TR8 Rally Car Specification

Engine:
Rover V8 3528cc , Rover P-5B block, Rover SD1 cylinder heads, Block machined to take later type SD1 rear crankshaft oil seal, high capacity hybrid oil pump, duplex roller timing chain, adjustable push rods, double valve springs, Kent H224 camshaft, Holley 390 cfm carb, 1.75” exhaust manifold into single box big bore system, high flow air filter, Ford Escort alternator, standard TR7 radiator (too small) , three electric fans, 13 row oil cooler. Electric fuel pump.

Transmission:
Rover SD1 5 speed gearbox, modified selector shafts and housing - shortened because the engine was moved back a couple of inches. Heavy duty clutch plates. Quafe limited slip dif. Various axle ratios depending on what we had at time.

Suspension:
standard mounting points, MacPherson struts. 7.7” lowered 220lb springs on front, anti-roll bar. Rear live axle, modified (lowered by 2cm) radius arms, gas adjustable dampers, 300lb 7” rear springs, anti roll bar. Hard bushes in subframe and all suspension bushes.

Brakes:
Front 280mm vented discs, 4 pot calipers, stainless braided hoses. Rear - Ford XR31 vented discs and calipers, stainless braided hoses and hydraulic handbrake.

Wheels and Tyres:
Various but mainly Weller 7x13 cross drilled ford pattern - heavy but tough and durable. Tyres for the road use were usually Firestones 205/60/13. For rally use in the good old days full slick Avon F3 fronts were used and various compound wet/inter Dunlop rally tyres.

Bodywork:
Steel Triumph bodyshell , lightened steel doors and bootlid, one piece lift-off fibreglass bonnet. TR8 front and rear wheel arches, various front spoilers.

Other features:
six point roll cage and door bars, fitted fire extinguishers, competition seta and full harnesses, external cut off switches and fire extinguisher, boot mounted battery and fuel pumps (sealed in own aerospace spec ali box), large aluminium sumpguard, full instrumentation etc.

This is a book we found very useful when playing with the engine. Tuning Rover V8 Engines. Check it out at Amazon, it’s a good price at the moment.