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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - V8 Conversion

Hi, I live in PA and i was wondering if I can find an American v8 that will fit the measurements of a 1973 MGB GT engine bay. I am very interested in converting my MG into a very powerful machine. If anyone can help me or give me any tips it will be greatly appreciated.
Aaron

Just keep reading here.
ian thomson

Aaron,
To my (albiet limited) knowledge I have not heard of a single V8 (of any origin)that will fit in a pre75 car without modifying the engine bay. Keep cruising these boards, check the archives and you will find out what is going to be required to convert.
Larry Embrey

Aaron, If you cosider a V6, as I'm putting into my 73, the changes are minimal There is a 3.4 high torque crate engine available at reasonable cost that fits quite easily.
John
John Davis

Thank you all for your comments and all others will be appreciated, thanks again, i will look into your suggestions.
Aaron

I have been doing some more research and have heard of putting a buick 215 v8 in the mgb gt, has anyone else heard of this, and is so does it work?
Aaron

Aaron,

http://www.britishv8.org

Don't forget to check out the British V8 2003 convention link.
Dan Masters

Assuming you put in gas and oil, well ... OF COURSE a Buick 215'll work!!! Does the Pope have lips?! ;-) That's the standard conversion, and has been done successfully hundreds or maybe even thousands of times.

As the fellas above said, getting it into your '73 will take some fiddling, welding and BFH'ing. But it can certainly be done; I have an early '74 chrome GT with a Rover V8 (basically the same thing) and I drive it to work every day. It works fine. (I was lucky enough to find one where the fiddling and BFH'ing had already been done!) One issue is that there's not much room for error; everything has to be pretty much situated just so.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is beginning to believe that the Ford 302 -- Larry said something about getting one out of an Explorer -- is probably the best way to go at this point. Clearly they can easily be souped up to provide power beyond a 215's wildest dreams. But with the 302 you're bushwhacking a bit more, when there's a clear trail to follow to get a 215 in there.
David

YEs Ford explorer 96 or later with 5.0L That is THE optimum donor enigne to get for this, netx behind that would be 91-93 T-birds and Cougars as well as 94-95 mustangs. I should have pictures of why they are such a good coice later this weekend.
Larry Embrey

Aaron,
I have a v6 with T5 in mine..non gt tho.
there was a bit of ugly cutting required. can be done.
examples - http://www.mgcars.org.uk/v8_conversions/mgb.html

can do pics if you wish..(of the v6 into 65 B)
can't lose either or whichever way you go.
combines best of both worlds -just is not for the 'pure at heart' types. after the conversion, its no longer strictly an MG - its better!
=)
chuck
Chuck Roche:65 MGB/V6:-71 Midget-86 944-03 Matrix

This thread was discussed between 17/10/2002 and 21/10/2002

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