Jerry,
Personally, I am not nearly as offended by someone sticking a Jag engine in
a Triumph as people who put in GM engines -- at least it is British and we
all know the British regularly dipped into community parts bins. But you
fail to address the real concern raised about the engine weight difference.
It is not the spring compression that is a problem, it is the complete
destruction of the car's ability to turn corners.
I used to own a Sunbeam Tiger. The story behind that car (Ford V8 in small
British convertible) is that the small block was originally inserted in the
engine bay without modifications (such as you propose). The car's
performance was described: "It went like a bat out of hell, but it took
three men and a boy to turn the wheel." Production Tigers had a modified
firewall that allowed for the engine to be installed much farther aft,
allowing for much better weight distribution. The engine is so far back
that the number 8 spark plug is changed through a grommet in the
transmission tunnel near the driver's knee.
So, yes, you might be able to get the engine to fit in the existing
location. Yes, your springs might hold it. No, the car will not drive
well. You must either modify the firewall to move the engine considerably
aft or you will be spending time meeting Doug Firs face-to-face. The car
will not handle well.
Brian.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Oliver [mailto:slantws@home.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 8:38 AM
To: triumphs list
Subject: The Nightly Nutty report (was Tell Me I'm Nuts)
Hi there....
I thought I'd report a summary of opinions of those that responded to my
thoughts of combining the various parts I have in my garage; the Jaguar
engine (cost $0.00), TR4A RHD Solid axle chassis (cost $50.00), TR4A body
(cost $150.00). I also have a TR4 without engine (cost $50.00).You can see
this is a big dollar project.
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