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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - MGCC V8 Register

In reading the latest Safety Fast the V8 register now seems to be almost entirely devoted to RV8's. Maybe its time some of us real hands-on enthusiasts who continue to refine and improve our Factory and converted V8s had a voice in things. I am now in the UK for better or for worse and Im sure John Bourke would be interested.
Think on't V8 reg members.
BobP
bob pulleyblank

I plan to do an article on my latest V8 conversion of an early, 3 synchro, MGB.

How about some running reports?

Or perhaps we should organise some Factory / conversion only outings??
chris

As a newcomer to V8 world, i can't help but draw a parallel with Club Lotus Mag.,which is increasingly dominated by articles/ads for the Elise. Maybe its a "new car" virus!
Danny Smith

Bob,
I think it has to do with supply and demand - the same thing has happened with this BBS (although this might offend some folks).

I started this subject heading back in 1996 or so, and it began as only Factory MGB-GT V-8s. After getting only one or two respondents in two week's time (Paul Hunt and David Smith were two of the first, have both since become good friends), I had Mike Plumstead expand the category to include V-8 conversions. Now there are predominantly conversion cars that are represented here. Of course I know that you, Bob, have a rather highly modified Factory car as well as a conversion or two that puts you somewhere in the middle!

Don't get me wrong, I really like well executed V-8 conversions. It's just that sometimes I wish there was more Factory car activity here. They are of course, my primary interest.

As for the V-8 registry, it is sort of aggravating to see all the RV8 stuff as well. I've only seen one (at Gaydon), and I.m pretty sure there are none in North America (at least there are about 15 Factory GT V-8s over here). What I really need is to complete my collection of V-8 Workshop Notes, this is always problematic due to the currency exchange, etc. It would be nice if I could send them a charge card number and get the workshop notes, just like I do for the MGCC registration dues.

I would like to submit something on my totally stock Factory V-8 restoration (It should be finished next month!).

Cheers,
Paul Kile
Teal Blue 889G
Paul Kile

I find myself in an interesting position as I have an RV8 and a factory GT V8 which I have owned from new.

I generally agree with Paul.

The GT V8 and V8 conversions, having been going for 25 plus years are well documented, and (I guess) substantially outnumber the RV8s.

The RV8 community is in the same position as the GT V8 community was a couple of years after production ceased. Not a lot of interest from dealers and the manufacturers, and a need to build an independant knowledge bas about the cars, solving problems, improving them, and sourcing spares other than from Rover.

The RV8 is more complex than the GT V8, (ECU, FI etc) and it will take time for all the problems and solutions to be recognised and resolved.

Finally most RV8s were exported to Japan, and are only now starting to flow back to the UK, Australia etc..

I know there are great difficulties in importing RV8's into the States, but for your sakes I do hope that they can be overcome.

To conclude the (improved GT V8) is a great car as I am sure are many of the weel done conversions. The RV8 is a great car in the same tradition, but we need to share knowledge about it, and understand how best to improve it.

Safety Fast

Nigel
2 V8s
1959 MGA Roadster
Nigel Steward

Maybe I should restate my position. What I am really interested in hearing about is not the mundane stuff about any of the V8 engined MGs but rather the modifications and changes that many of us have made to the cars to make them handle, brake and perform better. I am also very interested in improvements to the electrical circuitry, instrumentation, seating and so on. I am not interested in articles by professionals about how they created a 4.6 litre fully independent disc braked GTRV8 for someone who has a lot of money. I am interested in hearing from the bloke who did it himself. I built my own V8 Roadster and I also built a BGTV8 in the States before it became fashionable. I continue to learn about and improve all my MG's - not one is as delivered from the factory! I write articles for Safety Fast, although lately they have been for the Z Magnette register. It would be nice to see input from some of the many other V8 owners.
Currently I have just finished wiring and connectorising a special dashboard for my GTV8. When I get the car back from its bare-metal respray I shall continue the connectorisation, rewiring, alternator upgrade, addition of a few more relays and fuses. Just maybe Ill get to drive it this year after a hiatus of almost two years. Then there are the Magnette, Maestro and the new toy which will be up at the NEC at the end of this month.
bob pulleyblank

Bob,

I have to respectfully disagree. I have one of the few Factory GT V-8s in North America, and I am in the final stages of a complete concours rebuild of the car. My aim is to maintain the car in as close to stock condition as is possible, to act as an example of what the Factory did with their cars. I know these cars have their limitations, but I am so pleased to have a Factory example in North America that I can put up with the shortcomings. I view myself as a custodian for the car, and hopefully it will be around for someone else to care for after I am gone.

I have performed three modifications to my car that have been well documented in V-8 literature over the years, mostly to prevent catastrophic failure. I have added the cotter pin to the spider gear shaft roll pin in the back axle, I have put a nut on the unused stud in the air filter plenum chamber, and I have added a manual override switch for the electric fans. I will leave the 250+ HP, the wide tyres, and the 4-pot brake conversions to you guys.

