I am currently only swapping Discovery 2 right now.

 

All D2's (US market) are OBD2 trucks

 

His system is going to work. Unless I'm mistaken he's using all rover electronics married to Chevy sensors and a Chevy engine married to a Disco II body and frame.

 

Uh, though, despite all the Rover V8 trouble is it still a Rover?

I appreciate that there is a rich history of other manufacturers' engines being fitted into hot rods for which they were not designed, but just wonderin', when is it no longer a Rover?

I'm not trying to make a value judgment nor do I fault owners for doing the Chevy swap; I just wonder what the Court of Essence would say.

 

After much thought on this matter I think I'm just going to sell it and start working on a Series Rover again. Thanks for all the input. Anyone looking for a Disco II project on the cheap?

 

No, it probably isn't still a rover. I agree. It just looks like one. A rover with a Chevy engine might just be better than a rover, though. The 4.0/.6 Engines were just chosen for weight Savings and the compromises have piled on, year by year, until even Land Rover abandoned it.

But when you've replaced head gaskets a few times or had to buy some little, expensive parts that haven't been made for a decade it doesn't matter. The real kicker is getting a new front cover which can happen because of the oil pump design. About 500 bucks. A well running 4.8 engine... the WHOLE engine, can be gotten for close to that.

For the first ten years, I think maintaining the brand is important... but I passed that mark 7 years ago.

 

I think that's a wise decision. Best of luck with the new project. Series rovers are really neat trucks.

 

In essence, its really a change of the block, heads and intake. Its still running rover management, so theoretically, its the equilivant of a 70 year old getting the heart of 22 year old. The management section (the brain or ECU) is still the same.

Now if you were to do a brain and heart transplant...well.....

 

It is every bit a Rover! If you were to get into one of my swapped D2's without looking under the hood, or being told otherwise, you would never know there is something different going on under the hood. Even starting it up, if you are very in tune with your stock D2, you MIGHT pick up on the different noise from the starter, but you still might not know it's been swapped. It's when you get a chance to put your foot in it, run it up to highway speeds, or climb a long grade, then you will know something is BETTER! Swapping from Buick to Chevy, why would that matter? How important is D2 originality?

 

The Buick 215 was also a Chevy 215 at the same time. So you are still swapping a Chevy for a Chevy in essence. GM designed the engine for 1963 models, then sold it to rover in 1965. So no biggie on the swap, still in the family.

Edit: As Ford owned Rover for a while, a Ford swap is legit, too. They put the Jaguar engine in.