http://www.bacomatic.org/gallery/album03/DSC_0006

More pictures of progress at:

http://www.bacomatic.org/gallery/album03

Do you have shop and assembly manuals?

I've not done anything to the Pantera since I posted those pictures. I'm
400 miles from the car at the moment but am planning to take a week off to
put it back together in late March. In the meantime, I've started on the
aluminum V8 for the Triumph TR8:

http://www.bacomatic.org/gallery/album10

The stock engine in the TR8 is a Rover copy of the 1961-1963 Buick 215.
The new engine should increase displacement from 215 to 296 cubes using
a cross-bolted main block from a later Range Rover and a Buick 300 crankshaft.
Required Ford content: Ford 255 V8 dimension pistons just happen to work with
this combination using the Buick/Rover 5.66" forged rods, though I'll be
using custom forged pistons (I assume no off-the-shelf performance pistons
exist for the unloved Ford 255). The Rover (and Buick 215) have cylinder
heads with ports that make a 5.0L head look like a Boss 302. Stock valve
sizes are 1.5" intake and 1.3125" on the exhaust. I'm using a set of 1964
Buick 300 heads fitted with larger seats and Stage 1 Buick V6 valves (1.775"
intake, 1.5" exhaust). They were aluminum in 1964 only. Stock they flow
about what an E7TE 5.0L head flows. Mine have been ported and I'm pleased
with the results:

Valve Buick 300 Exh/Int
Lift 1964 ratio
(inch) aluminum (%)
ported
Int Exh
1.775" 1.5"

0.100 66 47 71.2
0.150 99 82 82.8
0.200 129 104 80.6
0.250 155 119 76.8
0.300 174 130 74.7
0.350 187 139 74.3
0.400 191 146 76.4
0.450 194 150 77.3
0.500 196 152 77.6
0.550 200 153 76.5
0.600 200 153 76.5

For the lift cam I'm looking at, the area under the curve for these ported
heads is about equal to that of an entry level aftermarket SBF head (Ford
GT40X or Edelbrock Performer 5.0L). Dynomation is predicting 340 HP with
a Comp 270 cam with 111 LSA. I ran Alex's 300HP 302 recipe and a dyno test
of a modified Rover 3.5L through Dynomation to check it's calibration and
the HP prediction was around 20 HP low on both of those so I think I'll be
able to hit my HP goal. Ought to make the 2600 lb TR8 scoot.

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oddly obsessed with big scoops on little Mustangs