Tiff Needell's 1980 Rover V8 S SD1 Group 2 on our rollers

Tiff Needell's 1980 Rover V8 S SD1 Group 2 on our rollers

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PeterBurgess

Original Poster:

775 posts

145 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
We enjoyed running up the Group 2 SD1 race car built as a one off as a Works entry for the 1980 Tourist Trophy Race at Silverstone by David Price Engineering. The engine was a quad Webered, dry sumped 3.5 full race engine. It made 322.2 at the wheels giving 350 at the flywheel. The engine had previously been engine dynoed at 377 flywheel. It sounded awesome!

Here is a You tube link to the car being driven at Goodwood by Tiff Needell. Crank up the sound!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c6_okvdzGw

Here are some pics and a copy of the power graph













stevieturbo

17,229 posts

246 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
That's a hell of a dip !

PeterBurgess

Original Poster:

775 posts

145 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
It would have probably benefited from programmable fuelling and ignition smile Also characteristic full race cam power curve.
Peter

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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Why wasn't mine as fast as that..? hehe

Pupp

12,206 posts

271 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
Hangs onto the power well - don't suppose you know the figures for the cam?

PeterBurgess

Original Poster:

775 posts

145 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
I know nothing really of the internals, I understand it was a Crower camshaft and I saw it was on 38 chokes, that is about it. Max timing for best power was 31.7 BTDC at 5000 rpm. With twin exhausts, one exiting each side infront of rear wheels it was a sort of stereo sex thing sat in the car running it, a bit like the ultimate sound surround arcade race game!
Peter

Boosted LS1

21,165 posts

259 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
Ha ha, I bet you were just loving it :-)

PeterBurgess

Original Poster:

775 posts

145 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
I did Mike, it reminded me of Mick Richards 3.9 TR8 from the early 90s, twin exhausts and like a horny toad when you were in it or near it or watched it on the track! I love the sound of all engines but the Vee engines with that off beat note do something for my soul smile
I am 60 this year and feel blessed I still really enjoy what I am doing!
Peter

Mignon

1,018 posts

88 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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It should be obvious that is not a 3.5 litre engine.

PeterBurgess

Original Poster:

775 posts

145 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
The engine builder swears blind it is a stock bore and stroke 3.5 Rover (Buick V8).

Peter

Andy 308GTB

2,918 posts

220 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
I can't see the photos but I think I know a guy who used to own this car, he raced it in the Thunder Saloons series IIRC.
The regs allowed them to use bigger versions of the same engine, so I think he had put a 4 Litre version in from a TVR but he was aware of other SD1's running 5 Litre versions. It was 10 years ago so forgive me if my memory is a little hazy.

PeterBurgess

Original Poster:

775 posts

145 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
I don't know much history of the car, I know it has done well even to survive as the MK1 SD1s were notoriously poorly built and rust buckets! I notice on the YouTube link my mate Ken Clarke has had some dealings with it ( he was a mechanic on the Touring Car SD1s with TWR). At present the car has a John Eales 3.5 litre dry sumped full race engine in it.

Peter

lucido grigio

44,044 posts

162 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
What series is it being prepared or entered for ?

I can't read what it says on the door thing ,if it's relevant.

Not eligible for Goodwood MM ,due to being Gp 2 not 1 ...?

227bhp

10,203 posts

127 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
lucido grigio said:
What series is it being prepared or entered for ?

I can't read what it says on the door thing ,if it's relevant.

Not eligible for Goodwood MM ,due to being Gp 2 not 1 ...?
I think it reads 'Classic Touring Car Racing Club'.

Mignon

1,018 posts

88 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
PeterBurgess said:
The engine builder swears blind it is a stock bore and stroke 3.5 Rover (Buick V8).

Peter
Then it's disappointing that after doing this for a living for over 30 years you don't instantly see why that can't be true.

dom9

8,040 posts

208 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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Torque way too high for the capacity and what'll need to be a long duration cam, surely?

227bhp

10,203 posts

127 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
Mignon said:
PeterBurgess said:
The engine builder swears blind it is a stock bore and stroke 3.5 Rover (Buick V8).

Peter
Then it's disappointing that after doing this for a living for over 30 years you don't instantly see why that can't be true.
What are your reasons for thinking that? Do you think it not possible to get 100bhp/litre from this engine (at that rpm)?

Edited by 227bhp on Tuesday 21st February 22:46

dom9

8,040 posts

208 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
At 5,500rpm and with torque so high... I'm guessing no, not with 2 valve heads.

Boosted LS1

21,165 posts

259 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
dom9 said:
At 5,500rpm and with torque so high... I'm guessing no, not with 2 valve heads.
Depends on the 2 valve heads. Have you seen what a chevy ls can do? Maybe this engine has had some serious work. Kokallaplonke, lol has posted good results. I wish I could spell his name.

dom9

8,040 posts

208 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
I'm just playing devil's advocate to Mignon's comment but...

Have I seen a Chevy LS make about 94lb/ft/l (taking into account the figure at the fly) on fuel from a petrol station? No. Has anyone?

Without going back (replying on a BlackBerry) it's also running a dizzy?

Perhaps there is something we don't know here e.g. race fuel? If it's 3.5 litre, I would say it would need to rev higher to make that power.

Is it larger in capacity? Don't know. Do we have enough info to confirm either way? No.

My assumption that it's running 'pump gas' (to steal a phrase from our cousins) is only an assumption.

More data needed. But it would be the first 350bhp, 3.5l Rover V8 I've come across, especially if it's running clockwork ignition and carbs. And to do that at relatively low rpm...?