Rover P4 diesel conversion

[scruff]

A few of my friends spent this weekend putting a 200Tdi from a Land Rover Discovery into a really shit Rover P4, ready for a trip we are doing to Switzerland in July. Thought you folks would appreciate this...

 

 

http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc153/tobysfarlow/?action=view&current=jonandthep4.mp4

 

[dollywobbler]

Love it. Given the link between the four-cylinder P4 and Land Rover engines, how tricky was it to achieve? I'd love something like that.

[scruff]

It more or less bolted straight in (it had the Land Rover 2.25 petrol in it), but I think getting it to fit around the P4's existing architecture was a bit more tricky than they thought. I'll get a few more details later.

[revolting peasant]

[Cavcraft]

Class, Pete-M is going to love this.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I'm loving this idea myself. You can buy a really tidy P4 80 or 90 for not much dollar, drop in a 200TDi and have Barnes Wallis drawing room luxureh, the rattle of a diesel and the shove of a turbo in one genetically pure 100% Rover package.

 

What's not to like?

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I love the coffee mug on top of that iron box (my engineering expertise shines through once again).

[scruff]

This one was sub-£500 and the engine cost £150, body is full of filler but it's solid enough underneath, should have a ticket next week.

 

No cherry Mr Pogpeasant, but it is running on biodiesel!

[dieselnutjob]

what a fantastic idea

[The Moog]

That is much awesomeness ..

[michael1703]

a 200tdi does about 28-30 mpg on dizzle at 141 per litre

 

a 4 cylinder p4 does 28-30 mpg on petrol at 136 per litre

 

a 6 cylinder p4 (2300 not 2600) can do up to 25 mpg on petrol

 

it wont be much more economical

[scruff]

A 200 does that in a Disco, it should be much better in the P4. And biodiesel is much cheaper than pump fuel. But it wasn't done for fuel economy so it doesn't matter anyway

[garethj]

a 200tdi does about 28-30 mpg on dizzle at 141 per litre

 

a 4 cylinder p4 does 28-30 mpg on petrol at 136 per litre

 

a 6 cylinder p4 (2300 not 2600) can do up to 25 mpg on petrol

 

it wont be much more economical

You reckon? I don’t think many big cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s will do 28-30mpg in today’s driving. There’s a lot more heavy traffic, which is where diesels (the stinky things) win. If it’s zipping around for a Sunday drive with the other four cars on the road, then maybe 30mpg is on the cards if you’re careful from a petrol engine, but not when half your journey is waiting in traffic queues.

[Guest]

a 200tdi does about 28-30 mpg on dizzle at 141 per litre

 

a 4 cylinder p4 does 28-30 mpg on petrol at 136 per litre

 

a 6 cylinder p4 (2300 not 2600) can do up to 25 mpg on petrol

 

it wont be much more economical

You reckon? I don’t think many big cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s will do 28-30mpg in today’s driving. There’s a lot more heavy traffic, which is where diesels (the stinky things) win. If it’s zipping around for a Sunday drive with the other four cars on the road, then maybe 30mpg is on the cards if you’re careful from a petrol engine, but not when half your journey is waiting in traffic queues.

 

I have a sixties saloon car and the MPG figures are depressing. I imagine fuelling a P4 would cause your debit card to commit suicide.

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, older cars can be shocking on fuel. I once got 26mpg out of a Rover P6 V8, but regularly achieved a mere 22 with a Rover P6 four pot. Looking through my book of boring facts, there are not very many fifties/sixties cars that could top 30mpg. Even family stuff like Hillman Minxes and Ford Cortinas.

 

Should think this'll be knocking on the door of at least 35mpg.

[scooters]

that is brilliant - I love the shit colour as well....if they make it back and want to sell, drop me a line!

[Rocket88]

a 200tdi does about 28-30 mpg on dizzle at 141 per litre

 

a 4 cylinder p4 does 28-30 mpg on petrol at 136 per litre

 

a 6 cylinder p4 (2300 not 2600) can do up to 25 mpg on petrol

 

it wont be much more economical

 

I very much doubt if a 2.25 P4 would do 30 mpg if you pushed it over a cliff. Wether or not you get 30 mpg out of the dizzler is not really important, I bet it'll be capable of reasonably brisk progress, which the P4 with a 2.25 certainly wouldn't be. A P4 Rover 100 /110 would struggle to get 20 mpg in any situation.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Yeah, older cars can be shocking on fuel. I once got 26mpg out of a Rover P6 V8, but regularly achieved a mere 22 with a Rover P6 four pot. Looking through my book of boring facts, there are not very many fifties/sixties cars that could top 30mpg. Even family stuff like Hillman Minxes and Ford Cortinas.

