Project...... 'PHAT' Rover!
- Thread starter Northern Soul
- Start date
Baron von Marlon
Active Member
Superb! It's great to see this again 
Northern Soul
Active Member
another winter, time to get the tools out, starting with a new front look to draw in more air, then a home made bonnet scoop, to force in more air and clear the ' shotgun' scoop as they are known, then fit a jag diff to take the chevy bhp. and then whatever......will update as i go along.
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Northern Soul
Active Member
2025 saw the rover out at the rover club show and invited to show the rover at the Motor Addicts Show in Cumbria, and the Retro show at the same venue, and Tatton.....cant wait as usual for the 2026 show season to start.
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mrtask
Well-Known Member
I missed your March update detailing your Chevy V8 swap. Wow! Wicked work! What a tight fit! Is the engine solid mounted to prevent it contacting the base unit? How much power does that 327 put out? Any chance of a video? I really want to see and hear it in motion! Looking forward to you documenting your Jag IRS install. Great work, keep it up sir. I'm raising my beer in toast to your endeavours.
Northern Soul
Active Member
Hi, i appreciate your comments with it being a Marmite car,
yes the engine is solid mounted, or to be precise, im using a reaction bar.
with the mods, rebore / cam / alloy inlet / holley, 300 bhp / 350 ft lbs torque from a 327 is no problem. with factory outputs of 375hp. tuning takes bhp well above but i wont be going there, ill leave it to the yanks! it pulls well in fifth but then again, engine isn't pulling the weight of a chevy car!
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Northern Soul
Active Member
Baron von Marlon
Active Member
I'm impressed that fits in there - did you have to do much to get it to fit? What transmission are you running?
Northern Soul
Active Member
hi, it was a pig of a job, and with what i know now i would probably not have attempted it.
But i have ran chevy V8s over the years and love their reliability and ease of tuning and price of parts.
and now i have ran the rover over this last year, it has been a joy to drive, with a big grin on my face, the side pipes give out a great sound, and folk sure know its a V8!
5 speed transmission from a Jaguar XJS, Getrag 265/6 box.
thanks for asking.
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Northern Soul
Active Member
Northern Soul
Active Member
Baron von Marlon
Active Member
Ah, the benefits of 20/20 hindsight
Did that bolt right up, or have you had to make a custom bellhousing?
Northern Soul
Active Member
You can now buy a alloy spacer fitting kit for Getrag to a chevy bell housing! I found out too late! Mostly used on Cobra replicas I'm told.Ah, the benefits of 20/20 hindsight
Did that bolt right up, or have you had to make a custom bellhousing?
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Northern Soul
Active Member
Northern Soul
Active Member
Northern Soul
Active Member
Well that's my fabricated jag diff in, its nice to note that those that have done it each choose a different method, and I am no different when faced with the problem.
One has to consider whether to use the original rubber mounts as I did, new in my case, or directly bolt to the floor / mounting in the correct depth as original and centrally, and importantly centrally aligning the centre through the hubs with the centre of the diff shafts /and having correct front diff angle
I myself used 10mm thick plate to mount to diff, boxed section welded to plate with drop plate to tie bar, and then to body mounts with large plates on top to stop rubber mounts dropping through body should such a thing occur. driveshafts shortened and then used two thick wall tubings attached to 8mm flat bar each end to secure bottom of diff by the two bolt holes provided, to the front suspension arm mounts using grade 12.9 bolts. note, all bolts through box sections are tubed also.
To stop torsional twist which the plate on its own would only provide, I used again thick wall tubing angled vertically off the lower diff mount tubes mounted through a box section between the springs, so the diff tubes and therefore the diff, can not flex upwards or downwards, should the 10mm plate want to flex. longer one piece prop has been fitted.
also had to fabricate the handbrake rod to the new handbrake cable, removing the original mount.
I think from what I remember that was it, but I can amend my posting if need be.
I hope the, I admit limited photos convey the fabrication and work involved.
since photos taken, fuel pump and filter now in the boot alongside a larger alloy fuel tank ( for obvious reasons )
diff ratio chosen now 3.3 alongside my 5th gear of 0.81.
time taken to do, every sat and sunday from Nov 1st, approx 108 hours if that helps any.
One has to consider whether to use the original rubber mounts as I did, new in my case, or directly bolt to the floor / mounting in the correct depth as original and centrally, and importantly centrally aligning the centre through the hubs with the centre of the diff shafts /and having correct front diff angle
I myself used 10mm thick plate to mount to diff, boxed section welded to plate with drop plate to tie bar, and then to body mounts with large plates on top to stop rubber mounts dropping through body should such a thing occur. driveshafts shortened and then used two thick wall tubings attached to 8mm flat bar each end to secure bottom of diff by the two bolt holes provided, to the front suspension arm mounts using grade 12.9 bolts. note, all bolts through box sections are tubed also.
To stop torsional twist which the plate on its own would only provide, I used again thick wall tubing angled vertically off the lower diff mount tubes mounted through a box section between the springs, so the diff tubes and therefore the diff, can not flex upwards or downwards, should the 10mm plate want to flex. longer one piece prop has been fitted.
also had to fabricate the handbrake rod to the new handbrake cable, removing the original mount.
I think from what I remember that was it, but I can amend my posting if need be.
I hope the, I admit limited photos convey the fabrication and work involved.
since photos taken, fuel pump and filter now in the boot alongside a larger alloy fuel tank ( for obvious reasons )
diff ratio chosen now 3.3 alongside my 5th gear of 0.81.
time taken to do, every sat and sunday from Nov 1st, approx 108 hours if that helps any.
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Northern Soul
Active Member
just to add. I found the original rover diff metal mount had a long split in it!, and the rubber boots on the driveshafts had caused corrosion into the driveshafts which was a surprise!
also, I will add my car had the early type solid driveshafts and I purchased later shafts to modify.
also, I will add my car had the early type solid driveshafts and I purchased later shafts to modify.
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Northern Soul
Active Member
I had been running with a musical rear bearing for some time, in diff? or wheel bearings? but was waiting for it to show me its ugly head one day, but that day never came, and when the chevy v8 was fitted, that bearing noise went away! haha!
but changing the diff and all new bearings rear end i found the nasty culprit! see photo.
but changing the diff and all new bearings rear end i found the nasty culprit! see photo.
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