Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
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- 7,607
Omnonomnomnomnom!
MGB GT Restoration
- Thread starter task
- Start date
You have no idea how long I deliberated between a 4 barrel and EFI. This won out for several reasons, noise/power to cost/looks/more in keeping with the vehicle. Mostly because it excited me more than running EFI again though. If I change my mind I can always fit it on the top of something else or sell it on.
I need to decide on ignition next, I'm torn between a nice Mallory electronic system, the standard Lucas Distributor or a Megajolt system!
Hope to make some good progress over Easter.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
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I think the 4 barrel will more tuneable than the injection, especially for any future upgrades 
I have a fully electronic CSI distributor on my 1.8.
I have a fully electronic CSI distributor on my 1.8.I think the 4 barrel will more tuneable than the injection, especially for any future upgrades
That's basically the point, simple EFI would work but it wouldn't make the most of any upgrades with being re-chipped. I could have gone megasquirt I guess but that would have added 100+ more hours of wiring etc. and still wouldn't look as nice!
I'll probably end up going for standard lucas kit for the short term, mostly down to cost!
4TS - videos will be plentiful once I get it running!
wow, great build. I can imagine driving that thing will be very "interesting" with that heavy lump sitting up front! fun though 
It might be just the angle of the photo but the front break lines seem to be pretty close to the exhuast headers? if so that might warm up the fluid a bit leading to early brake fade?
It might be just the angle of the photo but the front break lines seem to be pretty close to the exhuast headers? if so that might warm up the fluid a bit leading to early brake fade?
wow, great build. I can imagine driving that thing will be very "interesting" with that heavy lump sitting up front! fun though
It might be just the angle of the photo but the front break lines seem to be pretty close to the exhuast headers? if so that might warm up the fluid a bit leading to early brake fade?
Headers were installed after the brake lines and the flexibles have since been tweaked, just not shown in the photos. The copper lines aren't that close, I'm going to make a heat shield for the master cylinder though as that could get very hot given the proximity to the headers.
Interesting in what way? Engine is very comparable in weight to the one removed, around 20kg lighter for stock items. That's one of the reasons the MGB GT V8 was considered a much more balanced vehicle when compared to the MGC with it's straight 6. The combo also saw the light of day again with the MG-RV8 in the early 90's.
Ahh I just presumed it would be a much heavier front end and turn in would be "wooly" but it seems not, good stuff
Ahh, nope, slightly lighter
I've also lost a fair amount of weight by removing the front and rear "rubber" bumpers. Unlike the vision the name suggests, they're actually made of some fairly heavy metal sections bolted on the front and the back of the car, so that should sharpen things up a little too. 20KG off the front and even more off the back!
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
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- 7,607
wow, great build. I can imagine driving that thing will be very "interesting" with that heavy lump sitting up front! fun though
As said, the 1.8 was actually heavier than the v8. The Rover v8 was a revelation in a lot of cars as it was a lighter unit than the old all cast iron inline 4 and inline 6 british engines that it replaced. Same in the Rover p6 etc.
The MGB shell is more than up to the task(no pun
) and in the US they fit all kinds of v8s and v6s. The MGB also had factory 3.5 v8s etc. The MGC suffered from having a big heavy lump up front but even that got sorted with more modern tyres and tuning.Easter was a productive weekend in MGB world, for me anyway, in no special order;
Fuel line run from tank to engine bay via pump mounted in the empty space where a battery sat in the earlier cars
Grill trial fitted;
Wings and other blemishes starting to get blended in to the body work and laying down a few layers of high build primer
Starter fitted, clutch slave changed for one the braided pipe I bought actually screws in to. I think I was sent the wrong item!
Top end of the engine was built as far as I can without risking damage to items;
You can also make out the engine balance bar fitted on the front right.
Waiting for the bonnet and front/rear valances to turn up now, I don't think they'll be here for this weekend though.
Fuel line run from tank to engine bay via pump mounted in the empty space where a battery sat in the earlier cars
Grill trial fitted;
Wings and other blemishes starting to get blended in to the body work and laying down a few layers of high build primer
Starter fitted, clutch slave changed for one the braided pipe I bought actually screws in to. I think I was sent the wrong item!
Top end of the engine was built as far as I can without risking damage to items;
You can also make out the engine balance bar fitted on the front right.
Waiting for the bonnet and front/rear valances to turn up now, I don't think they'll be here for this weekend though.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
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The engine looks great! Did you have fun battling with the heater too? I was inspired by your thread and fitted my new tanker sender over easter Plus my summer wheels too
Plus my summer wheels tooThanks
Nope, heater seemed easy, it's not connected yet though so perhaps that's where the fun will be? Possibly easier because I had no bonnet fitted though!
I can't imagine changing the tank sender with the tank in situ is the easiest of jobs! Summer wheels reminds me I still need to buy a set of wheels at some point.
Nope, heater seemed easy, it's not connected yet though so perhaps that's where the fun will be? Possibly easier because I had no bonnet fitted though!
I can't imagine changing the tank sender with the tank in situ is the easiest of jobs! Summer wheels reminds me I still need to buy a set of wheels at some point.
More updates!
Done a few bits and pieces, new MGC bonnet arrived so a trial fitted it along with the carb and air cleaner to see if I had enough bonnet clearance. I didn't.
This has hopefully been rectified with a much lower engine mounting rubber on the L/H of the engine bay, won't know till I've re-fitted the bonnet.
Prop shaft was fitted, hole extended in the transmission tunnel for the gear lever, bonnet stay fitted. Fans/Rad/Hoses/Distributor/HT leads etc arrived and are awaiting the end of painting before being fitted.
Speaking of painting the front and rear valence also arrived, so they were fitted. Rear valence took a lot of blending to fit.
The whole body was then covered in several thick coats of high build primer-filler before being rubbed back with wet-n-dry, it's now sat awaiting some top coat!
Further updates by the end of the weekend I hope
Done a few bits and pieces, new MGC bonnet arrived so a trial fitted it along with the carb and air cleaner to see if I had enough bonnet clearance. I didn't.
This has hopefully been rectified with a much lower engine mounting rubber on the L/H of the engine bay, won't know till I've re-fitted the bonnet.
Prop shaft was fitted, hole extended in the transmission tunnel for the gear lever, bonnet stay fitted. Fans/Rad/Hoses/Distributor/HT leads etc arrived and are awaiting the end of painting before being fitted.
Speaking of painting the front and rear valence also arrived, so they were fitted. Rear valence took a lot of blending to fit.
The whole body was then covered in several thick coats of high build primer-filler before being rubbed back with wet-n-dry, it's now sat awaiting some top coat!
Further updates by the end of the weekend I hope
Don
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
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- 17,200
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- In a house
Great work! Looks really good!
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
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- 7,607
Coo an MGC bonnet! It looks great just in the primer
