1971 MGB GT V8 Drift Car - Prospect D

[chin]

Hi All,

Heres my MGB GT V8 project. I've been doing up the body work for the past god dam year and the rest! The project started as a just get it on the road and as they do has grown wings, arms, tentacles and much much more. The plan now is a stripped out slammed track car powered by a 3.9 litre Rover V8. I purchase the engine but still on the out look for a gearbox. Ive molded a sebring front and rear valance on it put did not want to add the arches. I'm looking to get the wheels as flush as possible to the body but from my research this does not leave me with much in the way of options. I might look at getting a bit of poke from the wheels and add some JDM style arches but I'm not to sure how they will look...

Anyway pics:

[montythemole]

I think the JDM arches might look pretty sweet actually, like a mini Datsun-Z:


Are you doing the work in an old shipping container? Looks a little tight for width but excellent for security.

[chin]

Thats the look that inspired me curtsy of the octopus!


The thing is the MGB shape all tho quite similar is different in quite allot of ways and I'm not to sure if it will carry it off as well. I need to get some photoshoping on the go before I bite the bullet on this one.

Correct about the old shipping container and correct again about the space!! Got about 2 foot down one side of the car and about a foot of thats filled up with bonnets, boots, sheets of metal and junk. Hopefully going to be moving to a popper sized unit sharing with another guy by the end of the month if lucks on my side. I'll then have some space to finish my VW T25 Camper and possibly start on my ST185 Celica GT-4... Actually better just get this one finished first!

[ChasR]

It's good to see another one getting a power increase of sorts .

Getting JDM arches to fit may be fun with the square rear arches . I reckon JDM fronts and Landy Defender style rears may work mind you although the rear arch will still need reconstruction (both inner and outer arch make for the strength of the rear on a 'B), although having JDMish arches may help with that .

[chin]

I think if I tackle the rear arches I'll probably round them off. Ive been welding up the interior with the idea behind that being that it will keep the car more ridgid. My welding skills however might not compliment that principle...

Not going to get a chance to see the car until the weekend and I might (god forbid) make a decision about those arches...

[luckygti]

I reckon that is going to look pretty sweet. It will certainly look different without the Sebring arches! As for wheels I reckon banding those Rostyles would look spot on Then you can get the line with the arches spot on Personally I'd leave the arch extensions off, but I might well change my mind with some photoshop persuasion Look forward to some updates, and how about some info on the T3?

[sonus]

Something like this

[chin]

Great skills sonus, its really appreciated! Made a couple of mods myself and I'm getting fond of the idea.



Managed to acquire a gearbox for the grand sum of £50!!! Been looking on ebay at these things and they've been going for £150+ and thats before its delivered. Asked one of the guys in another lockup just beside me and he had noticed one kicking about in a shed just round the corner that another guy owned. 2 quick calls later and it was mine! Only had to strip a transfer box off it and carry it down to my container ;D Well chuffed!!



Next issue is how to mate it to my axle. The tail on the box if different from the ones I've seen so I think I'm getting a propshaft made up might be a bit more difficult...

My gearbox tail:


What would have been better (I think):


I'd also like to look at changing the back axle. Max revs seem to be 5500 which works out a a max speed of the below in each gear if I've got 15" wheels with 70mm tyres with the standard MGB diff ratio of 3.9:1

1st - ratio:3.32:1 - mph:27.8
2nd - ratio:2.13:1 - mph:43.3
3rd - ratio:1.40:1 - mph:65.9
4th - ratio:Direct - mph:92.3
5th - ratio:0.77:1 - mph:111.2

It should get there pretty quick but 111.2 is not really what I had in mind.

Need to either source a V8 axle with a 3.08:1 ratio but thats probably out of budget or I could go down the Jaguar IRS route as I might be able to pick that up in the scrap yard but any other suggestions are welcome!

[sonus]

Sorry, should have said; It was someone on Turbosport.co.uk that did it for me. I'm a nupty when it comes to PS

[karlos01]

you will find you will have problems when it comes to fitting it since the bellhousing is a foot longer than the rwd ones.

the output shaft on that is for the transfer box more typically found on range rovers

[chin]

Engine now in place. The photos were taken at night of my phone so are a bit rubbish. I've made up some mounts (which are not in these photos) and removed a few components.


Engine roughly in place.


