MG Sports Cars

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

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triumphtr2
tim body
St thomas ont Canada
(87 posts)

Registered:
08/18/2010 10:21PM

Main British Car:
1954 TR2 serial # TS 110 L triumph 2 litre

MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: triumphtr2
Date: July 27, 2012 09:54PM

Just came across an overhead cam engine for sale in a 61 MGA needing restoration. Barn find kind of thing. Any thoughts on what an engine like that is worth as is these days? Tim.... I guess I should say Twin Cam engine to be clear.


triumphtr2
tim body
St thomas ont Canada
(87 posts)

Registered:
08/18/2010 10:21PM

Main British Car:
1954 TR2 serial # TS 110 L triumph 2 litre

Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: triumphtr2
Date: July 31, 2012 07:18PM

Upon further study I have found out the twin cam motor in the sixty one MGA is an Alfa motor. Surprise surprise. No need to worry about trhe value of an MGA Twin Cam motor. I googled Twin Cams and found out they are worth five grand and up, just in case anybody needs to know Tim


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: Moderator
Date: July 31, 2012 07:59PM

So you're more interested than ever, right? I think you should be, not just because Alfa engines are pretty nifty but also because they probably have higher resale value than an MG Twin Cam. I wonder who put it there...

basic info: [en.wikipedia.org]


triumphtr2
tim body
St thomas ont Canada
(87 posts)

Registered:
08/18/2010 10:21PM

Main British Car:
1954 TR2 serial # TS 110 L triumph 2 litre

Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: triumphtr2
Date: August 04, 2012 07:27PM

Hi Curtiss. I've been away.The fellow that owned the car installed it about twenty years ago to get more power . Unfortunately he came down with a brain tumor and stroke and did nothing with it after that.He passed away a few months ago and some one is selling all the MGA parts on behalf of his wife. Listed on local KIJIJI for 1900 bucks. Tim Motor and tranny look nice in there too.


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: Moderator
Date: August 05, 2012 12:54AM

Fascinating.

This certainly doesn't look like the Alfa engine my buddy had in his Spider.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzUwWDEwMDA=/$%28KGrHqZ,!o4F!I%28z%28SMqBQEf6+9COg~~48_20.JPG


mgbrv8
David Hetrick
McAllen Texas
(78 posts)

Registered:
03/09/2008 12:49PM

Main British Car:
MGBs- 1977,1969 Vettes-1965,1984,2003 ZO6 LS1s in MGs

authors avatar
Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: mgbrv8
Date: August 06, 2012 02:41AM

That's a Fiat engine

Dave


triumphtr2
tim body
St thomas ont Canada
(87 posts)

Registered:
08/18/2010 10:21PM

Main British Car:
1954 TR2 serial # TS 110 L triumph 2 litre

Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: triumphtr2
Date: August 06, 2012 09:02PM

I met Leon the guy who owned it at a car meet in town and we got yakking about cars, He rerally liked my TR2 and told me about how he used to work on cars. He said he had cut up a TR3 years ago and left parts in the grass on his Dad's farm out side of town and I was welcome to come and have alook for anything still any good.We went out there a few days later but could'nt find anything worthwhile. He showed me the 61 MGA and I'm pretty sure he said Alfa but it could have been Fiat. Who knows? My memory ,his memory. All I remember now is I said I would drop by sometime and take him for a spin.Goes to show you ,you have to do everything right away as it comes up.I talked to the agent and let him know it wasn't an MG Twin Cam . He was happy to be informed as someonr from Ottawa was interested in coming down to see it. Thats about six hours from here. Anyway I'm Impreesed you found the picture of the car. I could't do that in a month of Sundays. What kind of Fiat motor is it? Thanks Tim



denvermgb
Brad Carson
Aurora, Colorado
(104 posts)

Registered:
03/10/2008 12:45AM

Main British Car:
1975 MGB 350 SBC bored 0.040 over

authors avatar
Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: denvermgb
Date: August 07, 2012 09:29AM

Either the oil cap is missing or the photographer is about to top up the oil level.

Looks a lot like what I had in my 850 Spider. It's been so long ago, I could not be sure. I did find my Fiat easy to work on and get juiced up by using two exhaust cams, a Weber, header, lightened flywheel, etc.

Brad


mgb260
Jim Nichols
Sequim,WA
(2461 posts)

Registered:
02/29/2008 08:29PM

Main British Car:
1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8

Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: mgb260
Date: August 07, 2012 02:41PM

Look up Fiat 124 motor.


