• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.

    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Rover engine that started as Buick?

Jerry

Darth Vader
Gold
Country flag
Offline
I am told that Buick sold the plans to Rover for one of their engines. Is it an exact copy? I am looking for a light weight engine and this has an aluminum block doesn't it

Jerry
 
Yep - got one in my TR8.

Read all about it:

Rover V8

Mickey
 
Deal was consumated in 1964 between Land Rover and Buick on an overseas flight. Seems they GM and LR officials were accidently seated togther. 232 ci Buick. Want a good book on Rover Engines get the book on Tuning Land Rover V-8s. Shows Rover engines inserted in all sorts of cars. Cobras, MGs, Triumphs etc. Has a guide on horsepower ratios. The 3.5 Litre is set with distributor while the later 3.9/4.0 are FI electronic Gems or Bosch. The 4.6 litre has lining problems, but you can get a better block from England with a 4 mil liner over the present 2 mil liner.
 
Be careful of any "super deals" you get.. They had a run of improperly machined motors where the oil pump feeds were NOT aligned properly.. worked fine for a few thousand miles, then oil pressure started dropping, noises... LR pulled the motor and replaced them (only adequate repair) and there were a number of short blocks at dealerships..

So if anyone says, "I got a sweet deal here, low mileage v8," pull the pan, check the bearings and pull the front cover to see if the pump holes are lined up...
 
I thought the engine was a 215 that was put in Buick Specials and Wildcats in 1963 & 64. They were also used in the Buick Apollo series. I have collected 3 engines over the years thinking I would get around to putting one into a MGB. Haven't gotten that far yet.

Marv
 
Marvin Gruber said:
I thought the engine was a 215 that was put in Buick Specials and Wildcats in 1963 & 64. They were also used in the Buick Apollo series. I have collected 3 engines over the years thinking I would get around to putting one into a MGB. Haven't gotten that far yet.

Marv

Yep - 215. Not sure about Wildcats or Apollos, but definitely in the compact Special. Also used in Olds F-85's, and I believe they had a turbo version.
 
Buick ancestry. Did they keep the buick olds pontiac bell housing bolt pattern? Would make it an option to swap in an iron v8 for those who are tired of Al engine problems, which buicks also have.
 
Had 4 a 3.9, 2-4.0,4.6. Only dropped a sleeve in 4.6. 4.0 I have now at 175K miles.
 
Back
Top