Going to need to get the Plenum base machined so the bonnet closes. Engine leaning back a bit to much.


Pulls need modified so they don't interfere with the steering and I need a remote oil filter.

I've checked the steering column and it should fit.

The list of parts needed now are:
Remote oil filter
Fly Wheel
Clutch
Prop shaft (Not to sure how to go about that)
Fuel lines
Jaguar XJ? fuel pump
Engine mounts rubbers
Wiring loom
ECU
Wheels
Arches (possibly)
3.07 CROWN and pinion
RV8 exhaust manifolds and exhaust

Thats allot of bits...

[chin]

Also tried to get the gearbox attached to night. Jacked the front of the car up and slid the box underneath. Then tried to angle the engine down and jack the box up. I deciding that that was a two man job so will have to wait until I can persuade a mate to come and give me a hand later this week.

Moving into a new unit at the end of the month so I'll have miles more room which will not require all this buggering around!

[sowen]

Are you going to persist with the 4x4 gearbox or try and get a standard saloon spec gearbox? There maybe ways of getting it to work, but in reality I think it would actually be cheaper to buy one complete even at current ebay prices of £150-£250 or whatever they are fetching now than try to get the 4x4 one to fit. There are complete lt77's out there which are sold for peanuts, usually by non-interwebz type people

A temporary alternative would be to fit a borg warner 65 so you can get all the mounts and propshaft made up to fit, then swap in an lt77 when you find one as they are externally very similar in size and dimensions

[chin]

sowen to tell you the truth I have no idea whats involved in getting the gearbox to fit. As long as the bell housing fits within the tunnel (which I don't know if it will) I was thinking that I would just need to get something like this on the end of the output shaft:

and then get an adapter made up to fit it to whatever propshaft I get. Is that just stupid? Feel free to say yes! ;D

[chin]

Too much stress on the gearbox output shaft putting something that far down without a housing round it?

[sowen]

I don't think there is sufficient support for the output shaft definately as it is, maybe with a support bearing near the end, but then you're getting into custom fabricated parts territory, ok if you can do it yourself, but for something that's got to hold onto a propshaft that could spin in excess of 6000rpm I really wouldn't chance it.

I don't know my way around mgb's, but you may have trouble getting the bellhousing to fit the tunnel, and from what I've read, the 4x4 type manual flywheel is larger than a saloon flywheel, although I could be wrong on that. I sold my old bw65 with a flywheel and torque converter on ebay for about £40. I would assume that the lt77 would have the same output flange as what would have originally been on the mgb, which is more or less a standard size that is found on most british medium to full size cars, so either finding a suitable propshaft or getting one made/modified shouldn't be a problem a problem.

Quite simply I think there is a reason the old lt77 is worth so much money

[Nathan]

Bell housing wont fit, you will need to Hammer/Cut the section just behind where the heater usually sits.

[karlos01]

the flywheels are the same only the RR one is thicker. the clutch is massive and fouls the bellhousing of an rwd bellhousing.

www.mgcars.org.uk/v8_conversions/rogv8.html

[chin]

Time for an update. Things now seem to be moving forward. I'd made up some engine mounts but it looks like they are going to be scrapped as I need to get the engine a good bit lower as there no chance of closing the bonnet! I'd hoped that I could reduce the height of the plenum by getting it machined down by 27mm but at £100 I cant justify it.



I've managed to get hold of an wiring loom, ecu, gearbox, fly wheel, clutch and headers. The headers will hopefully be here for the weekend so I can make some solid decisions about mounting the engine. I've already cut away the mounts on the chassis rails with the plan to mount them a good bit lower and positioned further back.

I been cutting some steel out of the engine bay at the drivers and passengers foot wells to allow the engine to sit further back to give me some more room for a radiator.
Before:

After:


I'm using some headers from a 4.6 that head towards the back of the engine. Should be plenty of space in the passenger side but as you can see from below with the divers side is tight even with the notch cut out. I reckon those awesome 1mm cutting discs are coming out to play again!!

[chin]

Figured I need to know what the end game should at least look like so a hour or so on photoshop, some Rota RB-X rims, lowered, bonnet scoop, and a stripe for good measure and I have the new concept!



Was thinking of a Bosozoku-style External Oil Cooler with pipe exiting the grille but that might be just a bit too far...