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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Sleepers

I was talking to a hot-rodder friend-of-friend who hops up American muscle cars. It seems as though there is a huge movement afoot in the muscle car fraternity to build sleepers that look and even sound absolutely like Grandma-mobiles and then hunker down and reel off 11-sec. quarters. The motor is painted the OE colors and the regular hosing (no stainless or AN- fittings, etc.) is kept in place -- certainly no chrome or anything to give the game away. Bench seats are a must, as are full-size hubcaps. Chassis mods are ultra subtle and not visible by casually looking under the car. The car's idle is quiet and silky smooth. (The only problem not yet surmounted is what to do with column-mounted shifters, which are generally a no-go.)

Partially this seems to be a reaction to the "Ricer" Jap-car tuner set which sees fit to display all kinds of aero geegaws and stickers on their cars, which may or may not have anything to do with the modifications therein (e.g., Honda Civics with VTEC stickers and giant chrome exhaust tips bolted onto the back of stock exhausts).

This definitely applies to MGBs. People automatically think 'genteel teabagger' when they see an old MGB, esp. an old-school CB model, futzing around. I modestly propose that we refrain utterly from V8 badges, hood scoops, Fiero seats, fender flares, dual exhausts and the like, and just keep them looking bone stock inside and out, and thereupon eat Porsche Boxsters for lunch without unstiffening upper lips.

With this in mind, is there any way to get custom Rostyle wheels wider and made of heavier-gauge steel? ... or perhaps even better, the early disc wheels with baby-moon-type hubcaps? The one thing I can't figure out is how to not have the wheels give up the whole gig. I currently have Panasports that look like Minilites, but they're not sufficiently stealthy. Nevertheless, I fear that the OE steel wheels will last about ten seconds when the hopped 4.2 lights up.
Tim L. Danson

Tim,
I have a Buick V6 powered cb MGBGT. Regetably, it needs a hood scoop, now that I put a taller Edelbrock manifold on it. The stock 4bbl manifold was shallow enough not to require one.
The dual exhausts may not have been mandatory, but they're subtle (2" black turned down tips).
But where I draw exception to your comments, is with the wheels. Why do you want the ROs to be heavier or wider? I've taken old sets and blasted/painted them to match the cars I have. The rims are silver, as original, but the center spokes are painted either Teal Blue (for the V6) or Brooklands Green (for the 74&1/2 GT). Since the cars have not yet been painted, I can honestly say that the wheels look better than the bodies! I have Yokahamas on all three of my MGBs (my wife's 68 roadster has wires). On the V6 car, I run 185/65 X 14s with extremely good adhesion, wet or dry. The other two cars have 185/70 X 14s (admit a little "bulgy" on the wires-but they wear even).
The bottom line is, you can put good rubber on your ROs just the size/gauge they are.
Randy
Randy Forbes

My Factory 1974 MGB-GT V-8 could be made to look totally stock with only two modifications. Remove the "V8" badges on the grille and the one front fender, and remove the V-8 alloy wheels and put on a set of Rostyles (the bolt pattern and offset were identical). The only other external visual difference is that the tailpipe is about 1/2" larger diameter.

The lack of difference with the 4-cylinder GTs was considered a major drawback by the magazine road testers of the Factory V-8. They figured that if you were shelling out so much more for a V-8, it should be visually distinguishable from it's 4-cylinder cousins. I don't mind - I like sleepers!

Cheers,
Paul Kile
Paul Kile

Talk is cheap
JB

> Talk is cheap

Please elaborate, JB. (Jeez, it is 4 o'clock in the morning over there, whaddaya doin'?)
Tim L. Danson

http://www.riceboypage.com/shame/
here is a good link for all you rice burner haters :)
I see nothing wrong with giving the B-V8's a 60's racing look. I'm using minilites and think they give my RBB a far superior look to the hideous Rostyles. I think this is all about personal taste. I feel you should be able to do what you want to do to 'your' car. I'm spending all this money on the V8 conversion, so I want my car to look good. If I wanted to leave the car stock, I would have spent all my money on a Porsche 944 Turbo w/ engine mods. That would be a car to whip any MG V8.
Watch what you say about beating a Porsche. The 2000 Boxster has 217HP and 197lb/ft of torque. It may loose in a straight line, but watch it out brake and out corner you on the track. I'm not even going to mention the Boxster S.
Michael Hartwig

