Since MG Bs are rather plentiful and reasonably cheap it stands to reason that a number are going to be modified especially if a stock restoration isn’t cost effective. I found one such car out and about. It has hood pins, slot mag wheels with knock off look spinners caps and a rather large hood blister. Anyone care to speculate what is under the hood?
I don’t think this one would have the always popular Buick/Rover V8 engine since those usually go in the higher end cars. The hood blister suggests a taller engine so I suspect it is a V-something engine. Ford V8? Maybe as it has been done and they do weigh less than the equivalent Chevrolet small block. Those rear tires don’t look wide enough to handle the power of a big American V8 to me. My bet is on the Chevrolet V6 engine from a Chevrolet S10 or Camaro. The 60 degree angle makes it narrower but taller than the Buick 3.8L and it is reputed to be less weight than the original 1.8L MG engine. The GM V6 comes in 2.8L, 3.1L and 3.4L displacements and even the lowest powered version makes more power and torque than decently modified MG B stocker. It is also quite a popular swap and there is even more than one company out there making conversion kits. For those up in arms about the possibility of a truck engine in a sports car remember that the B’s Austin B-series motor was used in such motorsports standouts as the Leyland Sherpa, Morris J2 van and Massey-Harris Combine Harvester. Seems MG owners should lay off the Triumph boys and their “tractor” engine.
With the chrome grill and later dash I’d put this one as a late 1969 or early 1970 model assuming those are the stock pieces. Some more hot rod touches in the interior with an eight ball shifter and non-stock tachometer. Seats are definitely not MG. Anyone recognize those?
Dual exhaust out back again building a case for a vee configuration engine. Sadly there was no one around to ask for a peek under the bonnet so unless I see it again all we can do is speculate what it might be or what we hope it might be. So what is your guess?
As light as it is a Chevy 2.8 V6 would give it plenty of scoot…I’ll bet it’s a hoot to drive!
There were a few SBF conversion “kits” back in the 80s for this car. SBF was chosen due to the front distributor placement for better firewall clearance. Cutting the inner fender wells and flipping the trans crossmember were part of the usual methods. Judging by the late-70s trans am scoop and slotted mags this looks about right for that era, although the shifter seems too far forward for a typical external-linkage V8 trans.
As I mentioned before, I have seen one of these with a SBC (283). I think the most logical thing would be the V6 Buick with turbo but doubt if that’s what it has. Mostly those are swapped with an automatic transmission it seems to me. The shifter at least is not stock.
Since nobody can grade this guess because we haven’t seen it: I am going with a 4.3 chevy with manual trans and hydraulic clutch. I personally would want that engine with the 700r4 but can’t afford to play like that any more.
Interesting car worth a second look with the owner. Small block Ford would be my guess. For some reason I’m thinking this is a poor mans version of the Sunbeam Tiger, which in itself was the poor man’s Cobra!
Some mini-lite wheels and a more discreet hood scoop here would complete the poor man’s Tiger concept.
You could get an MGB with a Rover V-8 beginning in 1973– they had a little “V8” script on the right side of the grill. I knew a guy who had one. Of course, this car is too old to be one of those. Who knows– there could be just about anything under the hood of this one. The important thing would not be the motor so much as the electrical system. A thorough and complete de-lucasization would be a requirement for me…
The factory only built GT V8s, no roadsters.
I’m going to guess a Chev V8 mounted to clear the dizzy, with the hood scoop and gear lever also a bit further forward than might be expected. I’d also worry about the smaller front tyres’ ability to stop or change direction.
Ya know, I think the V8 MGB in question was indeed a GT and not a roadster. Besides, the Internet wholeheartedly agrees with you… This was a long time ago, when this car would have only been a year or two old. The things that old age does to the memory!
Hmm, my stock-engine B had hood pins, but that had a lot to do with the broken spot weld for the hood-latch and the body. Nobody thought to use pop rivets (and a really long drill bit) I guess. When I wrecked my old hood, I went back to the standard latch with the replacement.
The seats look like a Recaro knockoff. Didn’t VW use something similar in the first generation Scirocco?
I’ll vote for a SBF too, all in all it looks like an older build, well before the 60 and 90 degree Chevy V6’s debuted. With a Buick V6 it is unlikely they would have needed to install the hood pins to hold it down. Of course if it was done back in the day the hood pins may have been done since that was the cool thing to do and that is what they did back in the day, you know they added 10HP.
I think I recognize that car. It it is the one I saw, it had a Buick V6 and a Ford Mustang rear axle.
Probably a V8 of some sort. Most V6 conversions fit under the hood with no stupid ‘blister’ needed. year-wise, it’s a ’70 or newer, as it has the lighted side marker lights. The ’69 had stick-ons in a different spot. But the dash is from the ’68 – ’69 model (the infamous ‘Abingdon pillow’ dash) and the steering wheel is from a ’70. Probably not a ’70 as they had the split rear bumper (although they owner certainly could have retrofitted a single-bar bumper). The grille is from a pre-70, but the fit is poor enough that I would guess it replaced the ’71 – ’73 ‘fish mouth’ grille.
Really a shame that they had to radius the rear wheel wells. Just a kluged-up car alltogether.
Dan D