Project Journals

Owner: Martyn Harvey -

An MG "hobbyist" building an MGB V8 using many of the quality conversion parts supplied by the
amazing vendors* that sponsor this website. Car started out as a Harvest Gold 1974.5 MGBGT.
The project started on December 22/08. Actually, I purchased the car in the fall of 1998 with the intention of converting it to a V8. My goal is to build a highly modified, exciting but reliable Grand Tourer that looks like it came out of the MG factory. It will not have a hot rod "look" and it will not be a race car. It will, hopefully, project a powerfull period presence. My goal is to fit the Ford drive train into the original MGB shell without making any major cuts to the original bodywork.
Projected completion date is now summer 2012. The car was painted during summer 2011.
The car had the old paint stripped the week of July 4th - 8th. Sandblasted July 14th. Primered July 20th. Painted August 10th. Purchased March AC brackets. Switched to serpentine drive water pump. Purchased Fast Cars aluminum rad and added extra fuse panel to the Advance Wire fuse block. Started building the dash with Speed Hut instruments. Car painted and returned home Aug 17th. September 11th, installed 4-link rear axle. Sept 15th, installed windshield and tail gate glass. Sept 24th, checked wheel fit. Sept 27th, started to assemble the Hoyle front suspension. Purchased Dynamat sound proofing/insulate for cockpit. Purchased Falken tires and mounted on rims. Oct 2nd, re-fitted steering rack (I'm using 1980 front crossmember, 1980 steering rack, drop spindles on Hoyle front suspension), installed new gaiters and tie rod ends to rack,drilled front tray and fitted AC drier, drilled and fitted battery cut off switch. Oct 30th, installed all lights, fabricated interior stowage compartment to replace rear seat. Nov 21st, received new fuel tank from BMC - 50% more fuel capacity and complete with internal high pressure fuel pump for fuel injection. Dec 10th, started application of Dynaliner sound proofing material on interior panels. Dec19th, assembling new leather seats, purchased EZ Fast fuel conversion kit, purchased Speedhut GPS speedometer and electronic tacho. Dec 23rd, more progress on rewiring the car with Advance Wire kit. Jan 6th, re-fitting chrome, door frames, door locks, windows. Installed door jamb connectors for all door wiring for remote door locks and power windows. Fitted hydraulic struts to the "boot" floor. Funny how the "small stuff" takes so darn long. I can't believe how much time i spend looking for nuts and washers that i always seem to drop on the garage floor.....and then roll under the bench or under anything!!!!
Also, i can't believe that i didn't bag all the "bits" better than I did.........but there are so many "bits" to organize or lose!!!!! Anyway, much progress has been made over the past couple of weeks. Jan 21st, power windows and remote door locks tested. Speakers fitted into rear quarter panels behind rear wheel arches. Advance wiring kit installation continues. Feb 25th, working on interior.....dynaliner sound proofing and making new interior panels and trim. March 12th, installed efi fuel tank. March 29th, Installed clutch and trial fit engine. April 5th, took delivery of new Tremec gearbox today and fitted clutch slave. April 14th, trial fit engine - slight mods to chassis required. April 20th, fitted brake lines and new clutch to slave line. April 26th, frame mods completed and engine installed. May has been a month of numerous small completions: installed heater valve, installed heater controls and cables, switched distributor, checked that hood will close over the fuel injection throttle body and air cleaner, purchased new front brake calipers (Toyota truck), purchased gear shifter and boot, purchased different AC condenser, and planned installation of FAST EZ fuel injection wiring harness. July 14th, re-working rad and AC condenser brackets, sourced rad hoses, re-configuring the front sway bar, installed efi cmputer, wiring and harness. Ordered up a new driveshaft. Re-covered seats in leather. Spent a pile more money on small stuff.....!!! July 17th, Building bracket to install the remote oil filter. Aug 3rd, re-worked the rad, fan and condenser brackets. Re-working the front sway bar to fit around the crank pulley. Hope to be on the road in August :-) Sept 2nd, fitted new fuel lines, fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, etc. More work on dashboard wiring. All heater hoses installed, electric cooling fan sensor and temp guage sensor installed. September 25th, exhaust system installed. Oct 11th, today was supposed to be start-up day......but....:-(........when I added coolant to the system, my rad leaked around where I had attached the AC condenser brackets.....so, rad out and back to the rad shop. All wiring has been completed and tested...at least that is all good. Oct 13th, filled clutch line with fluid and attempted to bleed the brakes. All was going well until I apparantly tripped the pressure differential switch. Apparantly the actuator is now preventing me moving fluid to the rear brakes. I think I will take a break for the day!!!!!!! After researching more about this pressure differential device, I find it is fine and working properly. Oct 28th, so there is nothing wrong with the braking system except for a faulty rear brake proportioning valve. It seems that my brand new (swap meet purchase) APV is blocking fluid for some reason. Who knows!!! . Unbelievably annoying and frustrating!!! I will purchase another new one and hope it works. Nov11th, replaced the rear brake bias valve with another new one and completed bleeding the brakes. Re-worked the clutch slave bracket and adjustable piston. I think I'm ready to fire up the engine, test drive and do a 4 wheel alignment.Nov16th, DRIVING!!! It's all I had hoped AWESOME!!! Nov 22nd, alignment completed. Corner weights set......exact 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. Car weighs in at a whopping 2600 lbs fully laden with spare wheel, jack, tools and 3/4 tank of gas.

