That's actually a true story. It was reported years ago in Road & Track. A
couple of owners
of exotics had called the Rolls factory after being passed on the continent by
a Rolls sedan,
and wanted to know if this was a new model and could they buy one. Rolls knew
they didn't
have anything like that and wrote it off as people pulling their corporate leg
about not
being performance-oriented. Then a guy showed up at the Rolls stand at the
London motor show
and told them he had a rather unusual model, and asked if they'd like to see
it. Yep,
Rolls-Merlin V12, built by a friend of his who was an F1 mechanic!
Gary McCormick wrote:
> Don-
>
> Don't you think that the Ferrari V-12 swap might require just a tad bit of
>frame
> stretching/bodywork? It would be a shame to so radically alter the classic
>lines of a
> Roadster just to worship more mightily at the altar of the Great God
>Horsepower.
>
> Brings to mind though, the story I heard about the Ferrari owner who tried in
>vain to
> outrun a Rolls-Royce that was approaching from behind (I think this happened
>in Germany,
> on the autobahn). Frustrated and confused after being passed by a "Roller"
>while he was
> topped out in his 312 Mondial (or whatever it was) he encountered the Rolls
>in the next
> town and discovered the secret to the machine. It had had a little "in-house"
>engine swap
> done (keeping it all in the family) - the stock engine had been traded for
>another
> well-known Rolls-Royce product - a Merlin V-12! (Better known as the prime
>mover behind
> the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire and D-model-and-after P-51 Mustang)
> Displacement: 1710 c.i., HP rating: around 2,000 (with turbo-supercharging).
>I understand
> that the Rolls' chassis and bodywork had been "altered" a bit in order to
>accommodate the
> family upgrade...
>
> Gary McCormick
> '70 2000
> San Jose, CA
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Miller, Don" wrote:
>
> > Go for the VG30 Turbo Swap!! No wait maybe the 215 V-8. No wait how about
> > the Buick 3800 Turbo. OOOHHHHH So many choices. Sorry, after doing the Turbo
> > swap, it feels like all is possible. I think the next swap should be the 3
> > Liter V-12 Ferrari with the 6 speed. Wouldn't that look cool! Man, I think I
> > need to get my head examined.
> >
> > Don (has the fever bad) Miller
> > 1968 1600 in body only, VG30ET installed
> > Meridian, ID
> >
> > On 7/13/99 6:48 AM, Mark wrote:
> >
> > >Sorry I'm rambling but I am totally STOKED about this find! Will I really
> > >diminish it's value by doing the 2K motor swap we have discussed earlier?
> >
> > Congrats! Another raodster on its way back to the road.
> >
> > You might even consider the KA24 swap - easier to find than U20 parts.
> >
> > Leigh Brooks
> > San Francisco
--
Gordon Glasgow
Renton, WA
http://www.gordon-glasgow.org
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