That brings back some memories...
At about the same time as the Brabham-Repco was winning races, I was only
16... and had already decided that someday, I would have a mid-engined V8
kit car.. I think I bought the assembly manual for a Fiberfab Avenger that
same year but it was never to be.
About 30 years ago, I saw an article in "Hot Rod" about Rod Simpsons SBC
powered 914 and I thought Hey... this is GOOD... mid engine, 4 wheel disks
and most of what I wanted was already built! Somehow I got sidetracked and
realised that a much lighter V8 would be even better and ended up installing
a Rover 3500 in a 72 914 complete with 916 flares, Pirelli P7s,etc.
...really done up nice. That thing cornered at about 1G and had 200hp with
the new motor actually being about 30 lbs. lighter that the air-cooled 4
that came out. It's still on the road in Texas some where...
There's a fellow that lives about 2 hours down the road that used to
campaign a Can-Am car based on the Olds block... He flipped it and got
severely burned which sort of ended the campaign but he now has a shop
fixing mostly British cars and is also the Caterham 7 dealer.
The factory Olds was turboed (waay back in 1962, the F85 Jetfire !)so maybe
that's why the heads had the extra bolt! The 64 Buick 300 had an iron block
but aluminum heads that had bigger valves and still bolted up to the Buick
215 or Rover. You could also use that crank to stroke the 215 . There are a
couple aftermarket companies that build up 215s up over 5 liters and I
think they use it in the Range Rover to this day.
Jim
B382000446
-----Original Message-----
From: tigers-bounces@autox.team.net [mailto:tigers-bounces@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of Jeffrey Nichols
Sent: September 2, 2010 12:34 PM
To: Tigers@autox.team.net
Subject: [Tigers] Not Your Father's Oldsmobile Engine
"Gary is technically correct. The rover v8 started out as the olds 215
rocket v8 in the early 60's and was licensed to rover which then was known
as the rover v8 and was put in the TR8. So the basis is actually american
with english modifications over the years/"
Not many know that Jack Brabham used the engine as a basis for his team's
two
F1 world championship engines in 1966 and 1967. Brabham hired Repco of
Australia to modify the block and install single overhead cam heads on the
Oldsmobile block. Here is a link and about half way down is the discussion
on
the Oldsmobile engine block.
http://www.jack-brabham-engines.com/biography.aspx
Jeff
http://www.jack-brabham-engines.com/biography.aspx
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