Club Arnage

http://www.globalwebcart.com/bbvstuff/item.asp?n=ca3%2dxm455&d=1

You're welcome.  ;D

P.S. I get a ride.

Like it - nice advert, and nicely worded.  But how on earth can you realistically call a 7-litre engine "small-block" ????  And what a shame it's only available in one colour option.......

MG Mark

You knew I would bite on that Mark!

The 'small block' in it's current form is a development of the Chevrolet Gen III generic 'Small' V8 engine.  This was a further development of the original overhead valve V8 engine first introduced in 1955 as a 265 ci (4.3 litre) engine (and bored and stroked over the years to beyond 7 litres).

Conversely, the 'big block' Chevrolet V8 engine is dimensionally a bigger, beefier engine altogether, starting originally at 6.5 litres and now bored and stroked beyond 8.2 litres.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Small-Block_engine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Small-Block_engine)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Big-Block_engine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Big-Block_engine)




Of course, my own favourite lump of V8 iron is the Tin Indian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_V8_engine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_V8_engine)

Steve,

Of course I knew you would bite on that one!  There's a reference on wikipaedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Block  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Block) to it being something to do with the distance between cylinder bores?

MG Mark

Well you learn something new everyday.  I knew small blocks had gone ove 6 litres, but assumed the C6R used a big block.  I suppose if they could get the Rover to 5 Litres, small block must get to 7 and big block to 9.2 or whatever it was.

The differentiation is a bit academic for me with the mighty 1622cc of a 4-cylinder "B" Series power to play with, but one can always dream.  Just intrigued by the reference to the distance between the cylinder bores as to whether that it is a fact or just a load of twaddle, and that it actually is/was all about capacity?

MG Mark

I recall that putting a Buick (later Rover) V8 (tiny block I presume) in an MGA was a period modification in the States.  Is nothing sacred.  They'll be putting them in MGBs next.

(http://www.sebringfans.com/forums/Smileys/SFBigSet/grin.gif)

Indeed they did.  For the UK, I seem to recall tales of the time of one guy who pu a V8 from the Daimler 250 into an A - can't see that the effort of that was worth it compared to the Buick tiny block, but they were probably more available at that time in UK.  And of course Mr Costello came up with the idea of stuffing them into Bs and, once BL realised that it was a good thing, nicked his idea and stopped supplying him with engines...

If the engine ever went bang in the A, the one that always appealed to me was putting in a period Alfa 2 litre twin cam - now that would be fun and would sound gorgeous, and would get a 5-speed gearbox with it.....still, since I' did my conversion to fit a B gearbox with overdrive that takes care of the latter, and the original 1622 sounds good compared to the wheezy 1798.  Now, if I can just get that crossflow head for it...

MG Mark

I know of a Frogeye (originally 948cc) which had an E Type 3.6? litre engine put in, in the 1960's. The car was named "The Fright" and is still alive and happilly living in australia.
There is also at least one Corvette engined one that I know of in the USA.

Takes the concept of strapping oneself to an engine to a new level.....and the name sounds wonderfully apt! 

MG Mark

Here's a rather tasty Sprite for you. Looks like a Mk 2 engine with twin HD8 2" SU's. This isn't the frogeye though but just as scary!

http://www.britishv8.org:80/Other/AaronCouper.htm

That is an amazing conversion - if nothing else I wish I could weld and fabricate like that !!

1957 Ford Thunderbird, Phase I Supercharged, D/F

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280173790739&rd=1

With the weak Dollar vs £ its a shame I have missed this!

I can rember reading in 'Cars and Car Conversions' in the late 60's early 70's about a courier who used a Big Healy with a Chevy small block. I believe he was London based.

As an aside, I owned the CCC Reliant Scimitar 2.5ltr Coupe. It's original Reg was CCC 16.