Anybody running the Oldsmobile or Buick 215 cubic inch aluminum V-8 engines from the early 1960's ??? How about the Land Rover version? "From 1961 to 1963 Oldsmobile manufactured its own version of the Buick-designed, all-aluminum 215 engine for the F-85 compact, known as the Rockette. This was a compact, lightweight engine with a dry weight of only 350 lb (159 kg). The Oldsmobile engine was very similar to the Buick engine, but not identical: it had larger combustion chambers with flat-topped (rather than domed) pistons, six bolts rather than five per cylinder head, and slighly larger intake valves. With an 8.75:1 compression ratio and a two-barrel carburetor, the Olds 215 had the same rated hp, 155 hp @ 4800 rpm, as the Buick 215, with 220 ft·lbf of torque at 2400 rpm. With a four-barrel carburetor and 10.25:1 compression, the Olds 215 made 185 hp (138 kW) @ 4800 rpm and 230 ft·lbf (312 N·m) (@ 3200 rpm. The basic Buick/Olds 215 V8 went onto become the well known Rover V8, remaining in production until the 1990s"
Many years ago I drove a stock car '61 Buick Special that had the stock 215 V8. I kicked ass on cars running engines twice that size....not because of power as much as excellent handling. I like that motor a lot (in a light car) and highly recommend it.
It was quite a remarkable engine. Short lived in the GM lineup due to the cubic-inch and horsepower wars of the 60's....but it lived on for many years as a Rover powerplant. In the early 80's it made a brief ressurgence as a racing engine when Indianapolis rules mandated a "stock block" with a fairly small cubic inch limit. Sudenly, the 215 was the engine of choice for teams racing at Indy. Of course it only lasted a year or too. I've seen a few Midget race cars with 215 power too. Other than the flathead 60hp V-8, no other V-8 could compare in weight.
They also made a Turbo Charged one for the Oldsmobile Jetfire, Mothers Polish is building a Custom one should be done this year, it will be bad ass.......
Yah the turbo had timing issues and had a early methanol injection system to help alleviate detonation. It only made like 5 more HP than the F85 or something like that. I got my hands on a Rover V8 not to long ago. Haven't decided whether or not to run it.
I put one in a late '60s Cortina backed with a Muncie 4 speed and a posi unit in the stock rear - I think it was a 4.10 gear. Ran like stink and handled amazingly well - real neutral. I don't think the 215 was any heavier than the stock 4 and way more power. Quite the sleeper. Would really work great in a light roadster.
Got my butt kicked in my 427 57 Ford in the old days by one in a Austin Healy Sprite, not huge power but very light weight. Looked like it was made for it.
Had a 215 Olds in this T Roadster, the first one I built in the early eighties: Very light weight and ran pretty good from what I remember. Didn't like the auto trans though. Håkan Enköping, Sweden
Anybody everhear of McLaren? Started in Can Am with the BOP alum V-8. From there they went--------------
My first ride ever in a hot rod was in a 215 powered T-bucket in 1975. I was eleven years old and the memory of that ride is as fresh as if it just happened.
You guy's all sound like it is a has been motor. They are still great. Friend of mine has one in his long travel sand rail. He is also building a traditional A highboy roadster with one (it has a 4:71 blower). He makes his own adaptors ect. The sandrail runs a subru all wheel drive trans set up. It is neat in how he did it all.
I know the horsepower ratings wern't very high, something like 155 with 2 bbl and 185 with 4 bbl and high compression, but how about "driveability"? I've had a few 330 Olds powered cars, and after driving some with 350's and 400's it seems to me that the 330 was a nice combination for driveability. Good blend of torque, acceleration and economy. But then again, the 327 Chevy is like that compared to 350. The 64 Olds I have now has a 225 C.I. V-6 engine. It's not much on power even though it is bigger than the V-8 that the F-85 had a year earlier. I'm guessing that even though the 215 was small, it was a bit more performance oriented than the V-6.
Rob has two. Not yet avalible. Olds with 2 x 2bbls for the bagged 62 Jetfire. Olds with 63-turbo for a back up plan.
theres loads of em in england ,early ones wernt much good the later ones produce more power ,the blocks can be taken out to around 6ltr, if you can afford it.
We had one around here that was transplanted into a 65 Corvair. The owner claimed it weighed 50# less than the Corviar 6 cyl. He claimed it ran like stink and still handled like a sports car. A customer brought me a 58 Devin to run the exhaust. It was rather rough but he had found and mounted a factory turbocharger. It was a 50s-60s built sports car. I ran the exhaust from the turbo. It wasn't running so I never found out how it ran. I doubt he ever got it running. I really wanted that car. It was rough but very cool...especially with the aluminum V8.
i saw one transplanted into an older triumph once, wasn't to into the car but was super curious about the engine, the owner told me a little about it, i'm pretty sure it was a buick.
Sorry for the plug, but my buddy has one for sale in the classifieds rite now. I think they're bitchin motors and would look great all polished up in a hoodless car.
Rover Sedans Imported to the US also had them also with two stromberg side drafts on a crossed manifold. Rover 3500 1967 through 75 or so also in TR8's although this looks to have updated intake stuff.
I believe the Triumph TR8 came stock with one in the early `80`s....and they were used in Land Rover`s up until very recently.
I have one in this 62 Buick, runs great, Got a 2X2 intake and a couple of 4 bolt Strombergs i'm just about to put on it, and some cool finned aluminum stuff too.
i think its quite funny you guys are so hot over them, on the 'rod scene over here theyre pretty much dirt(the rover version anyway), everyones pulling them and fitting american v8s instead! theyre a good motor really, best in small lightweight cars as theyre about the same in weight as your average iron 4 pot, they were never too hot on quality control though.
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