[V8] Dilemma

[Roger M. Woodbury]

I have seen other comments made about putting a V8 into a 20-valve.  Some
ten years or so ago, I had a major flirtation with my wrench at the time
about putting a 4.5 litre Porsche 928 engine into my 1989 200 Avant.  We
gave the idea up due to the vast number of technical issues involved, plus
the simple fact was that the Porsche V8 was pretty wide to try to make work.
In the end, I decided that there wasn't enough money available for me to
play in that direction. 

But the 20-valve is a different animal.  Having had a really good running
200 10-valve Avant, and now a really good running 20-valve Avant, I can't
imagine why anyone would want to  try to put a V8 into a 20-valve.  

My 20-valve is easily as fast and as strong as my 4.2 litre V8 was, and it
is not even near to what it could be if I wanted to put another grand into
the intake and exhaust.  As it is, it is PLENTY.  

So, other than a lot more complexity and a lot more maintenance issues, what
would be really gained by shoehorning a V8 into a 20-valve Avant.  The five
cylinder engine will apparently run easily past 250,000 miles, and while the
V8 will probably run as long, it will cost about twice as much to maintain
it over the same number of miles.  And in the meantime, assuming the same
level of performance from the chipped 20 Valve as the V8, aside from about
three to five miles per gallon more fuel, what else does the V8 yield?

I think that modifying a 20 valve wagon with an engine swap is working on
the wrong end.  I would rather graft the Avant rear end onto a V8 sedan, if
there is no cure for the eight cylinder craze.

Roger

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