MG Sports Cars

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

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Morrisgarage
Nicolai Jensen

(5 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2017 02:06PM

Main British Car:


Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: Morrisgarage
Date: October 12, 2017 03:17PM

Hi guys

I have seen this ad for a long time and now I consider if I should take action on it.

[m.carandclassic.co.uk]

What do you think of the car and the price tag?

I'm not going to use it as a race car, just as a fun road racer.

Appreciate all feedback. Thanks in avancere.

BR
Nicolai


88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: 88v8
Date: October 13, 2017 04:07AM

A lot of thought and effort and time and money has been expended.
But to what purpose? A track-day car that can be driven on the road?

I think you have to go and look. It's a matter of taste, how it feels.
And of course a matter of your eyeball assessment, how well it has been done.

Whether the suspension is too hard for your taste, whether the engine is too cammy and idles roughly, whether the interior is comfortable and will be comfortable after a hundred miles, whether the non-standard exhaust has a 'boom' period, whether there is road noise bump thump, driveline vibration, what has happened to the luggage space, how is the panel fit, how was the rust treated when the car was built - there is always rust - who will have the ability and knowledge to maintain it given that it is now non-standard,
.
And whether you (and perhaps someone else) will still want to drive it after the novelty has worn off. Ahh, that is the question.
It's idiosyncratic, a bespoke car.

You only live once.
Go and see whether it fits.

Let us know.

Ivor


Morrisgarage
Nicolai Jensen

(5 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2017 02:06PM

Main British Car:


Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: Morrisgarage
Date: October 13, 2017 08:17AM

Hi Ivor

Thanks for your reply.

I already own a four cylinder MGB GT with a some race trim in engine and suspensions, so I know a bit about it although I don't have a lot of mechanical insight and I have only owned it for a year. Sorry for not sharing that in my first post.

The main questions from me to you and others are:

How is the demand for factory V8's versus converted V8's and especially when it's a factory V8 with mods. It's a RHD, so has the brites started to import these rare cars back or how is the temperature on the market atm?

What is the weaknesses of a car like this - what should I pay special attention to? Eg. is the transmission strong enough for the modified power?

BR
Nicolai


88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: 88v8
Date: October 14, 2017 03:23PM

I don't really follow the MGB. I had an MGC in the 70s, wrecked it in a head-on.

Are we importing cars? I'd say not. Unlike the E Type for instance, demand does not exceed supply. A quick eBay search shows 178 MGB of which one is a California import, and on Car&Classsic there are 356 of which one - the same car - is an import.

As to the car's weaknesses, the engine is making no more power than the later SD1 unit, so the gearbox should be OK. The Quaife diff would be OK, not sure about the half-shafts. depends how much abuse it gets.
In other respects it has the same weaknesses as the standard car, mainly that they rust.

My detached perception is that factory original cars will make decent money, but once they are modified the market shrinks. And the saleability and price likewise. On this car, the fibreglass wings are unhelpful to the value.

Look at this non-original example.
[www.ebay.co.uk]
Make allowances for the illiterate ad, and the rubber bumper shell, it can't raise a bid at £8,995.

So if you are concerned about one day getting your money back, I'd say let it go.

Ivor


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: Moderator
Date: October 15, 2017 11:56AM

"What do you think of the car..."

I think it looks like a LOT of fun. Frankly, most "factory" anythings are pretty boring because once you've seen one you've seen them all. This example is unique. And, since it's already extensively modified, you can make whatever future changes you like without guilt or regret.

I love having a roll cage in my GT! The cage in this here GT is nice. OTOH, its shoulder harnesses are mounted too low. Google "shoulder harness mounting height" to learn why. I'd strongly recommend improving your new GT by welding in a horizontal tube between the existing roll cage tubes (like this: [www.britishv8.org]). Then, attach your harnesses to it.


Morrisgarage
Nicolai Jensen

(5 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2017 02:06PM

Main British Car:


Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: Morrisgarage
Date: October 16, 2017 10:13AM

Hi Curtis and others

I agree - it looks like a lot of fun and it is a lot of fun. I went there saturday and it was a great experience to drive it. It sounds like a real V8 race car and not like a lazy american noisy V8 car and it's rather quick as well.

If I buy it, then I would go a bit into the visual and make it a bit like an urban outlaw style racer (Magnus Walker - Porsche 911.

One thing is the gear shift position - it's very close to the steering wheel. Is it possible to slide the gear shift a bit to the left? It sounds weird, but I know it's an option on some classic Alfa Romeo's.


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: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: October 16, 2017 11:06AM

Yes, but Nicolai, that IS an American V8.
Which only goes to show that you can make "a lazy american noisy V8" sound like a tiny frenzied european raspy 4 cylinder easily enough if you know what you are doing.

Jim



ex-tyke
Graham Creswick
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
(1165 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:17AM

Main British Car:
1976 MGB Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: ex-tyke
Date: October 16, 2017 03:24PM

Quote:
Is it possible to slide the gear shift a bit to the left?
"Heating with an acetylene torch and bending " is the usual method of re-indexing a shift lever. Best done removed from car!


Morrisgarage
Nicolai Jensen

(5 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2017 02:06PM

Main British Car:


Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: Morrisgarage
Date: October 17, 2017 05:13AM

Heating and bending the gear shift might be an option if there is no mechanical way to do it. Else I might need to remove the steering wheel every time I get in or out of the car. It's tight in my normal LHD MGB GT, but this RHD seems even more tight.


88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: 88v8
Date: October 17, 2017 05:26PM

Or fit a smaller wheel?


Morrisgarage
Nicolai Jensen

(5 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2017 02:06PM

Main British Car:


Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: Morrisgarage
Date: October 18, 2017 05:15AM

The wheel is already what I would call small as you can see on the picture, but yes, a even smaller is maybe an option.
mgbv8.jpg


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: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: October 18, 2017 10:23AM

Shorten the shifter.


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: October 18, 2017 10:41AM

They dimpled the roll cage tubing for clearance for the window handle?!


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: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: RMO 699F
Date: October 18, 2017 11:21AM

Jims suggestion is spot on...take 2/3 inches off the top of the shifter and rethread....it would certainly look better and probably be more functional too...


88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Re: Factory Mgb V8
Posted by: 88v8
Date: October 18, 2017 01:49PM

They dimpled the roll cage tubing for clearance for the window handle?!

Attention to detail.
After all, if the car turns over one might need to open the window to get out.

Yes, that wheel is quite small. My TR6 had a shortened shifter. It was heavy when the box was cold, otherwise it was good.
That too was shortened for an ignoble purpose, namely that PO couldn't get his CDs into the in-dash CD player.

Ivor



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