JetFire

[StealthBird]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: earntaz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Same as the Buick? </div></div>

It's a Buick 215 V8. Buick did all the design and cast all the blocks, and it was first available for the 1961 Buick, Olds, and Pontiac line. Obviously, the front mounted distributor was a telltale sign that it was NOT an Oldsmbobile or Pontiac engine, but it was still marketed as a &quot;Rocket V-8&quot; by Oldsmobile, and as an &quot;...available 155 hp aluminum V8&quot; in the Pontiac Tempest.

Mickey Thompson entered a stock block Buick 215 V8 in the 1962 Indianapolis 500 (driven by Dan Gurney). It was the only non-Offenhauser engine in the entire field, and Gurney qualified 8th, retiring about halfway through the race with a trans/rear end problem.

Buick abandoned this casting a few years later due to a very high scrap ratio. They had massive porosity problems, which resulted in massive oil leaks. The aluminum Buick 215 V8 was discontinued after 1963. They sold the the design, tooling and manufacturing rights to British Leyland (Rover/Jaguar/Triumph), which evolved into 3.5, 3.9, and 4.2 liter engines for many British cars, like the Land Rover, Rover 3500, TVR, TR8, and in the early 70's was available in the MG.

In 1980, Pontiac introduced their Turbo Trans Am (and Turbo Formula), using the 301 V8 as the platform. Many automotive writers of the day erroneously billed that as the &quot;first turbocharged American V8&quot;, but that incorrect. Oldsmobile had the first turbocharged American V8 with their 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire.

The Oldsmobile Jetfires were cool little cars. I really like them. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]