To get back to the original question. I've had 6" rims fitted to Rostyle wheel centres. The original rims were rusty & pitted & had to be replaced anyway.Only an MG buff would notice the difference.I prefare the "wolf in sheep's clothing" effect too.
Barrie E.
Barrie Egerton

Tim:
I saw at a car show in Virginia about 3 years ago, I saw a CBB with a 302, where the guy had the rostyle wheels widened. Not quite sure how he did it - but apparently it's pretty common among the hot rodders. I suggest checking with some of the local custom shops in your area.
Mike Derderian

Just about any major wheel manufacturer can make a wheel to your size, so long as you choose a style already available. Also, many wheel repair shops can cut/widen or re-barrel your original wheel.
BTW, I have raced Boxsters, the secret is to accelerate way to fast for them to make up the gap on turns:)
Joaquin

There's two ways to widen a wheel. Either split the rim leaving one piece still attached to the centre ,usually the inner section to maintain the original offset & weld a new wider section of rim to the original piece.The other way is to drill out the spotwelds from the rim to the centre & replace the rim with a new wider one.The wheel shops seem to prefare the first method .
Barrie E
Barrie Egerton

My wheel place used the second method Barrie mentioned because I wanted wider wheels as well as a different offset so that I didn't have to narrow the eight inch Ford rear end. In my case I used MGA center sections because they would accept TD hub caps.
George B.

Well!, Well. Rice burners use soy sauce instead of nitros etc...
I recently enter a car show with 200 or so cars. among all this cars they were the Brits which enter in the Import class, Why not the sport class? Who knows.
A 120 XKE Jag, 140 XKE JAG, two TD's, and two B's and a GT V6 with flares and 15X8 wheels, the other a Rally factory car look alike (Well done)In the same class four CRX Hondas with all the goodies, only one open the hood. Guess who won?
Second Place CRX, Third place CRX, and a tide for First....two CRX's That cover all the rice burners in our class. Some people had not idea what an MG is or Jags. I tell people that my MG was a GM concept car from the 70's and they cover up by placing the GM bacwards MG.

r/Bill
Bill G.

Stockton Wheel widens wheels for hot rodders and 4X4's. Look for their ad in the back of 4X4 magazines. Try to keep offset close to stock.
Jack Evans

Just talked to Stockton Wheel (www.stocktonwheel.com).

They can widen, straighten, and increase diameter for approx. half the cost of fake Minilites. And you get to keep the sleeper look.
Jack Evans

Old American Hot Rods had rostyle type of wheels mounted. The style was called "Rallye" or something similar. (each make had a different type of wheel)

It would be kind of neat if a 4-lug wheel can be made in this style since most OEM MG rostyle wheels are weak. (warped, bent, rusted, etc)
James ?

James is right. The MG Rostyles just can't cut it if you drive a V8 fairly hard. If anyone knows where to secure some more solid ones, please advise.
Ted

I am running Stealth wheels from the Owners club in GB. I have had them on for the last 4,000 miles and I love them. Givet comment on their strength. As my car has a shortened Ford rear I did have to put 1/4" spacers on the rear wheels to allow the nut to be covered.to see what it looks like go to http://eightup.home.att.net Regards Ian.
Ian Pender

are you saying stealth wheels will bolt up to mgb bolt pattern?
Anthony Barnhill

Tony,
I don't think he talking about Dodge Stealth wheels.
George B.

Anthony, I was refering to the Stealth rims ( made by TSW )that are available in US from Proper MG but are cheaper to buy from the owners club in UK. I paid something like $425.00 for them ,delivered. Regards Ian.
Ian Pender

thanks, guys...thought i was losing it there for a while...its interesting how we get crossed up speaking the same language (well, similar) from opposite sides of water.
Anthony Barnhill

This thread was discussed between 03/07/2000 and 25/07/2000

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