David Thorn's 1969 MGC with Buick 300 V8 engine
as published in British V8 Newsletter, Volume XIV Issue 3, December 2006Owner: David Thorn
City: Carthage, MO
Model: 1969 MGC
Engine: 1964 Buick 300 V8
| Engine: | 1964 Buick 300 V8 (which is very similar to the Buick 215, although it has an iron
block in lieu of aluminum. It has aluminum heads, larger valves, and a longer stroke.)
Heads ported and polished, engine bored 0.030" over. Dyno tested at 310 HP. |
| Intake: | Aluminum intake w/ Edelbrock 4 barrel 750cfm. |
| Exhaust: | Custom headers into 2.5 stainless Magna-Flow exhaust w/ dual chrome tips. |
| Cam: | Isky HP-2 cam adds an additional 25 HP. |
| Lubrication: | Remote oil filter on left inner fender. |
| Cooling: | Custom built 4 row radiator w/ puller electric fan. |
| Front Susp.: | Stock MGC. (Note: MGC used torsion bars in lieu of coil springs.) |
| Rear Susp.: | Leaf springs w/ XD gas shocks. |
| Drivetrain: | GM 350 turbo automatic w/ race torque convertor. |
| Rear Axle: | Ford 8 inch w/ Lincoln locker. |
| Brakes: | Front - AeroSpace Components aluminum hubs, rotors and calipers. Rear - Ford drum brakes. |
| Wheels/Tires: | Eagle alloy wheels front 15X8, rear 15X10 with Michelin 195/65 R15. |
| Body: | Fender beads ground off flush. Exterior door handles and locks removed
and filled. Door glass removed and openings filled. Chrome strips and
trunk lock removed. Original turn/brake lamps replaced with steel.
Sebring valance front and rear. Cobra style rear bumpers. Fuel filler
relocated into trunk. Custom fiber glass toneau cover. |
| Paint: | 1970 Plymouth Baracuda "Plum Crazy". |
| Interior: | GM tilt steering with Grant wheel. B&M Quick Silver slap shifter.
Custom upholstery. Summit racing seats with custom covers. Simpson race
belts. Custom flat dash with Dolphin "6-pack" gauges. |
| Electrical: | EZ 2 Wire Harness. Dolphin programable white face gauges. LED turn-signal
and brake lights (front and rear). Original Lucas head lights. Battery
relocated to trunk. |
| Miles Driven: | 1815 miles as of November 2006. |
| Completed: | 2005. |
| Comments: | This MGC was built in Florida over a five year period. I purchased the car with less than 400 miles since its conversion. The car was built for speed. The conversion and rebuild was done to a very high standard. Since purchasing the car in May of 2006, it has been driven on a regular basis both for fun and to shows. It has won trophies in each of the shows it was entered in, and it never fails to attract a large crowd interested in the power plant and funky paint and interior. Unbelievably responsive, the car's handling is very agile and the brakes will stop it on a dime. |
