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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - How much did your V8 conversion cost??

Just trying to get a average cost to see if it worth the cost. Thank you if you choose to respond or not.
My Roadster

Well, let's see.

1979 MGB................FREE (hand me down from dad)
Disassembled Buick 215..........$200 (I got screwed)
Camshaft........................$150 (D&D)
Cam Berrings....................$39
Machine Shop stuff,
clean up crank, install
cam berrings..etc...............$300
MGC hood.................$91.10 (latest acquisition)
T-5 tranny...........FREE (have to pay for rebuild kit)
Bellhousing.....................$260 (D&D)

So far I've got a little over $1000 in it. Estimates from the machine shop are arround $500 for complete head work. This includes three-angle valve job new valves, seats, guids, springs..etc. Gonna need a new driveshaft nad eventually new rear end (probably Ford 8 inch but will use stock for now) Then of course there is all of the intake and exhaust stuff like carb for $175, intake for $230 and Headers at arround $400, for RV8 style. Still need a distributor for $150. Then I have to get all the little stuff like mounts and brackets and gaskets and nuts/bolts, hoses, filters, yadda yadda yadda. All said and done grand total will be (drum roll please)...TOO MUCH $$$ BUT WELL WORTH IT!!!

Hope that helps :)

Chris
Chris Mowris

Probably about $15-16K, maybe a bit more. Expensive, but worth it, and you know what they say, if you don't want to have to do it over, do it right the first time. I just have a very, very low-tech carbureted setup (I wanted to minimize the number of things that could go wrong) but (i) I didn't have much time to devote to this so I hired other people to do 90% of the work, and (ii) it is, I think, an exceptionally clean conversion into a chrome car, done properly, which is not all that easy to pull off. Runs, drives very nicely and is totally reliable ... which is good because it's in use every day. I mean, what you can get for $16K in a new car is very limited indeed, so considered in that light it doesn't seem overly costly. I must say, it has not been at all difficult to source parts for the car when needed; I was pleasantly surprised.

BTW I think Chris' MGC hood is a good call. I may try to secure one, because although everything fits OK under the stock hood, the low-rider air cleaner leaves something to be desired ... I believe with a C hood you could go up one size thickness-wise.

(NB I have never had a car the mileage of which was -so- sensitive to the gas pedal. If you tread very lightly, you can get 23-24 mph, but if you put your foot into it, forget about it, you can almost literally watch the gas gauge move!)
Terry Aiken

So far 20K and counting. But that did include paint & body work, interior panels & carpeting, seat covers and trunk carpeting, as well as a $1000 functioning hood scoop on the stock B hood designed and built by Joe Souphy (sp?) (this was a complete restoration as well as the installation of the Olds 215 V8). All hardware used in the rebuild was NEW or rebuilt. The only thing left is to do a Ford rear end, I'm getting a complete setup including posi drive and rear disks from Currie Enterprises for about $2500. Some may say that is a great deal of money to spend on a 78 MGB but it has already paid for itself in the enjoyment I've had from it including winning several trophys at local car shows. We have owned the car since 1980 and just did the conversion this past year.
Michael S. Domanowski

Start tofinnish, 5 years time, $8500
$700 '76 280Z
repaint
rebuild the I6
I6 speed parts
much better than I6 383cid SBC
weiand blower
salvaged T-5
possi rear
with nothing left to do we found a '62 Sprite and that is why I am now here.
Vincebo

I had my entire car restored before I decided to do the V8 conversion. My total cost was around $7000 from start to finish. The only remaining considerations are the rear end and brakes. My engine rebuild could have been a little cheaper (Rover 3.5) but I figured while I was there, might do a hotter cam, maybe do this, maybe to that, you know.

I can tell you that my father was having his 1979 B rebuilt at the same time. He simply rebuilt his stock engine, put on a monza exhaust and a little hotter cam. He had all of the work done. In the end, my conversion was less expensive than his rebuild job.

I know one other guy who did this conversion for under $3000, but it was a VERY basic job. Basically, it's all in how involved you want to get.
Mike Akin

With my conversion the costs are currently at approx. US$ 13000 including the purchase of the car. The body work is the only thing left to be done. My opinion is that the costs should not be much more then restoring a 4-cilinder. It all depends on where you start with. If you convert a pristine & mechanical overhauled mgb then the costs will be higher then when your start with a restoration project. The mgb i bought was drivable but needed a lot of work. If i kept the 4-cilinder, i also had to overhaul engine gearbox, suspension, clutch, brakes ect. I think costs for conversion are not that much higher then a restoration of the 4 cilinder. For example, i purchased a V8 engine with gearbox and carbs for US$ 300,- and was able to sell the MGB 4-cilinder for US$270,-. The overhaul of the V8 is a little more expensive then a 4 cilinder but in the USA the V8 parts could well be cheaper then MGB engine parts. I assume my additional costs are approx. US$2500,-. My advice is to look for a mechanical tired MGB and convert this.
Good luck with your considerations. I have driven the MGB for 2 years with the 4-cilinder and since 2 years i have the v8 in and every time i am driving it, its big fun and well worth the money and work.

Peter
Peter van de Velde

This thread was discussed between 16/11/2000 and 17/11/2000

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