Jensen with a Rover V8 (posted August 9th, 2011)

Adding to the previous post, here is a picture of the heart of our new project car. This car has under its bonnet what is considered the de facto engine for British hot rods.

Originally starting off life as a Buick 215 in the ’61 model year, this all-aluminum engine has been around the block. It was also featured in some Pontiacs and many Oldsmobiles before eventually General Motors sold off the rights to Rover.

It is said to put out around 200 hp. While that’s not much by today’s standards, it is roughly double what this car is designed for. The bonus? Since it is aluminum, it is only slightly heavier the engine it replaces, despite having twice the cylinders!