engine and drivetrain OT: In the world of B*Ws (non-BMW engined BMWs, a 335i)...

[Guest Anonymous]

Absolutely no relation, but I thought it was kinda interesting, and the seller says the engine (a Buick/Rover aluminum V8) doesn't weigh much more than the M10. Even looks vaguely appropriate, but I'd ditch the chrome air filter housing and do something about the shift lever...

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-Dave

[Guest Anonymous]

A friend of mine is actively trying to make this combo work in a 2002. A 215 aluminum v8 weight 315 lbs. I am not sure what a stock 02 motor weighs. I thought the steering box would pose a problem. By the looks of the installation into this 320, it looks like it's viable. What an awesome way to run a lot of horsepower in limited space. Interesting....

--Todd

[Guest Anonymous]

so why wasn't it or something like it more popular originally?

[Guest Anonymous]

Is it an aluminum-block form of the old Buick "nailhead" V8? Looks like it from the valve covers. I think that engine was quite popular with hot rodders before the small-block Chevy came on the scene, and was used successfully for many years in Buicks. The aluminum block may just have come before people were ready to accept that (aluminum heads even took a while in the good ol' US-of-A).

Not that I was alive then to say for sure...

-Dave

Younger than his '02

[Guest Anonymous]

Just so happens a fellow 02'er just gave me a buick V8 for free. We will let you know how it fits in an 02!!

[Guest Anonymous]

I always thought this was an excellent conversion idea also. However, I would rather have it mated to an automatic in a square taillight car.

But, if your friend goes thru with it, then we would like pictures and a FAQ on his experience.

Brian

[Guest Anonymous]

the 50's and 60's. There is a direct link to another long-time Buick motor however - the cast iron 3.8 Buick V6 that still powers a bunch of GM's front drivers is essentially the 215 V8 minus two cylinders.

The Buick version of the Buick/Olds 215 soldiered on in Rovers until just the last year or so - read in an article several years ago that in the mid 70's (during the first gas crunch) GM offered Rover a bunch of $$ to buy the tooling back, but Rover wouldn't sell. If they had, there'd probably be aluminum V8's all over the place.

[Guest Anonymous]

the March 85 Hot Rod that went into all the combinations of heads, cranks, cylinder liners, etc that can be used to get more compression and more displacement out of the 215 - up to 247 cu in with the stock crank, up to 305 using the 64 only iron block crank and heads.

I've got the article if you want a copy....

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)