Super neat 302-swapped MGB

Someone on another board posted up these pics, and I felt I must share them with you guys.

I love the colour, stance, wheels, interior, everything is pretty much perfect. Although I was a bit dubious of the exhaust holes cut into the inner-wings, at first.

Very nice.

That thing had better have billet motor mounts... very cool though.

Winston wrote: That thing had better have billet motor mounts... very cool though.

Why do you say that? 302 swaps in MGBs are pretty common, well-documented, and not particularly difficult. This one is particularly clean, but billet motor mounts?

In reply to Tim Baxter:

I'm guessing Winston is referring to the minimal clearance between the headers and inner fenders and that by billet he just means solid motor mounts. Could be wrong though.

Ah... Running headers through the fenders is pretty common on B V8s, since clearance between the frame rails is fairly tight. The factory even did it for the RV8, and I think you can buy a factory header/fender cutout template (not sure on that).

Running them out like that, you actually gain quite a bit of clearance all around.

I think those steel rims painted that graphite color really set it off nicely.

cghstang wrote: I'm guessing Winston is referring to the minimal clearance between the headers and inner fenders and that by billet he just means solid motor mounts. Could be wrong though.

Yeah, you're right. My intention was to distinguish an all-metal mount from a solid urethane mount (which would still allow some movement). Anyway, the fender cutout has me less worried than the header tube coming off the exhaust port closest to the viewer. Looks like minimal clearance between that and the inner fender. It's probably fine, the builder knows what they're doing from the looks of the rest of the car :)

Nicely done. How would you choose a header application for this set up? I usually pick the wrong ones twice.....

Dan

Winston wrote: Yeah, you're right. My intention was to distinguish an all-metal mount from a solid urethane mount (which would still allow some movement). Anyway, the fender cutout has me less worried than the header tube coming off the exhaust port closest to the viewer. Looks like minimal clearance between that and the inner fender. It's probably fine, the builder knows what they're doing from the looks of the rest of the car :)

Yeah, that's pretty valid. Later (73 or 74+, as I recall) Bs have the inner fender kinda wallowed out there (commonized with the factory BGT V8), making a V8 swap easier. Later Bs also have the radiator moved forward, making it even easier. I'm surprised he didn't "modify" the inner fender there. Probably IS tight.

My lowered 77 only had about a quarter-inch between the oil pan and crossmember, and stock mounts managed that OK, so maybe it's fine.

Wow. That is beautiful. The dished painted steelies really set it off.

I get that goes like stink! Beautiful!

Love love love the wheel/tire/stance setup on that car. Wonder what wheels those are.

Me like!!

pres589 wrote: Love love love the wheel/tire/stance setup on that car. Wonder what wheels those are.

I have some stock GM meant for a Caddy that look just like that.

Dan

This one has some aesthetic choices that I find a bit questionable, but it's fascinating to see the build. Really well documented. My rear suspension is going to look very much like this one.

http://www.britishv8.org/MG/DanMasters.htm

please stop posting pictures of this nature. I'm trying really hard to fight the instinct to modify my MGB and keep it a mostly stock cruiser.

Threads like this don't help...

I actually like the green one as it is

Thank you Keith - that is one of the tastiest MG's I've ever seen.

OMFG I love it!!

My God, that green one is drop-dead gorgeous. The rear end looks amazing w/ the tiny bumpers and wide rubber.

The restrained look of the one in the OP is great too, though. As others have said--the painted steelies just work. They give it a real retro-modern look.

I love these swaps and those two are awesome. I just can't help but wonder how these B's hold up to the force and the speed, but they seem to do just fine. There's one guy on youtube with a Supra powered GT that is crazy fast. My GT is somewhat tuned, bored .60 over with a mild cam and OD, tighter suspension and so on, and it will do 105 or so, but anything over that has always seemed to push some of the design fundamentals, like brakes and just plain aerodynamics.

I guess these V8s just get to the top end faster. Its not a car I'd want to do 150 in. The factory V8 wasn't exactly blistering quick either. I still want one, though. I'm not hatin', just sayin', mind you.

I like both of them. The tan one: I'd leave it as is. The green one: I'm not a big fan of billet so I think I'd have scaled that way back and I think I'd have put bumpers on it (without the overriders) but you can't deny that it is a first class project from the ground up.

I looked into the Fast Cars IFS he put in the green car. They made an bellhousing/adapter for a T-5 transmission to a 2003 Porsche 3.6L for a Locost.

That makes me upset. Now I gotta hate on those guys.