Canadian Corner (Volume XIII, Issue 1 - January 2005)
by: Graham CreswickThe idea of an MGB V8 was subliminally ingrained into my subconscious at an early age and for a long time it rested dormant. It started while I was attending university in Hamilton back in '68 and owned a '64 "B" roadster as my first daily driver. I happened to stop at the local BMC dealer down on Barton Street, (now defunct Gulliver Motors), and was awed by a '67 blue MGB GT sitting in the showroom with a sign that read "re-powered w/Ford 289 engine", apparently converted by a Hot Rod shop in St. Catherine's and, as I remember, sitting on Shelby Cobra style Halibrand knockoffs. Although I didn't take time to scrutinize the conversion or the $3500 asking price, I did recollect thinking of the performance that it must have had.
Fast forward to the year 2000: I had just sold my restored '67 Jag MK2 and was
contemplating the next project, when a combination of friendly discussion and events
made the direction clear - a V8 powered MGB. Attendance at the Cleveland V8 meet, a
chance to talk with Kurt Schley, Dan LaGrou, Rick Ingram and others and the purchase
of Roger Williams' excellent "How to Convert..." book armed me with the knowledge to
start the process.
The complete ground up Olds 215 conversion, on a 1976 "B" basket case hauled back from Dallas, took me about 2 years, but that included conversion to chrome bumper, fuel tank relocation for dual exhaust and some other niceties. For two seasons after completion, the car performed very well and had been a joy to drive but there was that missing ingredient that was hard to quantify.
The complete ground up Olds 215 conversion, on a 1976 "B" basket case hauled back from Dallas, took me about 2 years, but that included conversion to chrome bumper, fuel tank relocation for dual exhaust and some other niceties. For two seasons after completion, the car performed very well and had been a joy to drive but there was that missing ingredient that was hard to quantify.
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(Oldsmobile 215)
(Ford 302)