Dan Beck's 1957 MGA with Small Block Ford V8

Dan Beck's 1957 MGA with Small Block Ford V8

Owner: Dan Beck
City: Prescott Arizona
Model: 1957 MGA Coupe
Engine: small block Ford
Conversion performed by: Owner

How It Was Done

Engine: Ford Racing crate engine part number M-6007-X302 (306 cubic inches, 340 horsepower). E303 camshaft, 0.498 lift, 220 degrees duration, 1.6 aluminum roller rockers. M-6049-X306 cylinder heads. Edelbrock 2121 Performer intake manifold. Edelbrock E-Street EFI, version 1, map 35094. Mallory Unilite distributor p/n 3744501. Accel ignition coil. CVF pulley set. 1-wire 100 amp alternator. 5-quart, dual-sump oil pan. Oil filter relocated to front, with custom lines.
Cooling: 11"x17" 4-core brass radiator. 11" Spal electric fan. Moroso fill and overflow tanks. Moroso 16 psi radiator cap. Short water pump part number M-8501-E351s.
Exhaust: Sanderson shorty headers part number FF5. 1.5" primary and 2.5" collector. Dual exhaust. 2" custom pipes, locally produced.
Transmission: TKO 500, part number TCET5201. Center Force 10.5" clutch. Ford Racing M-6392 scatter shield. Ford Racing M-4841-A driveshaft yoke. Custom, locally produced driveshaft. Dual MGA master cylinder. Wilwood 260-1333 slave cylinder.
Rear End: 8.8" third member from Lincoln Mk 8. 3.73:1 ring and pinion. Limited slip differential.
Front Suspension: Fast Cars Inc. front suspension, custom fitted to MGA frame front. 53" hub-to-hub.
Rear Suspension: custom independent rear suspension, based on 1994 Lincoln Mk 8 parts including 3rd member, knuckles, calipers used. Owner produced upper/lower control arms, custom locally produced half shafts. 53", hub-to-hub.
Brakes: (master) new replacement dual MGA cylinder from Moss motors.
(front) Wilwood brakes, supplied by Fast Cars Inc.
(rear) Lincoln Mk 8 calipers. Aftermarket rotors.
Wheels/Tires: Enkei J10 wheels (16x7 with 5 by 4.25 Lincoln Mk8 lug pattern.) Uniroyal Tiger Paw 225/55/16 tires. (Will probably change to 50 series due to tire rub.)
Chassis Mods: significant amount of 1/8 steel plate welded onto frame. 16-gauge steel floor boards. Owner produced 16-gauge steel gas tank with in-tank fuel pump. Stock MGA fuel leveler.
Interior: restored stock MGA seats. Stock accelerator linkage. Stock clutch/brake pedals. EFI computer behind dashboard. Owner produced DOM tube roll bar. MGB shifter bezel and boot. Owner produced shifter handle. Plug valve used for emergency brake.
Exterior: Alamo Beige paint (an MG factory color from 1959-1962).
Instruments: original, restored by West Valley Instruments. Electronic tachometer. Custom clock with matching font in accessory dash. Oil pressure/water temp gauge works great!
Electrical: Optima red series group 35 battery. 1959 Radiomobile tube radio that works great with MP3 input placed by owner. USB charging port in accessory dash. Scratch built wiring harness.
Weight: 2320 lbs, full tank of gas.
Completed: July 1, 2017. 500 miles driven since completion.
Comments: I used two cars to produce this. Both cars could have been considered landfill with the condition they were in at purchase. I still have enough left over parts to produce another chassis! Just need to go find another IRS.

The IRS in the picture was from a 1995 Thunderbird. The diff cover on that assembly was discovered to have a hole. Back to the parts yard, I found a third member from a Lincoln Mk 8. Lincoln Mk 8s, T-birds, and Cougars from the mid 1990s used the identical IRS, but with different 3rd members.

It's quicker than my stock 1968 MGB, and 2003 Subaru WRX!

