Just pondering out loud here - V8, 2.5D, 200TDi, 300TDi, 2.8TGV, Daihatsu, Perkins have all been done to death and are mostly pretty old hat (some older than others).

I liked Marko Cosic's Rover Twink just because it involved something that bolted in using pretty much off-the-shelf parts and performed really rather well.

So, does anyone have any suggestions for engine conversions that are potentially doable using either the parts-bin or existing adapter plates without having to whittle an adapter plate out of raw billet?

Off the top of my head:
Some pug engines supposedly fit Sherpa bellhousings (LT77)
We know at least one Rover car engine fits a LR bellhousing
Cossie V6 fits Cologne(?) adapter plate
Does anything new (Zetec etc.) fit the popular Essex V6 plates?
Jag AJ6 supposedly bolts to a ZF 4HP auto box, anyone know fo' sho'?
A mate had a Nissan diesel in a 110 which went OK, but a VQ35DE or SR20DET would be more interesting, and the tuning potential of some of these is mahoosive.
On the same lines, Supra 3.0 V6 TT or Skyline RB26TT, or for a cosic-stylee perhaps a Toyota 4AGE?

I'd also add that I'm not especially interested in big yank iron with huge numbers as these take you waaay beyond the design specs of the rover transmission. I'm aiming at stuff that gives similar or better BHP/torque in a more modern, smaller, lighter, more efficient package.

I guess a good criteria is that you could either buy a running engine, or a complete donor vehicle, from eBlag for under £1k.

There a comp safari racer that has a cozzy lunmp in it.....

It goes quite terrifying quick, and with a noise attached to it that sounds like a Pi&&ed Wasp in a jam jar on a small motorbike.

Or theres alway Pete Rowe with I think at the last nod a 800 BHP BB Chevy with homemade Fuel injection, when it trundles through the pits on tickover the ground shakes and vibrates....

Aw Goddamit, ................back on V8s again

Nige

If you can find an 800bhp anything on eBay for £1k I'll be impressed

Cossies I know you can buy a whole rusty Granada Scorpio for £250 so they're a good option, EDIS as stock too and I've heard they can be tuned a bit

I dunno prices but here is my list

• 4 x Outboard engines
• Cummins 6BT as per my 7.5 tonner but turbo and bombed to 400+bhp
• Audi A2 diesel install was super neat
• Isuzu diesel as per Jez
• 2.5 6cylinder Diesel as per P38a and various BMW's and Pauxhalls - again bombed to ~180bhp

A 4litre straight six tubro diesel with 200+bhp and weighing less than 300kgs would get my vote

Most motorcycle engines are jewel-like IMHO, forget torque bands and lack of reverse gear, there must be a way.......

cossie - chuck the 4ltr bottom end on brrrrrrrrrrrrrrm brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm - it wont fit an essex plate though and cologne to rover plates arent commercially available

'suzu - 2.8 or 3.1 with VNT and propane hehehhee - cheap, brutally reliable, submersible, more bass end than a nottinghill carnival solund system

Scoob - peaky

Beemer 3litre turbo D - yummy, ECU a pig

Jag XJR300 -mmmmmmmmmmmm, cheap lunacy but a bit of a porker

Jag Charged 8 - bigger, much bigger mmmmm, oh god yes please

Pug/Disco 3/Ford V6 - single or twin turbo diesel - kiss lawnmower engines V8's goodbye, 420ft/lbs 80% of which available from 1500rpm me waaaaaaaaaaaaaaant so badly

Beemer straight 6 2.5 turbo - chipped, cheapish but long

oddly nothing from the green oval....... strange that

A big bike lump in an SJ would be a weapon, and couldn't make it sound any more like a bee in a biscuit tin than they already do.

There are some good things like two V-twins bolted together to make a V8 out there but they're waaay spendy and aimed at the kit car nutters who'd rather spend £20k on some fibreglass lump than just buy something far better and remove the interior.

I've just been eyeing up 328's and 535's on eBlag, a 535 minus all the heavy furnishings and equipment could be a bit of a commuting tool / street sleeper and they go for £cheap 'cos people are scared of the fuel bills / repairs.

