MG Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" and Costello V8s

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Morty
Shawn Morton
Calgary Canada
(3 posts)

Registered:
01/21/2018 01:12PM

Main British Car:
78 MGB V8 Roadster, 68 Triumph TR250, 72 XKE OTS 3.5L

authors avatar
Egg Crate Grill/Bumper BV8
Posted by: Morty
Date: October 14, 2018 05:26PM

I'm sure this will be met with mixed reviewes however I really like it and I've never seen it done before. Back story, Car is a build by PO and came to me with the typical overheating problem engine is 3.5L Rover. I have removed the block hugger style headers to be replaced with RV8 style pipes, New aluminum radiator with dual 1000 cfm fans , and this bumper mod.
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88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Re: Egg Crate Grill/Bumper BV8
Posted by: 88v8
Date: October 15, 2018 09:47AM

Assuming it was built from new parts and there were no timing or mixture issues, surprised it was overheating with that louvred bonnet n'all.

I don't like anything about the factory rubber bumpers, but if there is some reason you don't want them gone, that is a novel and ingenious alternative. How did you do it?

Ivor


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

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Re: Egg Crate Grill/Bumper BV8
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: October 15, 2018 09:54AM

Very interesting! I like it.

Mine has ceramic coated block hugger headers & no louvers. Has never overheated in 17 1/2 years.


RMO 699F
Mike Maloney
SW Ohio
(531 posts)

Registered:
12/09/2007 12:28PM

Main British Car:
1974 MGB Sebring GT, 3.9 Rover V8

authors avatar
Re: Egg Crate Grill/Bumper BV8
Posted by: RMO 699F
Date: October 15, 2018 04:13PM

Shawn..that is very nicely done..very creative..will be interesting to see how that affects engine and engine bay temperatures too...of course another option would be to remove the rubber bumper and convert to chrome. Was wondering if you have you ever met Roger Haber, he is from Black Diamond and runs a beautiful sbc powered 1967 mgb. (His car is listed under photo galleries above). FWIW, my son lives in Douglasbank Mews in Calgary...
Cheers
Mike


Morty
Shawn Morton
Calgary Canada
(3 posts)

Registered:
01/21/2018 01:12PM

Main British Car:
78 MGB V8 Roadster, 68 Triumph TR250, 72 XKE OTS 3.5L

authors avatar
Re: Egg Crate Grill/Bumper BV8
Posted by: Morty
Date: October 16, 2018 12:41AM

Thanks for the kind words, To be fair I haven't driven the car much since I have owned it I know PO did have some cooling issues so I decided to just dig in and address and eliminate any potential cooling problems. There were other issues because of the block hugger headers, the main one being clearance between the bonnet and air filter. I believe the RV8 headers will produce more torque, allow the engine to sit lower in the engine bay and with the wheel arches cut will allow for more air circulation around the engine.

I do kind of like the rubber bumpers on a red car I have done chrome bumper conversions in the past and the sebring look is something that if I am going to do I would want to go full on and I'm sure I want to take on that project right now.

I used a small rotor with a mortise bit taking two cuts to get just through the rubber outer skin. The rubber cover was removed from the steel bumper to allow the cut out to be preformed, I will cutting more metal away to lighten it as well as the rear member.

Mike I don't remember seeing that car before, I do remember a black V8 in Black Dimond but I didn't get a good look at it as it went by so fast lol ! I belong to the Calgary MG club but don't get out with them as much as I would like.


RMO 699F
Mike Maloney
SW Ohio
(531 posts)

Registered:
12/09/2007 12:28PM

Main British Car:
1974 MGB Sebring GT, 3.9 Rover V8

authors avatar
Re: Egg Crate Grill/Bumper BV8
Posted by: RMO 699F
Date: October 16, 2018 01:04AM

I believe Roger runs an auto repair shop in Black Diamond...Roger was able to attend the V8 meet in Colorado Springs a few years ago and actually attended the British V8 meet in Dayton, Ohio this July...he is a great person!


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Egg Crate Grill/Bumper BV8
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: October 16, 2018 11:52AM

The black bumpers never really did look bad and plenty of people liked them better. As far as appearance the design was advanced, all cars have them today. But they are heavy. This new treatment certainly is distinctive. You need to find a way to blacken the cut edges though.

Jim



BenJB
Ben Branch

(6 posts)

Registered:
05/20/2019 03:00AM

Main British Car:


Re: Egg Crate Grill/Bumper BV8
Posted by: BenJB
Date: May 29, 2019 08:30AM

What intake manifold/carb are you using? I really like that air cleaner too. When you put in the RV8 headers did you weld the braces to the inner fender holes?


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