Engine Installation

M-6049-X306 cylinder heads. Edelbrock 2121 Performer intake manifold.
M-6049-X306 cylinder heads. Edelbrock 2121 Performer intake manifold.

Mallory Unilite distributor p/n 3744501. Accel ignition coil.
Mallory Unilite distributor p/n 3744501. Accel ignition coil.

Edelbrock E-Street EFI, version 1, map 35094.
Edelbrock E-Street EFI, version 1, map 35094.

Ford Racing crate engine part number M-6007-X302.
Ford Racing crate engine part number M-6007-X302.

Short water pump part number M-8501-E351s. CVF pulley set.
Short water pump part number M-8501-E351s. CVF pulley set.

Laying out firewall plumbing.
Laying out firewall plumbing.

Building a wiring harness from scratch.
Building a wiring harness from scratch.

Air filter projects through the MGA bonnet.
Air filter projects through the MGA bonnet.

11x17 4-core brass radiator.
11"x17" 4-core brass radiator.

Front Suspension

Wilwood brakes, supplied by Fast Cars Inc.
Wilwood brakes, supplied by Fast Cars Inc.

Fast Cars Inc. front suspension, custom fitted to MGA frame front. 53 inches hub-to-hub.
Fast Cars Inc. front suspension, custom fitted to MGA frame front. 53" hub-to-hub.

Removed MGA front crossmember.
Removed MGA front crossmember.

Rear Suspension

8.8 third member from Lincoln Mk 8. 3.73:1 ring and pinion. Limited slip differential.
8.8" third member from Lincoln Mk 8. 3.73:1 ring and pinion. Limited slip differential.

Owner produced upper/lower control arms, custom locally produced half shafts.
Owner produced upper/lower control arms, custom locally produced half shafts.

1995 Thunderbird rear suspension including 3rd member, knuckles, and calipers.
1995 Thunderbird rear suspension including 3rd member, knuckles, and calipers.

Interior

Handsome custom MGA interior.
Handsome custom MGA interior.

Original gauges, restored by West Valley Instruments.
Original gauges, restored by West Valley Instruments.

Building up the dashboard with new wiring featuring Weather Pack connectors.
Building up the dashboard with new wiring featuring Weather Pack connectors.

Restored stock MGA seats.
Restored stock MGA seats.

Installing carpet.
Installing carpet.

Optima red series group 35 battery.
Optima red series group 35 battery.

Storage compartment cover.
Storage compartment cover.

Custom central armrest.
Custom central armrest.


Assembling and Restoring Bodywork

Dan started with two rough doner cars to produce one, excellent MGA V8.
Dan started with two rough doner cars to produce one, excellent MGA V8:

white MGA
A white MGA, and...

red MGA
A red MGA.

Starting to put pieces together.
Starting to put pieces together.

Collision damage repaired.
Collision damage repaired.

All straightened and smoothed out.
All straightened and smoothed out.

MGA body viewed from the side.
MGA body viewed from the side.

Dan's MGA project, viewed from another angle.
Dan's MGA project, viewed from another angle.

Cleaned up and modified boot.
Cleaned up and modified boot (i.e. "trunk").

Fenders and doors were removed again for painting.
Fenders and doors were removed again for painting.

Sound deadening material added to the floorboards.
Sound deadening material added to the floorboards.

Refined grille surround details.
Refined grille surround details.

Preview of the front suspension.
Preview of the front suspension.

Preview of the engine bay.
Preview of the engine bay.

Radiator support, etc.
Radiator support, etc.

MGA apron.
MGA apron.

MGA rear bumper and tail lamps.
MGA rear bumper and taillamps.


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Ford Racing M-6392 scatter shield.
Ford Racing M-6392 scatter shield.


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TKO 500, part number TCET5201.
TKO 500, part number TCET5201.


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Fuel Tank Details

Owner produced 16-gauge steel gas tank with in-tank fuel pump.
Owner produced 16-gauge steel gas tank with in-tank fuel pump.

Service access to the fuel pump.
Service access to the fuel pump.


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Exterior


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