

If you want gobs of power and tons of options for relatively less money go with the SBC. If you want something lighter, more exotic and you don't mind a few more headaches, a little less power, and a little more costly go with the Buick/Rover - the car will be better balanced. A properly set up SBC adds 100 lbs to the front and 40 lbs to the rear, which isn't bad at all considering you just doubled the hp, but the Buick/Rover would do even better in terms of weight.

For more info on the Buick/Rover do a search for MGB V8 conversions. D&D Fabrications (as mentioned earlier) can be found at AluminumV8.com. And unless you need the Rover bling factor, save yourself some money and buy a Buick - it is EXACTLY the same as the Rover. Buick 215 = Rover 3.5L. Rover bought the engine from Buick so they could build a factory V8 MGB after they saw everyone else doing it at home.

As far as fuel economy goes, horsepower is made from gas. When you put a V8 in a Z, fuel economy is the last thing on your mind. You're too busy trying to figure out why you can taste your ears. A 300hp turbocharged 2.5L Subaru engine might be more efficient than a 300hp 3.5L carbureted Rover, but the Subaru is still going to suck all kinds of fuel at 5,000 rpms. You don't get anything for nothing. The reality is, it's easier to make 300hp with the SBC, so you won't have to run a big cam that idles like crap and spend a fortune port and polishing your heads. A mild 350 will get roughly 22 mpg highway in a Z, but understand that a 3.5L Rover that is all tricked out to produce 300hp isn't going to get very good fuel economy.

Besides, torque is generally more important than hp. Torque is what gets you up to speed, hp is what keeps you going at that speed. When you build an engine to produce lots of horsepower (relative to what it was designed to produce) you generally sacrifice torque. I bet you don't hit 300hp until roughly 5,500 rpms with a 3.5L. If you plan on running the car primarily on a track then you probably won't mind. But if you want that off the line power that throws you back in your seat and won't let you breath until you shift, then you'll want your power curve to come in lower. Is this car for street or track?

I'm not trying to talk you out of the Rover, it just won't be as easy, convenient, or inexpensive as the SBC. And I think you'll get crappy gas mileage when you put a big cam in it. Your options with the SBC are endless. You can always start off mild and then build it up if you decide you need more. A lot of people pull one from a wrecked Camaro (you can the get the tranny and clutch at the same time) and you'll even get EFI. It'll idle smoothly and best of all it will be quiet (provided you have a sensible exhaust). No one will be the wiser when you pull up along side them. But if you have a big cam, Holley Dominator, and Flowmasters you'll know every cop in town. On the other hand, if you build a mild Buick/Rover you'll probably still get 200-225hp (which will still put a smile on your face, but you won't have the fastest car in town) and you'll get halfway decent fuel economy. Only you know how fast you want to go. If you haven't already had the pleasure of riding in or driving a V8Z, find someone to show you their's. You might find out that 300hp is way too much... or way too little.

HTH, Z

[THE73Z]

Accidental repost deleted.