Bodywork, Paint, Interior, Trim, & Wiring

Hi all,

I just noticed that Frontline Development has a new MGB-GT--the LE60 [www.frontline-cars.co.uk] This looks interesting to me as they say they have made subtle improvements to the bodywork to accommodate wider tires (225/55R16). Can anyone stare at the pics and give their opinion about what changes they have made? This looks like an interesting alternative to grafting Sebring fenders.

Hard to see anything at all, just a pull at the wheelarches.
The standard arches would accommodate.. what... 185s?
I wonder if the wheels have a different offset.

All looks very smart, especially the interior.

How much....

I have seen 225/50-15 tires under two MGBs without using flares. It can be done.

Here they are:

[www.britishv8.org]

[www.britishv8.org]

Ivor, better be sitting down. I believe that Frontline car is over 200,000 GBP (!)

Carl, great information on the wheels. Thanks.

They did a milder widening of the body than I did on mine. If you look at the beltline trim it bows up and out slightly where the fender has been bulged out. It starts at the door and finishes at the tail light. I moved mine out about 1 1/2" and theirs looks to be about half of that at the most. I remade the entire back fender on mine so the belt line remained parallel with the ground but it looks like they may have just pushed out the outer and modified the inner fender to the wider width. Details are in my build journal





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/2024 02:28AM by Jim Stabe.

Thanks Jim, that echoes what I thought might be the case. I've gotten my hand on some extra front and rear fenders--I am going to try using that extra sheet metal to do something similar to what they've done. But going to try it at the front, as well.

I widened mine by flaring the rear 3" per side using sheet metal (an english wheel is helpful) and at the front by splitting the fenders along the hoodline and adding a wedge, 3" at the front to a point at the rear. It messes with the beltline but otherwise works out OK. But really, other than appearance there is no need as 215 rubber is adequate at the front.

Jim

Jim, yeah it's definitely something I'm considering for appearance. Trying to see if I can run the same 16" size wheels and tire of the Frontline model. The approach you took was what I was originally considering, until I saw a guy widen an early Camaro by cutting along the beltline and filling there. That's why I picked up some scrap fenders, as I'd patch in a good piece of beltline in the correct location where I cut and opened it up. What he did for both the front and the rear is to cut the fenders all the way from the front to the rear, leaving a tiny amount of metal in both locations, and then pulling it out about an inch to inch and a half. Once you replace the beltline gap created with new beltline metal, you can barely see it (looking similar to the LE60 rear fenders). It's a theory anyway. Nice thing is that my scrap fenders only cost a couple hundred (although cutting the back end of B into pieces is not for the faint of heart). I'm going to try the front first, where I have a brand new set of GT fenders, in case I screw it up, before I tackle the more difficult rears.