Bernd,
Bernd,
Your source is sorta right on the Buick/Rover thing. Rover didn't buy
the just the remaining long blocks from Buick, they bought the tooling
to make the motors and then proceeded to update/tweak the design over
the years. The long blocks couldn't be "rusty" as the blocks and
heads were aluminum! I've got an article from a magazine of an aging
(60's/70's, no offense to the older DML members!!) engine builder
whose passion was modifying these motors. In one pic, he is holding
two blocks, one under each arm! These babies were light.
Also, Buick sold the V6 tooling to Jeep or AMC, can't remember which,
in the 70's and then bought it all back when the energy crunch hit.
Tom
On Wed, 27 Jun 2001 20:13:31 -0400, bernd@texas.net ("Bernd D.
Ratsch") wrote:
>
>From a reputable source:
>
>"Update: my girlfriend's stepdad is a mechanic at a european auto repair
>shop, and he has verified that the valve covers, intake manifold and
>exhaust port patterns of the Mercedes engine are identical to the Dodge
>4.7's. In fact the valve cover gasket of a 450SL will fit any 4.7 Dakota
>engine. Go Figure...
>
>But granted, Chrysler couldn't leave well enough alone and had to
>"Moparize" it so it would be that "same-but-different" thing and be more
>cost-effective to recycle old inventory, and in turn it makes things
>less expensive to manufacture and keep the overhead amounts lower. I've
>also heard that the 2.4L 4cyl PT Cruiser engines are nothing more than
>"modified" MB190E motors built on Dodge Neon chassis. All of this
>wouldn't surprise me since Daimler-Chrysler sent 1/2 of their german
>engineering team to detroit and took over the R&D duties. Hmmm...
>
>Rover Industries did the same thing with their Range Rover SUV's - their
>3.9 & 4.0 V-8 engines are nothing more than old Buick 215cid V-8's that
>GM was going to scrap anyway, so Rover bought the entire lot of rusty
>old long blocks that were sitting in a forgotten GM warehouse, and they
>eventually found homes inbetween the fender wells of $80,000
>grocery-getters driven by rich snobby soccer moms. "
>
>- Bernd
>(I'm not the one who wrote this.)
>
Tom Lorek
tlorek@yahoo.com
Carmel, IN
'00 PB 5.9 SLT+ Durango
'99 Concorde LXi
'87 GN 10.52 @ 127.5
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