David Duquette's 1974 MGB-GT with Rover 4.2L V8
(as recorded by Larry Embrey in 2003)- Chassis: Stock-bodied '74 BGT chrome bumper.
- Engine: Rover 4.2L V8, Heads by Woody Cooper with Vitesse
valves, 9.5:1 CR, Carter 9410 carb, Edelbrock Performer manifold.
Biggish cam a la Woody Cooper. Bad gas mileage (around 17).
- Ignition: MSD 6AL ignition box with a Mallory Unilite
distributor.
- Exhaust: Block-hugger headers, Jet-Hotted. Single 2.25"
SS exhaust.
- Cooling: I had the radiator customized a little: it's about
2" deeper than stock (so you have to play with the config of the lower
hose) and has a 4-row core.
- Dash: Stock with 140 mph MGC speedo.
- Drive train: Triumph TR8 box, MGC rear axle with 3.07
rear w/Quaife
- Brakes: Front and rear stock MGB with stock MGB dual master
cylinder.
- Suspension: Front stock MGB, back has the BA composite leaf springs
and I'm about to put a set of traction bars on there. 195/60R15 tires
on Panasport 6J rims.
- Builder's notes: The interior is stock but just for the heck of it I found and installed a new radio. Runs great! It is loud but extremely fast, even though it's quite the sleeper. All the best, /DJD
(as recorded by Glenn at http://members.aol.com/wake074/myguests.html)
David wrote:
I bought my '74 GTV8 last summer from a nice fellow in Detroit who suddenly took up an interest in Mopars. It had been converted ~5 years ago by Rob Medynski at MGTs in New Jersey. Just a really immaculate job. I changed around a few things over the winter, mostly relating to suspension and electrics. Car is very much stock-looking but for the Panasport 15" wheels. It could probably be confused pretty easily with a factory V8 (there are factory-type V8 badges front & rear), at least from the exterior. The motor is a Rover 4.2, which is mated to your basic good old TR8 gearbox. The heads were ported and polished by Woody Cooper; 9.75 CR; the bigger Vitesse valves and uprated valve springs were added. Edelbrock Performer intake, milled at a slight angle for hood clearance. Chrome bumper car, plain old chrome bumper x-member. Hood clearance is close but it does clear! Partially for this reason, there are steady bars on each side of the motor, tying the beast down to the frame rails. MGC 3.07 rear with Quaife limited-slip installed. Wire wheel rear allows getting a bit more rubber under there (195/60R15) than might otherwise be the case, without flaring the fenders. Hopkinson sway bar kit; composite leaf springs; rear Spax. No intermediate shaft on the steering pinion -- it is simply a CB rack with an RB pinion attached, and the stock column has been shortened and re-angled. Mallory vacuum advance distributor; on a tip, I used the one for a Buick 215. Block-hugger headers, Jet-Hot coated; 2-1/4" single-pipe SS exhaust. Stock B brakes with drilled discs, no servo. Engine-driven flex fan. Radiator is 3" deeper than stock (goes to bottom of the x-member. Have not had overheating problems even in hot weather; the electric fans do of course kick in around-town, though. No air dams, fender flares, or that kind of stuff. The car is stock Teal Blue. Just have the stock seats -- they were recently rebuilt and they are fine. Scrounged a 140mph speedo from a C, had it rebuilt to work here. Rob had inserted a lot of soundproofing material and the car is rather quiet. All in all, trying to keep the car very understated and low-key. Sure runs well. Idles almost silently, smooth as glass, at 600rpm, which is a bit surprising as there is something of a cam in there. Goes absurdly fast when you put your foot down, handles like a dream, and stops on a dime. No complaints at the moment, other than I am a little tired of paying for high-test!
Close-up of the rear-mounted 8" fans
There are four cooling fans in all.
Note: MGC 140mph Speedometer
