Anyone w/ Buick 215 alum. Z install experience?

[Guest Chez Roban69]

Hello - I'm in the parts collecting stage of my next project: installing an aluminum Buick 215 v8 into an early Z. Does anyone have knowledge, experience or info. on this hybrid? Is it similar to a Chevy install or completely different? Any input helpful. Thanks, Robin

[Guest Z-rific]

When I was 16, I had a 1962 Buick Skylark with the all aluminum 215 V8. At the time, no one had aftermarket parts for it. The car had a 3 speed on the floor and was very jumpy, but that little engine stock just didnt produce enough power to move that heavy car down the road very well.

 

At the time I hated it. There was another Skylark in bad shape at a small junkyard with an automatic, which I wanted bad, but I couldnt get the old rude bastard to sell the car or parts. He was a mean old man and just let the car rust away. Me and some friends contemplated stealing some parts off it, but never could bring ourselves to do it.

 

Anyway, I could see why you would be interested, as it is very lightweight. But without getting too radical, I would imagine it would be difficult to get much HP from it.

 

Ever think about the Buick 4.1L V6? About the same size, a little heavier, but probably easier to modify (cam, pistons, aluminum intake, and Stage 2 heads all readily available). And 37 more cubic inches.

 

Also consider transmissions. I'm not sure what is available for the 215.

[ZROSSA]

Do a search on the internet for ZEDSKID. Mark posts here every onece and a while. He has a leyland p76 engine in his z. Same as the Buick/rover but has high deck height. I think this is a great swap. it just going to cost a lot more money to get power out of it.

 

Douglas

[Brad-ManQ45]

The Buick V-6 was based on the 215 Aluminum engine.

 

I wouldn't be suprized if the mounts for both are the same. - get pics from Scottie-GNZ or go to his site and see if he has some pics of the mounts.

 

For that matter, there might be others in the non-L6 board that my have pics.....

[Mike C]

Rover bought the motor from GM in the mid 60's and a version still shows up in the Range Rover! Someone, or several, guys in Australia have done the Rover V8 swap.

[Guest Anonymous]

If I remember correctly Olds and Buick initially turbocharged some of these little aluminum v8 as Chevrolet did to the aluminum flat 6 Corvairs.

[DavyZ]

ZEDSKID is out of Australia or New Zealand, and he did sell his car I believe. Not sure if he still maintains the website

 

Davy

[SBC_400]

I dont know of any one who has done this swap, but for any information on the 215, contact this place.

 

d&d Fabrications. they are in Michigan

ph # 810.798.2491

 

they may know a little about the swap, or have som parts you could use. The build a swap kit for early MGB's. Plus they have the most performance parts for a 215 I have ever seen.

 

just call and they will send you a free cattalog.

 

they do some pretty amazing builds, like a 292 ci stroked and bored 215 running 13.5:1 compression with a custom intake running quad twin barrel webber 45 dcoe downdrafts.

 

and please keep us informed on your progress. I would love see one of these swaps done, I just can't put the money togather to build the engine I want.

 

scott

[Guest jens]

Its a waste of time its only 700 cc bigger than a L28. The 300 cui engine from a 64 skylark has the big valve alu heads rover tuners use. Why not use the complete 300 and get 85 more cui ??. According to the engine weight list the 350 cui buick engine weighs 450 pounds. TA performance has a aluminium intake and camkit. And the day a 350 is not enough a 455 has the same mounts

[ZROSSA]

Im with Jens,

The buick 350 has to be one of the power to weight greats. When i was looking into it a bit there were rumours that someone was going to make a set of ali. heads for it based on the grand national V6 race engines. That would have to get the weight down around the 400 lb mark. If i didnt already have a chevy I would be hunting High and low for one of these. Might do it any way.

 

Douglas

[Guest Anonymous]

If you can find a pre 1965 300 cunic inch Buick nailhead originally equipped with a high compression/ 4 barrel combination. These engines were comparable to 302 Cammaro Z 28 engines that came alive over 50 mph. The little aluminum v8 is a romantic notion as is the 300 and 302 for availability but the 350 Buick is AVAIALABLE and cheap...with adapter plates tomate it to Chev trannys. I had a Buickwith the high performance 300 cubic inch nailhead that would be an ideal cruiser engine in a Z for crooked roads.All Buick nail heads were narrow with straight up valve covers making them a natural swap for many old cars with tight engine compartments.

[SBC_400]

hold strong, Stick with the 215, it can be an amazing engine, just get that catalog from d&d and you will be hooked. It can put out some serious hp for the size and weight of it, and as for a trans, the muncie 4sp is a perfect fit, as well as many others. just think of what an amazing road race car a Z could be with that engine. it would weigh less than a stock Z and that weight would be off the front, making breaking and directional changes that much easier.

 

besides this engine was once used in an F1 effort. Good enough for them, most likely ok for a Z car.

[Greg55_99]

These sites might be helpful:

 

http://rover-v8.community.everyone.net/community/scripts/directory.pl

 

http://www.lanocharacing.com/

 

http://www.roverv8engine.co.uk/

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/215V8/

 

http://www.espritv8.net/id331.htm

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rover-v8/

 

http://www.ajmac.co.uk/index.htm

 

Greg

[Mike kZ]

Check this out!

You could bore and stroke it to 5.0 liters!

 

http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofjet.htm

[Guest jens]

You are just making it a 64 buick 300 with the $$$$ stroker kit. The weight difference between a 215 and a alu head ford 302 is only 70 pounds. A fiber frontend and a optima battery in the trunk and you have the same frontend weight with a 302 or iron block buick 300. Rimmerbros is the only ones who has aftermarket big valve heads better than the 300 heads and a 6 litre block. only 4.0- 4.6 rover blocks is strong enough for high revs because they are crossdrilled and has big bore liners. The stroker kits are only made for 4.0/4.6 blocks unless you want to modify a 300 crank and use custom liners.