V8 Register – MG Car Club V8-Roadster-project-Dan-Algarin-22.04.08 1

An American MGB V8 Conversion and restoration Dan Algarin (Glacier White 4331) from New Jersey, USA describes the three plus year long conversion and restoration of his 1974 MGB Roadster. The result is a very attractive car which looks just right. Above is Dan’s MGB V8 Roadster completed V8 Roadster conversions have always been extremely popular in North America. A quick search on yahoo.com or google.com will show a few websites which feature the different approaches many MGB owners have taken with their V8 conversions. Time to restore it

My decision to restore my B came after I noticed it sitting in the backyard looking rather neglected due to a non-MG auto project that I had going at the time. After selling my other classic car, I decided to inspect the B and determine how much work it would require to bring it back to life. While the car ran fine and I could have kept driving it for a few more years, the interior was falling apart and several of the usual MGB rust areas (floor pans, dog legs, fenders etc.) were showing signs of heavy rust.

Rust in the front driver’s side sill The disassembly

The first step was to completely disassemble the vehicle. Starting with the interior, removing the seats and carpets, provided a quick look at the floor pans condition which clearly required replacement. After removing pretty much anything bolted to the body, all I had was a bare shell that showed a lot less rust than what I had

expected. This was good news as I was not looking forward to doing a lot of metal work.

New floor pans were fitted

Exact replica of the Factory V8 engine

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A V8 engine conversion

During the metal work stage, my decision to perform a V8 conversion came after I was told about a brand new 3.5 Litre V8 Rover engine from a Rover SD1 which was for sale in Toronto, Canada. This engine was a left over from the British Leyland days and was for sale for a price that I just could not resist. As a matter of fact, I spent more in fuel, meals, and a hotel going to pick up the engine, than I spent purchasing the engine! Research

I began doing research on the many different V8 possibilities to determine which type of conversion would best fit my needs. While a large majority of conversions avoid the original SU carburettor set up, this was the only option I decided to consider. One of the first purchases I made was a book by Roger Williams “How to give your MGB V8 power”. This book is a must for anyone considering a V8 conversion. In addition, there are many MGB owners that have websites explaining and showing their entire conversion process. With both Roger Williams book and all the enthusiast websites, I made the decision to convert my B to as close as Factory original as possible. Why? Because it would be the easiest of all possible conversions that I could undertake without major modifications. Obtaining the new engine while performing the metal work turned out to be a blessing in disguise during the engine bay work stage of the conversion. This was due to the fact that the engine bay on the chrome bumper B needs to be modified to accept the V8 engine when compared to a rubber bumper model. While the modifications are not complicated, one needs to have the entire power train available to ensure that it fits perfectly before any paint work is started. Sourcing components

While the majority of conversions use the Rover LT77 or T5 transmission, I had to find an original MGB GT V8 4-speed transmission to remain within my "as-close-as-factory-original-as-possible" goal. In addition, to carry out an original V8 conversion a lot more than just an engine and transmission would be required to do it right. This was the point where I had to stop the restoration/conversion project and start researching all the required components.

Original 4-speed V8 transmission rebuilt Thank God for the internet as without this great tool, I would have not been able to find the people that carry new and used parts required to do a V8 conversion. During my search for an original

transmission, I came upon a UK-based gentleman called Andy Jennings, who specialises in used MGB parts. When I told Andy I was looking for an original MGB GT V8 transmission, he made my day by telling me about a complete original V8 GT had just arrived to be taken apart for spares. With my trusty V8 conversion book, I emailed Andy with a list of parts I needed. A few weeks later several boxes arrived containing amongst other things an original V8 transmission! www.mgcars.org.uk/andyjennings/ While Andy was able to provide a used but in good condition transmission, valve covers, front pulley, original Delco alternator and a few other parts, I realized that were lots of additional components necessary to continue my task of collecting all the necessary parts. I was still in need of a V8 radiator, original intake manifold, SU carburettors and much, much more. This is the point where patience and perseverance come into play. I began visiting EBay every day to look for these parts. And thanks to EBay, I was able to find an NOS intake manifold from the MG Centre in Sidney, Australia. The radiator and lots of small V8 specific parts came from Brown & Gammons through a pen pal (and former RV8 owner), Charlton Selwyn owner of Mac Motors Ltd located in Burton Upon Trent. While Brown & Gammons was able to supply many of the required conversion components, I was still in need of a few parts that only one of the most renowned V8 parts suppliers in the UK could provide. Clive Wheatley was able to assist me in sourcing the correct rear axle ring and pinion and prop shaft flange necessary for the rear axle part of the conversion. But I was still out a pair of SU carburettors and original V8 sump. Close to a year later while visiting the UK on business, I was able to buy a brand new set of V8 carburettors from Andy Jennings. I was lucky to find a NOS oil sump on EBay, from the MG centre in Sydney, Australia. After approximately one year of purchasing and collecting parts, I was able to restart the conversion and continue with the work. www.ukmgparts.com & www.mgv8parts.com

