The V8 Owners Forum -

Hello Folks
Not been on here for a long while, got an email reminding me about this forum, so here I am.

Ive had a few V8 powered hotrods in the past, but currently have a 1934 Austin Ruby with MGB power, and a 1935 Morris 8 under construction with an ST170 on bike carbs (I havent posted pics in case it breaks your "V8's Only" rule).
While this is fun, I do miss the sound of a V8, and am currently thinking about my next project.

I'm considering using something like a BMW or Jaguar V8, whatever is going to be most affordable. However I'm really old school and don't fancy sorting out that wiring nightmare. Maybe I could use an EDIS 8 or aftermarket ECU for the sparks, and maybe make a manifold and run an Edelbrock carb.

I notice that most on here use the Rover V8, which I dont really want to return to (unless something came up real cheap).

So, anyone here had success with a relatively modern V8???

Thanks in advance

Why not go for a Chevy LS motor, plenty of tuning parts, people know lots about them, and more power than you can shake a stick at.

I suppose it's down to what you are doing with it.

My son is looking at selling a Rover V8 engine that will need a strip and check over as it has been sat for a very long time.

It has covered 38000 miles since being built in the early 1990's

Made 333 bhp at the flywheel and 288 at the wheels on Oselli dyno.

It's a really good spec engine that will need some time putting into it and he will sell it for £600 untested.

It cost me a fortune back in the day!

Spec below:

4441cc SD1 engine that turns over fine.
450 mechanical secondary Holley (partially seized throttle spindles)
Harcourt single plane intake manifold.
Vulcan maxiflow 2 big valve cylinder heads.
Yella Terra roller rockers
Chrome molly tubular pushrods
Kent M238 mechanical cam
Steel timing gears with duplex chain.
Top had linered block with polished lifter gallery and 1/2" dural block brace that ties all the mains caps together.
Long stroke cross drilled TVR crank
Group A steel con rods
Mallory unilite distributor and MSD 6AL ignition box.
P6 front end.
Lightened SD1 flywheel.
Starter motor.
Alternator.
Small block Chevy rocker cover adaptors and rusty rocker covers.
Cosworth clutch and a converted bellhousing to fit a Cosworth T5 gearbox.

It has not been advertised anywhere but could make for a good starting point if you don't mind getting your hands dirty!

taxirod wrote: ↑Fri Sep 27, 2024 12:42 pm Hello Folks
Not been on here for a long while, got an email reminding me about this forum, so here I am.

Ive had a few V8 powered hotrods in the past, but currently have a 1934 Austin Ruby with MGB power, and a 1935 Morris 8 under construction with an ST170 on bike carbs (I havent posted pics in case it breaks your "V8's Only" rule).
While this is fun, I do miss the sound of a V8, and am currently thinking about my next project.

I'm considering using something like a BMW or Jaguar V8, whatever is going to be most affordable. However I'm really old school and don't fancy sorting out that wiring nightmare. Maybe I could use an EDIS 8 or aftermarket ECU for the sparks, and maybe make a manifold and run an Edelbrock carb.

I notice that most on here use the Rover V8, which I dont really want to return to (unless something came up real cheap).

So, anyone here had success with a relatively modern V8???

Thanks in advance

You say modern, and then talk about carburettors. There is a massive conflict there. Carbs of any kind, would not fall into "modern" in my book. Nor will there be carb manifolds available for most, if any modern stuff, other than perhaps the likes of the LS.

So decide exactly what you want, what you can afford, and equally important, what transmission. Because it's a damn sight easier to get a complete drivetrain, than starting to piece together lots of different parts.

And also what space do you have ? ie,. will it need to be a narrower pushrod engine, or can you accommodate a wider multivalve setup ?

I saw a complete Lexus engine/auto gearbox transplant (IIRC the donor car was some 20 years old) that replaced a 3.5 Rover/BW35 but there were problems, the upshifts were fine but apparently downshifts were noisy and harsh. I'm sure I saw somewhere selling a 'black box' that controls the efi, ignition, gearbox etc so you can bin all the standard Lexus ecu's but I don't know what this conversion used.

Most Lexus LS400 conversions use the OEM Toyota ecu's

AFAIK get an early car and it's supposed to be a very easy swap in terms of wiring etc. Pretty sure there are, or used to be forums around the engine and swaps.

There is a reason the Rover V8 was used a lot in conversions - it is compact, light (lighter than a lot of 4 poppers) simple, characterful and common with realistic 200-300bhp power potential which is plenty for most folk! If you want more power you can supercharge/turbo or go American!

Any V8 with overhead cams and 4valves is very wide - and probably a lot heavier than the RV8.

All depends what your project is?

I removed the inlet manifold and one rocker cover to quickly check the engine.

It looks OK but would need a complete strip and clean.
I had forgot that it also has steel rocker posts