MG Sports Cars

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

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Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: Moderator
Date: December 10, 2012 12:12PM

Per the October 2012 edition of Classic American magazine via scans on the t2vrestoration.com website:

Summary: In 1966, Keith Sales of SS Motors in Mitcham Surrey England put a 396cid Chevy V8
in a 1963 MGB and began dragracing it at Santa Pod. (Its first known race was August 14, 1966
where it clocked a 14.649s quarter mile. By Easter '67 it had taken more than a second off that.
By the end of the '67 season it was down to 12.15s on gasoline.) The car featured a radically
styled fiberglass bodywork and a flashy red with gold paint job. As dragracers do, the car was
given a bold name: "Megalomania".

http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/0c638666d02686daebb8a08dfe5a0235_by8q.jpg

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http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/34fa81cc4bb37cf5b33b8e967c0ca52e_e7x9.jpg

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http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/1c02fe2ff85e2c3a020ac8e3f8d96733_ner1.jpg

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http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/adcda4e2ffd57921f41acfb3aff15019_ssjm.jpg

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http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/d7cd98d6690aee337f3aeb716deea1ea_q57v.jpg


Jim Stabe
Jim Stabe
San Diego, Ca
(829 posts)

Registered:
02/28/2009 10:01AM

Main British Car:
1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy

authors avatar
Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: Jim Stabe
Date: December 10, 2012 05:24PM

Can you shrink the photos down so we can see them?


Todd McCreary
Todd McCreary

(207 posts)

Registered:
03/16/2012 10:57PM

Main British Car:


Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: Todd McCreary
Date: December 10, 2012 07:33PM

save each image individually to your local computer.

then download a decent pic viewer / editer and zoom in and out to your hearts content.

i use Irfanview.
[www.irfanview.com]


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: December 10, 2012 08:53PM

With Firefox, just hold the CTRL key down & use the mouse scroll whee l(or - key & + key) to zoom out or in.

Sure thought that car would run much, much faster than a 14.6.


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: Moderator
Date: December 10, 2012 10:22PM

just two sentences further... 12.15s


Jim Stabe
Jim Stabe
San Diego, Ca
(829 posts)

Registered:
02/28/2009 10:01AM

Main British Car:
1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy

authors avatar
Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: Jim Stabe
Date: December 11, 2012 10:37AM

Quote:

With Firefox, just hold the CTRL key down & use the mouse scroll whee l(or - key & + key) to zoom out or in.


Pretty neat trick, thanks


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: December 11, 2012 03:15PM

Curtis,

I put my 3000lb Camaro (4 speed) well into the 12s @ 112mph with no slicks & no traction off the line. I was thinking that big block MG would be good for 9s or, at least, 10s.



Preform Resources
Dave Craddock
Redford,Michigan
(359 posts)

Registered:
12/20/2008 05:46PM

Main British Car:
72 MGB V6 3.4

Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: Preform Resources
Date: December 11, 2012 03:18PM

Interesting shot of him running against an old McClaren can am car !
Dave


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: Moderator
Date: December 11, 2012 03:26PM

Quote:
I was thinking that big block MG would be good for 9s or, at least, 10s.

Yeah, I know. Nothing about its racing history is impressive except when it happened. Starting from August 14, 1966... (!)


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: December 11, 2012 07:17PM

Well, it is quite unique!


TeamEvil
Thomas Canty

(34 posts)

Registered:
03/07/2012 02:01PM

Main British Car:


Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: TeamEvil
Date: December 24, 2012 03:34PM

What a neat post, I just LOVE this sort of thing. Ordered an issue of the magazine a few moments ago just for the article.

I'm new here (although I've been signed up for a time, I haven't been active at all) and not that familiar with the site, is there a section or on-going thread where more of this sort of thing/these sort of cars might be posted?

Thanks,

T


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: Moderator
Date: December 24, 2012 04:23PM

Welcome to BritishV8, Thomas. This sort of stuff is sprinkled in throughout, at odd intervals. I guess you'll just have to surf around for it. I can give you one tip. If you liked reading about Megalomania, you're almost sure to like "The Muscle Sprout"


TeamEvil
Thomas Canty

(34 posts)

Registered:
03/07/2012 02:01PM

Main British Car:


Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Posted by: TeamEvil
Date: December 24, 2012 06:21PM

Thank you for that link ! !

I really DID enjoy the photos and write-up AND learned some good tech for my own project. I was worried about spring wrap. Having already purchased some "slapper bars" I thought that I might have it solved, but the idea of reinforcing (and possibly extending) the axle pads is going to be perfect. Low tech, easy, and seemingly a proven solution.

Been hanging around less than a day; already having a terrific time and learned something that I'll use on my build as well.

Terrific ! !

TC


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