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
Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: Moderator
Date: November 24, 2007 04:45PM

You guys might get a kick out of these photos of one of Abingdon's finest::
[www.britishv8.org]
(Click the link to see all 57 photos.)

KevinRichards-1I.jpg

KR-Overview-2.jpg


mowog1
Rick Ingram
Central Illinois
(1523 posts)

Registered:
10/17/2007 09:36PM

Main British Car:
1974.5 MGB/GT 3.9l Rover

authors avatar
Re: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: mowog1
Date: November 24, 2007 06:04PM

Um.......there's no radiator?

Does look sweet here, though!


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: Moderator
Date: November 24, 2007 07:29PM

that's explained in the write-up... it was out getting re-cored


302V8
Pete Mantell
Sidney, IL
(96 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 09:47AM

Main British Car:
69 MGB 302 V8 Ford 302 '347' stroker 505HP 440ftlbs

Re: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: 302V8
Date: November 26, 2007 10:07AM

Rick,

It was the factory car that VW had some input on, they removed the rad to try and make it aircooled!! :) :)

Pete


Edd Weninger
Edd Weninger
Mogollon Airpark Overgaard AZ
(22 posts)

Registered:
10/28/2007 12:49PM

Main British Car:
1977 MGB Rover 3.5 L EFI

authors avatar
Re: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: Edd Weninger
Date: November 28, 2007 12:26PM

Man, I've been biting my tongue, but the induction system on the factory V8s has got to be one of the ugliest systems I've ever seen.

I don't think it can be very efficient either. Perhaps the reason for the low output from 3.5 Liters.

Sorry if I offend anyone, but.............the rest of the car looks great.

Edd Weninger


V6 Midget
Bill Young
Kansas City, MO
(1337 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 09:23AM

Main British Car:
'73 MG Midget V6 , '59 MGA I6 2.8 GM, 4.0 Jeep

authors avatar
Re: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: V6 Midget
Date: November 28, 2007 01:44PM

Edd, I have to agree, but they used what was at hand and that was SUs. Couldn't just buy some carbs from the US, had to use the standard British performance equation, just add SUs or Strombergs until you get what you want. Did almost the same on the TR8 and it's a real PITA to work on the induction as I've heard.


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: Moderator
Date: November 28, 2007 02:09PM

They probably COULD have bought a U.S. carburetor (Sunbeam did for the Tiger, and even MG installed Delco alternators on the MGB V8)... but the British were very proud of those SUs.

What I can't get over isn't the carbs... it's that silly air filter scheme. Just how many bits and pieces are there? There must be at least two dozen stamped sheetmetal parts. The carbs seem to be pulling from a common plenum - so why did they want dual filters?

The intake manifold is obviously aluminum... but can someone please confirm for me whether the V-shaped adapter that supports the carbs is aluminum? It's painted black, and referred to only as "cast" in the literature. (Usually the British literature says "alloy" if something is aluminum.) That adapter isn't really cast iron, is it?



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: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: November 28, 2007 06:14PM

Not only that but they only used two carbs. Now correct me if I'm wrong but on engines between 2 and 3 liters didn't they use 3 carbs? So why not 4 on a 3-1/2 liter motor? For a manufacturer it doesn't seem that would be any more difficult than that nutso system they put on it and it certainly would have looked better.


mowog1
Rick Ingram
Central Illinois
(1523 posts)

Registered:
10/17/2007 09:36PM

Main British Car:
1974.5 MGB/GT 3.9l Rover

authors avatar
Re: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: mowog1
Date: November 29, 2007 11:41AM

BlownMGB-V8 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not only that but they only used two carbs. Now
> correct me if I'm wrong but on engines between 2
> and 3 liters didn't they use 3 carbs? So why not 4
> on a 3-1/2 liter motor? For a manufacturer it
> doesn't seem that would be any more difficult than
> that nutso system they put on it and it certainly
> would have looked better.


The MGC, at just under 3 litres, only had two HS6 carbs as stock. Upgrades to a triple SU or triple Weber were available to boost performance.


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: Moderator
Date: November 30, 2007 01:40PM

Here's another one... VERY nice!

Dave Wellings' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8: [www.britishv8.org]

DaveWellings-AB.jpg

(This one isn't for sale.)


filospinato
Jake Voelckers

(18 posts)

Registered:
01/15/2008 10:44PM

Main British Car:


Re: Kevin Richards' Factory-Original 1974 MGB GT V8
Posted by: filospinato
Date: January 18, 2008 02:31PM

The black V shaped upper manifold piece is aluminum, I have an original one. The airflow path looks terrible.


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