Which is the more influential V8, the Buick/Rover V8, or the Chevy smallblock?

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I've seen 600bhp Rover V8s in road cars, but the Chevy probably handles the higher power ranges better.
 
live4speed
I've seen 600bhp Rover V8s in road cars, but the Chevy probably handles the higher power ranges better.
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At 600bhp i bet it was super or turbo charged. TVR 'only' get 345bhp out of the Griffith/Chimera 500. TVR Power's web site says they can get 500bhp out of the supercharged version, i think 600bhp normally aspirated is pushing it a bit.
 
It was actually a 600bhp TVR I was thinking of, it may have been supercharged, I can't remember I saw it years ago. It was tuend Griffith and theres a few supercharged VRs knocking about but I can't remember too mcuh about the car other than it looked mental, I wasn't over keen on the changes to the bodywork.
 
...Well, the most powerful small-block to ever come from GM is indeed the 7.0L LS7 from the Z06, making 505 BHP. I have seen variations of the smaller, previous generation LS1 modified out to 850 BHP, but of course that was with twin-turbos. Lingenfelter has been pushing 650+ BHP packages for the LS7 recently, and apparently that is a pretty easy task to accomplish.

...Consider this, the 348ci carburated V8 under the hood of the cars competing in NASCAR are making 700-800 BHP (engine builders never say exactly whats going on). Of course, they are running them on leaded 110-octane racing fuel, but next season they are going to unleaded, and I think they are lowering the octane rating as well (although I'm not positive on that one).
 
YSSMAN
...Well, the most powerful small-block to ever come from GM is indeed the 7.0L LS7 from the Z06, making 505 BHP. I have seen variations of the smaller, previous generation LS1 modified out to 850 BHP, but of course that was with twin-turbos. Lingenfelter has been pushing 650+ BHP packages for the LS7 recently, and apparently that is a pretty easy task to accomplish.

...Consider this, the 348ci carburated V8 under the hood of the cars competing in NASCAR are making 700-800 BHP (engine builders never say exactly whats going on). Of course, they are running them on leaded 110-octane racing fuel, but next season they are going to unleaded, and I think they are lowering the octane rating as well (although I'm not positive on that one).
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Is the 406c.i. a small block?

- if so this lot will give you all the power you need without forced induction:
http://www.amerspeed.com/cgi-bin/showultimaengines.cgi
 
Perhaps the Rover would be a viable option or the other side of the Pond. Not here. We didn't get that many Rovers, and thus parts are hard to find in America. Chevy Smallblocks can be found under the hood of any Chevy or GMC pickup, and have a HUGE aftermarket folowing.

If I lived over there, my opinion might be different. But I don't. Cheby FTW.
 
TheCracker
Is the 406c.i. a small block?

- if so this lot will give you all the power you need without forced induction:
http://www.amerspeed.com/cgi-bin/showultimaengines.cgi
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I think it depends... It sounds as though the 406 listed there is a small block, as most of the larger engines sold today are small-block variants here in the US. Most folks agree that 7.0L (427ci) is about as large as you can go with the small-block itself.
 
daan
I'd have to say the Rover V8 due to the afore-mentioned TVRs, Rover SD1s etc.

I still think its weird that a small block starts at 3.9 litres and went up to about 5.7! Hardly small. (Although it's teeny compared to the 7.4 litre big block!)
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Actually the original aluminum Rover/Buick V8 started at 215 cubic inches (3.5 litres).
 
red70mach1
Actually the original aluminum Rover/Buick V8 started at 215 cubic inches (3.5 litres).
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I think he was talking about the Chevy small block in that second sentence. ;)
 
I believe the largest a smallblock could be bored to safely was 442 c.i. but I think it was with an oldsmobile block.
 
I think 442 was just a name... 4-barrel carb, 4-speed transmission, (2) dual exhaust... Then it changed to 400ci V8, 4-speed transmission, (2) dual exhaust...
 
I wasn't thinking of the 4-4-2 when I made that post. I think it did come in the 442 though, but I'm too lazy to look it up.
 
I thought the 442 had a olds 400ci or 455ci, I have never heard of a 442ci engine.
 
442 stands for exactly what YSSMAN said above, 4 barrel carb, 4 speed, and 2 exhaust pipes. I think the Olds had 350ci engine.

The Cadillac engine could be bored up to 500ci but that was big-block...
 
Cadillac 500ci.... thats a bit random we are currently talking about Olds :lol:

GT4_Rule
The Cadillac engine could be bored up to 500ci but that was big-block...
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Could be bored to 500ci? There was 500ci Cadillac engines.
 
Well...I guess it was the 500ci engine, but didn't GM bore the 427 or 454 Cadillac engine out to 500?

Anyhow, sorry for getting it off-topic...
 
GT4_Rule
Well...I guess it was the 500ci engine, but didn't GM bore the 427 or 454 Cadillac engine out to 500?

Anyhow, sorry for getting it off-topic...
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No you cant just bore and engine that much, the 500ci was a bored and or stroked version of Cadillac 368/425/472ci V8's. 427 and 454 are Chevrolet big blocks.
 
I think Chevrolet's biggest small-block was the 350, and that was it. The next step was the 396, which was actually a 402 after 1969, was the start of the big-block and went up to 502, which I think was the largest variant of the Chevrolet lineup.
 
YSSMAN
I think Chevrolet's biggest small-block was the 350, and that was it. The next step was the 396, which was actually a 402 after 1969, was the start of the big-block and went up to 502, which I think was the largest variant of the Chevrolet lineup.
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400ci was the largest 1st generation Chevrolet small block, due to thin cylinder walls it had reliability problems and wasn't used that much. The crankshafts are sought after though for 383 strokers.
 
...I suppose I forgot about the 400ci then. Its a shame that they werent that good, as they pumped out some good power numbers. If you can find one in good shape, especially one of the later models in which the cylinder-wall issues are fixed, they can be modded out pretty well to boost zee powa far beyond what most folks would need.

...Most of the 400ci engines I see these days are either in pickup trucks, or in Pontiacs.
 
YSSMAN
...I suppose I forgot about the 400ci then. Its a shame that they werent that good, as they pumped out some good power numbers. If you can find one in good shape, especially one of the later models in which the cylinder-wall issues are fixed, they can be modded out pretty well to boost zee powa far beyond what most folks would need.

...Most of the 400ci engines I see these days are either in pickup trucks, or in Pontiacs.
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Yeah but 400ci SB is not needed, 383 Stroker or even just 350 is very capable with out pushing reliability.

Wouldn't the 400ci you see in Pontiacs be Pontiac engines though? (based off Pontiac big block engines). As by the time Pontiac just used Chev V8's the chev 400 SB wouldn't have been used anymore.
 
...I suppose so once again. They were all seperate designs, but to be rather blunt, the differences between engines made by Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac were really rather trivial. Often times it would be a very small change (and I mean small) to make the difference, but they were "different" nonetheless...
 
YSSMAN
...I suppose so once again. They were all seperate designs, but to be rather blunt, the differences between engines made by Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac were really rather trivial. Often times it would be a very small change (and I mean small) to make the difference, but they were "different" nonetheless...
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Yes I agree, but a 400 SB Chev compared to a 400 Pontiac (same can be said for 350's of both Chev and Pontiac) are quite different, obviously same overall layout/design but the Pontiac is a much larger engine compared to the Chev Small block.

The same Pontiac engine went as low as 326ci to as high as 455ci. while the Chev could only manage 400ci then big block went further. So really the Pontiac 400ci should be compared to a Chev big block.

I have read in a book once that Chevrolet was testing a 410ci small block but that removed all the reliability even the 400ci had.
 

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