Triumph Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" V8s (Stag and TR8)

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Gt8_guy
Peter Weimer

(3 posts)

Registered:
06/06/2013 12:09PM

Main British Car:


Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: Gt8_guy
Date: June 06, 2013 12:59PM

Hello I just joined the forum but have been looking over it for sometime.

I have a 1970 Triumph Gt6+ and I have decided (I think) to convert it to a V8 sleeper monster. I am at square one and wanted know who all out there has done or knows someone or can supply any info about doing this be it foresight, hindsight, logic, wisdom or shouts of indignation....

I remember looking over one forum that was discussing this topic in relation to a plethora of engine swap options.... I am inclined to go for a Ford crate motor but would consider being convinced otherwise. Main thing here is (sleeper monster) I want no exterior mods that would give away whats under the bonnet.

Thanks in advance for any and all feedback!


tbo
Tim Body
St Thomas Ontario
(221 posts)

Registered:
01/27/2013 06:47PM

Main British Car:
1954 Triumph TR2 stock 2 litre

Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: tbo
Date: June 06, 2013 09:17PM

I would say and so would everyone else to go through all th How it was Done articles in the Archives and see what you like and dont like about various motor combos. Not just GT6s but Spitfires and everything else .Lots of good reading and ideas. I found it took weeks if not months to understand and feel what was right and good. you will get a better idea of size and shape and practicallity from studying lots of swaps. Worked for me.


Gt8_guy
Peter Weimer

(3 posts)

Registered:
06/06/2013 12:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: Gt8_guy
Date: June 07, 2013 09:55AM

Thanks I will give that a look!


Graham B
Graham Bingham
Draycott, Derbyshire, UK
(63 posts)

Registered:
09/19/2008 08:26AM

Main British Car:
1974 Triumph Spitfire Rover 3.5litre V8

Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: Graham B
Date: June 07, 2013 10:41AM

Hi Peter,

I have a Spitfire Mk 1V with a Rover V8 so I have experience in putting a V8 in the small Triumph chassis. If you want a sleeper you will struggle with the narrowness of the Triumph chassis rails, location of the steering rack and low bonnet (hood) height. You can't really push the engine back much to get it to clear the steering rack and drop further down because the gearbox and gear lever will be too far back, besides the chassis narrows consideably under the bulkhead which means that the gearbox bellhousing cannot drop lower.
I think I could possibly have managed to get my GT6 hood to close over the engine if I had compromised with the type and efficiency of the intake manifold and air cleaner, but air flow would have been very restricted.

I have a friend who has a V8 sleeper GT6, he got around the hood clearance by having the centre bulge cut out of his hood and re-welded back on with a strip of metal inserted to make it higher. Unless he parks next to a standard GT6 you can't really tell that the centre bulge is raised up (you have to be pretty good at welding and bodywork to get this to look OK though), and even then he had to modify an air filter to fit.
I have a couple of pictures to help explain but they are too large to post here, if you let me have your email address I can send them.

Cheers

Graham


HealeyRick
Rick Neville

(489 posts)

Registered:
12/19/2007 05:01PM

Main British Car:
1963 Austin-Healey 3000 Ford 5.0L

authors avatar
Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: HealeyRick
Date: June 07, 2013 11:14AM

Stevie was making a lot of progress on this one, but I haven't seen any updates lately: [www.dogfightmag.com]


Dan B
Dan Blackwood
South Charleston, WV
(1007 posts)

Registered:
11/06/2007 01:55PM

Main British Car:
1966 TR4A, 1980 TR7 Multiport EFI MegaSquirt on the TR4A. Lexus V8 pl

authors avatar
Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: Dan B
Date: June 07, 2013 11:15AM

If you went with a fuel injection setup would it be possible?


BWA


(344 posts)

Registered:
04/13/2010 08:13PM

Main British Car:


Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: BWA
Date: June 08, 2013 09:28PM

You should consider other possiblities for your drive train:
The Gm LS engine is an excellent engine it is light and has a low profile which would help a lot with hood clearence issues. Go to "Drivetrain Issues" and you will find a thread titled "LS4". Check this thread out on the process of converting a FWD LS4 to RWD.
The Gm Ecotec 4 cylinder motor is proving to be a good engine for swapping into LBC's. I know of a guy that has put a supercharged Ecotec engine into his TR6 and this engine churns out about 260 hp at the flywheel.
The Gm 60 degree V6 engine would be a good candiate also as it is narrow, has a low profile, is light, and reasonably powerful. A converted 3900 will have 275 hp at the flywheel.
The benefit of going with the 4 or V6 is that you can get away with having the battery tray intact. The good thing about this is that you do not have to mess with the narrow frame issue and the interior of the car will be cooler as the engine will not be intruding into the interior.
You have many different options so take your time and ask a lot of questions.

Cheers
Byron



Gt8_guy
Peter Weimer

(3 posts)

Registered:
06/06/2013 12:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: Gt8_guy
Date: August 15, 2013 12:19PM

Graham,

Now is your friends a carbed or EFI setup? I am under the impression I will have better luck making a V8 fit if I go the EFI route, perhaps?

The description of the lifting of the power bulge sounds fine to me its just when I see where people have completely cut the bulge out or leave it open or add extra random bulges is what I cannot stand.

My V8 crate engine is most likely going to be a Ford 302 but as the old Hot Rod adage goes if HP is good then more is better. So that has caused me to be considering the Ford 427. Dimension wise they are dentical so no worries with firewall space crunch from extra Cids.

302 : 39 x 36 x 36 - 345HP

427 : 39 x 36 x 36 - 535HP


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: rficalora
Date: August 17, 2013 01:56AM

Peter... is this to be a drag strip car or a street car?

Unless it is for the drag strip, consider weight and weight balance too.

Also, double check your dimensions. This link has a nice table with dimensions more consistent with what I've seen elsewhere.

Lastly, what do you plan to do to the rear end? HP isn't worth much if all it's doing is spinning your tires.


rampant racing
gary fraser
sarnia ont,canada
(83 posts)

Registered:
03/28/2009 02:45AM

Main British Car:
69 spitfiremk111 ford 347 stroker

Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: rampant racing
Date: August 23, 2013 11:10PM

any one of those motors will only spin the tires once and then rip the rear end to bits, lol. best get something a little stronger in there first.


Ade_TR6
Ade Wathen
UK
(3 posts)

Registered:
07/15/2012 04:16AM

Main British Car:
1972 TR6 2.5L Fuel Injected Triumph

Re: Gt6 -> Gt8
Posted by: Ade_TR6
Date: August 27, 2013 02:27PM

Have a look at this site - it may offer some pointers. Although that is a mighty big Bonnet - sorry hood - bulge to clear the motor...

[www.madspit.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk]

Regards

Ade


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