V8 Ford? Do you mean an American engine in which case that's a *lot* of weight to think about., or did you mean V6?
V8 Rover is nice as it's lightweight, though as you say bulkead needs cutting, amount depends on whether you use the SD1 or P6 water
pump (2" length difference), but either way the stock heaters will have to go and you'll need to modify the top of the transmission
tunnel slightly as well.
Not sure about the steering linkage but I'd guess you'd at very least need to change the rubber coupling for a smaller metal UJ
(that's what I had to do to fit the ford V6).
I guess the XE is the "sensible" conversion, with an easy 160BHP on tap and *relatively* few fitting issues, but the end result
isn't quite as "interesting" as a nice V8
If you're building an daily-driver then the XE must be the logical choice, but if it's a weekend/show car then I'd go for the Rover
V8, but then you've also gotta think about gearboxes and axles.
Sid
----- Original Message -----
From: "petespops" <modifications@vauxhallviva.com>
To: <modifications@vauxhallviva.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 1:08 PM
Subject: Viva hb V8 fitting?
Just a few questions re; hb viva
Wondering what route to go V8 ford or V8 rover or xe twin cam?
How much needs to be cut from bulkhead for the V8?
If fitting V8,can original heater be retained?
Something tells me that the steering will need to be modified to get around the exhaustmanifold/headers, is this correct?