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V8 VIT

A V8 under the bonnet packs a mean punch for this Vitara

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK ALLEN

At first glance, you may be excused for thinking you’re perving at a couple of randy octopi going for it under the bonnet of Sam Keck’s latest Zook-inspired build-up. There appears to be more wires, tubes and lines than you can poke a stick at - not that you should be poking around at an octopus while it’s in the middle of a good hard romp. The only thing to do with ‘eight’ under this bonnet is the number of cylinders and sparkplug leads that now help punch this black ‘n’ grey-striped mongrel Zook up the rocks. Sam was able to fit the 3.5L alloy Rover engine into the bay of the Vitara without too much firewall modification.

Backed up by a combination of Toyota and Rover running gear, Sam has also slipped in Toyota solid axles front and rear, which are controlled by Vitara coil springs to ensure a reliable and flexible suspension system. Why do it? Why go and shove a V8 into the space once occupied by a four-cylinder buzz box?

‘Cause he can, so why not? Sam is the proprietor of Overkill Engineering and can pretty much do as he pleases when it comes time to build a toy for weekend thrills and spills. He has, in the past, built a number of wild machines, of which all have been Suzuki-based to some degree or another, so why break with tradition? Hmm, it makes you wonder what he’d do if there happened to be a Chevy V8 diesel lying around the shop, unused and looking for a new home. Nah, I can’t see something like that fitting into a Zook - the acreage just isn’t there, and the engine would weigh more than the 4WD itself. But then again, who’d have thought a rumbling Rover V8 would have fitted in so easily? Come on, Sam, show us what you can do when you really put your mind to it.

RUNNING GEAR
Flick the old four-cylinder, push hard enough and you’ll fit that 1984 Range Rover V8 into the hole it left. Sam managed to fit (though with very little room left to spare) an alloy-block Rover bent eight between the inner guards, the radiator support panel and the firewall, with just a little firewall and transmission massaging. To help with the fitting, the radiator has been removed from the engine bay and horizontally mounted under the rear of the tray. A standard Rover radiator with twin thermofans has been deemed adequate to keep engine temperatures within range. A multitude of flexible and solid hoses and pipes relay the water to and from the radiator, which, while not an ideal position, is being handled by the standard engine-mounted water pump.

Backing up the V8 is the auto tranny and LT230 transfer case - courtesy of the ‘84-model Rangie - stuffed with 5.1 Maxi-Drive low-reduction gears to help turn the 36in IROK rubber. From the transfer case, the drive is sent to front and rear 60 Series LandCruiser axles and diffs with 4.1 ratios. The front diff has an ARB Air Locker to help pull the Vitara through the rough stuff, while the rear diff has been given the CIG treatment - full-time locking doesn’t deter Sam and is a bucket-load cheaper than fitting a second commercial locker of any brand.

To complement the front and rear three-link solid-axle swap, Sam fitted the tiny Vitara coils and Pro Comp shocks, which allow plenty of flexibility for the intended purpose of competing in rock-crawling events and the like. The load-carrying capability of this set-up is stuff-all, as you would expect. But who gives a rat’s when the only thing Sam intends carrying is a recovery kit, a big right boot and a brave soul to act as navvy and spotter who doesn’t mind an upside-down view of the world from time to time. If you’re not sure what I mean by this, check out the last few trucks Sam has built and competed in. He doesn’t mind pushing them beyond the limit and trying out the roll bars. So, Dave Camp (Sam’s navvy) has no excuses for what may lay ahead in the tumbled world of an Overkill navvy.

The rear diff sees a custom track bar that is attached to a custom-fabricated tube frame at the two leading ends with rubber bushes. The rear single mount is attached to a metal bracket welded directly to the axle housing. To provide maximum twist, a rose joint is utilised at this rear mount so as to not hinder rear-axle articulation.Once parked, a custom-fabricated air-over hydraulic handbrake is used to hold the Vitara in place. This handbrake is part of the Haultech Engineering traction control system.

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