Buick 215/Rover 3.5-4.2L engines. Why are they not more popular?

The question is: "Why aren't they more popular?". The answer is: "For the money spent to get power out of them... you could get more bang for your buck out of another engine". That's the answer. For years, if you wanted an inexpensive aluminum block to use in a a project, they were the only game in town. Now, the Chevy LSX series has taken up that mantle.... and has more robust improvements as well.

Pro Buick 215\Rover V8: Very light. Not really hard to find. Fuel injection available. Parts not difficult to find.

Con Buick 215\Rover V8: Can be expensive to buy. Rover 4.0\4.6 blocks suffer from cracking behind the cylinder sleeves. Rover 3.5\3.9 blocks suffer from main cap fretting. Heads restrictive in stock form. Not very practical to expand beyond 5 liters.

Just now, new heads are in the works from TA Performance that should stir interest in these engines. These little motors are great when set up properly... but not cheap.

Greg

 

we have tons down here, never really thought about them in vintage tin

 

I came real close last year to finishing a stroked 215 for 277 cu. in. Had a newly turned 300 crank, newly rebuilt 300 aluminum heads, a 1964 300 aluminum 4V intake and even a mild cam. Just needed to finish the block.

Too bad the money situation came up and everything needed to be sold.
If a person can find a 1964 Buick 300, the only year the 300's had aluminum heads, it is probably a better way to go than the 215. More inches and still only 400 lbs, compared to the 325 lb 215.

 

I know it's not the same thing but pretty close. My roadster runs a Buick 300 which is based pretty closely to the 215.

 

A few years back a fellow in Hagerstown MD was building a Lotus seven lookalike with Jap Motors. His high end option was an alum 215 and it would fly. I remember reading that the top end was about 125 because any thing over that and the clam shell fenders started to pick the front end up. It was said to do 0 to 60 in the 3.9 to 4 second area. He called his cars Rotus 7's because the Japense have trouble with their L's and tend to roll them into R's. The last time I googled him I couldn't find any thing new, Joe.

 

I want to put one in a '26/27 Model T.

 

why aren't there morevair motors in deuce trunks ?

 

Interesting thread. When I was looking for a project in college, I met with HAMBster Jessie J., who was then living in Michigan and was selling a Falcon.

He told me that at one time, fellows liked the Buick 215 as a swap into Falcons, as it’s lighter than the 144-200, has more cubes, and is quite compact. That thought has stuck with me, especially now that I actually have a Falcon.

Now I discover that one of the big supporters of the MGB-V8 community, D&D Fabrications, Inc., isn’t very far away from me...

Maybe it’s time to build a Buford?

-Dave