MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Ford 289 conversion ... what do you think of this one?

Here is kind of an interesting conversion I ran into ... whaddaya think?

http://www.wirewheel.com/Cars/Auto_Generated_Pages/919211251.shtml

I wonder if the motor is mounted so far aft that the footwells are shortened. I also wonder what the heck they did about the steering. But Larry it proves that you can get a SSBF ("small-small block ...") in there without bulging the hood.

I can't believe the car was converted 35 years ago! Still the price tag seems a wee bit high.
Harry

Mine is in Harry. I got my hood and balance issues solved with some creative buying.. heh Ancient chinese secret..
Larry Embrey

Looked at it.

They removed the entire firewall and rebuilt it flush with the back firewall that the heater mounts too.. that is a HUGE amount of space to move the motor back..

BUT, it looks cool.
Larry Embrey

> They removed the entire firewall and rebuilt it
> flush with the back firewall that the heater mounts > too

So wouldn't this mean they chopped back the front of the footwells? Unless I've had too many beers, it seems to me that the firewall on either side of the engine bay is also the front of a footwell box. I'm going to send them an email and ask how deep the footwells are. Something in my muddled brain doesn't compute. And I _really_ don't get what must have been done to the steering column ... first of all, when that car was done there weren't any RB steering columns around, and second of all it is aimed smack toward the middle of those exhaust manifolds! I don't wanna buy their car, I am just intensely curious as to how it was all worked out.

I am always curious to see other conversions because mine is so lacking in panache. It works fine, but in a me-too kind of way. Do you have any new cars pictured on your site Larry? ... it was down when I tried it earlier.
Harry

You are correct, they would have chopped the foot wells, by a large amount. You know the "ledge" normally on the firewall, the one the heater sits on? That has been completely removed and the firewall is now flush with the top section, probably 10" has been removed.

No new pictures. Right now I am in the middle of engine work getting the 302 all completed and ready for final install. Ijust redieved my aluminum heads so have had to tear the engine down to build them up and install them.

Site is up now.. take note of the new URL. I just switched domain names..
Larry Embrey

Not much of the original firewall left. About half of the recess for the steering column is gone and there's a big gaping hole on the other side. Sort of looks to me like the steering column points towards the driver's right foot, or where his foot used to be, it certainly won't go there now. I'd guess they went inside of the exhaust with the steering, but they obviously went down low in any case and used at least two universal joints and possibly three. Quite a butchery in my opinion. But then I s'pose you could say the same about mine. Looks to me like quite a few poorly finished edges though, and I dislike removing the heater box and bumpers. I guess I don't like the car. Hate to say that about anyone's baby, but for such a radical conversion the owner went to some pains to conceal it's true nature, and then added touches that would be a clear tip-off that the car should be fast. The way I see it, if you're going to build a sleeper then do it, and if you're going to build an obviously fast car then do that, but what's the point in building something that looks sort of half-fast? It just seems confused.

To me there is no finesse or forethought. Someone simply grabbed their favorite engine and then hacked away until it would go in and patched up what was left. I bought an MGB for parts once that was done that way, and it was a mess. I'm sorry for feeling that way about it, whoever it belongs to I apologize profusely and I'm sure it is quite fast and perhaps exactly what was wanted. Just not my way of doing things.
Jim Blackwood

Its a clean car....Nice, its always good to see all V8 conversions,I wonder what he did with the steering also....mmmm....keep us all up to date Larry and Jim on your projects..

Dave
http://pages.prodigy.net/chevy_dave/mgb.html
Dave

Jim, you have to give the guys some credit ... they apparently did this years before Ken Costello figured it all out ... don't think they yet published the V-8 Newsletter!

Why do they call it a "top-loader" gearbox, BTW? -- never understood that.
Harry

Harry,
I think as opposed to the old style 3 and 4 speed boxes that had the shift levers on the side of the transmission case, with rods running back to the shifter mechanism in the tunnel.

Joe
Joe Ullman

Actually, a top loader transmission has a cover plate on the top of the main housing to assemble the guts through as opposed to a side cover. It uses external left-side mounted shift rods and levers, bushed and sealed through the housing. Ford made extensive use of the T&C toploader in the sixties and into the seventies.

Wayne
Wayne Pearson

That's correct, the top loader was a pretty strong 4 speed. As I recall the top cover was stamped steel.

I really didn't mean to go off that way about this car and I think I overdid it. It should definitely be appreciated for the accomplishment and innovation, much the same as the fellow in my hometown who transplanted a 215 into a VW Beetle, and then proceeded to pull wheelies all the way down main street on saturday nights. It's still arround too. His son has it and it's in pretty good shape. Quite a conversation piece. And as I alluded I'm really not one to talk, considering what I've done to mine. It just struck me wrong I guess, what with the memory of the car I bought with the firewall cut away for a turbohydramatic 350 and the inside door sills sawed out to make room for a set of Fiero seats. Just no thoughts at all about structure, and little concern for any of the other features of the car that were unique to the brand. Maybe a little regret on my part for acting more hastily at times than was warranted too.

Anyway, I suppose at one time I might have done something very similar, such as bastardizing the front clip to the point that strangers took it for a Porch (sic). At least I'm past that stage thank goodness, and with the help of new sheetmetal it once again looks like an MGB. Progress is slow but continuous, as I attempt to at least accomplish some sort of task on it each day. It won't be long until I'm down to the wiring for the injection system, and finishing the paint, but I may not have it running before cold weather begins. Certainly there will be little excuse for driving it in the ice, rain, and snow as I used to do, but then again, with all that extra power and such exquisite control...
Jim Blackwood

The question is, why bother? A rover 4.6 will bolt straight in. Id like to see a mustang quad cam in one though!
Jonesy

Good luck getting a 4.6L ford in. The New Modular Ford block is physically bigger. The thought did cross my mind, but I am finding it difficult enough to get a 5.0L block in without hacking up the car. I fear a 4.6L Ford would take major cutting. It could be done, maybe would fit better in an A? THAT would be nice.
Larry Embrey

This thread was discussed between 21/08/2001 and 23/08/2001

MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical BBS now