Project Journals

Owner: Erich Starzinger
City: Atlanta
Car Model: 1974 1/4 MGB (Mirage)
Engine: 1994 GM L32 3.4l V8

Cooling: Stock (for the moment)

Exhaust: TBD

Transmission: Toyota W58

Rear Axle: Stock

Front Susp.: Stock

Rear Susp.: Stock

Brakes: Stock
(master)
(front)
(rear)

Wheels/Tires: 15" Nissan 280ZX Turbo

Body Mods: None (yet)

Interior: Navy carpet and panels, Fiero seats

Electrical: Advanced Autowire. Gauges are Speedhut

Here's the car. I get a lot of odd looks with the color.


The bellhousing came from a 1990 Jeep Comanche. The W58 from a Toyota Celica Supra.


The flywheel is a stock Camaro flywheel re-drilled for a Toyota Supra 3.0 NA clutch.



Here's the engine assembled. When I fitted it in my test mule the stick comes out almost exactly the same as the stock location.


I am going to use a MKIV dash instead of the Abbington pillow for the extra gauges. The gauges as all Speedhut except the ammeter which is Clasic Instruments. The speedometer is GPS so I don't have to figure out how to interface with the transmission.


Here's the engine bay. Note the BFH work needed for the engine to fit.


The sills, floor pans, interior firewall, rear ledge and battery boxes were treated with a special rust inhibitor/treatment that cost $100/pint. After the car is painted, the pans, sills and firewall will get a coating of two-part urethane bedliner. The painter says if the pans rust, it won't be because water got to them from the top (lol).




Here's the car with one coat of paint. It's getting two more, and then three of clear coat.


Here she is on the way home.


And now the fun begins... It's hard to tell but Mirage is going to get a navy blue interior.


This is a test fit of the dash. My motto has always been there is no such thing as too many gauges or too much horsepower. One note on the console - I am not installing the heater core or ventilation controls so holes on either side of the Peachtree MG Registry medallion will be filled with a cigarette lighter and a dual USB socket.


To simplify the underdash wiring with all the aftermarket gauges, I have installed marine type busbars for switched and direct power, and ground.


To make sure I can cool the V6 on a sweltering Atlanta day, I'm looking at a fan from a Volvo S70. It will be tight but should work with some modication to the radiator support and fan shrould. Note - changed to a smaller Hayden fan so i can use the Moss shroud an need be.


Got the parts back from Custom Coaters of Atlanta. The black will really pop against the mauve engine compartment.


Here's my modified center console. One side is a cigar lighter (mostly for the GPS) and the other side is a dual-USB socket. The center is a grill badge I used to cover the hole.


Now that I've started to do the wiring, I've decided to use Delphi Weatherpack connectors for the most part. I like the idea of using water resistant connectors. I'm also running the loom to the back of the car through the passenger compartment. The engine side loom I am running through the fender well. That way the engine compartement will look relatively clean.

Fabricated a mounting plate for the washer pump and for an inertial safety switch (fuel pump cutoff). I could have found a place inside for the inertial switch but no good place stood out, and the engine compartment was the easy choice. Added a fuel pump cutoff switch and bump starter. Those were suggested as good ideas for when working on the engine.




I've decided to use a Hayden 291 remote oil filter adapter. Together with some plumbing fittings from Ace Hardware I hope the oil temp and oil pressure sensors with work in it.


After much heart burn I decided to dump the AC/Delco alternator. The battery post on the alternator was just too close to the valve cover for comfort. After looking around, i settled on the Nippon Denso unit fitted to a Geo Metro/Suzuki Swift 1.3L 3 banger. The unit is 2/3 the size of the Delco unit and puts out 55A. It comes with either a v-belt , 3 rib or 4 rib pulley, and best of all the battery post is on the side. Also, it uses GM style mounts (3 ears) so adapting it to the car is simple.


Mounted, the alternator fit very nicely. I did have to drill out two of the ears to fit the M12 bolts the engine required.




Edited 13 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2020 09:19PM by EKStarzinger.

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