Jalopnik
Who knew the things you could do with a Rover 3.5-liter V8 engine when you've got it sitting in your living room? With a displacement of 3528 cc, there's all sorts of enough room for wine bottles, or you can use it as a coffee table, or even a coffee table holding wine bottles (we here tend to have alcohol on the brain, in hand, and down gullet, at all times). In fact, because this engine appeared not only in Rover cars, but was widely sold by Rover to small car builders — becoming the virtual de-facto standard British engine for hot rod use (much as has the Chevrolet small-block V8 for American builders) — there's a lot of them around. So grab a burbler that's quite burbling and be like these enterprising young urban autonistas, turning your love of the automobile into a love of furniture. Gallery of tables below.
Another V8 table [Make]
Related:
Famous Rover V8 Engine Saved [internal]
Comments
Heh - I've got an Olds version in my garage awaiting the same fate!
Looks pretty sweet, but can you imagine moving day? It's gotta weigh a couple hundred pounds at least.
A good glass top probably weighs as much as the block.
Didn't I see a Ferrari Enzo V12 lying on the middle of California Route 1 some time ago? That would make an impressive piece of furniture!
Isn't this engine the direct descendant of the old aluminum Buick V8 of early-60s cracked-block fame?
No. No. Sacrilage.
The heart of a hoonmobile, creating unreasonable amounts of power by exploding the remnants of Earth's ancient past with the very air we breath is not something anyone should daintily fill with spoiled grape juice and put under glass like a dead pheasant.
It should be placed on mantle custom-built to display it. Better yet, mount it over your headboard.
Murilee, absolutely, although the claim is it was much improved. I agree that the mechanics of it were - I have personal experience with three of them and over 300k miles (200k on just one of them) hasn't resulted in any physical failure. Electrical, though .. well, let's just say Lucas is usually involved.
Mickey Thompson used the aluminum Buick engine for his Indy 500 cars, I believe... you'd think Rover would be using that as a marketing angle. Well, except Mickey's cars didn't win.
And, dculberson, I know all about the Prince Of Darkness- when I was young and optimistic I attempted to use an MG as a daily driver. Holy undiagnosable electrical problems, Joe!
Oh gads yes, moving day would certainly blow. Not to mention the abuse to the floor. If you rent there goes your security deposit.
If I were to never have to move and had enough money to get the creditors off my back and also buy more than a pack of cigarettes a day, I'd buy this instantly.
Having suffered with this engine and losing thousands of dollars in the adventure I can say that a boat anchor would be a more appropriate application. Can you say cylinder liner slip? This is/was a common problem with this engine.
I do find utilization of tossed off technology as furniture/decorations as interesting concept, but I prefer aviation based themes much better. Automotive stuff is just too common.
Without the iron crank and rods that block like 60lbs. Ages ago in a Hot Rod article there was a pic of a guy carrying one bare block under each arm.
Pushrods 4 life
I guess it would be hard to use it as a doorstop or paperweight.
Ted, aluminum. I had one of these in a similar state of disassembly that I never got around to installing in neither my MGB nor Rover TC2000. But I did keep it through 3 changes of address, and never once had to ask for help lifting it. The box with the heads and miscellaneous parts weighed more.
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?