The V8 Owners Forum -

I have been looking at a recent aquasition in my shed, looks like a fresh engine but has been sitting for a while, looks like its done about cam run in time only, its a 3.5, with wast looks like standard style +20 AE pistons with cut outs machined in them, unusually they are floaters with circlip retainers, I dont think they are forgings as they have the funny little teardrop cutouts by the oil rings, next is the rods, its got what look like Chevy 5,7" peened rods, [GM cast in by the rod bolts] and ARP bolts, but appear to have ground pads so I assume its been ballanced. crank also appears to have been looked at, may be heat treated/toughened, the cam also appears to be somthing in the solid range, as I have a set of solid lifters in a bag
Heads are big valved, dont know how big and and ported, but not as nice as the ones I use, they also have tripple springs,
I dont quite know what to do as I have it on spec to check it over, First question would be what is it worth, I dont want to insult the fella as I have known him for a very long time.
come on chaps give me some Idea,

Why would pistons in a 3500 have valve cutouts??
Must be a wild cam Ian. I run a Typhoon in my 3500 with no cutouts.
Are the heads 28cc maybe?? or longer rods??
If I were taking it on spec, I'd tell him I had spoken to some V8 mates and been told it should be worth 200-300 quid as an unknown engine and see what his reaction is. Can he not tell you whats been spent on the engine?
Can he not give you any info on the build?

He must know what it cost to build.!

Tell him I'll give him 200 notes for it... If he aint happy with that, dont tell him where I live!

could have a big cam and also been decked or the heads heavy skimmed to lift the compression hence pockets. I have to run 3mm pockets on my engine with a typhoon cam or the valves would hit because of the deck machining.

Ian offer him what you think its worth to you more than to him.

ian.stewart wrote:I have been looking at a recent aquasition in my shed, looks like a fresh engine but has been sitting for a while, looks like its done about cam run in time only, its a 3.5, with wast looks like standard style +20 AE pistons with cut outs machined in them, unusually they are floaters with circlip retainers, I dont think they are forgings as they have the funny little teardrop cutouts by the oil rings, next is the rods, its got what look like Chevy 5,7" peened rods, [GM cast in by the rod bolts] and ARP bolts, but appear to have ground pads so I assume its been ballanced. crank also appears to have been looked at, may be heat treated/toughened, the cam also appears to be somthing in the solid range, as I have a set of solid lifters in a bag
Heads are big valved, dont know how big and and ported, but not as nice as the ones I use, they also have tripple springs,
I dont quite know what to do as I have it on spec to check it over, First question would be what is it worth, I dont want to insult the fella as I have known him for a very long time.
come on chaps give me some Idea,

Well, unless the owner can give you some solid information as to what he has done to it and why it could be a mismatched pile of bollox, worth next to nothing and hardly capable of running.

Or it could be a real little screamer pumping out 350 horseys.

But seeing as it is sat there as a non-runner I'd offer him £200 and tell him that is all it is worth to you until you know it is a good runner and doesn't spew oil and sparks from its every orifice when it hits 5000rpm.

I have a 3.5 motor in my lockup that I have been assured was fully rebuilt, but then it 'wouldn't start' so the owner gave up on it and sold it to me, via a friend, for £20.

I know who built the short engine quite well, and although not a Rover builder, he is a reputiable preformance engine builder, and is very well known.
The engine has been sitting inthe back of a lockup for a few years now, unfortunatly as the engine was built a few years ago and nobody can remember the full spec.

and if you dont want it i may be tempted! Let me know, i'm on the look out for a spare short/long engine

Just been up the garage and checked the heads, they have larger inlet and exhaust valves, 1.63. and 1.41 so someone has gone to a bit of expence in building this engine,
The cam is a Kent KCM 256, so its a fairly lairy cam as well.
I have a feeling this could be a stonker of a little engine

ve Bought it now, at a good price as well.
Did I mention the Kenne Bell Roller rockers and the Vernier timing gear as well

Roller rockers, thats £600 straight away.

Sounds like you have a bargain. Is it going in yours?

Some parts of the engine will certainly get into my engine, as I am running a 3.9 and this is a 3.5, I will probably keep my basic engine.