There are other sources for the info that you desire, one of the best is Kurt Schley's MG V-8 Newsletter. That has an incredible amount of info on conversions and modifications, and written from the enthusiast's (not the big-buck professional's) point of view.

The MGCC V-8 Registry has opened their doors to conversion and modified cars, but they also have to continue to support the Factory ones as their primary focus. They also should put the RV8s into a separate Registry. After all, the idea of a Registry is to keep track of particular models produced by the Factory, and to promote keeping them on the road. I get a bit disheartened when I get my copy of Safety Fast and I see 2/3 of the column devoted to some aspect of conversion or modification, and the other 1/3 about events that are 6,000 miles away. What about history of the Factory cars, interviews with guys like Terry Mitchell and Geoff Allen, and tidbits on the Club racing of Factory cars in the UK (like Malcolm Beer's?). It's the same here in this BBS section. Factory V-8s are getting lost in the radar amid the tremendous amount of "window" about conversion cars.

Someday I would like to build a chrome bumper GT with the final US dash with chrome rimmed instruments and a nice fuel injected Rover engine and a 5-speed and an RV-8 front crossmember, done in Black Tulip with a grey leather interior. You see, I like conversions and find them interesting. But I also want to keep the Factory vision as well.

Cheers,
Paul Kile
Paul Kile

Relax, fellow v8ers,
To fathom the ownership of such fine elite classics as the BGTV8 and RV8 makes my heart race and my eyes to well up with sad realization that, to have such a car is simply impossible for me since I went off K.D. Most of we converters are trying to emulate orriginal variants; depending on ones view of "orriginal". The interest in conversions can only increase interest and value in the marque (Likely only Codtellos or factor cars)! We may learn from eachother! Also, there is great satisfaction in doing a propper conversion oneself, especially if one can engineer a usefull improvement. Please don't separate yourseves as in an "elite thread", for as I see it, we're all in this together. Remenber, the first MGBV8 emerged from the workshop of a "nobody special", and it is in that spirit that we all love our cars. Factory cars are cherrished here!
Cheers with 98 octane, Angus
Angus Davies

Angus,
I agree with your comments, and I want to emphasize that I am not interested in creating an "elite" clique of GT V-8 or RV8 drivers either here or on the V-8 Registry. I really like and admire well-executed conversions. One of our local Club members, Robert Milner, has an immaculate 1967 GT with a Buick 215 conversion. He started the conversion over 20 years ago (before he even realized there was a Factory GT V-8), and has refined it ever since. All the wiring and ancillary piping is hidden, giving a very clean look to the engine bay. But his car is no trailer queen, either. He has driven it all over the country to National MG meets, and I believe is going to the Minnesota meet in June. I look forward to the day when my Factory restoration is completed, and Robert and I can display our cars together. The best of both worlds!

My only worry is that there is so much traffic on this site and in the V-8 Registry regarding conversions, that info on the Factory GT V-8s is becoming sparse. Ultimately there will be far fewer Factory cars than conversions. I don't think the Factory car owners constitute an "elite" - maybe a better term is "lunatic fringe!!!"

Cheers,
Paul Kile
"GTs with less than 8 don't rate"
"Friends don't let friends drive 4-cylinders"

Paul Kile

Well, I will take some of the blame for there not being much said lately about the factory V8s - while mine lurks dejectedly in the garage awaiting a new clutch and maybe a respray and maybe some Pete Burgess heads and the fitting of those Doug Jackson springs - I am having far too much fun hurling the Montego turbo up hills and round airfields and circuits (I even managed fastest MG at Oddicombe last weekend). When this second childhood wears off, perish the thought, I will sort out my gentleman's tourer. Til then.....
David Smith

Each to his own Paul. I was just representing my interests. I built a v8gt in the States using the later dashboard on a 75 r/b car using a Rover 3500s engine. My roadster is based on a 78 r/b Florida car.
Being US spec it has the later dash, which in my opinion is the best of the lot - and side protection bars in the doors. I heard somewhere that the UK cars were to get the later dash too but events overtook its introduction. I get the impression that most of the UK owners of modified V8s just do their own thing and possibly dont have too much interest in the register or the BBS. Maybe we should start a new thread covering in depth technical discussions on all models of MG - like the electrical problems section.
You will be shocked to hear that my "factory GT" is getting a Sebring front valance, US spec rear chrome quarter bumpers and, horror of horrors, beimg resprayed in a very nice ssshade of Nissan metallic green.
Plans include the fitting of a Ron Hopkinson front suspension coilover setup and my lowered kingpins bought from MGLtd in the USA. Im thinking of fitting mapped ignition too.
Keep up the good work and remember -
Evolve or die!
BobP
bob pulleyblank

This thread was discussed between 08/04/2001 and 14/04/2001

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