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Builder Peter Grieve has installed a twin-turbocharged, 18-liter Rolls-Royce Meteorite V8 in a 1956 Series I Land Rover. A Practical Performance Car video shows a dyno test that ended with cooling problems; the reported 1,080-horsepower figure is the engine’s stated potential, not a result demonstrated during that run.
Builder Peter Grieve has fitted a twin-turbocharged 18-liter Rolls-Royce Meteorite V8 into a 1956 Series I Land Rover, a radical powertrain swap documented in a Practical Performance Car video. The clip shows Grieve testing the vehicle on a dynamometer, but the run encountered cooling problems before it could establish a completed performance result.
The Meteorite was developed for the Mighty Antar tank transporter, which entered service in the early 1950s and remained in use into the 1980s, according to The Drive’s report. Rolls-Royce derived it from the 27-liter Meteor tank engine, itself related to the Merlin aircraft engine. The V8 shared many parts with the Meteor, a design choice that helped simplify maintenance across the fleet.
Grieve modified the engine installation to make it fit the Land Rover. The original camshaft-drive assembly was too large for the vehicle, so he engineered a new arrangement. The engine also received electronic fuel injection and twin turbochargers concealed in the front wings. The report says the setup is intended to produce 1,080 horsepower at 15 pounds of boost, but the video’s test was running at about half that boost.
During the dyno session, Grieve adjusted fuel pressure and changed exhaust plugs after the engine began running unevenly. On a subsequent attempt, the cooling system struggled: a large radiator mounted in the Land Rover’s bed was unable to keep the engine adequately cool, according to the report. The video does not show a successful full-power run, and the source says that was as far as the test went that day.
A Tank Engine in a Road Land Rover
The project combines two very different chapters of British engineering: the postwar Series I Land Rover, designed as a practical utility vehicle, and a large Rolls-Royce engine intended for a heavy military transporter. The scale of the swap makes it an unusual example of modifying a historic vehicle, while the changes to the camshaft drive and fuel system show that fitting the engine required more than simply placing it in the chassis.
The dyno footage also makes clear that headline power is not the same as a finished, usable result. Cooling and engine behavior remained problems during the documented test. Until the vehicle completes further testing, the stated 1,080-horsepower output should be treated as a target or reported capability, not a verified dyno figure from the session shown.
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From Series I to Meteorite V8
New Series I Land Rovers used 1.6- or 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines producing around 50 horsepower, according to The Drive. Grieve’s 18-liter V8 is therefore far larger than the engines originally fitted to the model, though the two vehicles reflect different needs: the Land Rover was a postwar utility vehicle, while the Meteorite was built for a heavy transporter.
The Meteorite’s connection to the Meteor tank engine was practical as well as historical. The Practical Performance Car presenter, Will, explains that the V8 used many of the same components as the larger engine, helping keep the Antar fleet running. Grieve’s installation retains that military-derived powerplant but adapts its systems for use in a much smaller vehicle.
“The twin-turbocharged V8 in Peter Grieve’s 1956 Series I is nine times larger than anything that would’ve rolled out of Solihull all those years ago.”
— The Drive, reporting on Peter Grieve’s Land Rover
Power and Cooling Still Unverified
The available footage does not establish the Land Rover’s maximum horsepower, a completed dyno result, or whether it can sustain operation at the reported 15 pounds of boost. The engine was running at around half that boost during the shown test, and the session ended after cooling trouble. The source does not state what caused the cooling system to fail or whether Grieve has since corrected it.
The report describes the vehicle as road-drivable, but it does not give details of road testing, reliability, or the legal status of the modifications. It also does not identify a date for the dyno session or provide a follow-up test result. Those details remain unconfirmed in the supplied material.
Further Testing Must Show Results
The next clear milestone would be a repeat dyno session after the cooling and running issues are addressed. A subsequent test could establish how much power the Land Rover produces at different boost levels and whether the setup can run reliably. The source does not announce a schedule for further testing or confirm that repairs have been completed.
For now, the video documents an ambitious engine installation and an incomplete test, not a verified 1,080-horsepower run. Any claim about final output or sustained road performance will depend on additional results from Grieve.
Key Questions
What engine is fitted to the 1956 Land Rover?
It has a twin-turbocharged 18-liter Rolls-Royce Meteorite V8, an engine developed for the Mighty Antar tank transporter.
Did the Land Rover make 1,080 horsepower on the dyno?
The report gives 1,080 horsepower as the engine setup’s stated output, but the video does not show a completed run at that figure. The test was at around half the stated boost and ended after cooling trouble.
Why did the dyno test stop?
The report says the cooling system struggled during a subsequent attempt. It does not provide a confirmed technical diagnosis or say whether the issue has since been fixed.
What was the Meteorite engine originally used for?
The Meteorite V8 was intended for the Mighty Antar tank transporter. It was derived from the larger Meteor tank engine and shared many of its parts.
Source: thedrive.com
