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vjj
Original Poster
463 posts
109 months
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Hi Guys, Just to clear up a long-term argument The Overfinch Discovery was in fact NOT a myth - I have just bought one of these rare beasties(only 3 or 4 built), but they are out there. There is one another for sale at restorationmen in oxfordshire - a 1991 Manual car 350 together with all the stuff you could get on the RR at the time(red instruments etc). This chap was involved with Overfinch during this time and remembers my car. He is asking £25K - see ebay The car I have bought(together with invoce from Overfinch for 22k) is a stage 2 Conversion based on a 1995 Discovery ES7 Auto Has the following Chevy 350 Vortec(LT31 Engine) with hi-flow headers, beefed-up gearbox, brakes, suspension and quick steering, stainless exhaust system and a few cosmetic things(spare wheel cover, badges, etc) - the interior was left stock as it was very nice anyhow. Originally on Injection but now running a big Holley with Edelbrock inlets The car is a bit tatty but very solid, and as the original ECU Land Rover was left in situ I am going to replace the engine and box with standard items from the time and sell it on. The 350 motor, uprated gearbox(refurbished at Ashcroft 1000 miles ago- bonus!) and all the adaptors etc will be going into my Defender(current TVR RV8 getting a bit tired). As she be a 1984 there are no cats to worry about so free-flowing exhaust can be fabricated. Planning to swap the chevy heads for aluminium big-valves and fit a high-torque cam to suit. As my defender is a cabrio and only weighs 1300kg (1400 with the chevy in) she should be quite lively!!! Will keep ypou posted as the project develops. this car  will have this engine see myrecent topic post in Yank Cars -chevy 350 starter motor nightmare
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vjj
Original Poster
463 posts
109 months
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here is the disco engine bay 
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LukeSi
5,093 posts
31 months
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erm, pretty sure that is a defender.
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vjj
Original Poster
463 posts
109 months
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read the post again - I said my defender will(above picture) be having the running gear from the disco(engine bay pictured below)
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Manicminer
2,601 posts
67 months
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LukeSi said: erm, pretty sure that is a defender. Erm, try reading his post properly!
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LukeSi
5,093 posts
31 months
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Ah yes I do seem to have been a muppet.
Any pictures of the disco?
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vjj
Original Poster
463 posts
109 months
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A.J.M
3,375 posts
56 months
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So, your destroying in a way, a very rare example of a car.
To make another one a bit faster. I like the idea but it seems a waste of the disco to remove the engine that made it special and unique in the first place.
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Trommel
10,654 posts
129 months
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vjj said: Just to clear up a long-term argument The Overfinch Discovery was in fact NOT a myth - I have just bought one of these rare beasties(only 3 or 4 built) Two have been up for sale recently, I'm sure more than three or four were converted.
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eliot
5,345 posts
124 months
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Sticking a turbo on a 5.7 makes for interesting performance.
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vjj
Original Poster
463 posts
109 months
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A.J.M said: So, your destroying in a way, a very rare example of a car.
To make another one a bit faster. I like the idea but it seems a waste of the disco to remove the engine that made it special and unique in the first place. The money I would need to spend on the disco to make it fast enough for me(stroking the engine to 383 CI, aftermarket injection etc), plus about 6 grand on cosmetics to get it back up to scratch(respray, re-trim, other repairs) would add up to a lot more than the car would ever be worth. By putting the running gear into my defender(new chassis, cosmetically excellent) I am at least getting the performance I require at a reasonable cost in an interesting vehicle.
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bakerstreet
1,015 posts
35 months
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vjj said: The money I would need to spend on the disco to make it fast enough for me(stroking the engine to 383 CI, aftermarket injection etc), plus about 6 grand on cosmetics to get it back up to scratch(respray, re-trim, other repairs) would add up to a lot more than the car would ever be worth. Spending more money on a car than what its worth is fairly common! I'm sure someone who be niterested ina car with such low production numbers, especially if its restored to factory condition. Even someone like Dunsfold might be interested in it!
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eliot
5,345 posts
124 months
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I picked up L31 vortec engine and box very cheaply years ago. Fairly unremarkable engine and not all that powerful (255 bhp). They are externally balanced and have different inlet manifolds - so not exactly a cherished or sought after engine. I got it running standalone on the factory ECU one afternoon for a giggle. http://www.mez.co.uk/vortec5700.html
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vjj
Original Poster
463 posts
109 months
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eliot said: I picked up L31 vortec engine and box very cheaply years ago. Fairly unremarkable engine and not all that powerful (255 bhp). They are externally balanced and have different inlet manifolds - so not exactly a cherished or sought after engine. I got it running standalone on the factory ECU one afternoon for a giggle. http://www.mez.co.uk/vortec5700.htmlHi Elliot - I have had your MEZ pages bookmarked for a long time and have found them very very useful in maintaining my TVR engine - THANKS After many phone-calls and emails I have finally ascertained that my engine is NOT an L31 Vortec but a very late L05! Many thanks Brian at Roadcraft in Lancing Turns out one of the heads has a small crack in it. The bottom end seems fine and I have today been and bought some Edelbrock E-street big-valve aluminium heads, gaskets, and everything else for a full top-end rebuild - just waiting to confirm whether the cam has roller-lifters or the flat-tops. If they are rollers I have been advised to leave well alone as they hardly wear at all, and if they are flats then a new hi-torque cam will be installed - will be matching the inlet/outlet ports (have large-bore free-flow headers and ported edelbrock inlet already) and making sure the big holley is spot on. All i will needd now is strengthened pushrods and maybe some rockers. Should be around the 300bhp mark and maybe 375 lbs of torque.
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vjj
Original Poster
463 posts
109 months
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Update for you guys if anyone is interested.
Finally ascertained that the engine is in fact an L98 Camaro/Corvette engine that stopped being fitted to new cars in 1986 - it was superseded by the LS1
Ho
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100SRV
709 posts
112 months
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An interesting project, I briefly considered alternative powertrains for my Bowler earlier this year when the engine was sick (3.9 EFI Rover V8) but decided it was wiser to repair than go silly with Ford V8 power and the resultant modifications. I really like the 2-door Range Rover Overfinch with the Schuler FF transmission, I didn't know that they modified Discovery too. vjj said: Hi Guys,
As my defender is a cabrio and only weighs 1300kg (1400 with the chevy in) she should be quite lively!!! I think you have underestimated the kerb mass of a soft-top Ninety though - closer to 1695kg Source is http://www.cuddles.abelgratis.net/landrover.htmalso Land Rover quote: "Minimum weight of vehicle in running order* 1,740kg" 100SRV
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vjj
Original Poster
463 posts
109 months
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With regards to the weight of my defender - I was going on what the previous owner told me
The link you gave me is for diesels - I shall be finding out though. Very useful
I suspect the kerb weight with the chevy in will be around the 1750 mark.
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eliot
5,345 posts
124 months
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My dakar with the chebby in it came in at 1800 kilos.
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100SRV
709 posts
112 months
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eliot said: My dakar with the chebby in it came in at 1800 kilos. Is that with ballast too or the basic Dakar structure?
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C Lee Farquar
823 posts
86 months
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100SRV said: I really like the 2-door Range Rover Overfinch with the Schuler FF transmission I have one of those transfer boxes mated to what I think is a 700 R4. It came with an L98 small block and Corvette heads. I haven't dared put it in anything as I assume the parts are all obsolete. It's also very long.
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