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V8 Rover into 63 Beetle

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denver Slammed & Awesome Dubber

82 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#455162
have a V8 Rover and a 63 Beetle laying around. doing the conversion is not a problem, so my question is what other mods will have to do to get it registed in QLD?

jo_tas Custom Title Time!

1,547 posts · joined Aug 2004 ·

#455180
Good luck.. i can already tell you the engine will be too heavy, you would have a crap (and dangerous) weight distribution.

That and the engine will be hanging waaaay out the back, the v8 is a much longer engine than the bug.

V8 in a kombi? sure.. in a bug.. way too big and heavy.

Sorry! but anyone else will tell you the same!

filbury Casual Dubber

25 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#455184
i can remember one back in the eighties, it was mid mounted behind front seats with gearbox flipped over

11CAB If ya got it....Baja it

4,674 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#455190
There is a yellow Baja bug here in Qld with a Rover V8 in the back and it hangs out the back like all bullsh1t....I first saw the car in 1994, and have never seen it registered, the guy just brings it out to the shows every now & then.

The only way I've seen the V8 done successfully in a bug is when they start with a chassis from something else, run the engine in the front & a conventional diff in the rear, and just "rebody" it with a beetle shell.
65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab

crewcabconnection Being Sid James

1,922 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#455207
why would ya....Rover....unless it's been through TVR of course.
Loves a lolcat

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#455209
yeah that yellow v8 baja isnt able to be registered.

its impractical anyway. sticks out like dogs balls.

you couldnt put ur foot down cause the thing would just wheelstand.
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

jo_tas Custom Title Time!

1,547 posts · joined Aug 2004 ·

#455216
:kiss

So glad i was right.. lol

denver Slammed & Awesome Dubber

82 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#455249
a kombi it is then. never hurts to ask hey.

kevo Officially Full-On Dubber

371 posts · joined Mar 2005 ·

#456634
yer either way mate the rover is awesome! i have one in my bay (in the non-vw engine conversions page too),

jo_tas... my bus sits 4mm higher at the back after i replaced the 1800 with the alloy rover V8. there are no weight issues because of the all alloy block. the complete rover engine (3.5L) weighs 145KG, compare that to nearly 410KG of an iron holden 308ci engine!!!

plus, ya can still do wheelstands in a kombi rover V8 too. i have proof haha

dont hold back mate, if you are confident with mechanics, then you can do it! A v8 is a v8 right!!!👍👍👍

goodluck

kevo👍

[ Edited on 15/2/2006 by kevo ]
76 baywindow kombi - V8 & Weddle racing diff and gearbox
Daily driven beach cruiser

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#456638
whats the displacment of one of these engines? 3 litres? 3.5?
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

kevo Officially Full-On Dubber

371 posts · joined Mar 2005 ·

#456966
3.5L (215ci) is most common, and weigh 145kg

3.9L engines came out later on (88 on i think) but are only a stoker versuion of the 3500 block so weight will still be close, then there is the newer rover V8s with a 4.4L displacement, but there pretty expensive... heap more than a suby of same age
76 baywindow kombi - V8 & Weddle racing diff and gearbox
Daily driven beach cruiser

bajachris88 The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 6

6,661 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#456969
IS this the yellow V8 Rover baja bug u guys talking about?

[ Edited on 16/2/2006 by bajachris88 ]

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(ô_!_/ô) (ô_!_/ô)
69' baja: kombi box, thing spindles, irs, disc front, type 3 rear drums, 2 inch lift kit, 31x10 rears. 👍
New engine in process: 94mm p&bs, 74mm C/w chomol Crank, 35.5x39 SP heads, turbo. Wierd combo, hopeful torque monsta!

bajachris88 The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 6

6,661 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#456971

1 attachment · Log in to view

(ô_!_/ô) (ô_!_/ô)
69' baja: kombi box, thing spindles, irs, disc front, type 3 rear drums, 2 inch lift kit, 31x10 rears. 👍
New engine in process: 94mm p&bs, 74mm C/w chomol Crank, 35.5x39 SP heads, turbo. Wierd combo, hopeful torque monsta!

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#456973
yeah thats it.


its a superbug. (struts) with full front nose cone and just bajaed rear and the v8
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

plough Casual Dubber

49 posts · joined May 2005 ·

#457283
I believe there was a Manx (or Beach Buggy at least) in Mackay Qld with a Rover v8. The guy who had it was killed in it, he hit a cow. Last I heard it was sitting in a Police Compound in Mackay, waiting for the Coroner's inquest I assume.

last_triumph Learner Dubber

1 post · joined Feb 2006 ·

#459413
Hi Guys, I'm new to this forum.

In the late eighties I did such a conversion. I put a 3.9 litre V8 from a Range Rover in the back of my '74 Beetle. I'll gladly asnwer any questions about the conversion, but a few comments I'd like to respond to....

1st, the Rover V8 is made from alloy and only a little bit heavier than the standard Beetle engine - I weighed them both and was shocked by how little difference there was.

2nd, Don't use that Baja as a ref point for how far it will stick out trhe back, that isn't the 'neatest' of installations if I may say without causing any offence? The pully of my motor would have been within the perimeter of the rear vallance had it still been in place. My car was set up like a drag racer and I used a low mounted alluminium rear wing to cover the top of the motor with some small triangulated fillets down each side just to hide the rocker cover ends where ther were visable. I covered the rear with an aloy plate with diagonal cooling slots cut in with mesh grill behind (all body coloured) and it looked very nice indeed in my humble opinion?

In the short time I had the car (another story) it handled very well and didn't do anything weird on the bends. Tried to wheelie it but just spun the tyres instead.

My opinion is that if you do it well, it is a fine conversion.

Good luck mate!

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#459531
This conversion is not as wild as you might think. The new draft for National vehicle mods allows for NA motor of a max of 4x the mass of the original car. For a Sbug/Lbug that is something in the order of 3.5-4l.

Can anyone say Toyota 1UZ powered Lbug? 👍
"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

crewcabconnection Being Sid James

1,922 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#459639
Did you get ordained then???? - I've got issues...if so well done! I love the mood - brilliant....now go any buy a bus and spread the word...time to get on a misssion....
Loves a lolcat