RE: Rover 75 V8: Guilty Pleasures

[0a]

From a couple of former owners I have talked to the power estimate for a standard car is an overestimate if anything. The V6 may be quicker. An interesting oddity though - there's a reason why they are fairly cheap.

[odl21]

PoleDriver said:

The only problem with that is that better heads (more valves) are higher than the standard ones and will not fit under the bulkhead area! That Ford engine really was shoe-horned in to the available space!

sorry i meant better 2 valve PI heads. i.e. identical from the outside. ported with a good valve job, and slightly larger intake valves. such as: http://www.modularheadshop.com/CylinderHeads/2VPI/...

4v is not going to fit and is completely non-standard anyway.

[briang9]

Ginge R said:

Oddballs.. without going through the thread, has anyone mentioned a V8 Passat?

think the oddball Passat was a W8?

http://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-spottedykyw...

[PoleDriver]

A lot of car for the money!

[RoverP6B]

I honestly can't imagine why they didn't use the GM LS motor instead. I'd pull out the Ford unit and drop in a cheap LS1 instead.

[RoverP6B]

PoleDriver said:

A lot of car for the money!

SORRY?! 3-speed auto? Surely that can't be right... even the SD1 got a 4-speed midway through its existence...

[Fleckers]

there were only ever 850 V8's made across the MG ZT / ZT-T and Rover 75 range

so a unique car

I had a MK1 ZT-T SE260 which was 1 of only 25 ever made, I loved it, I only moved it on due to work and the miles I was doing was killing my bank balance on fuel and tyres, I went to a S type jag, then 6 weeks late work gave me a company car

last year I saw my old ZT-T back up for sale and was very close to going to see the old girl and making an offer, but like ex girl friends you never go back

[soad]

RoverP6B said:

PoleDriver said:

A lot of car for the money!

SORRY?! 3-speed auto? Surely that can't be right... even the SD1 got a 4-speed midway through its existence...

[RoverP6B]

Really? Everything I've read about the 75 said the auto was a 5-speed. All the more reason to do an LS swap, better gearboxes to mate to them...

[sjc]

RoverP6B said:

Really? Everything I've read about the 75 said the auto was a 5-speed. All the more reason to do an LS swap, better gearboxes to mate to them...

The V6 was ( plus lock up) the V8 wasn't.

[RoverP6B]

I just can't get over that. 3 speed auto in the 21st century. What the hell were they thinking?

[sjc]

RoverP6B said:

I just can't get over that. 3 speed auto in the 21st century. What the hell were they thinking?

Pretty sure the V8 was a four speed.

[soad]

sjc said:

Pretty sure the V8 was a four speed.

"Mention also has to be made of the Rover 75 V8 that was introduced at the time of the facelift. Available in saloon and tourer format it offered a softer mix than the MG although the basic layout and components used were the same. The biggest mechanical difference being the use of a four speed auto gearbox, again from the Mustang, and it had very little effect on the performance of the car. It would have become an option on the MG range in time, but by the time MG Rover collapsed only a few export MGs had been fitted with this auto. The engine characteristics lent itself very well to auto transmission."

http://www.mgownersclub.co.uk/mg-guides/mg-zt-t-26...