Ole Larsen's 1980 Triumph TR8 with Rotrex Supercharger and EFI
as published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XX Issue 2, December 2012Owner: Ole Holm Larsen
City: Frederikshavn, Denmark
Model: 1980 Triumph TR8
Engine: Rover 3.5L V8 (supercharged & fuel injected)
Conversion by: owner
| Engine: | original 3.5L engine.
Original camshaft and valvetrain.
Rover 4.2 intake manifold / plenum modified to suit supercharger
and to move the throttle butterfly upstream of the compressor.
Rotrex C30 supercharger with 70mm pulley.
DTAfast P8 Pro engine management system (electronic ignition and fuel injection).
Coolingmist methanol injection system. |
| Cooling: | stock radiator and oil cooler. |
| Exhaust: | dual 2.5" system, front to rear. |
| Transmission: | Getrag 290 5-speed from a Jaguar XJ40 (4.0L).
Jaguar XJ40 clutch and driveshaft. |
| Rear End: | Mercedes with limited slip differential and 3.27:1 final drive ratio.
Mercedes halfshafts. |
| Front Susp.: | Front track increased 3".
BMW McPherson struts with rear mounted anti-sway bar. |
| Rear Susp.: | Rear track increased 4".
Camber set to -1.5 degrees.
Multilink IRS from a Mercedes. |
| Brakes: | (master) original Triumph. (front) 12" disks with original Triumph calipers. (rear) Mercedes disk brakes. |
| Wheels/Tires: | Borbet 16"x8" aluminum wheels.
225/45R16 tires. |
| Body: | modified for a cleaner, more modern look.
Painted "champagne metallic".
Rover SD1 tail lamps. |
| Interior: | tan leather interior.
Saab 9000 seats. |
| Performance: | 308hp at the wheels. |
| Weight: | 1235kg. (~2725lbs.) |
| Completed: | completed in 2008.
Driven approximately 12,000 miles since conversion. |
| Comments: | the added power and upgraded suspension have completely changed the experience of driving the car.
My target was a powerful and daily drivable GT car. This certainly has been achieved.
Mileage is quite good, and far better than the original carburetor. |
Engine Installation
Ole's Triumph TR8 has its original 3.5L Rover engine, with a fuel injection type
intake manifold from a later model (4.2L) Rover V8.
Throttle body.
This is a Rotrex supercharger. However, since these photos were taken, Ole has actually
upgraded to a Rotrex C30 supercharger with a 70mm pulley for even more boost effect.
Coolingmist methanol injection system.
Crankshaft position sensor.
Power steering pump.
DTAfast P8 Pro engine management system (electronic ignition and fuel injection).
Getrag 290 5-speed from a Jaguar XJ40 (4.0L).
Clutch slave cylinder.
Transmission adapter.
Dual 2.5" exhaust system, front to rear.
Suspension and Brakes
Multilink IRS from a Mercedes.
Rear track increased by four inches.
Camber set to -1.5 degrees.
Mercedes disk brakes.
Interior
Saab 9000 seats. Interior re-finished in tan leather.
Exterior
Champagne metallic Triumph TR8.
Borbet 16x8 aluminum wheels with 225/45R16 tires.
Modifying a Triumph TR8 bonnet to make more room for the EFI plenum.
(Note original TR8 bonnet in background.)
Rear lights from a Rover SD1. (Similar lights are used on Lotus' Esprit.)
Prepared to go tilting at windmills - and win!
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