Barrie Egerton's 1978 MGB-GT with Rover 3.5L V8 and Toyota 5-speed
as published in British V8 Newsletter, Volume VIII Issue 1, January 2000Owner: Barrie Egerton
City: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Model: 1978 MGB-GT
Engine: Rover 3.5 V8
Conversion completed by: Owner
| Engine: | 1976 Rover 3.5L from a Rover P6B. Luminition electronic ignition,
high volume oil pump, cam reground 70/30, 30/70, Rover inlet manifold
modified to accept Holley 2300 350cfm 2-bbl carburetor. Home made air
cleaner using Mazda 323 air filter (the thinnest I could find), remote
oil filter. |
| Transmission: | Toyota Celica 5-speed manual. Gearshift shortened, driveshaft is the
Rover P6B unit, modified for the Toyota gearbox. Dellow Automotive
bellhousing and transmission adapter kit (includes everything from the
pilot bushing to the tailshaft/driveshaft yoke). Toyota Celica slave
cylinder. Range Rover flywheel machined to MGB V8 specs as per
maintenance manual. |
| Cooling: | MGB radiator, re-cored and turned 180 degrees with inlet and outlet
changed. Twin electric fans (with motors from Mazda 323). |
| Exhaust: | block hugger headers. |
| Brakes: | MGB V8 front rotors. Front calipers made from Triumph inners and MGB outers.
(Servo and backplate are standard.) |
| Wheels/Tires: | Bridgestone 205/65 R14. Original Rostyle centers re-welded to 6" rims. |
| Suspension: | front and rear springs updated to MGB V8 type. Spax front shocks.
Bilstein telescopic rear shocks. |
| Rear axle: | stock MGB (3.909:1). |
| Instruments: | recalibrated tachometer. |
| Completed: | early 1991, at a cost of between $2000 and $3000 (Australian). |
| Comments: | if I did it again, I'd use RV8 headers and install air conditioning. |
