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T-Series Which Volvo engine fits in an MGTD?

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I've got a friend who has one of those TD's with MGB drivetrain/suspension...he did it back when he was younger just for some of the same reasons (he had an old MGB & the conversion was less expensive than redoping his TD)...fun car to drive/ride in but, now that he's getting older, he's wishing he'd not done it.
 
Just put an MGB engine/transmission in it... dime a dozen. Easy fit in a RHD and a bit tight on a RHD
 
Better than a volvo I agree, but the lack of an XPAG block will definitely reduce the value of the car and change the way it drives.
 
:iagree: I'm with Steve on this one.

(Oh, Steve, how do you get your middle car out of your garage? Do you keep them all in neutral & just pull them out by hand?)
 
tony barnhill said:
Oh, Steve, how do you get your middle car out of your garage? Do you keep them all in neutral & just pull them out by hand?
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Yes, that's exactly how I do it! There is no room to get out unless you can climb over the cars, and I never run the cars in the garage anyway because I hate the fumes. I've become quite good at lining them up. At first I had to make several "runs" at it (gotta build up speed to get over the lift feet). After a while I could pull the car up to the garage door, open it and push the car right in. I usually push it in half-way to make sure it's good, and then push for real. The slightest variance would put one fender into another quite easily.

Now on the bright side, I no longer keep a car in the center except for special occasions, such as unusually bad weather or when I leave for a trip. The truck typically gets the center spot now.
 
I think there's a third and far more interesting alternative (besides sourcing all the MG parts to restore a car that doesn't make economic sense to restore, or sourcing Volvo parts to make a hybrid that has hardly any advantage in grunt and none in style compared to a stock MG-TD.) In the fifties and early sixties, there were lots of really cool MG-TD hot-rods and racecars... Why not build a one-off "special" that evokes the golden age of California car culture!

Just two hours south of San Franscisco, a hard-core MG enthusiast named Don Martine has an excellent TD-V8. You could arrange to visit him, and see his TD-V8 for some inspiration. It's shown on his website, here: (Don Martine's Website)

Here's another cool example... Paul Cunningham's "Terrible Tempest" MG-TC which had a Buick 215 (installed with the help of racing legend Mickey Thompson himself!) and which raced very successfully in California throughout 1962 and 1963:

PaulCunningham.jpg
 
If you think you really need to put a V60 in your MG, I will have a engine and driveline available late next year. The V60 flathead is much smaller and narrower than the V85, still a real lump of iron though. It will be out of a 39 standard I will be restomodding, not a hotrod.
 
The only reason to stuff a V8 into a TD is because they are cheap and you can find them in any junk yard. Since TDs are no longer cheap cars that people are throwing away, it really doesn't make any sense at all. You can spend far less money and buy a better, faster car.
 
Steve wrote: "The only reason to stuff a V8 into a TD is because they are cheap and you can find them in any junk yard. Since TDs are no longer cheap cars that people are throwing away, it really doesn't make any sense at all. You can spend far less money and buy a better, faster car."

This whole thread is about a cheap TD that's missing too many parts to be worth restoring...

Of course you could "spend far less money and buy a better, faster car..." but that's also missing the point. It's FUN to build your own car, and it's not just about ending up with something that's technically "better" or "faster" than a TD - if what you want is a better and faster <span style="text-decoration: underline">TD</span>.

People are still building TD-V8's - even in 2008. I'm putting together an article on one right now. Here's a preview... lovely car! (Check out the triple two-barrel carbs!)

TD-289-Preview.jpg
 
CurtisJ said:
Steve wrote: "The only reason to stuff a V8 into a TD is because they are cheap and you can find them in any junk yard. Since TDs are no longer cheap cars that people are throwing away, it really doesn't make any sense at all. You can spend far less money and buy a better, faster car."

This whole thread is about a cheap TD that's missing too many parts to be worth restoring...

Of course you could "spend far less money and buy a better, faster car..." but that's also missing the point. It's FUN to build your own car, and it's not just about ending up with something that's technically "better" or "faster" than a TD - if what you want is a better and faster <span style="text-decoration: underline">TD</span>.

People are still building TD-V8's - even in 2008. I'm putting together an article on one right now. Here's a preview... lovely car! (Check out the triple two-barrel carbs!)

TD-289-Preview.jpg
Click to expand...

Think I saw that TD at the Chattanooga show last month.
 
CurtisJ said:
Of course you could "spend far less money and buy a better, faster car..." but that's also missing the point.
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I don't feel I've missed the point at all, Curtis. Quite the opposite. Steve is considering a Volvo engine partly because it would be cheaper. Building a V8 modified MG TD is exactly the opposite of what he is asking about doing.
 
Hap Waldrop said:
Steve telling Curtis to not V8 in a small car is like trying to tell the pope not to pray :smile:
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I think I once suggested that a V-8 isn't ALWAYS the best answer. He thought I was kidding......
 
I'm not suggesting that Curtis refrain from shoehorning a V8 into a TD. I'm merely suggesting that it isn't always the right answer, especially for someone like Steve who is only looking for a simple, inexpensive way to get an engineless TD on the road.

We all know where Curtis stands when it comes to V8 engines. Lets just say I'm NEVER leaving him alone with my cars! :wink:
 
I love the above picture, everyone is looking at the the third guy from the left to see his reaction, he looks like he getting ready to throw up :smile:
 
Although I'm one of the ones from the "dark side" that likes to modifiy my cars I also agree with Steve S. that some cars should be preserved if possible. What we sometimes miss when we let our personal preferences into the equation is that we don't answer the original question posed. The original question was not wheither or not he should install a Volvo engine in the TD, it was which Volvo engine fit best! So far I think I'm the only one who tried to answer his question, the rest were opinions, and we're all entitled to share those, on wheither or not he should make the swap. I try to supply the information requested first, then add any additional commentary I feel is warranted, but above all, answer the question if I can. What we may be overlooking are many unknown factors that we are not aware of such as budget or time constraints that may make such a course of action preferable to the builder. I know that on my car building budget I might well opt for a cheaper engine solution than the original TD unit in order to take a derelict hulk and get some use from it. If that can be accomplished without damaging the car beyond redemption then all the better, and might well ask for information on which engine might fit best with the least damage.
 
Bear this in mind: the easiest place to find TDs with Volvo engines is often Ebay - where you look for very nice looking TDs with mysteriously low bid prices. That tells us something. It's going to take more effort than going stock, and you won't get that expense back in the market-place.

On the other hand, look on Ebay for MGB Rover V8 conversions. Quite a different story. I don't think MGB examples rationalize an engine swap in a TD. First, they made a half-million MGBs, and chewed-up old examples are still plentiful. Supply and demand still say it's your car, do whatever you want with it. Twenty years from now, this my not be the case. Also the MGB with Rover V8 has at least a hint of factory-authorized authenticity about it. In fact, on the late Bs, this is a bolt-in conversion.

But since you have a very original TD already, you know that half the fun is listening to that wonderful little XPAG.

IMHO, of course, and only FWIW,

Allen
 
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