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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Sounds of a Rover V8?

Hey!

What does a Rover performance V8 sound like? The reason I ask is because sound of performance to me is a lopey small block Chevrolet or Ford or a monster 427 big block. I like the sound a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Can such a sound be created from a 3.5 Buick/Rover engine?

Does anyone have sound/video clips? How about experience with big cams such as the Crane 298/308?

Thanks!
Jamie
H. J. Rodgers II

I agree with you, Jamie.

I have a '68 Camaro with a big cam and a HD Dyna Wide Glide for the same reason. I think that the old Shovelheads sounded better idling than the newer Evos.

Lumpy idle is the product of a long duration cam. Sounds great, hurts low-rpm drive-ability. Although, not so much in a ligh weight car. I had a friend that called those cams "sump'in cams" cause they sounded like "sump-ity, sump-ity, sump-ity". Music to the ears of a hotrodder!

Other than the lumpy idle, the rest of the sound is the tone of the exhaust system. Dual exhaust or not plays a part, but the muffler choice is the biggest factor. Personally, as a tube amp tone-seeking guitar player, there are a lot of nasty sounding mufflers out there. Give me a cold-rolled steel glasspack over those raspy, resonating, chambered suitcase mufflers anyday. I might add that what you hear in the car while drivng is quite different from what everyone behind you hears when you gas it.

Come to Terre Haute and listen to a lot of different sounds and find one that does it for you.
Carl Floyd

Speaking of Terre Haute and the British V8 meet...you only have about a week left to reserve your room at the Holiday Inn on I-70 and SR41 and get the reduced rate we managed to arrange!

Activities will begin on Thursday morning with the autocross, so come in on Wednesday nite!

See www.britishv8.org - newsletter - event - 2005 for a downloadable registration flyer and form!

rick
rick ingram

Go to Nick Smallwoods site, http://www.mgbv8.co.uk/
When you open the page, you'll hear the engine revving.
Jake

Not exactly a tuned V8 in the ordinary sense but there are loads of Wavs here and they sound quite fruity http://www.spagweb.com/v8mini/gallery/index.htm
Stuart Robson

Hey!

Thank you for the responses. I was really wondering if a small V8 can generate a powerful sound. My machinist says it will sound like a buzz saw. From the clips, I think a 3.5/3.9 should sound like a performance engine with the healthy cam. Any other opinions?

Is there a science for determining the sound of an internal combustion engine? Automotive Sound Engineering? It would be great to find out the effect of different exhaust pipe diameters and camshafts on the sound produced without the expense of field testing every trial and error.

Jamie
H. J. Rodgers II

A BUZZ SAW?!

Well, it's obvious that the only engines of this displacement that your machinist is familiar with....are V6s. :)

It may be a small V8, but it IS a V8!
Carl Floyd

For awhile I ran one of the hottest cams you could get for the 215. The machine has evolved and I now associate that sound with a machine quite different than what I choose to drive on a regular basis, though it's heir is considerably more powerful yet considerably more driveable. Guess I always did want to have my cake and Edith too.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I've got a couple of audio / video clips of V8 MGB's including a blue B on a rolling road if anyone wants:

V8 Sound 1: 1.3Mb WAV
MG V8 Dyno (750bhp claimed): 4Mb WMV
V8 Roadster pulling away: 1.27Mb WMV
Blue V8 Rolling Road 1: 3.13Mb MPG (lumpy cam)
Blue V8 Rolling Road 2: 10.7Mb MPG (lumpy cam)

Unfortunately I don't have a webpage that can host these, so if anyone wants them let me know and I'll use a gmail account to send them.

Rick
Rick Haynes

Rick
I'd like a copy, you can send them to britishauto@gmail.com
Thanks
Jake
Jake

I know it isn't in an mg but there are a couple of rover v8 sound bites at the bottom of this page: http://freespace.virgin.net/bob.carter/Mazda_mx5_V8.htm They certainly made me get up and spend a few hours in the garage... must get the engine in before the summer!
Nick Bentley

1999 F355 Ferrari: 375-hp @ 8250 RPM , 3.5-liter V-8, Engine displacement 213 cu. in., Engine torque 267 lb.-ft. @ 6000RPM , Engine bore x stroke 3.35" x 3.03"

I'm thinking a set of Wildcat Engineering heads on a 3.5 liter Rover/MGB and we'll give Ferrari a run! LOL
Does Ferrari have variable timing camshafts? otherwise that thing would idle like a monster. Ferraris are known for full song high rpm, not the fender shaking idle.

Jamie
H. J. Rodgers II

Here is a MG with a Buick 215 clip I like.

http://www.geocities.com/v8mgb/mvc-003v.mpg
Jim Miller

Jamie and Jake, YHM.

Anyone else, I've got some other stuff if anyones interested:

Rice burners - Skylines & Supras road racing in Japan
Kit Cars - Ultimas both V8 & V12, V8 bike engined Caterhams (RSTV8)
GM Goodwrench V8 on a dyno
Yank-Tanks - Cobras new and classic, Camaros, Vipers, Corvettes, GT40s

They're all available out there on the internet somewhere, it just seems I've collected copies of them. So I take no credit for anything and all copyright is with the original owners (somewhere).

Rick
Rick Haynes

Sorry below is the correct video clip

http://www.geocities.com/v8mgb/mvc-010v.mpg
Jim Miller

This thread was discussed between 30/04/2005 and 03/05/2005

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