Driving Really Fast going Straight...

[rey949]

I think that is all you could do with this one....

NMNA

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190500704316&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

[nbristow01]

Thats actually really nice, looks well engineered. I bet that all aluminum V8 weighs less than an M20. Bet it hauls ass.

Doesn't BMW make a V8?

[tomorrowcalling]

I started off rallying in a Mk1 Escort with a Rover 3500l V8. (Basically the same engine as a Buick). The V8 was lighter than the 2.0l Pinto engine that most other people put into the Escort. It was a fun car to drive just put in 3rd & steer, and yes - it did corner. I image a Rover/Buick V8 engined 2002 would be much the same

[AndyS]

I had saved this in my ebay wish list this morning...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300524320288&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[roadhog0]

Y'all should stop giving me ideas... I may just go out and do something crazy like this now!

[visionaut]

Hah, funny to see this on my 02 forum...

The all-aluminum 4.6L V8 in my 2001 Range Rover is the descendant of that original Buick 215 V8 -- it's last 'massage' by BMW (when they owned Rover) equipped it with the Bosch engine management from the BMW 7-series. Evolved the 215 cu in to 278 cu in, yielding 225 HP @4750rpm, 280 lb ft torque @3000, with no turbo.

Wonder how much this variant weighs? It's almost a BMW V8 ;-)

Tom

[TobyB]

hmm...

I do wonder how well it cools.

Those an fittings look... small.

Love the brakes, though.

Looks like a really neat job.

Someone has a LOT of hours into this.

I have a project very different from this that's equally stalled.

t

[NickVyse]

Lovely looking instal, but for me the heart of an 02 should be a screaming 4 cylinder. Now if he'd put that in an NK....

Like the fact he mentions the cage is padded and then shows a pic of the brake system just itching to rip out your knees!

[Jbird]

As everyone else has stated the Buick 215 eventually grew into the 4.2L Rover motor that we all know today. At one point the same motor was available in the MGB and the weight of the aluminum 8 was only 40 or 50 pounds more than the original cast iron 4. I have done a number of MGB V8 conversions, with the T-5 BW gearbox, and it makes for a fun little car. Even w/ a 2 brl Rochester it had power and tourque for days, so I would imagine in the 02 it would be a great deal of fun. The one problem that motor always has is heat heat heat. Those motors run incredibly hot, even in today's Rover castings. If you ask a Rover expert what they think of the Disco's motor, you wont likely get a favorable answer, and I have had a local Rover expert tell me that he expects the average 4.2 Disco to need a rebuild by 70k miles.

Me personally I think the M10 was and is awesome. And if I am going to do a motor swap I would probably stick with a BMW power plant ( M42, S14). That having been said here are some pictures of what a friend of mine is doing with his old 02. The shell was so rusted out that it wasn't worth saving, and he had an extra LS1 hanging around the shop. A little bit of boredom eventually led to this:

[AndyS]

I love it! Here is the 215 he needs for that!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220594290504&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[///mChris]

I'd rather do it with a h1v8

http://www.h1v8.com/page/page/1562069.htm

Nothing like a 10k reving 2.8L v8

[eurotrash]

I love it! Here is the 215 he needs for that!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220594290504&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

WOW and still dual sidedrafts!

[tjones02]

Those carbs come awfully close to the hood, wonder how well the intake air flows....

[Pancake]

You guys have no idea how hard I'm fighting to keep from putting the carbed Rover 3.9 out of my 90 RRC into my gutted 73 (and creating a third project car, which is just about the last thing I need). I'm planning on pulling the Rover engine and replacing it with a SBC/700R4 for the sake of cheap parts and towing power. Yes, more weight on the nose, but in a 4400lb SUV that isn't a crisis. I'm actually half tempted to try to fit it to a sandrail or something silly like that, since it's so light for it's displacement.

That Rover longblock is only about 320lbs. That's the runnable longblock, not just the block itself. It's actually probably lighter than a fully equipped M20, and makes more torque. It pays for it with durability (especially heat resistance) and cost of parts though. A lot of British hotroad guys have tuned these things, and there is a way to get 5.0L out of them, with a lot of useable power. It's just a lot of money.

[Devian]

I've heard of that Buick engine in 2002's before. Its been suggested to me in the past. If the the front end isn't too heavy (which it might not be), then this car could be pretty good. I'd just want wider rear wheels to help reduce tire spin - and maybe a spoiler to keep the rear end down at speed.