Engine and transmission in place Modifying the engine bay

Fitting in the engine and transmission to determine what modifications were needed was a hard and long process. First step was to weld the motor mounts to the chassis rails. At that point I realized that the bulkhead had to be cut for the cylinder heads to clear. After cutting and welding, I was able to drop the engine and transmission and continue with the modifications. During the process of modifying the engine bay, it is advisable to also modify

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the inner wing area for the exhaust manifolds to clear. While a lot of conversions use the block hugger headers or the RV8 exhaust manifolds, I was going to use the original cast iron manifolds which require the inner wings to be pushed out for the manifolds to clear. The engine bay modification work continued by welding the radiator mounting brackets from a rubber bumper MGB. Welding of these brackets is better approached with the engine in place and the radiator in hand to measure and fit as necessary due to the clearance between the water pump pulley and the radiator which is quite close.

Engine bay modifications finished

Body and paint

With the engine bay modifications finished, I was able to start sanding and preparing the engine bay. I protected the metal with an epoxy primer from PPG industries called DP401. Once this primer is applied is becomes extremely hard to sand but it provides excellent corrosion protection.

Under body preparation work – you can see the twin 6 volt battery carriers

I was able to move my efforts to the outside of the body. While a lot of people chose to leave the under carriage “as is” during a restoration and leave several items such as front/rear axles, brakes lines, etc in place, I was not going to follow this route. I decided to do it properly and leave the body totally free, looking like a Factory body in white (BIW) assembly. Many people may not realise that an MGB roadster BIW does not weigh a lot. My oldest son and myself were able to flip the entire

body upside down, to clean, prepare and paint the under body. If you are going to consider this, make sure that you get some really large used tyres to protect the body. With the undercarriage finished and looking like the day it left the Factory, it was time to move to the outside. The outside body work took me approximately six months of weekend work.

Guide coat applied to find any imperfections

Vehicle painted

At this stage I realized how much painting materials have increased in price. After purchasing the epoxy primer, fill primer, base and clear coats, hardener, reducers and all other materials such as sand paper, guide coats, etc, I had spent well over US$2,000. One of the drawbacks of painting a vehicle at home is the lack of downdraft ventilation to remove the majority of dirt. With the final coat of clear coat applied, I realized that the vehicle would need to be completely colour sanded to get rid of the dirt. Putting everything together

With the body work out of the way, a new stage in the restoration/conversion had begun. Putting the vehicle back together was going to be a long and careful task. This part of the restoration was lengthy but it kept me inspired as I knew the end was in sight. At this point, I started purchasing a lot of MGB parts required for the restoration part of the job. My main two suppliers were Moss Motors US and Victoria British. These two companies are the largest British Classic Car parts suppliers in North America.

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www.mossmotors.com www.victoriabritish.com Suspension

Moss Motors coil over suspension

Rear Suspension with Panhard rod One consideration I took was to slightly modify and improve the suspension to better cope with the new engine. I decided to purchase the Moss Motors coil over suspension but found out that Moss North America no longer carried it. I decided to try Moss UK and they were able to supply it. I have to say that I was not satisfied with the kit as it needed a lot of work to get it to fit it to the vehicle and to make matters worse, the instructions were missing. The rear suspension was modified with the highly popular telescopic shock absorber conversion kit, lowering blocks and Moss traction bar kit. To top it all, I purchased a Panhard Rod kit from California-based British Automotive. The Panhard rod kit, compared to the Moss coil over suspension kit, was very easy to install and everything bolted easily the first time around. www.mgbmga.com Braking system

The braking system is always an area that many owners modify when installing a V8. While I was confident that the rear drums would do the job, I decided to install a set of original GT V8 brake rotors in the front along with a pair of AP Brake callipers originally fitted on the SD1 Rover. To maintain the originality of the engine bay, I decided to install the single line brake system with remote brake booster. This proved to be challenge as it the single-line-remote-brake booster set up was never fitted to North America specification MGBs.

