• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

MGB Jaguar IRS in an MGB

Share this page

Camshaft

Camshaft

Jedi Knight
Offline
Monday, I'm trekking to Elyria to pick up a Jaguar IRS for $200. It's coming from a '92 XJS. Has anyone here installed one in an MGB?
 
What's an IRS? Sounds like something federal.
4121313235_c52185e50b_d.jpg
 
I've an acquaintenance in England who did the conversion - Nick Smallwood - he used to have a great site on how he did it, but apparently he's pulled it.
 
Jim Blackwood has a Jag IRS in his MGB V8.

See https://www.britishv8.org/MG/JimBlackwood.htm

We put a Jag IRS into the Buick Roadmaster project car. (MGB/GT with a 455cid big block Buick, T5 transmission, IRS, etc)

See https://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?2,166,page=44

(There are some really good shots of the unit and its install on this sticky..probably begins about page 30 or so.)

Pete Mantell has an MGB in his shop right now with a Jag IRS. It will be receiving a Corvette LS3 crate engine.

See https://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?40,1302586

Yes...it is possible.
 
rick_ingram said:
Jim Blackwood has a Jag IRS in his MGB V8.

See https://www.britishv8.org/MG/JimBlackwood.htm

We put a Jag IRS into the Buick Roadmaster project car. (MGB/GT with a 455cid big block Buick, T5 transmission, IRS, etc)

See https://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?2,166,page=44

(There are some really good shots of the unit and its install on this sticky..probably begins about page 30 or so.)

Pete Mantell has an MGB in his shop right now with a Jag IRS. It will be receiving a Corvette LS3 crate engine.

See https://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?2,166,page=44

Yes...it is possible.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link.

Given the overall build quality of Blackwood's car, I'm not too inclined to follow his advice...just sayin'!
 
Camshaft said:
<snip> Given the overall build quality of Blackwood's car, I'm not too inclined to follow his advice...just sayin'!
Click to expand...

That would be a mistake, in my opinion.

Jim is a very good engineer. (In fact, it is one of his true professions) His car may not be to the likings many enthusiasts, but it is well thought out. For example, that rear spoiler adjusts with acceleration (ala the Chapparel of the mid 60's). He is a wiz at fuel injection, and understands most eveything mechanical and electrical. Take a look at the pictures in the Buick Roadmaster link that I provided...you'll see his work on the Jag IRS, which became a true bolt-in for the MGB and MGB/GT.

I'll betcha if you e-mailed him, he would be MORE than willing to answer your questions/concerns over an IRS install into your own MGB.
 
When I see something like that I have to ask...why?
 
True, Jim's work isn't always pretty....but, take a ride in it & you'll change your mind!
 
The XJ-S has a rear track of 57".
The MGB has a rear track of 49-1/4".

Unless you do what Blackwood did, and extend the fenders out, you will be faced with fabricating new upper and lower arms for the IRS and having new half-shafts made up.

Probably some outfit that will do that for you......or already has.....but I think the $200 for the complete IRS is going to seem like spare change.

Most likely an automatic, and if you have an auto in your MGBC (MGB Custom), okay.....otherwise, even more money to change the R&P.

Wonder with shorter shafts and arms, how much more frequently the u-joints will need replacing?
 
Nick Smallwood in the UK grafted a GT fender flare kit onto his car when he installed the Jag IRS.
 
That's what I'm saying.
If you want it to be hidden, yet provide better handling, you either gotta chop the sides of the IRS or add wing extensions.
 
I just gave an XJ6 rear end to a friend who's building an old Chrysler Hot rod - he's installing one of the new Dodge hemi engines in it.
 
I think you missed my point.

Try to fit that IRS under a stock-fendered MGB.

Maybe if you trimmed the wheelwells way out and put rubber flaps on to make it legal....
 
I don't think anybody ever thought about putting the IRS under a stock-fendered MGB....that's why we gave the examples of cars that have one also having flared fenders.

And we all agree it is too expensive to modify the Jag IRS.

We know it won't just slide up under a stock MGB body.
 
I abstain.


:devilgrin:
 
Actually, The only reason for the flares are for the wider tires. Evan Amaya did the Jag IRS with no flares. It is narrowed to MGB width. There is an article on how to narrow one for an early Mustang on Daze's site. Jim has developed a practically bolt on version for the Roadmaster project. I uploaded a picture of it in my pictures.
 
The only reason I brought it up was.....camshaft didn't mention flaring of fenders or narrowing of IRS.....it was really just a head's up sort of thing.
 
I don't intend to use flares...I was planning on cutting the thing down, as I've seen a couple MGBs with stock track widths running narrowed Jaguar IRSs. But no-one seems to be willing to share the secret!
 
Back
Top