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Mark K. Brown's 1974 TR6 Rover V8 Conversion

Mark Brown · 1974 Triumph TR-6

Triumph TR6

britishv8.org

Read the full write-up at britishv8.org ↗

Photo: britishv8.org

A 1974 Triumph TR6 fitted with a Rover 3.5L V8 from a P5 saloon

This TR6 was converted before Mark Brown owned it, swapping in a Rover 3.5L V8 with Edelbrock induction, a TR8-sourced five-speed gearbox and rear end, and a reinforced frame. Brown has since put roughly 3000 miles on the finished car, and reports it as sorted and easy to drive.

Specs

As the owner states it.

Engine
Rover 3.5L V8 from a Rover P5 saloon, 10.5:1 compression, fast road camshaft
Induction
Edelbrock intake manifold, four barrel carburetor, and air cleaner
Ignition
Lucas distributor with breaker points, Accel coil and spark plug wires
Oil filter
Remote-mounted
Cooling
Copper and brass radiator with pushing electric cooling fan
Exhaust
Block-hugger headers, custom piping, dual turbo mufflers
Gearbox
Rover LT77 5-speed manual, from a Triumph TR8
Rear axle
3.90:1 ratio, from a Triumph TR8
Front suspension
Coil over, steering modified to clear exhaust
Rear suspension
Stock
Frame
Reinforced and gusseted in key locations
Brakes
Stock, including vacuum booster
Wheels
Panasport Racing 8-spoke aluminum, fifteen inch
Tyres
Toyo Proxes H4, 205/60R15 90H
Body
Bumpers removed
Instruments
Stock gauges plus a Sun Pro tachometer
Completed
2011, approximately 3000 miles driven since as of October 2014

Parts used

What the owner names in the write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 2

  • Rover 3.5L V8Rover

    Sourced from a Rover P5 saloon, built to 10.5:1 compression with a fast road camshaft

  • Remote oil filter mount

    Relocates the oil filter for clearance

Fuel & Ignition 6

Cooling 2

Gearbox & Drivetrain 2

Suspension & Steering 1

  • Coil-over front suspension

    Fitted at the front, with steering modified for exhaust clearance

Wheels & Tyres 2

Interior 1

Electrical 1

  • Sun Pro tachometerSun Pro

    Added alongside the stock instrument gauges

Other 3

  • Block-hugger headers

    Exhaust headers fitted close to the block for clearance

  • Custom exhaust piping

    Routes exhaust from headers to mufflers

  • Dual turbo mufflers

    Used for the exhaust system

    In the shops
    Headpipe, Dual Muffler System ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $105.25 USD
    Dual In/Dual Out Muffler (TR6 72-76) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $279.95 USD

Photos

All 13 pictures in the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from britishv8.org. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

Mark Brown's 1974 Triumph TR-6 with Rover 3.5L V8 EnginePhoto: britishv8.org
Rover 3.5L V8 from a Rover P5 saloon.Photo: britishv8.org
Edelbrock intake manifold, four barrel carburetor, and air cleaner.Photo: britishv8.org
Steering modified to clear exhaust.Photo: britishv8.org
Custom exhaust pipes and dual mufflers.Photo: britishv8.org
Photo: britishv8.org
Photo: britishv8.org
Interior restored to original appearance.Photo: britishv8.org
Aftermarket steering wheel.Photo: britishv8.org
Car is complete, well sorted, and very drivable.Photo: britishv8.org
Panasport Racing 8-spoke fifteen inch aluminum wheels.Photo: britishv8.org
Toyo Proxes H4 tires (205/60R15 90H).Photo: britishv8.org
Donate Now!Photo: britishv8.org

How it was done

The engine swap

The car received a Rover 3.5L V8 pulled from a Rover P5 saloon, running 10.5:1 compression with a fast road camshaft. Induction was upgraded with an Edelbrock intake manifold, four barrel carburetor, and air cleaner. Ignition used a Lucas points distributor with an Accel coil and plug wires, and the oil filter was remote mounted.

Cooling and exhaust

A copper and brass radiator was fitted along with a pushing electric cooling fan to manage heat from the V8. Block-hugger headers feed custom exhaust piping and dual turbo mufflers, and the steering was modified to clear the new exhaust routing.

Drivetrain

Power goes through a Rover LT77 five-speed manual gearbox sourced from a Triumph TR8, paired with a 3.90:1 rear end also taken from a TR8. This combination matches the V8 conversion with running gear already suited to it.

Chassis and suspension

The frame was reinforced and gusseted at key locations to cope with the V8 conversion. Front suspension was changed to coil-over units, while the rear suspension was left stock. Brakes remain stock, including the vacuum booster.

Wheels, body and interior

The car rides on Panasport Racing eight-spoke aluminum wheels, fifteen inches, wrapped in Toyo Proxes H4 tires. Bumpers were removed from the body. Inside, the cabin was restored to its original appearance apart from an aftermarket steering wheel, and a Sun Pro tachometer was added alongside the stock gauges.

Where it stands now

The conversion was completed in 2011, and by October 2014 the car had covered about 3000 miles. Owner Mark Brown describes it as complete, well sorted, and very drivable.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗

Worth knowing

  • Sourcing the gearbox and rear axle from a Triumph TR8 gives ratios and fitment already suited to a V8 swap.
  • A remote oil filter mount helps work around clearance issues created by the V8 installation.
  • Steering may need modification to clear the exhaust routing on a V8 conversion.
  • Reinforcing and gusseting the frame at key points addresses the added stress of a V8 engine.
  • Block-hugger headers and custom piping help fit a wider V8 within the original engine bay.

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