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MGB MGB... 350 V8

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Sherlock

Sherlock

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Just saw a local car this week, it has a 350 shoe horned in a little tightly. The nice thing is that the car hides it quite well (ie. not hot rodded)

I talked a fair bit with the owner, he purchased the car after the conversion and he has no idea who did it. Andhe also admitted to having some cooling issued with the car.

Picture:
27889577_c962544871.jpg


The large version with much more detail at this url here: https://photos21.flickr.com/27889577_c962544871_o.jpg
 
PHAT!
PHAT! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Funny you posted that.

Theres a MGC around the corner from me with a 350 Chev in it too. It's actually for sale!
350 Chev MGC
Few of my mates with imports say its a very talked about car on drag nights

Jarrod
 
Because Mg's are lightweight, cheap and plentiful. Because the car came with an antique 4 cyl. Because there was no development in MG technology for 40 years (except for emissions). A 1980 MGB had a 1940's engine in it. For the same reason most people know who Carol Shelby is but comon man has never heard of an AC.
 
Carol Shelby...he did mustangs, right? LOL and everyone knows Atlantic City is the place! JK...and AC Cobra has been my lifetime dream car since I drove one when I was 16 ;-)

But a V-8 MGA or MGB would be an affordable substituion!

Bruce
 
I didn't get around to discussing much more about the car other than the engine transplant...

I may yet see this guy around some time, I invited him to the annual Brit/Euro car show in September, maybe see him there.

Also, I'm not sure how much he really knows about it. He purchased the car already built that way. Although he did tell me that one of the local British garages has admired the car (this is the same local British garage that builds a number of Rover V8 MGB's). So it can't be that bad of a conversion, if a guy who builds Rover V8 MGB's likes this one.
 
I really like the V6 upgrades. Weight is 15lbs more. Guys will tell you it's less but I weighed all components. This does not include oil which may not add much. 15lbs is for all practicall purposes the same. It's not overkill and but it should be plenty..It doesn't take much to get 190hp where all the replacement parts you can get at any corner autoshop. Few handling upgrades and I hope it will be a bit better car. I always loved the look and the style just whish they had a bit more zip and and better suspension. Hopefully it can hang with the modern cars with pretty much the same style. I don't think any one upgrade will do it but it's a perfect economical chasis to play with.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Carol Shelby...he did mustangs, right? LOL and everyone knows Atlantic City is the place! JK...and AC Cobra has been my lifetime dream car since I drove one when I was 16 ;-)

But a V-8 MGA or MGB would be an affordable substituion!

Bruce

[/ QUOTE ]

Funy thing is Shelby has sued as many Cobra Replica manufacturers as he can even thogh their production has imortalized him. He is not well liked with the heavy Ford Mustang and Cobra enthusiest. He has played dirty ball a number of times.

If you like the Cobra's check out the Superformance Cobra. My brother has one. It is a rolling chasis; production car without engine. He tracks it and it is formable to say the least:
https://www.superformance.com/
It makes the Factory Five look pretty bad. It makes the original Cobra look pretty cheasy actually.

Gary
 
GOW589: I assume you've seen 10 or 15 Factory Fives, just what don't you like about them that makes them look "pretty bad". Bob
 
My brother has a couple friends that have built them. Once they look over the Superformance they are just very dissapointed. Everything from fit, to hinges, to the suspension and hardware. The trunk, doors, bumpers, are more like "kit" then "Cobra". On the track the Factory 5 don't hold a candle to the Superformance cobra's. There is quite a difference. The Supeformance really is more a production car then a "Kit car". It just comes without engine.
https://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...3D%26safe%3Doff
I think there are some other good Cobra's out there. The Factory 5 is seen as one of the entry level Cobra's. He has had several Factory 5 guys look his over and say they wish they had gotten that one intead.
 
The Superformance chassis is a modern coil-over, all independant type that was designed with the help of Roush
Racing. The cars superformance builds are superb (maybe that's why Shelby finally broke down and teamed up with them)
The company is in South Africa, and the current CEO also holds ownership to AC cars. so they're as legit as a replica can get.
They also build an aluminium bodied version and the company has built the dies to press all the sheet metal for the Ford Model A. It's quite an impressive company.
I worked at the regional Superformance dealer for a couple of years. We did some pretty wild engine installs. And my current boss owns one with a 351.(a big part of how I landed my job.)
I have nothing agenst Factory 5. I think they make a good kit. It really hinges on the level of quality that the builder puts into it. But no matter how much you do your still trying to make suspension from another car work.
 
Banjo, It was my understanding that Shelby sued Superformance but Superformance had the lawyers and the recources to fight him. The lawsuits were thrown out. I knew the bodies were the same one as Shelby is using but wasn't Superformance using them before Shelby "Returned" to making his car?

When Superformance wanted to build the Daytona coupe they went to Peter Brock who designed the original. PB said he really didn't want to be involved in a "Kit Car" company. They coaxed him to come see what they were doing.

When the Daytona Coupe started racing, PB was not finished designing the car. But at some point they had to race it. They gave PB the time, recources and full control to finish the design process. PB agreed and basically finished his work on the Coupe for SF. They say the Coupe is up to the level of the other cars they have built. They did 200 in street trim and a/c right off the bat. The car is supose to be amazing.

Banjo have you driven one of the Coupes yet?

Gary
 
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