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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Fast Cars’ Independent Front Suspension

I’m about ready to take the plunge and purchase one of Ted’s IFS and looking for feedback / impressions from the folks that currently have one installed.

Thanks
Steve LaGoy

Steve,

Its an excellent piece of engineering.
Your car will we transformed.
Well worth every penny.

Pete
69 342 V8 with Fast Cars Crossmember
Pete Mantell

Hi,

I have been doing some research lately with the intention of changing my 73 's front suspension. What I have found is there are some questions to answer regarding what you want to end up with. Do you want:

To keep the 4 bolt wheels or go to 5 bolt wheels
To keep the king pin set up
To keep the lever damper setup
To go coilover "adjustable for ride height" tube shocks
To go to an adjustable tubular a arm - top and bottom
To go to a Mustang 2 front spindle with ball joints
To go to larger front brakes (Mustang 2 spindles can be set up with Granada 11 inch front discs)
To modify the MGB front crossmember or buy a custom one

I am still sorting these questions out. However I think that I will rebuild the extra from crossmember that I have, with Mustang 2 tubular a arms, coil overs, 5 bolt wheels with 11 inch Granada brakes. There are lots of websites about this subject.Google "tubular IFS " "Mustang IFS" I am tired of the kingpin seizing up and A arm holes at the kingpin location elongating and causing clonking noises. This is a poor design dating back to the 30s.Has 0 adjustments for caster camber or ackerman.FWIW Alyn
Alyn

Oops not enough coffee yet !!

'Your car will be transformed'

Pete
Pete Mantell

Alyn
I was at the Seattle Roadster show last weekend. There was a Heidt's front suspension on display at one of the vendors. Looks like it could be ordered to the width needed to fit a MGB. Would most likely need to be welded in, but looks real good. Ball joints and coil-overs. It was the Heidt Superide II suspension that was on display. List price is $2,495.00. I don’t know why this could not be made to fit a MGb and work real well.

http://www.heidts.com/heip20.htm
Jim Lema

I'm one happy customer of the Fast Cars front suspension !!! I have the very first one, I have put over 15,000 miles on it and wouldn't part with it for any amount of money! I may be wrong, but I don't believe that the Heidt's crossmember is set up for the proper MG geometery. Ask anyone who has driven my car what their impression is.

Steve Carrick
74 MGB V8 "Barney"
Steve Carrick

re: Ask anyone who has driven my car what their impression is.
*********

My impression.....WOW! What a difference! FastCars, Inc's x-member is well worth the investment, in my opinion.

Yes...you can do your own conversion...but the homework has already been done with FC's! And it's already road-proven.

FWIW

rick
rick ingram

Add my name to the list of those who've driven Steve's car, and I concur with previous comments - the car is transformed.

To add onto Alyn's comments, I'd add two more questions:

a. How much performance do you want?
b. How much money do you want (can you afford) to spend?

If you want the best performance available, you have two options. Buy the IFS from Ted, or spend the time and money to build your own. If you opt for the latter, you'll spend a LOT of both time and money, and your chances of improving on Ted's unit are pretty slim.

If you're like most of us, the amount of money available will be the prime factor in your decision. Although I'm not blessed with deep pockets, I've decided to buy one of Ted's units myself, and scrimp somewhere else to make up for it (but not on my V8 conversion; I'll scrimp on non-important things, like food and clothing - and believe me, when it comes to clothing, I scrimp!).

As for the Heidt's unit, the key word here is it can be "made" to work. It won't be easy, and as far as I can tell from looking at the unit, when you're done it will at best be the equal of Ted's, but I'm betting it won't be as good. Copy the picture off the Heidt's site and copy the picture from http://members.aol.com/danmas/fastcars.jpg and print them one over the other. I think you'll see you'd be in for a ton of work to make the Heidt's unit fit. It certainly won't be an afternoon's effort to install as it is for Ted's.
Dan Masters

I have the new coil over from CCE Bill Guzman
It comes with Alden shocks and has camber adjustment
I also bought the big brake kit. My car was transform
it corners flat and the ride is good and it stops, the shocks are adjustable. I solo 2 my car and now it's a great handling car. I am waiting for their rear suspension.

I am very happy with the kit. Bill is always available for questions, he was a big help to me during my build up.
Paul

paul, i have the same set up from bill g, have over 10k miles on mine and i am very happy with it, i am also waiting for the rear set up, although he says i get the first one? maybe he told you the same thing that sly devil? jim
james madson

I agree that the Heidt unit would take work. After going to several Roadster shows it makes me wonder why the makers of hot rod suspension parts could not make a MGB unit. The Hot Rod shows are great places to see products like suspension, brakes, paint and body products, seats & interiors. Rust is a problem that many in the hot rod area have had to deal with and their products would work on a MG. Now if they would get interested in updating a MG suspension, well who knows.
Jim Lema

Supply and demand my friend. Supply and demand.
Justin

This thread was discussed between 08/03/2005 and 10/03/2005

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