Have Project, Lack Direction

I have a 1966 MGB sitting in my parents garage right now. It is, by default, moving onto long-term project status.

The engine that was in it was poorly built, using a poorly chosen combination of components. That's be taken care of in that I got tired of it's problems and tore it down.

Once I pulled the engine, I stripped the car to pretty much a rolling chassis, because it needs one of everything. As soon as the tear-down was completed, the Miata decided it needed a massive amount of attention.

The Miata is now as far as being drivable, and I've come back to the MG. I'm no longer sure what to do with it though. I was going to build a decently hot (Oh wow, 140hp!) B series with a professionally worked over head, Weber DCOE, cam etc. Truth be told, Austin engines are lame, I hate carbs, I hate distributors, I hate notchy old transmissions, I hate reverse-flow heads, and this car is already very, very much molested.

I'm debating whether it will be more rewarding to go to distributorless ignition and EFI on a worked over B-series or to put a more modern engine in the damn thing and actually have some power. The former had been done, and is documented. The later, not so much the way I'm envisioning it.

I have sick thoughts of doing this:

to my MG. Since I'm basically starting over from a shell, why shouldn't I? I want to go fast. It's not a race car, so I'm not restricted by any kind of rules, and it's more or less impossible to make very much power with the hardware Abingdon supplied.

ecotec engines are cheap and so are rwd 5 speeds for them. and since they have been used in rwd stuff the parts are all waiting out there, as are factory turbo parts.

i like the new hardware idea

Go disgusting, go obnoxious.

F2T. DO IT DO IT DO IT.

Personally, I would look at a bolt-on modded KA24DE, assemble, and have some fun.

Jag V12?

YES.

The Ford 302/5.0 is a well-traveled, well-documented swap for MGB's. That is what you want

There are a plethora of other V8 and V6 swaps as well, especially GM (V6 and V8) and Rover (V8).

BritishV8.org

and for specific ideas:

http://www.britishv8.org/Photos-MG-Conversions.htm

Last year I saw 2 MGBs with 250+ hp modern American V6s in them. Fit nicely, enough power to be lots of fun without making a noseheavy bomber, and cheaper buy-in for a decent long block.

Go modern - and do something different. For the B series - you can throw ft. knox at it and I'm not sure you'll get 200hp out of it. A junkyard zetec with webers will get you that far - duratec is good for 300+, ecotecs even more.

(ford 302 in mg)

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Go disgusting, go obnoxious. F2T. DO IT DO IT DO IT.

The obscenity of a ludicrously high redline is called for. I think... I might feel differently in the morning.

In reply to MG Bryan:

There's a guy in our area dropping a V8 into an MGA. So anything with an MG is doable.

2.5 liter Hemi V8 from a Daimler sp250. Mostly for the sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L7fNwgyZA0&feature=related

A 140hp B engine is very hot. I'm on board with any of the options presented, but like the turbo ecotec because I haven't seen it much. That said, the opportunity to put an S2000 engine in anything reasonably lightweight should not be missed.

Wankel!

SR20DE? There's a Datsun Roadster running Chump/LeMons with one and they do quite well with it.

Hell an L20B+5-speed would be fun enough in that small a car (plus its Mercedes origins makes them hard to kill and pretty damned smooth)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4jO586Ek6c

Still, I have to say that Jag V12 idea seems like a good one, IMO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffuksaN2LDI

MG Bryan wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Go disgusting, go obnoxious. F2T. DO IT DO IT DO IT.

The obscenity of a ludicrously high redline is called for. I think... I might feel differently in the morning.

Leave that to your s00pertyte ITB Tarblow Meeotter.

http://youtu.be/U0sQ6mDa3C0

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Go disgusting, go obnoxious. F2T. DO IT DO IT DO IT.

The obscenity of a ludicrously high redline is called for. I think... I might feel differently in the morning.

Leave that to your s00pertyte ITB Tarblow Meeotter. http://youtu.be/U0sQ6mDa3C0

I fully expect that car to blow many, many junkyard engines though. I'm greedy.

Want to measure the external dimensions of the V6 in your Escort for me though?

It's not in the car, but that makes measurements even easier. What do you need?

Just standard height/width/depth?

