Aaron:
The Buick/Rover (215 ci/3.5 l) aluminum engine is indeed a light engine
- when I have to move the lump, I can (and do) carry the bare block
(without crank or cam) with both heads attached around the shop. They
are also quite easy to find as there are a number of suppliers
advertising in Hemmings Motoring News. Look under Racing & High
Performance, B(uick), O(ldsmobile), P(ontiac), and R(over).
Personally, I have a Camaro 2.8 MPI V6/700R4 automatic drivetrain with
MGA twin-cam front and rear disk brakes in my fun '57 MGA coupe. Use of
the Camaro 5-speed would be a nice alternative, but the drivetrain I had
around was an automatic. Before the flames start, this car was made
from an extremely rusty parts car and, yes, I still have the rebuilt
1500 motor and gearbox in the back of my shop, as I may put them back
into the coupe (someday ...). Along the same line, I have a '63 MGB
ex-parts car which came without drivetrain, interior, front body panels,
or, for that matter, any body panels ahead of the radiator mounts. The
Buick aluminum V8/GM 5-speed will be finding a home in this car sometime
in the next several years.
Dave Q.
'59 MGA twin-cam (stock but apart)
'57 MGA coupe (distinctly not stock)
'63 MGB roadster (also distinctly not stock)
'65 MGB roadster (stock, with nice new blue/blue leather seat covers)
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