Remote brake booster installation On RHD models the remote brake booster installation is easy due to the shape of the heater housing. On LHD vehicles, there is not a lot less space and to make matters worse, you need to leave space for the wiper washer reservoir assembly. While everything fits perfectly, there is absolutely no space in that area for any other components. The final steps

Installing the remaining components of the engine bay before dropping the engine is critical due to the fact that once the engine is installed; there is not a lot of space to remove or adjust anything.

Engine bay almost finished

With the engine in installed, there were only a few components left. One item I purchased from Andy Jennings, was the original Lucas starter motor. I read many stories about the original starter motors heating up and requiring a lot of work to be removed. I decided to order a new gear reduction starter which takes a lot less space than

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the original and can take a lot more punishment (e.g., heat), than the original Lucas starter motor.

Engine bay ready for engine

A big setback

With almost all the components installed, the last remaining work was to get everything connected. I encountered one rather serious drawback the day I was filling the engine with fluids. I noticed an antifreeze leak in between the block and the front cover. After trying numerous ideas to stop the leak, I was forced to take everything apart to find out the cause. When I removed the front cover, I noticed immediately that there was no gasket between the front cover and the block. The remaining antifreeze ended up in the oil sump mixed up with the brand new and unused oil. The interior

I was never a fan of the 1970’s materials used on the MGB interiors. While a lot of conversions have leather for the seats, I wanted the Jaguar-Rolls-Bentley “look” and have every surface covered in leather. Getting new leather seat covers and door panels from the UK was an easy task. The biggest challenge was going to the original vinyl-covered North American dash. While visiting Mexico during one of my many work-related trips, I asked a friend about having the dash covered in leather. My friend instructed me to bring the dash along on my next trip and he would have it covered by a reputable shop. After a few days, I got my leather dash and the results were so impressive that I decided to have the entire middle console and steering wheel covered in leather. My biggest surprise

was when I got the final bill which ended up being less than US$200.

Full leather interior

Red Mohair-fabric top with headlining The final part of the restoration was the convertible top. To finish the Jaguar-Rolls-Bentley “look”, I had to get a Mohair-fabric top, as vinyl top would have looked out-of-place on a vehicle with such a

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sumptuous interior. I decided to use to a UK-based manufacturer, Prestige Autotrim to source the correct looking top. Prestige Autotrim was able to supply a red coloured Mohair-fabric top with inner headlining for a reasonable price and the final price including shipping ended up being a lot less than what Moss US charges for a Mohair-fabric top, which is only available only in black. www.prestigeautotrim.com Finished

After three-plus years of weekend work, and lots of money sourcing parts from the UK, Australia and the US, the MGB V8 was finished. While the vehicle is now undergoing final adjustments, I am happy to say that I am very satisfied with the results.

First test drive

With a 3.5 Litre V8 now sitting in place of the original 1.8 Litre 4 cylinder, the handling and feeling of the vehicle does not in my opinion differ too much. Several publications state that the weight difference between both engines was minimal. Logically, the torque of the V8 is considerably a lot better than the four cylinder engine but it does not feel like it is going to tear the vehicle apart.

The single line remote brake booster system has a great pedal feel that feels solid and reassuring and should be capable of stopping the vehicle without a lot of pedal effort.

The biggest difference is the sound of the engine. While the engine and exhaust system are completely stock, the sound this engine makes is more Aston Martin V8 and less Chevy/Ford V8 as a lot of people would expect.

My advice to anyone considering a V8 conversion is to first decide which conversion set up you want. There are so many variations to choose from, that one has to carefully research and study each one to determine if it will provide what you are looking for once it is

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finished. My goal was a V8 Roadster that would be as close as possible to the original Factory V8 albeit, with some minor modern improvements and modifications. I am happy to say that I achieved that goal. So what is next?

There is a MGB conversion website that features a picture of a MGB in Sweden, which from the outside looks very original. But under the bonnet, is a fuel injected Jaguar V12 engine!

Anybody got a cheap V12 for sale?