Bob Fisher's 1975 factory MGB GT V8, upgraded with Rover 3.9L V8
as published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XVIII Issue I, December 2010Owner: Bob Fisher
City: Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Model: 1975 MG MGB-GT-V8 (serial# 2470)
Engine: Rover 3.9L V8
Built by: owner.
Features and Specifications
| Engine: | Rover 3.9L V8 engine (9.75:1 compression ratio).
Stock Rover camshaft.
Recurved distributor with Pertronix Ignitor installed in lieu of breaker points.
Twin S.U. HIF6 carburetors.
K&N air filters (Note: they're a Harley Davidson size.)
Gustafson gear reduction starter.
|
| Cooling: | Howe aluminum radiator.
Twin Jaguar E-type 5-blade electric fans. |
| Exhaust: | customized 4-into-1 block hugger headers (see below.)
Custom down pipes.
Stainless steel big bore muffler and pipes. |
| Transmission: | LT77 5-speed transmission, from a Triumph TR8.
Cut-off Triumph TR7 shifter, with bent forward MGB lever welded on top.
Triumph TR8 slave cylinder.
Light weight steel flywheel.
Rover clutch.
Custom driveshaft. |
| Rear End: | stock MGB GT V8 (Salisbury) axle, including 3:07:1 gears and open differential. |
| Front Susp.: | lowered springs.
Negative camber lower control arms from Moss Motors.
Ron Hopkinson anti-sway bar.
Red polyurethane suspension bushes. |
| Rear Susp.: | half of an old main leaf spring leaf was added in place of the short leaf to reduce wheel hop.
Vintage Koni telescoping shock absorbers.
Ron Hopkinson anti-sway bar. |
| Brakes: | stock MGB GT V8.
(Single circuit brake system with booster.
Thicker front brake rotors and larger surface-area pads.) |
| Wheels/Tires: | stock MGB GT V8 wheels
(Dunlop aluminum with steel rim, 14x5J).
Goodyear Eagle HP 185/60R14 tires.
(Pirelli P6 spare tire.) |
| Electrical: | upgraded cooling fan wiring
Battery cut-off switch.
No radio.
Aftermarket headlights. |
| Instruments: | stock Smiths gauges,
except separate Smiths oil pressure and water temperature gauges in lieu of original combination gauge.
Digital clock, mounted in center console. |
| Interior: | modified Acura Integra seats on MGB seat frames.
Nardi steering wheel.
Removed rear seat.
Extended cargo floor with hinged lid over battery. |
| Exterior: | Webasto folding sunroof.
Chrome bumper conversion.
MGB MkI (1962-69) grille.
MG "Special Tuning" spoiler.
LeMans-style fuel filler cap. |
| Completed: | August 2, 2010. Approximately 500 miles driven since conversion, as of October 1. |
| Comments: | Bob imported this factory MGB GT V8 from England in 2004. It had eleven previous
owners, from all over the UK. Bob explained: "I wanted a chrome bumper car, but they
were much more money and a few years older. Maiden England Sports Cars of Bally
Pennsylvania did the (chrome bumper) conversion. I plan to replace the grille slats
with stainless mesh and add a V8 badge. The engine is a 9.75:1 compression ratio
unit from a low mileage Defender 90 that got a hot-rod 4.6 at East Coast Rovers." |
Engine Installation
Rover 3.9L V8 engine with twin S.U. HIF6 carburetors.
Original MGB GT V8 air cleaners used paper element filters in a fully encased housing.
These K&N gauze air filters are a popular size for Harley Davidson motorcycles.
Cooling system air bleed, made from plumbing parts from the local hardware store.
Dual Jaguar E-type 5-blade cooling fans, mounted to stock MGB brackets. Protective covers were added
over the back of the motor housings; on Jaguars they were mounted on the opposite side of the radiator.
Howe aluminum radiator.
Custom LT77 transmission mount on a modified MGB crossmember, mounted in the stock location:
a flat aluminum plate bolted to the bottom of the transmission attaches to stock holes, and
polyurethane transmission mounts for a Chevy TH300 transmission bolted into plate with a spacer.
Gustafson gear reduction starter (top) and Triumph TR8 clutch slave cylinder (below).
Two custom stainless steel tubes for (S.U. carburetor) fuel overflow are visible at left.
These block hugger headers are larger bore than the ones usually marketed for MGB V8 conversions.
(They were listed on eBay for use on Triumph TR8.) Bob modified them by welding additional steel
in between the original individual mounting flanges.
Custom exhaust down pipes by Denny's Corvettes.
Stainless steel exhaust pipes.
Stainless steel muffler.
|
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Suspension
Negative camber lower control arms from Moss Motors.
Ron Hopkinson front anti-sway bar.
Half of an old main leaf spring leaf was added in place of the short leaf to reduce wheel hop.
Ron Hopkinson rear anti-sway bar.
Interior
Nardi steering wheel.
Modified Acura Integra seats on MGB seat frames.
Cut-off Triumph TR7 shifter, with bent forward MGB lever welded on top.
Webasto folding sunroof.
A bar added to the forward edge of the extended cargo shelf keeps luggage from sliding forward.
The front section of the cargo shelf lifts up for battery and cut-off switch access.
Mazda RX7 lightweight aluminum folding "scissor" jack.
Exterior
Chrome bumper conversion, MGB MkI (1962-69) grille, and MGB "Special Tuning" spoiler.
Original Dunlop aluminum/steel composite wheels, with Goodyear Eagle HP 185/60R14 tires.
Original MG "Tahiti Blue" paint job. Note: LeMans style fuel filler cap.
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