The little pink Throbber

That’s done and ready to be pressed on-I’m going to pin it on the parting line so it can never spin and it’s getting welded too. The old engine is ready to be lifted out but I have to wait a few weeks as I’ve got nothing to tow a trailer with at the moment but it’s all in hand and planned out😂

Only a bit of progress but it all helps. Engine is ready to lift out with just the 4 bolts holding it to the chassis and the gearbox “FLANGE”😂 has had the 3 protrusions removed ready for the new prop shaft adapter to be fitted. It needs more machining but I’m not sure what UJ I’m using yet until the new engines in place-there’s a good chance the prop will need to be longer or shorter but I can guarantee it won’t be as it is now😂 It will need a new front UJ as the rover engine has got a type 9 ford prop in it at the minute but that won’t fit the Toyota box.

The rear fl**ge of a Toyota gearbox is a 3 leg design with one of those shock absorbing rubber donuts-that’s no good to mount to a Volvo axle so I decided to chop the lugs off and machine it down to make a new fl**ge that will accept a conventional UJ. It’s halfway there after an hr on the lathe, I could spend a few hundred quids to buy an adapter made by a prop shaft company but I’ve already made one out of aluminium but I’m not confident with a piece of billet Ali spinning round near my ankles so I’ll weld a fl**ge on this after I’ve made it a press fit first👌 driver safety is paramount in my eyes and and I’d really like to walk away from any incidents 😂

Overall the Lexus engine is 2” longer than the rover and it’s just physically bigger everywhere…I know this because I swapped one into my mk3 es**rt van but that’s another story. The 1uz I’m using is out of a Toyota soarer so it’s got a rear sump and a front facing oil filter which means it’ll drop in with just a simple pair of mounts👌 Before I get to it I’ve got some other things I need to do that are a priority so it may be a few weeks before I get to drop it in place so you’ll just have to bear with me but progress is being made despite it taking time.

I’ve just spent 2 hrs trying to get the engine running and it’s beat me again🤦🏼‍♂️ It’s now got a really good spark on all 8 cylinders it’s got fuel to all 8 cylinders and it’s not even firing or trying to, firing order is spot on as I’ve checked it twice, it wouldn’t run on the SUs and it won’t run on the Holley and it really should…and before anyone asks yes I’ve run rover engines for years and I know what I’m on with so that now leaves me with a good but slightly are you mad option😂 I’ve got a few Toyota 1uz engines that I’m tripping over and I think one of those is about to find its way into that chassis-it’s going to be run on the Holley carb and a distributor so there’ll be no modern electronics involved😂 The good thing is they’re a good strong 300hp engine and they’ll take as much boost/nitrous as I can hit it with😬 That’s the plan and I’m sticking to it🫣😂

Once I got the covers off I had another sit down and a cuppa tea to warm up before I put a battery on it. All was going well until I tried starting it and the starter just clicked🤷🏼‍♂️ battery was good so I thought the starter must be dodgy but when I removed it and tried it on a different cable it worked perfectly so I think one of the cables is buggered. An hr into tinkering and my fingers started to go white-it’s just insufficient blood flow due to my heart not pumping enough🤦🏼‍♂️so that was that but at least I know it should just need the cable sorting now👌I’ll try again on a warmer day😂

Just a quick update as to why I’ve not been on here or posted for a long while- I took ill last year and it eventually led to a massive heart attack after months of being unwell🤦🏻‍♂️ unfortunately the heart attack has caused a lot of damage to my other organs so I’m slowly recovering but I’ll never be as fit as I was but I’m determined to get back on the dragster-it’s safely stashed at the side of the house and covered over. Hopefully after the new year I’ll be well enough to get back at it but I may have to wait till it warms up as the cool weather does me no good👍 sorry for the lack of updates etc but I was just sideswiped😂

In between the sunshine and showers yesterday I managed to strip the old manifold and carbs off in preparation for its next induction setup...an offenhauser 360inlet and a Holley carb that have both been gifted to me by people on this page🙌 I’m not surprised in anyway really because it just goes to show what a great bunch of people are in the drag racing scene. Gentlemen I can only thank you a million times👌👍😎