It'll be a K8 if you want the intake manifold included, but the intake manifold typically doesn't work well for RWD application anyways. There's ways around it that aren't too bad, though.

The KL will require work to get much over 8000rpms. @ 8500rpms, oiling becomes an issue, helps to plug the oil squirters, clean up some castings, and go with a better pump. There's not much for cams that will really make power up there, either. Colt "full race" regrinds are about as good as it gets unless you want to spend a ton of money with Interprep.

The route i'd take to maximize your power on a budget would be:

KLZE block w/ the 10:1 pistons, KLDE "oval port" heads with KLZE or Colt Race cams, Interprep valve springs, and a nice log intake manifold. With a good exhaust and a good tune on megasquirt you should be in the 220-240whp range and good to 8000rpms.

I can't offer much help, but I feel your pain. I've fallen out of love with the Rusteevuh, and it just seems like a ridiculous amount of effort to put into a Challenge car; only because it'd be kind of embarrasing to drive on the street afterward, and wouldn't really do one thing super well. I really kind of hate to progress in the original direction anymore, but don't really want to give up on it, and would hate to sell it as a half-finished project as people have donated time and parts for it (I wouldn't keep any of the money, but I can't give back the time.)

I really wish I would've kept the interior (cherry,) fixed the one big dent, shot it white, popped the B6T in, and had a really fun little sleeper to monkeywhip ricer punks with. Too late for that now

berkeley. I'm stuck.

I'm not overly worried about the intake. Height, width and depth would all be wonderful. I'm not sure how to phrase this, but also the height of the maximum width, if that makes sense.

poopshovel wrote: I can't offer much help, but I feel your pain. I've fallen out of love with the Rusteevuh, and it just seems like a ridiculous amount of effort to put into a Challenge car; only because it'd be kind of embarrasing to drive on the street afterward, and wouldn't really do one thing super well. I really kind of hate to progress in the original direction anymore, but don't really want to give up on it, and would hate to sell it as a half-finished project as people have donated time and parts for it (I wouldn't keep any of the money, but I can't give back the time.) I really wish I would've kept the interior (cherry,) fixed the one big dent, shot it white, popped the B6T in, and had a really fun little sleeper to monkeywhip ricer punks with. Too late for that now berkeley. I'm stuck.

Exactly how i feel about the Celica for the most part. It was better before i "ruined it."

poopshovel wrote: I can't offer much help, but I feel your pain. I've fallen out of love with the Rusteevuh, and it just seems like a ridiculous amount of effort to put into a Challenge car; only because it'd be kind of embarrasing to drive on the street afterward, and wouldn't really do one thing super well. I really kind of hate to progress in the original direction anymore, but don't really want to give up on it, and would hate to sell it as a half-finished project as people have donated time and parts for it (I wouldn't keep any of the money, but I can't give back the time.) I really wish I would've kept the interior (cherry,) fixed the one big dent, shot it white, popped the B6T in, and had a really fun little sleeper to monkeywhip ricer punks with. Too late for that now berkeley. I'm stuck.

On top of feelings somewhat similar to this, I have the cash to just buy a car I'd actually be happy with and none of my potential duty stations after SOI are remotely close to where this car is being kept.

MG Bryan wrote: I'm not overly worried about the intake. Height, width and depth would all be wonderful. I'm not sure how to phrase this, but also the height of the maximum width, if that makes sense.

You mean height at each "end" when it's in an FR configuration? So basically "height at the lowest point of valve covers."

I'll measure without the intake on and you can go from there.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

MG Bryan wrote: I'm not overly worried about the intake. Height, width and depth would all be wonderful. I'm not sure how to phrase this, but also the height of the maximum width, if that makes sense.

You mean height at each "end" when it's in an FR configuration? So basically "height at the lowest point of valve covers." I'll measure without the intake on and you can go from there.

Yes, that. ~220whp should make for a plenty fast MGB considering it shouldn't weight much more than 1900lbs. I just want it to sound cool and look decent when I open the hood.

If you'd like to buy an l24 (with the good carbs) + 4 speed so I could buy a 302 for my challenge car, I wouldn't think of stopping you

thats 150hp stock supposedly, a few hundred dollars will net a few dozen more horses and a broader curve, and an awesome sound