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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - ford vs rover

Hi Everyone,
I've been researching engine choices lately and I'd like to throw something out there. According to British Automotives site www.mgbmga.com/tech/mgb4b.htm the C.G. of a typical roadster will shift about 2% aft when two 150 pound bodies are installed. According to my logic, this will cause a perfectly balanced 50/50 car (curbside config) to be 48/52 with two smaller than average sized people in the seats. So it's safe to assume that the C.G. on these cars is somewhere between the firewall and the front of the seat bucket. So if a small ford w/all aluminum goodies is about 70 heavier than the rover (just ahead of the c.g.) and the the rearend required to support a 250hp+ engine (ford or rover)is placed well aft of the c.g. (ford 8" is about 20lbs and the 9" 70lbs heavier than the stnd B axle which I've seen listed at 165lbs). Couldn't you have a much more powerful, better balanced car in the driving configuration if you went with the ford? Any comments will be appreciated.
Rob Rich

Rob, Would like to know where did you get the info on weights on the rear axles, I would like to have that info if possible.
Rob, I Believe you are right, the Polar weight of the B is about where the front bolts are for the seats on a rd and a much better balance on the GT.

The later Ford 5.0 is actually 20 <> Lbs lighter than the early 289. If you were to set the engine back about 5/10% (Guessing) you would have a perfect balance car. A chev 350 with allum goodies weights about 450 lbs (considiring this for my last personal project car) To answer your question if you may, I would say yes, the Ford/chev are a good choices, if power is the need. A V6 sets back were the water pump base is even with the center of the front axle, the weight of the V6 is almost the same as the B engine. The benefit, the engine sets back giving the car a good balance feel and great handling characteristics. The same could be achieve with the V8 but Location is critical on the V8 swap.

A few race prep V8 Buicks/Rovers used led weights to maintain a balance that is so critical in cornering with high output cars. If normal driving is consider then 45/55 is acceptable with the right suspension set up.

r/ Bill
Bill Guzman

Bill, thanks for the reply. In response to your question on axle wts, I got most of it from the MGB V8 List Archive. For the search, type in 302, then message #20 and associated message #1135. The only discrepency you'll find is that they list the 8" ford with packaging material at 171lbs, but this is not a posi so the rest is my own interpolation based a bit of experinence with mustangs.
Here's a question for you. Do you know if a perfectly balanced 50/50 car is supposed to include the driver?
I'm not advocating a ford over a rover here. I just wonder if the fords have gotten an undeserved bad rap based on their wt and whether or not the V-8 converter following has overlooked something solely because the factory did it a particular way.

Rob Rich

Can't comment on the numbers, but it occurred to me that the mistake NOT to make is to end up with a weight distribution like the MGC which had a bloody great lump in front, and gained a reputation for heavy steering and a tendency to want to go straight on at corners.....
David Smith

Rob,
I'm only qualified to comment one one car. The 1971 MGBGT that I put a Buick 3.8 V6/T350 auto trans into.
I weighed this car on a truck scale where I used to work. All wts are less driver and with a full load of fuel, spare tire and jack (no rear seat but with board that covers spare)
TOTAL WT: 2380Lbs
FRONT WT: 1200Lbs
REAR WT: 1160Lbs
The engine is as Bill states, just behind centerline of front wheels (V6 is 5.25" shorter than alum V8)
A Panhard Rod from a Healey was fitted to the rear axle and the car handles very neutral on 185/65X14 tyres inflated at 28fr/30rr PSI.
I'm going to TRY to type in a link to were the car can be seen (I'm not very good at THIS...). Bill's car is on the very next page! BTW (his car looks better!)
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/V8_conversions/BuickV6/buickv6.html
Try that...several pictures to illustrate engine placement are available.
Perhaps you can extrapolate additional data by substituting the weights of various components. BTW, my car still has its original rear axle fitted.
Randy
Randy Forbes

Well my link didn't work, someday maybe I'll figure that out...
Go to the opening page of THIS WWW MG site, click on "MGBGT V8", go to the bottom of the page and click on "V8 coversion overveiw html"
From there you can see Bill's and my car.
Randy
Randy Forbes

Dave, thanks for the reply. I've been looking at some MGC numbers as well, because although I've never driven a "C", it's reputation precludes it. According to an engine weights list put out by Dave Williams (which seems pretty darn accurate so far) the I-6 Healy engine was a whopping 562lbs. Now I've read from another source (can't remember) that an attempt was made to lighten it up for the "C" but the reduction was only about 20lbs. Another factor that is mentioned on this site under "demise of the MGC" is that the engineers had to place the engine pretty far fwd in the engine bay to accomodate it's bulky tranny, and they still listed its balance as 53/47. Now, I don't know how much of this info is accurate because it's all basically been derived from these sites, but it seems like a "B" with a properly done 302 would be a totally different animal. Any insight here would be great. Thanks.
Rob Rich

Rob, thanks for the info, it will be very useful to me, thanks.
The only car that I heard that had a perfect balance was the GT40 I am not sure if driver was included.
The other street car is the Porche 924 with the trans axle in the rear and a 1800cc at front and the new C5 Corvette is there or very close to it. I am sure that I miss a few. This info is what I have read or heard does not mean is right.

To answer your question directly, it all depends.
For street cars no.
For formula racing Yes Formula Ford all the way to Formula 1 the driver is included. weight is adjusted with springs and weight jacking, wich you can do with bathroom scales at home.
Consider the Tiger Sunbeam With the right suspension is a great handler in good hands.

r/Bill
Bill Guzman

This thread was discussed between 10/04/2000 and 11/04/2000

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