What V8?

[littlepow]

I am starting a new project to keep me entertained through the winter. I am looking at installing a 4 ltr V8 with a manual box.
Do I go all boring and get a V8 and running gear from Disco or something else?
I'm on a fairly strict budget of

[Disco Matt]

I would say to keep a Rover V8. Isn't it still one of the best engines around in power to weight terms?

Remember that the more power you have the more stress you'll be putting on your gearbox, transfer box, diffs, clutch, etc. Also remember that you need to sort the handling and the brakes out.

I did think through a twin turbo 5l V8 Disco (idea being something that looks like a harmless 300 series but eats Porsche Cayenne Turbos and hot hatches) a while ago. My plan was to fit an auto box to avoid shredding clutches on a regular basis, and uprated diffs but stock halfshafts with the idea that they'd act as fuses to protect the rest of the drivetrain. I was also thinking BFG A/Ts on the grounds that it would spin a wheel before breaking anything with those (plus they're some of the best-handling 4x4 tyres out there).

Until all the numbers come up it'll remain a thought experiment, but I think I've tested and proven the handling side on my existing truck. New standard springs, polybushes, gas shocks, and it handles very sweetly.

[carbore]

I have no idea about fitting to a Landy but how about a Chevvy LS1 Engine form a Camero/Ute etc.

A Mate of mine has just done an RX7 conversion and the engine as amazing, 360bhp and silly torque.

(Obviously a Rover is a safe bet though!)

[kizz81]

get a tvr v8, straight fit to a landy box, i beleive,
although about 1200 for one
but you get three cool letters  :twisted:
im trying to get my hands on a 3.9 with a twisted performance chip already fitted
theres alot can be done with a rover block  :lol:

[dxmedia]

Lexus LS400 4.0 bolts pretty much straight to a hilux gearbox (you need to grind down one of the locating pins IIRC). The loom is pretty straight forward too.


You can pick up a good running MOT's ls400 for

[littlepow]

That was my main idea to try and use a Hilux gear box and transfer box (for the 2wd option).

Now need to look for 80 series axles!

[V8MoneyPit]

You are 'going for it! Looking forward to seeing this creation  :thumbup: Have you sold the td5?

[littlepow]

Td5 goes up forsale at end of the month - just need to replace the rear door as it has terminal rot. Then it will be off to a new home  :'(

But I do get to play mad scientist with a new project!  :twisted:

[bigant]

maybe pick up a cheap yank pickup or a blazer or something? nice big v8 then :) pull the gear box and axles off it and make them fit your motor as they are about a million times tougher than landy items and are built to take the power from a big yank V8 :)

[littlepow]

Not going the Yank V8 route - not a fan of large capacity pig iron lumps with little power to capacity ratio.

Either Jap for reliability and strength with light weight or a disco V8 for ease of parts.

[Lucy1978]

Chevy LS1 is an all ali lump. Rover v8's are expensive for parts and pretty low powered really.
http://www.britishamericanengines.co.uk/ls_engines/ls1.asp

Don't forget the Rover v8 is an american lump at heart.

[littlepow]

With a Rover V8 I can get a fairly new low miles disco for less than

[Lewis.J.P_1987]

I would go for a Jaguar AJ8 V8. 4.0 Supercharged. 400bhp. They go for less than

[bigant]

400 hp through landy bits is not goin to end well hence why i said take the running gear out of something designed and built to take it. you could sink alot more than 3 grand into a project trying to get it to the same power and strength a old blazer has as standard you could pick up a rusty one with decent running gear for 2 grand easy enough. that's the engine gearbox transfer box and axles all sorted. a small block Chevy lump is more powerful more reliable and not more more weight than a rover. parts are cheap and you can get a pretty much endless array of bolt on goodies to make it even more silly. American axles are very strong and again is a massive amount of stuff out there for them and its cheaper than doing it to a landy.  just my 2 cents worth but i would go the yank running gear route rather than trying to get a rover up to that level.

[bigant]

something like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/19070s-Dodge-Green-D100-Long-Bed-Pickup-/120614214476?pt=Automobiles_UK#ht_824wt_753 :)

[V8MoneyPit]

I have to agree with bigant about the Rover unit. It's a mighty expensive unit to rebuild compared to a US crate motor. If you can find a good one in a Disco, that's fine, but many will have had poor servicing and ended up with knackered cams, etc. Then they need a thorough overhaul anyway.

[bigant]

aye a rover is a fragile unit :( oil pathways get clogged up something scary yanks a much cheaper and tougher unit that produces alot more power.  no brainer imo

[V8MoneyPit]

aye a rover is a fragile unit :( oil pathways get clogged up something scary yanks a much cheaper and tougher unit that produces alot more power.  no brainer imo

To be fair, they are a fantastic unit if well looked after. The power to weight ratio that can be achieved is astonishing (at a price!). The only reason Buick rejected it was because it was made of funny metal!

[littlepow]

It is a nice option - but it will cause issues getting parts without having to get them from a limit market of specialists in Europe and England.

Rover is cheap and easy to find (not always best) but toyota/lexus is good just a little harder to find them scrapped in the first place!

[Drift]

A V8 4.2 Supercharged Disco possibly  :dance:

http://www.macsport4x4.com/page17.html

Did get stuck when out with us in the snow though  :-$
A tad to powerful

[bigant]

not knocking the rover engine if looked after they are an amazing little unit the problem comes when you have had a nonce who dosnt know how to look after one mess it up inside and things for you :( also the landy drive chain dosnt like large bhp.
parts for yank engines are pretty easy to get in the uk now. is a decent import scene esp for the more poplour engines like a small block chevy.
parts are i found cheaper than the same one for a rover.

we use http://www.realsteel.co.uk/ for most of our shiny bits *have had several large muscle cars as well as many rover v8 powered things* and i can recommend them as having excellent service and stuff :)

am currently plotting a flathead V8 powered series 1 :)

[Range Rover Blues]

Incarnations of the Buick/GM V8 stayed in production into the 1980s.  It's a very versatile engine, runs well on LPG and if looked after is a good engine.  It's often poor maintenacne that lets them down.

Buy comparing like-for-like, how would a well-used small block Yank moter stack up against a used Rover V8?  If you Rover V8 you can get the powertrain all in one peice and chuck it in.

So how much time do you want to spend getting that bit to work is the question.

[bigant]

well as i said grabbing a rusty blazer you get the whole drive chain and used rover vs used small block chevy isnt really a contest. more power and reliability a much tougher engine and parts are cheaper for the chevy. and you dont have to spend

[littlepow]

A V8 4.2 Supercharged Disco possibly  :dance:

http://www.macsport4x4.com/page17.html

Did get stuck when out with us in the snow though  :-$
A tad to powerful

Do like that - but it does look like it's outside my budget  :(

[Drift]

36k in modifications including the engine I believe  :shock:

[littlepow]

Best rephrase that - well out of my budget!  :shock:

[carbore]

One thing about Rovers, is they usually end up in lighter cars. Yank stuff is made to shift huge lardy things so for a 4x4 it still gets my vote. If it was a race car then maybe a rover is fine.