Is that Rover alloy V-8 the same as the V-8 Rover bought from General Motors in U.S.? If so, had a 1962 Buick Special (it's an automobile, not an airplane) with one. Worked pretty well (the transmission was s*&^, though) but had to be careful with the aluminium alloy block and head and head gasket so they mated together proper and sealed tight. Understand pistons and rings could cause problems if they were too hard because the cylinder bore was chemically treated for hardness, but ended up still aluminium and relatively soft. Half that engine was in smaller GM cars 10 years later and Cosworth tricked one up and got very good power from it. Not sure what the longevity was, though.