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 - Is this possible? Super-cheap MGB V8

OK, i know this is going to be highly UN-recommended, but is it possible to connect a 350 Chebby motor to the stock MGB transmission/drivetrain? I'm hoping the bolt pattern for a 350 and a 215 are the same, and i can use a MGRV8 bellhousing, right? Next big question is what clutch to use...

The reason i am hoping to go this route is budget oriented. I am thinking of building an MGB V8 for the Grassroots Motorsports Magazine $2004 challenge. The price of the entire car must be under $2004 and it will compete in an autocross, drag race, and show judging. I have the 350, and a local '80 MGB is for sale for $200...

Please let me know if this will work. (i realize the drivetrain probably won't last too long behind that motor, but it only needs to last 3 days).

Any help would be appreciated!! thanks,

Mike K.
Mike K.

No.
Romney

I will tell you right now to give up on the GRM challenge. It is a complete joke and a sham. I was also very interested in it until I heard form a Fellow MGB person that attended one a few years back. the $5000 freebie supercharges, $1800 free FAST DFI systems etc etc etc...

And then a MGB drivetrain woudl NOT take a 350, even a super mild one.
Larry Embrey

Bellhousing pattern for Rover/Buick is different from Chevy. Transmission and rear axle would be weak for serious high performance work, especially drag strip. I doubt if it would last even 3 days under hard use. No easy solution using MGB components.
Bill Young

Mike,

Larry makes a good point. The contest has been critized as an exercise in e-baying. Buy a whole car for a few parts then part out the rest of it and come out ahead on dollars making those parts free. Do this all the time and you can have a stylin V8 powered Miata like this year's winner. Not knocking those guys (they also won the year before with an old school carbed and turboed BMW 2002) but like all competitors you maximize what you can do within the confines of the rules. There was some talk of altering the rules somewhat for '04, but I don't know if they actually changed.

Get yourself a T5 box from a V8 otherwise you will be geared waaaaay low. The V6 conversions using a t5 have the shifter comming out almost exactly where it used to be.

For $2,000 it will require a lot of horsetrading and fabrication on your part.

Good luck,

Brian C.
Brian Corrigan

They did change the rules- used to be you could recover up to 100% by reselling unused parts. Last two years winners resold everything the didn't use, essentially making the car and engine pretty much free.

This year, a rule change permits, IIRC, only 50% purchase cost recovery.

You'd need to purchase the car, could resell unused parts for up to 50% of the purchase price- or $100, leaving $1904 to spend. You'd need to provide a street value for the engine- if it's an old 350, maybe $500- then maybe a Saginaw 4-speed (dirct cheap, and strong enough for the available traction, and a new driveshaft.

It's doable, the hitch from my perspective is the Chevy engine- a heavyweight in the field of snall blocks, and requiring substantial cutting to fit. I remember an old MGB V-8 newsletter where one was fitted, and the firewall was susbstantially cut up.

Or find yourself an old powerglide- a great drag racing transmission, and it'll work on the autocross.

What the heck, give it a whack. And keep us posted
Greg Fast

Mike:

Like all competivie events, it is possible to have a great time without winning the whole thing. Ask the two guys who are dicing for second last place at the track, and you may find that they are having as much fun (or more) than the two trying for the win. They may even have a better time after the event over a few beers, while the winners are still in the protest office! The only change I see for this event is a trophy for "Spirit of the event", this would in effect be the Real winner regardless of how it placed. This would be awarded by the competitors themselves.

By all means do the event. You WILL have a great time. However, my two cents worth is to forget the V8: too much time and money. Buy the MGB (or give me more details so I can buy it) Get a V6 Camaro engine with an automatic tranny already hanging off the back. This will all fit. Learn how to get the FI wired up. Beg borrow or steal R Compoud tires.

Why?:

You are not going to hook up the V8 power to the ground without some serious mods. An automatic is better at shifting than you are, and it cushions the driveline somewhat. The stock rear end will have no trouble surviving the V6 torque. The V6 has about all the power you can harness for this event. GM did all your driveline engineering for you (ever notice how many competitors have clutch and or tranny failures in this event)?

If this is you first slalom event, you will be busy just finding your way around the sea of orange cones. You do not need to think about shifting. Also, you can "Two Pedal"the car with an auto box. The V6 will be your friend in this event compared to the V8.

If you go, you will have a good time. You will have neat stories. You will meet cool people. If you decide you want to win, you will come back and do so at any cost; screw the spirit of the event, you will be a true "competitor".

Pete
Pete

Tony Barnhill is currently discussin ghtis for 2005.. Check out v6mgb.com and go to the forum...

For the cheapest: Use a 1982-1984 Camaro 2.8L V6 that came with a carb. Sell the car of to somebody planning a threefitty conversion and use the 2.8L driveline.... There are other ways of doing it, just that is the simplest one.

BTW: A 1977-1980 MG B can have the springs cut and already has antisway rear and front. Take out some weight and the bumpers, and you have a great car!

-BMC.
BMC Brian McCullough

I only have about 400.00 in my V8 project right now. I will be running a 350 Chevy with a T-350. Unless I can find a cheap manual. I sold all my MG engine parts on Ebay, which helped me buy some (ebay) goodies.
JWK Kerr

Thanks for the comments, as the person who runs the event and has been tweaking the rules to make the Challenge more fun, entertaining and GRASSROOTS, I'm interested in what you guys have to say.

For $2004, we've limited the recouperation to $1002 total. No more endless ebaying, parts boxes, etc....It gives someone the room to have some parts deals, but it certainly keeps it in check.

The rules for the original $1500 challenge (held in 1999) were just 3 paragraphs. Now they've become 3 pages. We're hoping to not need a FIA rulebook to keep this thing going.

Per Schroeder
Grassroots Motorsports magazine.
Per Schroeder

This thread was discussed between 11/10/2003 and 13/10/2003

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