Ivan Collins' 1973 MGB GT with Ford 347cid "302" V8 Engine
as published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XX Issue 2, December 2012
Owner: Ivan Collins
City: Raleigh, NC
Model: 1973 MGB GT
Engine: Ford 302 V8 (stroked to 347cid)
Conversion performed by: owner
"How It Was Done"
| Engine: | Ford 302 V8, stroked to a displacement of 347 cubic inches with a FordStrokers kit.
Probe forged flat top pistons.
AFR 185cc aluminum cylinder heads with 58cc combustion chambers.
~10.5:1 static compression ratio.
Comp Cams XE274HR camshaft.
AFR upgraded valve springs.
7/16" valvetrain studs.
Scorpion 1.6:1 roller rockers.
Edelbrock RPM intake manifold.
Holley 650cfm carburetor with mechanical secondaries.
Proform super-light aluminum air cleaner.
Mr Gasket air filter.
Pro Billet distributor (mechanical advance only).
MSD 6AL ignition box. |
| Cooling: | Howe aluminum 19"x19"x3" Chevy-style radiator.
Flex-a-lite 118 2500cfm electric fan.
Adjustable thermostatic fan switch.
Standard oil pump.
Oil cooler mounted in front valence.
Custom serpentine belt setup.
Ford Explorer timing cover and water pump. |
| Exhaust: | handmade 4-into-1 headers with 1.5" primaries.
2.5" dual exhaust.
FlowMaster 44 muffler (2" in, 2" out). |
| Transmission: | Ford T5 five speed (from '87 Mustang GT).
Custom driveshaft (2", 0.120" wall).
Zoom Kevlar clutch.
RAM hydraulic throughout bearing. |
| Rear Axle: | narrowed Ford 8" (1966 Fairlane).
3.8:1 gears.
Limited slip differential. |
| Front Suspension: | Fast Cars coilover suspension.
7/8" anti-roll bar with adjustable end links. |
| Rear Suspension: | custom adjustable 3-Link suspension.
Adjustable Panhard rod.
Gaz single adjustable coilover shock absorbers.
Eibach 200# rear springs. |
| Brakes: | (master) dual Tilton Series 75, 0.75" bore master cylinders, with bias bar. (front) Wilwood master cylinders and vented/drilled rotors. (rear) 2003 Mustang Cobra calipers. Steel vented/drilled/scalloped rotors. Wilwood aluminum top hats. |
| Wheels/Tires: | Konig Runaway 17x8 aluminum wheels.
Nitto NT555 (225/40R17 front and 255/40R17 rear) tires. |
| Electrical: | Denso alternator.
Summit Racing wiring harness. |
| Fuel System: | Summit Racing 15-gallon aluminum fuel cell.
Summit Racing 14psi fuel pump.
Holley adjustable fuel pressure regulator with bypass line back to fuel tank. |
| Body Mods: | Sebring front valance.
Handmade fender flares.
Motorcycle mirrors.
Shaved side marker lights, reverse lights and fuel filler.
Smoothed rear valence.
Fabricated aluminum rear spoiler.
Front frame reinforced at the firewall with 1/8" plate on each side.
Custom 16-gage steel firewall. |
| Interior Mods: | Grant steering wheel mounted on a quick release hub.
Custom aluminum dashboard, painted with black crinkle paint.
AutoMeter Sport Comp gauges.
Kirkey aluminum seats.
Racer's Choice Inc. ("RCi") 5-point, latch and link safety harnesses.
Custom roll cage fabricated from 1.75" OD x 0.095" wall thickness tube.
Lizard Skin thermal and acoustic insulation. |
| Completed: | July 16, 2011.
(Driven ~1500 miles as of January 2013.) |
| Comments: | I've had this car since I was 15. Now I'm 27. It was my first car. I purchased it for one
dollar, and I drove it through high school and one year at NC State in its original form.
From a custom car standpoint this was a bad car to start with. It had previously been wrecked
and it had a lot of rust. I spent months replacing rocker panels, rear dog-leg panels, sections
of the floorboards, building a frame straightening rig, and bending the chassis back to straight.
Since conversion, I've worked through several problems... The serpentine accessory drive system required stiffening and alignment. I learned this the hard way. It threw a belt and the engine overheated. From this experience, I decided to install idiot lights for oil pressure and water temperature. Next time I'll use an external clutch slave cylinder. The engine has been out twice to replace hydraulic throw-out bearings. Once for seals eaten up by regular brake fluid, and the second time because the throw-out bearing jammed on its guide rod. (When the seals got eaten up, the RAM tech sold me a newer model, saying it would be a little more robust and that it was geometrically identical to the old one. He was right except that the guide forks are at a slightly different position. At full extension it came off the guide rod.) On my next MGB V8, I'll make transmission tunnel modifications and install an external slave cylinder. The retaining clip for the speedometer drive gear has fallen out once then broke another time. Both of these events caused me to lose speed readings. Also, the electric Hall effect sensor is super sensitive to the ground so I've had to modify its grounding to get my speedometer working on another occasion. The exhaust routing needs channels so it can be routed further from the ground. The exhaust system is very tight - really too tight in some areas. My plans are to make oval or at least non-round tubes for tight areas on my next V8 conversion. My rear fender flares should be enlarged to get the car even lower. (I'll probably tub my next MGB V8.) My steering wheel is hanging out a little too far for the support it has. I intend to add a support tube to take out some of the excessive vibration. The cooling system seems to be just adequate. Here in Raleigh, the temperatures get to 100F. I drove it on some of those days last summer, but I can tell you that I wouldn't want to get caught in traffic. The fan is usually running when I come to a stop and get out to hear it. I did all the bodywork and paint myself. This was toward the end of the project and I feel I really rushed to get it done, so I'm not thrilled with my door fitment or pre-paint prep. I haven't had my car on a dyno yet, but intend to. I expect to see about 400 horsepower at the wheels. I've had a lot of fun with the project and the car. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I still want to do it again. I'd like to find a better bodyshell and swap over parts from this car. |
Engine Installation
Roller 302, stroked to 347 cubic inches with a FordStrokers kit.
