<VV> Off topic BO V-8's

[ricebugg at comcast.net]

All:  IIFC, Pontiac use a iron 326 V-8 in the Tempest, along with their slant 4 cyl.  They never offered the 215 alloy V-8

 

Buick & Olds both offered an alloy 215 cid V-8 for a couple years.  The engines were not identical. The Olds had 5 head studs per cylinder vs 4 on the Buick.  I remember this from pro road racing in the early '60's when small English mid-engine racecars chassis, plus a few home grown cars, started being stuff with American V-8's.  The Buick was first use in a McKee and then a Scarab chassis, but the racers soon perfered the Olds engine because of the 5 stud arrangement.  The BO alloy engines were soon displaced with 289 Fords and 327 Chevy's. All of which lead to the SCCA's Cam-Am series.  Small window of opportunity for the BO V-8's.  Only slightly bigger than for Corvair powered sports-racers. 

 

When the Olds and Bucik compacts were "up graded" to Intermediates in about '64. the BO alloy engines were sold to Rover.  Assume they used the 5 stud configuration.  This engine may still be in production.  It has powered all sorts on specialty English sports cars, and even went to LeMans in the back of a English GT prototype.

 
Buick also had a iron V-6, which they sold to Jeep.  It may also still be in production.
Historically Yours,
                       James Rice