I also reckon there must be mileage in a 2.0 Zetec adapter plate for the masses, those things are ten a penny and pretty decent, even if they are F*rd.

2.5v6 ford lump? might be worth a squeeze

Zetec should fit essex adapeter plate, can go 2.1 ZVH Hybrid for silly power for liitle £

BMW 6cyl diesels are easily done (or at least the 2.5) and cheep like the budgie - use the south african spec adapters for lt77/r380

BMW 6cyl 3.2 from old M3 should fit above adapter but try finding a lump that hasnt been spanked for less than £1k

BMW/Range Rover 4.4 V8 should fit above, I say should. But then you spend all day worring that the pistons are gonna fall off the end of the rods and waxoil the engine bay (did production ones do this or was it just the bags of sh*t i got to see?)

Audi 2.5 diesel has been mated to ZF 4HP so use that bellhousing. Cheap, powerful, last forever, sounds ideal.

2.2 Ford Duratorq mated to new (transit engined) defender bellhousing would be drool-worthy, may pose packaging issues though

2.3(?) or 2.5 Honda/Rover V6 mates to Lt77/r380 using disco mpi/italian defender bellhousing, you could get 5 donor rover 800s for your £1k

6.5 Turbo GMC diesel V8 with Dieselsquirt and straight-through pipe for uber-torque and to free up some revs, cheap and bombproof but try finding a box that wont melt with the torque

Big fan of the already mentioned Cossie V6 4ltr hybrid, bags of potential there and soooo cheap

Really really want TDV8 auto in defender, could only be done reliably with portals though Plus its megabucks so ignore for the purpose of this discussion

As jez already mentioned AJV8 Supercharged can be done fairly easily but it costs, and the engine is very wide

If bimma 6cyl 3.2 will fit, will any of the more common ones such as the 2.5, 2.8 or 3.5 or are they different?

2.0 Zetec to Essex sounds like it could be worth a try

Hyabusa with 1500cc big bore kit and a Mr Turbo kit - 370bhp at 13,000rpm. Quaife reverse unit

GSX 1100 slingshot X 2 one for each rear wheel as per proto grass trackers - 160bhpx2 at 12K

http://www.realclassic.co.uk/hon030505.html yesssssssssss and as above but slightly wider and with loads of spare cranks

BMW 2.8 IL6 as fitted to LR90's in Sarf Africa - drove one once, what fun

JCB 4.0ltr Turbo as per Fastrack - fitted to a proto Ibex with a GM box

Ford BDT in a QT, yes please

Manta LED 400 in a QT, yes please number 2

http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/honda_cbr...ckbird_1999.php Had one of these, Jez would understand why I mourn it's passing. But that engine would be nice in an ultralight 2x4

Isuzu 2.8 with Nitrous and water, running on Methanol/Derv and with pre injectors in the turbo

a T55 lump, Diesel, 34ltr, TC V8 with no turbo

Dunno really, i heard about the M3 engine being fitted from a mate, i didnt ask about any of the other lumps, i guess if they use the same flywheel/housing then their shouldnt be any issue

According to the guy i share a lift to work with (ford geek enthusiast) the 1.8 is a smoother motor, not sure in what respect, and is the popular choice for tuners, especially when doing the ZVH hybrid route.

Try looking at Burton Power or OddKid creations websites for inspiration. Loads of companies out there are doing cheap tuning and nice low mileage engines are ten a penny so its gotta be worth some research.


Lewis

If thats JCB's own then its 80hp n/a or 100hp turbo - gotta be ripe for some tuning if it can break the land speed diesel record. If its the earlier one then its just a perkins

Don't know what they're like in a heavy vehicle, but they're entertaining in a Morgan 4/4 Only ever been a passenger, sadly

Nope that was the original 170hp Perkins 4 cylinder as opposed to 125 in non Turbo. Guy caled Robin bought it from John Foers, ran a company in Christchurch called Timber Rescources International, made and ran mobile planking machines. It was a beast of a thing with a big power bulge in the bonnet due to the massive stroke of the perky lump. GM auto box and T box with a p38 rear axle. 110" wheelbase IIRC. I lusted after that truck. Robin had an FD35 engined 110 as well...

