Wedge TR7 with American V8

[Sherlock]

Here is the latest local build... A well known classic car guy here in Calgary just finished building a TR7 with a 283 block, bored out to 302

He had it displayed at our local indoor show, I couldn't get very good photos of it but did get a photo of the engine bay:

Full-size view

It is being built for mostly stock appearance with some other modifications as necessary, the hood is obviously modified as can be seen. He is very active in the local scene so I'll likely be seeing lots of this car this upcoming summer, and hope to get better photos then...

 

[tdskip]

Nice work, but what's wrong with the original block? Just more parts etc for the Ford motor?

 

[Sherlock]

Just because... Fred isn't a traditional sports car person, he could have put a Rover V8 in, but where's the challenge in that... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

 

[tr8todd]

It's easy to ask "why an American motor". The answers are easy. Fords and Chevys are easy to find. Parts are less expensive and plentiful. The guys building these cars are not British car guys; they are street rodders. 300 HP from an American V8 is easy. 300 HP from a Rover is very expensive. The Rover motor is bigger than you think it is. Many people are fooled into thinking that a 215 inch displacement motor is alot smaller that a 350 inch displacement motor. They have almost the same dimensions. A thin wall cating iron block with aluminum heads is not that much heavier than the Rover. I just weighed a bone stock TR8. It has every option,some fuel and even a few things in the car. It weighed in at 2550 pounds, of which 1520 was on the front wheels. That gives the car a 60/40 weight balance. There is a ton of clutter on a stock TR8 motor. A cleaned up Ford or Chevy should come in at around the same weight as a the cluttered Rover. When I got done cleaning up all of the extra weight on the TR8 race car, and after adding the roll cage, the car weighed around 2150 pounds. I once had a stripped out, fiberglass bumpered one that came in around 1900 pounds. There is alot of clutter in the nose of a wedge. Easily enough to offset a heavier motor. So if you want a 400 HP wedge and only want to spend 5 grand on a driveline, it's a no brainer. Tim Lanocha's Wedge has a twin turbo Chevy pushing 800 HP. He drives it on the street. It has a killer stereo!