Advice please, 3.9ltr back to 3.0

[Markvsandford]

Hi all.

After a lot of phone calls and a lot of frustration, it appears that i don't stand a hope in hell of importing my dads stag with a 3.9ltr Rover V8 into Denmark. The almost 40% increase in power complicates things to the point of making it impractical. It appears the Danes require brakes that are uprated by the same percentage, and you have to pay anywhere between £1000-£2000 just for the damn test. The wife (who is Danish) won't move back to the UK, so the only other option is to put an original engine back into the car.

Some advice please, am i mad to even contemplate this? I desperately want to be able to drive this car, but there also has to be a point where i concede defeat. Is it 'just' a question of changing engines, or will it need a new gearbox as well? Am i likely to be able to sell the engine?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Mark

[mjheathcote]

Uprating the brakes and the test will be cheaper than doing an engine swop!
If it's a nice conversion to 3.9lt, shame to swop it back, as the car has sentimental value rather than investment value.

[Markvsandford]

is it possible to uprate the brakes enough? the kits i had looked at, i was told they didn't improve performance by a huge amount.

[new to this]

Hi Wilwood do an uprated brake kit for the stag,Robsport and wards sell it,you could also try Monarch for brake kits as well

Dave

[5chaiaday]

A bit of a crazy idea but if you can't get 40% uprated brakes might it be possible to somehow de-tune the engine? Your objective is to get the brake power to match the BHP increase. I'd be looking at all ways of doing that and do the cheapest - just to get through the import rules. It may be completely impractical but it's worth a thought.

Failing that you can, of course sell this stag and buy another without the import hassle. I know its a special car but maybe consider what your Father would have done if he had to move to Denmark....... and do that.

Ed.

[GDPR]

Out with the 3.9 and in with an SU carbed 3.5 - power output roughly the same as TV8 and minimal problems changing over

Import the 3.9 as a spare part, get your paperwork sorted for Danish roads and change back - who is to know?

[wilf]

Just a thought - do you have to declare the engine size somewhere on a form?

Being naughty - how would the registration authorities actually check the bore and stroke? Could you not simply declare it as 3.0 litres? Are they savvy enough to know that a Rover V8 has a certain displacement?

You can tell that I have found ways around bureaucracies before.........

[Alanfp]

Out with the 3.9 and in with an SU carbed 3.5 - power output roughly the same as TV8 and minimal problems changing over

Import the 3.9 as a spare part, get your paperwork sorted for Danish roads and change back - who is to know?

Yeah, that's OK if the OP doesn't have a life and/or doesn't have a wife ;-)


I have to say that "sell this stag and buy another without the import hassle" must be the obvious solution. Would also have the chance to get a LHD version that would be more user friendly on le continent.

[Markvsandford]

Thanks for all the replies. reducing the power of the engine may be a solution. The car has an ECU with the canems software, installed and tuned by lloyds specialist developments. I will ask them if it is possible. They can do it remotely apparently....just hook the laptop up to a lead under the seat.
Regarding 'circumventing the system', yes, that is an option. The concern of course is if the car is involved in a crash. All they have to do is open the bonnet and there is a great big 3.9 winking at them :-) We all know how insurance companies will do everything they can to get out of paying!
i don't want to sell the car. my dad had it for 16 years and spent a bloody fortune on it. As well as the 3.9 engine, with all the tuning etc, new mohair hood, completely new leather interior, new BMW diff, respray, newly veneered dash, new ss bumpers etc etc. He loved it, and without wishing to offend anyone here, it is just this one that i would want to drive.
I have emailed a load of Danish Insurance companies that specialise in classic cars. It seems that some are stricter than others, as generally, a boy racer wouldn't bother with a car like this, and the assumption is that we take more care of our classic cars and don't trash the pants off them. There is one i am speaking to that has said the nasty test isn't needed, but i haven't given him the total hp yet...i can't remember the exact figure. I'll send it in when i get back to Denmark and see what happens. Fingers crossed!
Regarding getting a LHD version. I doubt i will do that many miles in it, so being RHD shouldn't be an issue. The roads in Denmark, aside from the big cities, are generally much quieter than the UK. it will probably take a while for me to get familiar enough with the car to want to drive it longer distances. I have forgotten everything i learnt from my MG Midget 20 years ago :-)

[Jeff]

My opinion only but I would keep that great engine and upgrade the brakes, 2 reasons, first as stated and secondly........better brakes, albeit my standard brakes are fine but they can always be improved and that is not a bad thing, again, only my opinion.

Jeff.

[Markvsandford]

going through the receipts again, it looks as if he bought the monarch rear brake conversion kit when he bought the BMW diff. Anyone know what the monarch disks are like compared to the wilwood ones?

[Jeff]

If it has BMW from Monarch, why change to Wilwood at even more unnecessary expense?

[Markvsandford]

the diff was BMW, he bought the rear disk conversion kit at the same time. I thought the wilwood ones were just disks? I was just wondering if i need some extra braking power to pass the test, if the wilwood disks were better.

[KOY 23]

Just a thought - do you have to declare the engine size somewhere on a form?

Being naughty - how would the registration authorities actually check the bore and stroke? Could you not simply declare it as 3.0 litres? Are they savvy enough to know that a Rover V8 has a certain displacement?

You can tell that I have found ways around bureaucracies before..x.......

Are you serious?? Lying is a good way of invalidating your insurance.

Are you going to Silverstone Classic? Maybe we will see more pictures of your car being lifted away again for parking where the bureaucrats say you shouldn't.

[richardthestag]

what is so stupid about OP story is that I can lock the standard brakes on my Stag with not too much effort, improving the brakes just locks them sooner? Or am i going nuts.

Out of interest 3.9 RV8 in the Range Rover put out 185bhp when new, what is your doing?

P.s dont let on that Triumph fibbed a little about 145bhp