 

Aerodynamics weren't really on the carmakers' agenda before the late '70s. Even if you were to fit it with the latest TDI off an Ibiza, a Humber Sceptre would probably struggle to get anywhere near 30mpg.

[dieselnutjob]

would a TD5 fit in a P5?

I have always liked the look of them and the idea of driving round pretending to be Harold Wilson is appealing.

and what if one could get an auto box with that TD5?

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Old car + efficient and modern-ish turbo diesel = SUCCESS.

 

I'd love to do something similar. Austin Ambassador + Rover L-series, or Volvo Amazon + VW D24TIC out of a 940.

[dollywobbler]

would a TD5 fit in a P5?

I have always liked the look of them and the idea of driving round pretending to be Harold Wilson is appealing.

and what if one could get an auto box with that TD5?

 

Well, if a six pot can fit, the TD5 should. Especially as the P5 engine bay also accepts the V8 which was also fitted to Discos. Doubt it's just a 'drop in and off you go' job but I agree that it'd make a wonderful tool. Neighbour's TD5 has clocked up over 225,000, so they're not quite as crap as everyone makes out, and they sound fabulous.

[Richard]

Old car + efficient and modern-ish turbo diesel = SUCCESS.

 

I'd love to do something similar. Austin Ambassador + Rover L-series, or Volvo Amazon + VW D24TIC out of a 940.

 

 

+

 

DSC_7602 by RichardB5, on Flickr

 

=

 

 

Actually I think you'd just end up with 25mpg but slower.

[freebird]

Strange how what we think is a new take on things isnt.

Back in the late 60s, our Spanish neighbour dropped a Merc diesel lump into a P4 to take him to Spain and back, which it did.

In the 70s, he did the same kinda thing again and went out and bought a 3ltr P5 Rover with a shagged engine and swapped it for a Bedford TK lump (Perkins?)

In anycase, that is top work, thinking out of the box and all that.

[dollywobbler]

Don't think anyone was claiming a prize for originality. People have been dropping diesels into cars for a while. This one is slightly different in that it's actually quite a good diesel engine though...

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Old car + efficient and modern-ish turbo diesel = SUCCESS.

 

I'd love to do something similar. Austin Ambassador + Rover L-series, or Volvo Amazon + VW D24TIC out of a 940.

 

Nice idea, but a Princess with a Montego's Dorothy Perkins Prima (with turbo) on the 'cess/Bastador four speed box would be a winnah. Same block as the OHHHHHHHHHHH Series as well.

[freebird]

I wasnt suggesting that it was an originality statement, honest!

Its just an unusual donor, you would think that it hadnt been done before.

In fairness, this is only the second one ive ever seen done in 40 odd years, I never expected to see another one.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I wasnt suggesting that it was an originality statement, honest!

Its just an unusual donor, you would think that it hadnt been done before.

In fairness, this is only the second one ive ever seen done in 40 odd years, I never expected to see another one.

 

I would imagine lots of these were dieselled over in Ireland back in the day. A moigthy foine Yoke!

[dieselnutjob]

on the O series theme.

How related to the O series is the Saab 99 engine? Wasn't it basically a Triumph engine?

Montego turbo diesel into a Saab 99?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

on the O series theme.

How related to the O series is the Saab 99 engine? Wasn't it basically a Triumph engine?

Montego turbo diesel into a Saab 99?

 

Not even remotely related. The Dolomite was an 1850 version of the 1700 Saab slant four which Triang designed for them before Saab redesigned it without the shitness. Saabs own version appeared around 1974 in the 99EMS. Still a slant four but vastly better made with the stupid bits designed out.

 

The O Series was basically an OHC version of the B Series and was made on the B Series machine tools. It is a vastly better engine than the Dolomite 1850 - nothing fancy, just a simple and very strong engine with no particular weaknesses. The perkins diesel was based on the O Series.

[freebird]

on the O series theme.

How related to the O series is the Saab 99 engine? Wasn't it basically a Triumph engine?

Montego turbo diesel into a Saab 99?

It was only the earlier Saab 99 engines that were Triumph based, the 2000cc jobbies were Saabs own.

Im not sure if the Triumph/Saab engines were completely interchangeable anyway.