Reading the e-mail about the 351 installation brings to mind a
couple of conversions I have seen that were failures. The first was a
small block corvette engine (283?) with auto trans in an Austin Healey
100m! The Healey, from what I understand, was a rare model to begin
with. The owner had outlined the shape of a Cobra grille opening to
replace the Healy grille. He wanted a cheap Cobra I guess. This was in
the early 70's and the last I heard of the car, it had blown out the
rear axel racing a Corvette. To the junk yard it went. A few years
later, I was shown the carcass of a Tiger where the owner had
attempted to shoehorn a 427 in the engine bay. I don't know if it
ever ran successfully. Once again, to the junkyard it went.
Recently, at a local British car show, I was shown photos of a MGB with a Chevy
350 replacing the 4-banger. The owner was still working on getting it driveable
and was checking out my Tiger for ideas. This past summer at a Ford powered car
show, I saw a yellow Tiger with the fuel injected 5.0L engine from a Mustang
G.T. installed. I didn't meet the owner but it was apparent some surgery was
required to the sheet metal to accommodate the fuel injection unit. At least
this one was on the road.
Jeff
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: The quest for more horsepower!
Author: Tom Hall <modtiger@engravers.com> at INTERNET
Date: 2/26/97 9:09 AM
At 06:59 PM 2/25/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Jim:
> Thank you for your long, complete and, yes, entertaining description
>of the efforts required to put what is considered by many, the best engine
>Ford ever designed, into a Tiger. I had to read your message quite a few
>times. The first few times I was utterly amazed and the second few times I
>was merely flabbergasted. Pulling away from the computer, I looked up,
>scratched my chin and used my best visualization techniques to contemplate
>the job at hand based on your experience. After hours of serious
>reflection, I came upon a flash of realization largely based on my
>financial, mechanical, timelilogical, toolilogical and weldilogical
>limitations..................
>
> Anyone out there interested in accomplishing this project? I've got
>a 351 Cleveland for sale!
>
> Jim, earnestly, thank you for describing modifications to your T II
>to fit the engine. My opinion (which doesn't matter, anyway) is that the
>Tiger was the English manifestation of a hotrod and, well hell, there is no
>wrong modification when it comes to the quest for more horsepower!
Beg to differ, to some degree!
After 30 years of participating in this marque, I am impressed with the
capability of the original chassis to absorb and transmit gobs of raw
horsepower without frequent failures. The ultimate problem is, after 30
years, is that those chassis who bore these high powered power plants, are
starting to show the ultimate signs of fatigue failure. We have discussed
the common problems, including suspension failures, at length on this
channel. Those who use these cars for pleasures of horsepower enhansed
sensory delight, need to seriously examine their chassis structures on a
regular and routine basis. Failure to do otherwise could be described as
dangerous to catastrophic. Frame de-lamination in the areas of the
crossmember attachment points and cracking of rear spring mounts is now very
commonplace, and every owner should examine their chassis for these kind of
problems on at least an annual basis.
I'm sure that Jim has forgotten many of the minor repairs and
re-inforcements required to keep his car together. Don't be the poor soul
that has to come in on the hook, or worse in an ambulance. Know what your
driving, and respect it's ultimate limitations.
Tom
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