Chimera - Range Rover P38 engine swap
Chimera - Range Rover P38 engine swap
Author
Discussion

Stick Legs

Original Poster:

8,923 posts

194 months

Monday 24th September 2012
quotequote all
Hi,
  • Disclaimer
Before everyone tells me this is pointless, or silly I am aware that I can buy a Supercharged L322 Range Rover which will be better than what I can build in my shed. But I want to build something in my shed!

I have a very straight and tidy but unexciting Range Rover P38 4.0SE.
I have an option on a TVR Chimera which has been crashed.

I have time!

These are both Rover V8's, the gear boxes will match, checked this. The electricals are an issue due to the immobiliser and integrated ECU but the result would be awesome, a bit of sleeper and usefully quicker than the 4.6HSE.
I reckon the TVR's 300bhp will not cause any massive transmission issues as the Range Rover runs 200bhp and I am only going to use it on the road, it was designed for much more rigorous use.

Has anyone heard of this being done, if so any snags or pitfalls?

Cheers.


DonkeyApple

69,608 posts

198 months

Monday 24th September 2012
quotequote all
Stick Legs said:
Hi,
  • Disclaimer
Before everyone tells me this is pointless, or silly I am aware that I can buy a Supercharged L322 Range Rover which will be better than what I can build in my shed. But I want to build something in my shed!

I have a very straight and tidy but unexciting Range Rover P38 4.0SE.
I have an option on a TVR Chimera which has been crashed.

I have time!

These are both Rover V8's, the gear boxes will match, checked this. The electricals are an issue due to the immobiliser and integrated ECU but the result would be awesome, a bit of sleeper and usefully quicker than the 4.6HSE.
I reckon the TVR's 300bhp will not cause any massive transmission issues as the Range Rover runs 200bhp and I am only going to use it on the road, it was designed for much more rigorous use.

Has anyone heard of this being done, if so any snags or pitfalls?

Cheers.

Lots of TIV engines have gone into Classics and P38s so it is perfectly doable. There are probably some obvious hurdles which Google will find for you.

Re the engine, something to bare in mind is that you might not actually get much better performance as the engines for the two cars are built differently to do a different job.

With the P38 (auto?) the engines are designed for torque in exchange for bhp and for this to be delivered in a low, wide band, whereas the RV8s built for sports cars are designed to rev higher, have higher bhp and less torque where a big heavy auto needs it.

I would spend some time researching that aspect as you could end up with something that just doesn't work any better than the stock P38 engine once mated to the ZF24.

Stick Legs

Original Poster:

8,923 posts

194 months

Monday 24th September 2012
quotequote all
DonkeyApple said:
Lots of TIV engines have gone into Classics and P38s so it is perfectly doable. There are probably some obvious hurdles which Google will find for you.

Re the engine, something to bare in mind is that you might not actually get much better performance as the engines for the two cars are built differently to do a different job.

With the P38 (auto?) the engines are designed for torque in exchange for bhp and for this to be delivered in a low, wide band, whereas the RV8s built for sports cars are designed to rev higher, have higher bhp and less torque where a big heavy auto needs it.

I would spend some time researching that aspect as you could end up with something that just doesn't work any better than the stock P38 engine once mated to the ZF24.
That sounds very sensible!
I think some research may be required... :-)

Graham

16,381 posts

313 months

Tuesday 25th September 2012
quotequote all
which ecu is the rangy running lucas or gems, gems will be more of a faff as the tvr lump doesnt have the crank and cam sensor.. mark adams can remap either.

Im just about to go the other way, possibly drop a gems 4.6 rangy lump in a tvr.. lol

scotty_d

6,795 posts

223 months

Tuesday 25th September 2012
quotequote all
I would go after market ECU and a Turbo Kit , Wilder cam, job done. smile

I have a 4.0 se as well it is a little gutless but it is 2.8 ton of car so it will go never like a chim. It's just a cruiser i guess but if need must to fettle, needs must smile

Edited by scotty_d on Tuesday 25th September 08:32

BLUETHUNDER

7,881 posts

289 months

Tuesday 25th September 2012
quotequote all
You will need to put a different cam in it in order to have decent performance out of it.

Stick Legs

Original Poster:

8,923 posts

194 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
My Rangey is running the Gems injection system. Looking at it hard and after discussion with my fair lady the consensus is wait a while and buy a Chimera as well. Result. :-)

mattrosersv

579 posts

259 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
Starting to think about this myself as now have a spare 5.0 engine. I was thinking of running this with Lucas gear out the Chim seeing as I am going aftermarket ECU for the Chimaera.

My P38 is running later LR electronics so just need to find out what else the ECU gets involved with (tachometer, auto box? ) and figure out if emissions will be an issue.

300 bhp and gobs of torque would make it an awesome motor.





mattrosersv

579 posts

259 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
Starting to think about this myself as now have a spare 5.0 engine. I was thinking of running this with Lucas gear out the Chim seeing as I am going aftermarket ECU for the Chimaera.

My P38 is running later LR electronics so just need to find out what else the ECU gets involved with (tachometer, auto box? ) and figure out if emissions will be an issue.

300 bhp and gobs of torque would make it an awesome motor.