Confirm Holbay Engine, Help?!

[BiG-BoB-82UK]

Hi again people, I haven't posted here for some time now but I need some help.

I'm selling my 67 Singer Vogue with a Holbay engine fitted and I keep getting people telling me it isn't a holbay engine...i have stripped and rebuilt the engine that came out of an absolutely rotten hillman hunter gls and it's got the lot, flat pistons, hi-lift cam, hollow rods, big inlet valves, but people don't seem to believe me because it hasn't got the right manifolds or carb, or rocker cover.

Is there anywhere that can confirm the engine is a Holbay lump?

btw, if you want to see the job i've done with it, look here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....m=160218507346&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=006

IT'S THE ONLY ONE FOR SALE!!!

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THE CASTING NUMBER OF THE HEAD IS AM3

THE ENGINE NUMBER IS:

L30040817301

AND BELOW THIS NUMBER IS:

7862

thanks in advance...any info greatly appreciated...

 

[RootesRacer]

The magic bullet of a holbay engine is the head.

People have modified stock heads to reproduce or approximate what a holbay H120 provided.

Also a real holbay head will not only have the proper kidney shaped chambers, but also smaller intake port runners.

Along with the special head, a matching cam would be needed, an alloy sump, a holbay badged alloy rocker cover ETC.

Clearly this is not a complete H120 engine since it lacks at the very least the correct intake and carbs. Hard to say exactly what it is without a full teardown.

Hi again people, I haven't posted here for some time now but I need some help.

I'm selling my 67 Singer Vogue with a Holbay engine fitted and I keep getting people telling me it isn't a holbay engine...i have stripped and rebuilt the engine that came out of an absolutely rotten hillman hunter gls and it's got the lot, flat pistons, hi-lift cam, hollow rods, big inlet valves, but people don't seem to believe me because it hasn't got the right manifolds or carb, or rocker cover.

Is there anywhere that can confirm the engine is a Holbay lump?

btw, if you want to see the job i've done with it, look here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....m=160218507346&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=006

IT'S THE ONLY ONE FOR SALE!!!

------------------------------------

THE CASTING NUMBER OF THE HEAD IS AM3

THE ENGINE NUMBER IS:

L30040817301

AND BELOW THIS NUMBER IS:

7862

thanks in advance...any info greatly appreciated...

 

[BiG-BoB-82UK]

well, it does have the smaller intake ports, as i have another head to compare it to and they are bigger than the one fitted to the holbay.

with regard to the "correct" carbs being fitted, i wouldn't fit webbers if i had them, the strombergs have been roling road tested over here and are found to be just as good if not slightly better at performance AND more economical.

A die hard enthusiast would scream at me for saying webbers are rubbish but that is my honest opinion, I have NEVER liked them.

after a full strip down and re-build i found everything to be correct as stated, large valves smaller ports, etc.

is there any way to check the engine number and confirm that way?

 

[Wombat]

The engine number will only confirm the block came out of a Hunter GLS. I believe there was nothing different about the block for the Holbay engine. As RootesRacer says, the head is the big difference. The part number for the head is cast into the head in the middle under the rocker cover. It should be an 8 or 9 digit number. This will be different for the stock head and the Holbay. Sorry, but I don't know what either number is.

 

[SIVAllan]

The engine number will only confirm the block came out of a Hunter GLS. I believe there was nothing different about the block for the Holbay engine. As RootesRacer says, the head is the big difference. The part number for the head is cast into the head in the middle under the rocker cover. It should be an 8 or 9 digit number. This will be different for the stock head and the Holbay. Sorry, but I don't know what either number is.

Went to the basement to look at 3 heads in my bits - serial numbers:

Late SV #1980987 4H66 AM
Early SV #1980987 1?65 AM 2
? H120 #71981232 X AM

Allan

 

[RootesRacer]

with regard to the "correct" carbs being fitted, i wouldn't fit webbers if i had them, the strombergs have been roling road tested over here and are found to be just as good if not slightly better at performance AND more economical.

First of all its Weber/Webers, and second of all you are kidding right?

Stroms will certainly be able to pull better mileage, but as far as flow/performance and tunability, its not even close.

Put any modifications on an engine running stroms and the needle profile requirements change a lot. Where are you going to get a modified one of those?

As far a the cam used in a "real" H120 engine, I doubt seriously you could even get stroms to idle with it, yet alone get it tuned to make reasonable power.

 

[SIVAllan]

First of all its Weber/Webers, and second of all you are kidding right?

Stroms will certainly be able to pull better mileage, but as far as flow/performance and tunability, its not even close.

Put any modifications on an engine running stroms and the needle profile requirements change a lot. Where are you going to get a modified one of those?

As far a the cam used in a "real" H120 engine, I doubt seriously you could even get stroms to idle with it, yet alone get it tuned to make reasonable power.

hmmm...generally speaking what kind of mileage do the 40's get vs what kind of stepdown in BHP would result from use of Stroms?

H120 information appears to be elusive...except for those actually having first hand experience...(which kind a lot of us would sure like to have).

Allan

 

[V_Mad]

Hi BiG-BoB-82UK
I looked at your ebay listing, and I can see you are getting REALLY frustrated and annoyed at the responses; your replies are in HUGE CAPITAL LETTERS!! You have clearly spent lots of time/money on the paint/body etc, and engine internals, but your pictures of the engine bay come as a bit of a shock to the prospective buyer.

Dont take the comments from buyers (or me) personally; learn from them. If you are selling a car on its performance aspects, as you have by putting Holbay in the heading, try to match buyers expectations by making it look the part. No offence meant, but, for a start, the rusty air filter hardly looks like a performance part does it? As you had the engine out and did all that work on it, why not smarten up the engine bay with a bit of paint etc. and some heat shrink sleeving on the battery strap would look better than sticky tape! I wondered why have you shown a pair of Strombergs, when the carb fitted looks like a downdraft of some kind (Weber?) or am I mistaken?

Just my opinion on the wheels, they are nice, but even better on another car maybe? Minilites would look really good though.

If your Holbay engine is genuine (and I dont doubt that it is) where are the pictures of the engine internals? I just rebuilt my engine, and every part was photographed, new and old, and all measurements and tolerances shown on a build sheet so I can prove it was all done properly. I think it really helps you to get back the time and money spent on the car. It also focuses the mind and helps make sure you have done everything properly.

As to wether (DCOE) Webers or Strombergs are best, thats not really the issue. DCOEs are the performance carb icon, and you will not impress anyone with a pair of old Strommies! Personally, I think a good downdraft 28/36 type Weber is the best all round setup for road cars. Strombergs may give a little bit more power if they are really well set up, but they are not good on fuel consumption, so whats the point? DCOEs with a good cam will flow better for ultimate power if you want to thrash around everywhere.

I am really sorry you car did not meet the reserve, but I hope you are luckier next time.

 

[V_Mad]

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