Other Cars (British & British-Inspired)

Hi, Far as I know, Jay Fowler's car is only, "How it was done"? My car will get the, 907 headed, Rover V8 at approx. 5L. and excess of 500hp., all motor, up front. I could use, skilled suggestions for all the mechanical up-grades required to take full advantage of same. Initially, at the front, I'm thinking Mazda RX 7 front susp. clip converted to "SLA."-no McPhearsons.I like the idea of a 5/6 spd.T-axle for weight balance, space efficiency, enhanced air flow through the tunnel,(rear rad.?) and value. I would like lighter than C5/C6 set-up. Obviously, it will need 500 hp. brakes and tubular reinforcements, including, possibly a 914 Targa roof.Total weight, "should" be 2,200-2,400 lbs. Anyone? Thanks, roverman.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2010 08:07PM by roverman.

What max torque do you expect?
All I could think of would be the 928 transaxle else it'd be a Corvette unit.
I think that involves too much engineering without enough return unless it's for an all-out race car -what class and what cars would you compete against.
For a street car, could you achieve a decent balance with a 5 speed transmission behind the engine?
Rear mounted rad adds to overall weight.
Battery in back better return on investment.
Not crticizing, just my thoughts.
B.

500bhp from a 5.0 RV8 - Ya right.

You will not even get 400 real bhp.

I know BHP's seem to be larger in the US, but from having been around RV8 alot in the last 10 years (from Pistonhead / TVR scene and race ALOT of Cars with tune RV8's). This is cloud cookoo land.

I regularly race against a 4.0 all singing 4.0 (the best size for an RV8) and this make 360-370 (so 90 - 93bhp/litre) in Downdraught Webbers (rumours it even has a flatplane crank). Going with a 5.0 will not make much if any more power as just longer stroke (they are torque monster though when modded well).

Mate had a really well tune 5.5 RV8 and that made 370bhp (real BHP) and 420 ft/lbs (like I say torque monsters). They do not make super power the longer stroke RV8 as the size goes up as the bore does not increase (just the stroke), and they do not like to rev so much (i.e. easier to go bang unless all steel). A full all steel Tuscan race 4.5 was reconed by the TVR factory to make 420bhp when they were raced, but when many test they only ever made about 370-380ish. I know a guy with a 4.5 all steel Tuscan RV8 that was then reworked on a 5.0 bottom end and it make similar power to the above but more torque.

It is VERY hard to get these things over 400bhp. Alot of flannel talked about wildcat heads too, yes that can make the number a bit higher than a well flowed TVR race head but not much and many are fraught with problems.

The above engine are top of the line race engine bar mate 5.5 and that was a serious lump.

You can get alot more power form a SBC or SBF as they were designed to run much bigger bores, i.e. much bigger valve area and with the correspoding shorter stroke safer to pull the higher revs the those valve need to make the power.

A trick SBF or SBC can make 100-110bhp but a Rover will always struggle to better low 90's - simple maths. I have a BIG buck Ford being built and that should will be in the 100 - 110bhp range this is with the very latest Alloy SBF head design and being built as a pure race lump (so nothing left on the table i.e. if a road compromised / reliable / ease of use lump).

A REALLY tricked out RV8 will struggle to match a crate LS6 or 2 and get no where new a 3. And these are relatively cheap crate engines - just 50 years nearer in terms of pushrod V8 design.

Again not trying to piss any one off, but all this is know / fact.

I MIGHT BE MISSING SOMETHING HERE - 32V RV8? Never heard of such a thing though.............

Is this some 4 valve (trick heads with DOHC's), now I could believe if it is.

Again not trying to get anyones back up.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/2010 11:24AM by jellison.

Jelli,

[forum.britishv8.org]

B

That is just stupid. The head studs the oil ways, the water ways, the bore centres. It will NEVER all line up and EVER be sortable. Just Stupid.

Christ just pop some carillos and forged pistons in a 4.5 RV8 and and drop a Supercharger on it ala the stuff guys are putting in TVR's in the UK. At least that works and can give well north of 400bhp in 5.0 form with the right cam, compression porting (already god on the TVR 5.0's) with and intercooler.

You don't think someone would have work out if a DOHC head would fit an RV8 by now. From those pics, NONE of the above important point would line up, AND they ALL have too.

Chris just get an LS3 and cam it for just under 500bhp from 6.3.

Or get a Cerb lump with some redrose mods (superlight and good for low to mid 400bhp) - maybe not do-able in the US though.

Quote:

That is just stupid. The head studs the oil ways, the water ways, the bore centres. It will NEVER all line up and EVER be sortable. Just Stupid.

This is the only warning I'm going to give. The disrespectful attitude has to stop now. It's just not appropriate.

My comments were just outlining the Obvious.

If they have not worked ou that the head studs, the oil ways, the water ways, the bore centres are not the same (or very close for modifiy) then it can't possible work, so a pointless exercise (then you have to rig up all the complex, chains or belts to the cams off of a crank drive - this is even more of a complex area to create. i.e. Even if it could be done it woul hardly be an RV8 anymore anyway.

Sorry you think this is disrespectful (if you could do this or similar it would have been done many years back in the UK where most of the RV8 and tuning of them is done), but the sooner the chaps realise this the sooner they can move on from it.

Lets take it a step further. There was always rumour in the Sixties (true I believe) that Jack Brabham used the Buick block destroked or bored to 3.0. They then set about building a SOHC per back set of head specially for the pushrod blocka nd then had to create the Drive to the heads. This was by a F1 shop doing it from scratch, not trying to use existing heads, i.e. the head were made with the right bore centres, water and oil holes all lining up as it was a new SOHC set of casting made for the job.

Sure sounds like we got our selves a winner on our hands, I've seen this for years " Cant stand someone to try building something you cant buy from a dealer or assemble from a catalog therfore it's a morphadite and there should be a law against it cause the parts are from different books" Necessity is the mother of all invention, motorheads always have the need to tinker with something different that might work or turn to scrap. Not just buy our way together and then brag and ridicule the other guy.

Cheers to all of you modest motorheads with the drive to build something from an idea and not from a crate!!!!!!!!




P.S. Did'nt somebody try or actually put a set of Cosworth Vega heads on an SBC years back?

I can't wait to hear it run. Youtube it.

Flitner - you have no idea what toys I have put together.

Nor do you know the toys I've built, However I dont bash others ideas and say it cant be done or is worthless to do so!
GOOD DAY SIR!

Try reading the technical content of what I posted - Good Day to you (get off your high horse). ;)

Jon, what part of, orface venting, is considered technical content ? Usually , in this forum, we try to keep it positive and constructive to help each other with our projects. Were you to actually read, "all" the post on the Rover/907 head conversion, you might learn, that it is indeed possible, even with-out your professed wisdom. Please don't attempt to enlighten me anymore, roverman.