WernerVC
Werner Van Clapdurp
Lynchburg, Va
(108 posts)

Registered:
09/06/2009 12:56PM

Main British Car:
MGB 1977 Rover 3.5

Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: WernerVC
Date: September 11, 2012 10:07PM

I am in the process of posting an article and pictures about a real MGA twin cam engine in a MGB. This is the original twin cam engine from the late 50's totally rebuild and bored out to almost 2 liter. The engine is fitted with 2 DCOE Weber carbs. It will be a rocket once it is on the road. I got plenty of pics to show the many difficulties that needed to be overcome.
This car belongs to a friend of mine in Belgium so bare with me for updates.


wspohn
bill spohn

(31 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 09:14AM

Main British Car:


authors avatar
Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: wspohn
Date: November 21, 2012 03:50PM

Werner, while a Twin DCOE 2 litre Twin Cam motor is a lovely mill, it really deserves to be in an MGA, not an MGB!

http://www.rhodo.citymax.com/i/non-rhodo/MGA_engine_compt.jpg


tbo
Tim Body
St Thomas Ontario
(221 posts)

Registered:
01/27/2013 06:47PM

Main British Car:
1954 Triumph TR2 stock 2 litre

Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: tbo
Date: June 30, 2013 09:38PM

Went to a car show in Chatham Ontario a few weeks ago(home of ex-tyke) and saw of all things a 57. MGA Twin Cam car. Imagine my surprise when I find out he guy lives in Union, a village five miles south of St. Thomas where I live . The Chap has owned it since 1961 and it is in beautiful condition. You never know where some rare car is going to pop up. The other car with the Fiat engine is still available as far as I know. Will take a true fanatic to tackle that one. Tim


WernerVC
Werner Van Clapdurp
Lynchburg, Va
(108 posts)

Registered:
09/06/2009 12:56PM

Main British Car:
MGB 1977 Rover 3.5

Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: WernerVC
Date: July 05, 2013 10:53PM

Hi Bill,
To come back on your reply that the twin cam engine needs to be in a MGA, well, he has several MGA twin cams.
He had a few spare twin cam engines so he decided to try it in a MGB.
One correction, the carbs are Dellorto's. I'll try to post a picture next time.
Werner


WernerVC
Werner Van Clapdurp
Lynchburg, Va
(108 posts)

Registered:
09/06/2009 12:56PM

Main British Car:
MGB 1977 Rover 3.5

Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: WernerVC
Date: July 05, 2013 11:47PM

Bill,
Here the picture of the twin cam engine. The bloc is from a MGB bored out to 2 liter with the twin cam heads on top. It took a lot of mecanical mods to fit this head on the bloc but the power is greatly improved.
More pics and an update on how it was done will follow.
Werner
DSC02937SS.jpg


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: Moderator
Date: July 06, 2013 01:13AM

Nifty photo. I want to see more of that car!



WernerVC
Werner Van Clapdurp
Lynchburg, Va
(108 posts)

Registered:
09/06/2009 12:56PM

Main British Car:
MGB 1977 Rover 3.5

Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: WernerVC
Date: July 06, 2013 07:57PM

Curtis,
I have lots of pics of the car and would like to start a "How it was done " but don't know how to start. Any pointers ?
The car has a small race history.
Werner


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: MG overhead cam engine
Posted by: Moderator
Date: July 06, 2013 08:49PM

Quote:
Any pointers?

You'll find a standard How-It-Was-Done template and also helpful photography tips, here.

The template seems to force everything onto one sheet of paper. Please DON'T let that constrict you! You can expand the boxes and add as much information as you like. More is definitely better.

Once you've written down the cars features and specifications, consider using that as a guide to photography. If something is mentioned in the write-up, we'd almost certainly like to see at least one close-up photo of it!

When I photograph a car, I try to start wide and then "zoom in" (or "drill down", as some people say.) In other words, I photograph the entire engine bay including fenders, firewall, slam panel, radiator, etc. Then, I start taking closer photos of all the specific parts that appeared in that first photo. If you look at How It Was Done articles, you'll notice that they most often work clockwise around the engine bay from the master cylinders around to the... well, that's often the sequence the photos were taken too! I use a similar process in the cockpit and elsewhere.

Every single photo I upload to this website has been opened in Photoshop and adjusted one way or another. Resized. Cropped. Rotated just a bit. Brightened. I like to work from the largest photo files I can get, because then I can crop or rotate without weird pixelation or other issues. (I also like to receive extra photos so I can choose the best ones myself.) Two most common problems: (1) not enough photos, and (2) too-small photos.


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