OK, couple of people have mentioned the Audi A2 (1.4 TDI?) and the Audi 2.5 TDI (ancient) lump, but what about the VAG 1.9 TDI (the old, non-pd versions) - I hade a 110BhP one in my golf and it was uber reliable. I was also the engine VW started racing with - and is apparently good for 220 brake +.... There is a guy on pirate who put a td lump in his series - will see if I can find the link.

Currently I have an audi A3 TDI quattro 130bhp out of the box, and 4wd. I have been trying to work out a way of getting this system to work the wrong way round - engine in the back, 90% rwd, 10% fwd but biasing as and when required. Problem I have at the moment is propshaft rotation - maybe portal boxes are the answer...

Incidentally, the clutch doesn't last long in a 130 pd TDI when you chip it up to 180..

Sorry, my VW and Land Rover worlds appear to have collided in a strange way...

Mark

K

Didn't see the 1K max

2nd go :

Shove this in a Suzuki SJ then :
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CALIBRA-V6-RED-TOP-E...1QQcmdZViewItem

RR ?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JAGUAR-4-0-XJR-ENGIN...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-M60-ENGINE-V8-4-...1QQcmdZViewItem

90:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/supra-twin-turbo-eng...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Chevrolet-Camaro-305...1QQcmdZViewItem

Nige

I have a bit of a passion for the VW Syncro. The 1.9 TD fits like a well fitting glove especially the 115bhp Red I. The 120bhp Audi 1.9Td goes well in them to. The Audi 80 has it's lump fitted in line with the box behind the lump. I wonder what you could do with a reverse rotation diff or as a mid engined 2x4. also wondered about remote T boxes a'la Nissan and Suzuki

The 115 is the first of the pd engines, and imho wasn't as good or tunable as the 110 non pd. The 150 is a nice lump, but the tuners favorite seems to be the 130.

I was thinking of what I could make out of the A3 should it ever get stuffed. Mid mounting the engine could be good, but I was trying to utilise the existing haldex diff... I am however, fairly sure this wouldn't qualify for the under 1k category though, just something I have been thinking about...

well i'm ignoring the 1k limit

how about 2k for a Chevy LS1 V8- 350bhp, 32kg lighter than a Rover V8, smaller too- for that you can get a package that includes an 4 speed auto that will take 450bhp.

how about something really odd- a 24l aero engine- there was a merlin that sold recently for £1150- 1500bhp and no need for a gearbox, or seats, or axles or anything else really because all you'd have room for was one big engine- it would work well in the alps mind!

I thought the first of the 115's wa the last of the non pd. So the 110 was the last non pd then.. Mmmmm

115 are pd - much noisier!

We havn't even got into the five cylinder VAG diesels yet - 2.5l nonpd (same as the 110 but with an extra cylinder, and bigger bored injectors,etc) is what is currently used in the production pinzgauers.

Anything with a blue D and I are bigger pd based 5 cyclinder engines and should have plenty of torque on tap!

The pinz uaes a ZF 4 speed auto mated to the 2.5 VAG TDI engine - put that in a landy and it would be quite something!

If we are going to descend into sillyness then how about this - I was reading Practical Performance car magazine (they have it in the library at work) and there is a guy fitting an 18lt V12 or 16 (cant remember) aircraft engine into an SD1, he ran it through three torque converters so the box could cope with the power. 1800bhp, yes please

In my old rallying days, I built a 2.8 Alfa Twin cam engined Talbot Sunbeam.....very 80's

180 Horse's at the wheels, on the rollers

I've some piccies somewhere

I think you cant beat the Scooby flat four for power and cheapness and weight. Not sure how to house it in landy chassis but Jez will grind, weld and hammer away in his time portal to make it work. JCB lump has 140 horses in top standard spec and weighs 500 kg, although apparently the manufacturer of the ibex vehicles can do more with it.....
Anyway, due to its weight I would avoid it personally if it were to be part of the kiera knightly job.

daan

Lewsi - you mean Charlie Broomfield? I think you'll find that's a 27-litre RR Merlin from a tank