City: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Car Model: MGB GT
Engine: Ford 302


Engine: 1988 Ford 302 V8 - roller cam, RHS aluminum cylinder heads. Dyno results: 284HP / 299 torque at rear wheels.
Built by Forrest & Forrest Racing, Kitchener, Ontario (March 2009)

Induction: FAST Throttle body fuel injection system

Ignition: MSD 8579 distributor, Blaster coil, MSD control box

Cooling: Fast Cars Aluminum modified for AC*, Nostalgic air conditioning system using March bracket kit.

Exhaust: Fast Cars Headers* with High Tech Coatings, Twin Pipe Stainless with Borla mufflers

Transmission: 2012 Tremec World Class T5

Rear Axle: Ford 8.8" posi, 3.08

Front Susp.: FabTek dropped spindles*, Hoyle coil-over system.

Rear Susp.: Classic Cars 4 link* with Gaz shocks

Brakes:
(master cylinders) MGB
(front) Toyota twin pot calipers, vented rotors
(rear) Wilwood disc brake with proporrtioning vlave

Wheels/Tires: Compomotive ML rims 15x7 with Falken 225-50x15 rear, 205-55x15 front

Body: Colour - Black. (Car will keep the rubber bumpers!). At first glance "HARV8GT" will look like the "twin" to my
black roadster, "HARV8".........although under the skin there will be a world of difference!

Interior: 1980 MGB Dash, Speedhut guages, leather seats, power windows, remote door locks, cruise control, Pieces of Eight
bonnet and Hatch Struts*, new carpets

Electrical: Advance Wiring Kit*



original 4-cylinder car photographed alongside a Brooklands BGT

original car before disassembly

bonnet louvres for heat removal and style

original 4 cylinder engine

the beginning of the disassembly process

D&D radiator

Fast cars headers with hi tech coating

modified and strenghthened cross member for Ford V8

awesome Advance upgraded wiring harness and fuse block

creature comforts - power windows and remote door locks

good engine and driveline sold to an MGA rebuild

Forrest & Forrest built Ford 302

new engine

welding in the sub frame connectors

outside Grant's shop, August 2010

mods completed, ready to return home for further disassembly

steering shaft to motor mount clearance check

going home after engine bay mods, august 2010

custom bracket for engine steady bar

using an old engine block for modifying the engine bay

making sure the engine will fit snugly

trial fitting the engine

Grant Schwartz Custom Fabricating........highly recommended!

trial fitting the thru-the-fender headers

modifying the rad tray

fender cut outs for the headers

moified MGB tranny mount

modified engine bay

custom frame mounts for engine

Anchor brand OE Ford engine mounts

trial fitiing the Classic Cars 4 link rear

4 link rear suspension and Ford 8.8 axle

minilight style rims

15x7 Compomotive rims

modified front cross member ready for Hoyle front suspension kit

April 2011: off to the paint shop

Preparing to strip paint

Ready for stripping

Shell blasted and ready for primer

Primered

Almost ready for paint


Spraying

Louvered bonnet

Back home and ready for assembly

New glass arriving soon

Cleaned and ready for assembly

Waxed

Now what?

New tailgate glass with demister

Checking wheel fit and 4-link suspension

Pieces of Eight tailgate struts

Fast Cars aluminum rad and cooling fan

Ford 8.8" on 4-Link rear suspension

Falken 225-50-x15 on Compomotive Rims

Hoyle front suspension and Fab Tek dropped spindles

Drier located in front rad tray

AC condenser and drier

Stowage compartment - still untrimmed

Trial fitting the 4-link rear suspension

New larger capacity fuel tank with internal high pressure pump

March AC Bracket. Initially used MSD 8479 distributor, but too tall for stock bonnet

Toyota truck twin pot front brake calipers

New leather seat skin

Speedhut GPS Speedometer and electronic tach

EZFASTEFI kit

Throttle body EFI

Refitted door glass, power windows, remote locks, dynaliner sound proofing, etc

door glass refitted

third brake light in licence plate, new badging, 60's style rear lights

Refitting the chrome and GT flash

efi Fuel tank from BMC

New Hatch Seal

trial fitting engine

Tremec World Class Gearbox and Clutch Slave Cylinder

New Engine and Tremec box ready for install

Engine Trial Fit

Engine in!

Cheers!

Safety Faster front brakes

Fast Cars Rad with AC condenser attached

Remote Oil Filter Bracket on Driver Fender

Driveshaft

Borla Stainless Exhaust System installed

Borla XS Muffler

On the Flatbed.......for the last time!!!

Almost Done!!!

September 28,2012


Twins

Interior: Power Window switches, Speedhut guages, AC switches, Leather seats

" LET ME OUTA HERE..........I'M READY TO GO!!!"

Nov 16th,2012 DRIVING!!!

Nov 16th,2012

Nov 16th,2012

Practical appeal of the GT

In the rear view mirror




Edited 83 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2012 06:55PM by harv8.

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