Big heavy engine in the front of a car doesn't straight away mean it won't handle. A VR6 Mk2 Golf can handle very well if you are sensible with the suspension - you can't just bolt on off the shelf coilovers, as it's not exactly an off the shelf car! This alloy block V8 in the front of a Polo doesn't have to be the worst handling car ever, as long as a bit of effort is made on the engine. I bet a fibreglass bonnet and wings would probably bring the weight balance pretty closely back to the normal iron block lumps that came from the factory. The Buick/Rover alloy V8 was quite a common conversion to Cortinas and Capris etc a few years ago, and weighed less than the 4 pot Pintos that they generally replaced, and a shit load less than an Essex V6!

I have done a couple of V8 conversions using the Rover engine, the above comment about weight is very true and is one of the advantages of using the all alloy engine as in some cases it is lighter than the cast iron 4 cylinder it replaces. The Rover V8 is a big engine for it's capacity compared to a small block Ford or Chevrolet V8 and difficult to fit in many engine bays, one of the biggest problems is it's width due to the exhaust ports pointing horizontally out each side so good manifolds increase the width. The Audi engine has the ports pointing down at 45° making it much easier to get the exhaust manifolds closer to the block and well within the width of the cylinder heads, in comparison with the Rover it is quite a compact engine.

Engine height can be a big problem on a Rover V8 conversion due to the carburation or fuel injecton, again the Audi wins over the Rover as it has EFI and is more compact. Lengthwise the V8 is not much longer than a 4 cylinder engine as each set of opposing pistons is on the same crank pin so one bank of cylinders is slightly offset to the other hence the small length increase. The lower section of the block is similar in size to a 4 cylinder engine and if a suitable size gearbox can be installed within the confines of the original and the output shaft (or shafts for FWD) can be lined up with the rest of the drivetrain, most of the foundation for the conversion is covered.

Getting a V8 to fit in an engine bay is not greatly difficult, the hard part is connecting all the ancilliaries and finding room for them! The mention of Cortina & Capri's with the Rover V8 in reminds me of two MkIII Cortina engine bays I know of, one has a 3.5ltr Rover V8 and the other a 5ltr Ford GT40 engine. The GT40 engine was relatively easy to fit as it is smaller being cast iron and looks right in the engine bay, the Rover V8 was a bastard to fit and looks cramped by comparison. Handling due to the different engine weights is a different matter on these Cortina's as they cannot really be compared to eachother as the GT40 one is a pickup!

I would love to have a go at fitting one of those Audi 4.2 V8's in an Opel Manta, I'm sure it would be so much easier that the ones I have done with a Rover V8. Looking at the Polo photo's it seems to be quite a well thought out conversion and not as stupid or mad as people are saying.

Mike

bump..

what happend to this piece of awesomeness?

I love it, someone sticks a 1.8T with a squillion horsepower under the bonnet of a 6N and everyone starts wanking over it like the owner's a legend.

Drop a Polo till it'll ground out on a dropped penny and drive like a bad dream, and again, chants of hero all round.

Get original and stuff a V8 under the bonnet and everyone's like "it'll spin up in fifth" and "it'll drive like shit" - as if slamming a car and having a stressed turbo unit doesn't have the same result!

Yes, it's an utterly retarded conversion that won't really work, but it's a V8 in a Polo. Beats going rat look and covering it in stickers, or fitting air and BBS split rims like everyone else.

Edited 29 October, 201114 yr by Alex

I love it, someone sticks a 1.8T with a squillion horsepower under the bonnet of a 6N and everyone starts wanking over it like the owner's a legend.

Drop a Polo till it'll ground out on a dropped penny and drive like a bad dream, and again, chants of hero all round.

Get original and stuff a V8 under the bonnet and everyone's like "it'll spin up in fifth" and "it'll drive like shit" - as if slamming a car and having a stressed turbo unit doesn't have the same result!

Yes, it's an utterly retarded conversion that won't really work, but it's a V8 in a Polo. Beats going rat look and covering it in stickers, or fitting air and BBS split rims like everyone else.

What he said! ^^^

Or is it just an ellaborate photoshop project?! Need updates! lol

EPIC . people have to experiment , otherwise the world wouldnt have amazing cars !

I love it, someone sticks a 1.8T with a squillion horsepower under the bonnet of a 6N and everyone starts wanking over it like the owner's a legend.

Drop a Polo till it'll ground out on a dropped penny and drive like a bad dream, and again, chants of hero all round.

Get original and stuff a V8 under the bonnet and everyone's like "it'll spin up in fifth" and "it'll drive like shit" - as if slamming a car and having a stressed turbo unit doesn't have the same result!

Yes, it's an utterly retarded conversion that won't really work, but it's a V8 in a Polo. Beats going rat look and covering it in stickers, or fitting air and BBS split rims like everyone else.

this polo with the v8 is a polo that once had the 1.8t lump in it :) have a read through his thread here http://www.vask.org.nz/index.php/topic,14090.0.html