Top Speed on your Rover

[Huntersdad5]

I have a 71 that at some point it got a '75 international 4 cyl and running gear. My top speed is about 45 and I'm going to check my gears this weekend to see what I have. I was just wondering what the rest of the rovers are running.

[tomster10]

My stock 79, 88" gas 2.25 will do 55 fairly consistently.

[lumpydog]

I've only been on the highway once in my 68 2a with Fairy Overdrive. It got to 55 pretty easily but seemed like I'd have to work to make it go any faster (i.e. pedal mashed, maybe a tail wind, maybe draft off of a truck or find a good run of downhill).

[stomper]

60-65 with a fairey overdrive as long as there are no hills. 70 if there is a downhill.

[LaneRover]

My 65 109 wagon will do 65 with no overdrive - I wear ear plugs. It was up to 70 under its own power but it doesn't like it.
My '88's I usually keep to about 60.

[bugeye88]

Well..... My 68 Bugeye 88 goes 60 to 65 on the flats. Running original 2.25 rebuilt with an 8-1 head withFairey OD, Weber34 ICT carb, 16" rims.

Cheers,
Rob
Bugeye88

[Jim-ME]

64 Series 2 2.5 NAD 235X85XR16 with a Roverdrive will cruise at 55 all day long with the OD engaged at about 2500 RPMs. I have gotten it up to 65 on a flat but didn't like it. Most Rovers are happiest at about 55.
Jim

[o2batsea]

My (highly modified) 109 2A will do 80 up hills.

[TedW]

64 Series 2 2.5 NAD 235X85XR16 with a Roverdrive will cruise at 55 all day long with the OD engaged at about 2500 RPMs. I have gotten it up to 65 on a flat but didn't like it. Most Rovers are happiest at about 55.
Jim

X2....

[bugeye88]

Like @sea, I have a (highly modified) 1966 Landcruiser FJ 45 pick up with a Chevy Ram jet crate engine that will go up hills 80+, but that's another story....

Rob
Bugeye88

[TeriAnn]

My (highly modified) 109 2A will do 80 up hills.

Once on a highway posted 75 MPH I was just cruising with the traffic flow and when I glanced at the GPS it was indicating 87 MPH. I dropped it back down to 75 to save a little on fuel and a possible speeding ticket. But my Dormobile has a Ford 302 V8 and Ashcroft high ratio transfercase.

The Land Rover four cylinder petrol engines like to cruise in the 3000 to 3400 RPM range. They will happily cruise all day in that range without undo stress. For most set ups this is around 50 to 55 MPH or up to 60 MPH depending upon your tire size. I know some people who regularly cruise at around 70 MPH (4000 + RPM cruise) but their engines seem to wear out sooner. The 2 that I have kept track of ended up with worn engines that had oval shaped cylinders that required a large rebore, larger pistons and the crank journals had to be turned down.

A 2.5 is a good engine that in stock form puts out the power of a highly (expensively) modified 2.25. With its additional crank length it will torque its way up a hill faster than a 2,25. But for longevity you want to keep the RPMs in the engine's happy zone.

[Manny]

73 Series 3 2.25 NAP 235X85XR16 with a Fairey overdrive will do 60-65 without a problem. I did hit 77mph once on a downhill, it was the scariest thing ever.

[Apis Mellifera]

73 88 2,25 w/ Fairey, K&N, Holley, and RRC diff. I can easily do 75mph on flat to moderately hilly ground.

[ybt502r]

'77 88 2.25 5 bearing Zenith w/overdrive...sweet spot is 55-60 w/od, anything above 60 starts to strain everything. I've driven it long distances across the West at that speed. Earplugs help.

[greenmeanie]

100K+ miles thrashing up and down th I10 between Phoenix and Tucson for work. I ran flat out every day. Rochester, Turner 8:1 head, electronic ignition and Magnecor leads. Above general maintenance I think the only thing I ever changed was a water pump and the front crank seal both of which had been on the truck when I bought it.

Of course I rebuilt the gearbox a few times for seals etc. but that was a weekend job.