This month's edition he got an MOT on the thing, christ knows how, the MOT tester must've either been killed by the noise or been unable to stop laughing long enough to conduct the test

theres nothing silly in a Bunfight Lewis

More stupidity

Christ my memory is bl**dy terrible


How can they call the mag Practical Performance car? it should be called Ridiculous Performance Car

Lewis

Mmmmmmm

Thats going on my christmas list, along with the lego pirate ship

did any photos ever emerge of that?
i read about it on this and maybe a few other fora, but never saw any pics, nor any replies to threads.

someone on pirate is in the process of shoving a vw 1.9tdi into a series. i think its the 90bhp mid 90's effort. it almost fits under the transmission tunnel its so small. i thought my 'suzu lump sat far back.

sorry i digress.


to add another question what about a cheap jap turbo engine? should be light i suppose, but i gather for many that its not too much of a consideration.

As large amouts get smashed up by office types trading in the BMW's and buying Shoguns and L200's

I have heard about loads of L200 with hundreds on the clocks being smashed up by rolling on round abouts and country lanes by the shiny suit brigaed

What about the 3.2 Mitubush engine I have seen some amazing things from them but standard there very pokey

the L200 have a far bit of Tauque

Iveco 2.8 td? and LT85 as fitted to the Santana PS10.

No idea what they are like though.

Andy

merlins go well in SD1s.... ok slightly OT but it is a very kewl car
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.a...=245424&h=0

Andy - that's Charlie Broomfield as mentioned above. You've got to love the style - note the 4 ton engine crane made from a forklift sunk into the garage floor

I don't care how practical it is, that chap is a hero!

Hmm - Merlin engine and icelandic paddle tyres and scoot over the top of the mud/water I think the merlin might be a bit heavy to pull it off though

thats sooooooooo cool Andy

Oooooh they have a video of the test firing:
Google Video Link
Ohhhhh yes...

A nice Jag V12 suddenly seems quite appealing and even sensible

Edit: Just reading through the thread and they want to fit NOS to it now

ahhh i was looking for the link before anyone mentioned his name. must organise my favs better!

its just amazing isnt it? i so want that car, its perfect. the ultimate piston engine noise in a sexy 70s shape car

What can I say..... I'm in love

That is pretty bloomin cool! We used to have the Meteor (the supercharged version of that engine) on a stand in my old Uni dept. That is one big mutha.

Al.

So what you're saying, Al, is that you had access to a supercharged 27-litre V12 Spitfire engine and you LEFT IT WHERE IT IS when you left uni?

Go back and get it! You may need to enlarge your pockets or get a doctor's note about elephantitis but it'd be worth it

You leave my nuts out of this!

Hell yeah - it's already mounted on a nice wheeled stand and eveything, I could just dress up as a vending machine repair man, throw a sheet over it and wheel it out into the awaiting transit van...

But to be fair it wouldn't have been my first choice, that was one of the less interesting ones...

[Of course, getting the larger ones into a transit could be tricky...]

Al.

P.S. I'll sell you the location for half your engine budget.

Hmm, some interesting options there, what about a ford TDCi...although i am particually partial to the VW diesel engines, if there was a way of mounting one of those with a decent auto box to the tranny box (LT230?) then it would make a fantastic machine

Vw t5 2.5 5cyl 174 bhp!

And my next company car powered by a ......Nissan Navara 2.5 4 cyl 174 bhp!

loads in the breakers will chip to 209bhp.

The one's I've driven have been rather like similar sized modern petrol engines - not much at the bottom end - so I'm not sure how good they'd be in an off roader?

get the merlin, i'd love to see a mid-engined 110!

Do you mean the TDCi's or the VW diesels?

I've found THE engine- you can all pack up and go home now.

Imagine this sticking out of a series 1 bonnet:

Ebay is king

Mmmmmmm. Ditch the holley and use one of uncle Bill's throttle bodies

thats soooooooo rough arse - c'mon kids bit if style please,

TDCi - I haven't driven any recent diesel VWs.

Since this is, technically, a bunfight thread, and I feel the urgent need to scrub myself with domestos after seeing that supercharged clusterfawk on ebay, I submit to you the 500 BHP V-twin twin-turbo 'Harley' Orca engine.

http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/113orca.htm

Ahhhh, that's better.

Al.