Roger Haber's 1967 MGB with Fuel-Injected Chevrolet 350 V8
as published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XIX Issue I, December 2011Owner: Roger Haber
City: Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada
Model: 1967 MG MGB
Engine: Chevrolet 350 V8
Built by: owner.
Features and Specifications
| Engine: | Chevrolet 350 V8, balanced and blueprinted.
Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum cylinder heads.
Crane CC290 camshaft.
Crane roller rockers.
Holley Stealth Ram computerized fuel injection.
AC Delco (G.M.) computer controlled distributor.
MSD ignition coil.
MSD 8.5mm spark plug wires. |
| Cooling: | custom built 5" thick brass radiator.
Corvette expansion tank. |
| Exhaust: | owner built headers.
Thrush Turbo mufflers |
| Transmission: | Tremec TKO 600 5-speed with 0.64:1 overdrive.
Centerforce clutch.
Lakewood scattershield.
Converted brake master cylinder as clutch slave (1 to 1 ratio). |
| Rear End: | Jaguar, with limited slip differential and 3.327:1 final drive ratio. |
| Front Susp.: | stock MGB with heavier springs and lowered rack and pinion (for engine clearance). |
| Rear Susp.: | Jaguar independent rear suspension.
Aldan coilover shock absorbers. |
| Brakes: | (master) stock MGB (Lockheed) single-circuit master cylinder, (front) stock MGB calipers with EBC slotted and dimpled rotors, (rear) Jaguar inboard-mounted disk brakes. |
| Wheels/Tires: | Appliance fine wire wheels with BF Goodrich Radial T.A. tires |
| Electrical: | twin Optima 6 Volt batteries mounted in series in the trunk behind the wheel wells.
Leece Neville alternator and voltage regulator.
Owner-built custom wiring. |
| Interior: | owner built custom dash, center console, and door panels, all covered in tan leather.
Stewart Warner instruments.
Map pockets on the doors.
Dynamat sound deadening material.
5-point nickel plated roll bar.
Leather upholstered trunk.
(Note: all leather stitching by Max Vanderhelm.) |
| Exterior: | flared front and rear fenders and custom built flared rocker panels by Murray Ballance of Bassanno Auto Body.
Rolled rear deck.
Molded front spoiler with MGB grille insert.
Hand built aluminum engine compartment.
Whole undercarriage lined with mirror finish stainless steel.
Subframe extensions. |
| Weight: | 2870 pounds. |
| Performance: | top speed clocked at 153 mph. Quarter mile in 11.8s at 117mph. Dyno'd at 420hp. |
| Completed: | car was first completed in 1971 and rebuilt four times since.
Total mileage 200,000 plus. |
| Comments: | I first built the car in 1971 with a Chev. 283, a 350 Turbo-hydro automatic,
and a narrowed Chevy 10-bolt. Then I went to a 327 and in 1977 went to a
Muncie 4-speed. In 1979 I built a new dash and did a custom interior. In 1980
I installed the Jag rear differential. In 1981 I installed a Chevy 350 with a
Littlefield 6/71 Supercharger and twin Carter carburetors. After repeated hassles
with the police - The air cleaners were even with the top of the windshield! -
I removed the blower in 1984 and returned to normal aspiration. I basically
just drove the car for the next 22 years, and did a total rebuild in 2006/2007.
In 2007 I showed the car in the World of Wheels in Calgary. The last previous
showing was in 1982.
When I first built the car it was the only V8 MGB around. All the adapter pieces had to be hand built. I had no previous idea that there was a British V8 club and I was thrilled when I stumbled on your website. I loved seeing everyone's projects in the photo gallery, especially Dan Masters MGB GT. I'm hoping to find a way to bring my car to the (2011) annual meet in Tennessee, but it's a long way from Calgary! |
Engine Installation
Holley Stealth Ram computerized fuel injection.
Chevrolet 350 V8, balanced and blueprinted.
Extruded aluminum fuel rail.
Stock MGB (Lockheed) single-circuit master cylinder.
Leece Neville alternator and voltage regulator.
MSD Super Conductor 8.5mm spark plug wires.
Oxygen sensor bung.
Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum cylinder heads.
Four into one exhaust collector.
Exhaust flange connection.
Buffing out the aluminum paneled engine compartment.
About as far as you can go with the buffing machine.
Engine reinstallation begins with wiring and plumbing.
Robustly reinforced aluminum engine mounting plate.
Edelbrock Performer RPM heads, topped with Holley's Stealth Ram tunnel-ram style high rise manifold.
The plenum cover and throttle body of Holley's Stealth Ra-point fuel injection system.
Custom built 5" thick brass radiator.
Refitting Roger's custom built air dam.
Tremec TKO 600 5-speed with 0.64:1 overdrive. Lakewood scattershield.
The TKO 600's gear ratios - 2.87, 1.89, 1.28, 1.00 and 0.64:1 - are "taller" than most other 5-speeds.
Twin Optima 6 Volt batteries mounted in series, in the trunk behind the wheel wells.
MG installed dual six volt batteries under the rear seat. That original installation
wasn't compatible with the installation of a Jaguar independent rear suspension.
Previous engine: Chevy 350 with a Littlefield 6/71 Supercharger and twin Carter carburetors.
After repeated hassles with the police, the blower was removed in 1984...
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Front Suspension and Steering
Stock MGB front suspension with heavier springs and lowered steering rack (for engine clearance).
Stock MGB calipers with EBC slotted and dimpled rotors.
Rear Suspension
Jaguar independent rear suspension. Aldan coilover shock absorbers.
Interior
Owner built custom dash, center console, and door panels, all covered in tan leather.
Map pockets on the doors.
How the Custom Dashboard was Constructed
The foundation of this custom dashboard is a flat plywood panel.
From the foundation, an elaborate sculpted fabrication is built up.
Dynamat sound deadening material.
Test fitting the Stewart Warner gauges.
Custom MGB door rails, sculpted to match the custom dashboard.
Now the dashboard is ready for its glove leather cover!
Owner-built custom wiring.
How the Center Console was Constructed
Rapid prototyping.
The posterboard mock-up gets progressively refined.
Here, the posterboard panels have been replaced with aluminum and "Tiger Hair" has been used
to refine the form. Tiger Hair is a tradename for long fiber, fiberglass reinforced body filler.
A contoured aluminum switch panel has been added, and a GPS installation is prototyped in pink styrofoam.
The actual GPS panel is made from Tiger Hair over an aluminum sheetmetal base.
A full complement of Stewart Warner instruments, plus a GPS.
Fully covered in soft leather.
How the Doors and other Panels were Trimmed-Out in Leather
Aluminum door panel cards.
Map pockets are an elaborate addition: protruding into and out from the door panels.
Roger's friend Max Vanderhelm did all the leather upholstery stitching.
5-point nickel plated roll bar.
Leather upholstered trunk.
Repainting
Murray Ballance of Bassanno Auto Body created flared rocker panels for Roger's MGB.
The front and rear fender flares are also original Murray Ballance designs.
Spectacular new paint job!
The way rear flares transition into a one-of-a-kind spoiler is totally unique.
With little weight on the springs, the car sits high.
Piece by piece, body and interior parts are reinstalled after the new paint job.
Installation of the custom front spoiler.
Exterior
First showing in twenty-five years: Calgary's 2007 World of Wheels.
Show and go! Like almost all MGB V8 conversions this is a practical car that's
ready to go anywhere its owner cares to take it, long roadtrips included.
With an engine compartment this handsome, it must be tempting
to just leave the bonnet off.