Proform super-light aluminum air cleaner. Mr Gasket air filter.
Master cylinder enclosure and access cover.
Tilton Series 75 master cylinders with remote reservoirs.
Pro Billet distributor (mechanical advance only). MSD 6AL ignition controller.
Handmade 4-into-1 headers with 1.5" primaries.
Edelbrock RPM intake manifold. Holley 650cfm carburetor with mechanical secondaries.
Howe aluminum 19"x19"x3" Chevy-style radiator. Flex-a-lite 118 2500cfm electric fan.
Holley adjustable fuel pressure regulator with bypass line routed back to the fuel tank.
Ivan reports that before he installed the bypass line, fuel pressure would creep upward
and cause carburetor flooding. Foreground: small, lightweight Denso alternator.
An aluminum cover keeps the MSD ignition box a little cooler, drier, and cleaner.
Comp Cams XE274HR camshaft.
Probe forged flat top pistons are part of the stroker kit.
AFR 185cc aluminum cylinder heads (58cc combustion chambers).
AFR upgraded valve springs. 7/16" valvetrain studs.
Scorpion 1.6:1 roller rockers.
FlowMaster 44 muffler (2" in, 2" out).
Summit Racing 15-gallon aluminum fuel cell.
FlowMaster muffler and Summit Racing fuel cell viewed from below.
Front Suspension
Fast Cars Inc. coilover front suspension with 7/8" anti-roll bar.
Rear Suspension
Ivan designed and analyzed his custom 3-link rear suspension in SolidWorks.
Ford 8" rear axle with 3-link suspension components and Wilwood disc brake kit.
Note: the Panhard rod shown in this view was later replaced with a stouter one.
"I did some more calculations and decided to replace the 1 inch (0.120" wall) bar with a
1.25 inch (0.120") bar. The SolidWorks model showed a very big difference in strength."
"I designed in a lot of adjustability, mainly to play with anti-squat and roll center height."
Ivan designed the brake caliper mounts, and had them laser cut by Brisco in Swannanoa, NC.
Gaz single adjustable coilover shock absorbers. Eibach 200# rear springs.
Interior
Grant steering wheel mounted on a quick release hub.
AutoMeter Sport Comp gauges.
Custom aluminum dashboard, painted with black crinkle paint.
Summit Racing wiring harness and fuse block.
Tilton 600 Series brake and clutch pedal assembly.
Kirkey aluminum seats: "Although they're drag racing seats, they have good side support."
Racer's Choice Inc. ("RCi") 5-point, latch and link safety harnesses.
Ivan applied Lizard Skin spray-in thermal and acoustic insulation.
Lizard Skin is a rubbery paint with a generous quantity of glass microspheres suspended in it.
Ivan reports that the Lizard Skin seals tight gaps well and looks clean when painted over,
but he doesn't feel it's as effective as conventional matting for sound and heat abatement.
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Body Modifications
"I spent months replacing rocker panels, rear dog-leg panels, sections of the floorboards..."
Custom 16-gage steel firewall.
"I made a wire frame mock-up first. (I forgot to take pictures of that part)."
"I then skinned the wire frame with poster board."
"Then I traced the poster board on 18 gauge steel and cut it out with a nibbler.
To maintain symmetry, I used the same poster board templates for both sides."
Custom roll cage fabricated from 1.75 inch OD x 0.095 inch wall thickness tube.
Fish-mouthed crossbar.
Poster board mock-up from which an aluminum dashboard will be made.
Flaring the rear is tricky because there are two layers of bodywork to consider.
"I removed the wire frame and tacked in the sheet metal, forming it as I tacked."
"In the rear, I cut and flared the inner fender and welded it to the underside of the flare."
Masking goes on, indicating the car is ready for finish bodywork.
"I smoothed-in a product called Tiger Hair on the back side to seal the flares and add rigidity."
(Tiger Hair is a glass fiber reinforced body filler.)
"In the future, I'd like to strengthen the flares by adding a tube bent to the outer lip curvature."
This is the first of two handmade aluminum rear spoilers built.
Exterior
Sebring style front valence.
Ivan plans to add a front lip spoiler/tray to improve cooling system performance.
"I know folks use Omni, Rabbit, Sebring or even Huffaker but I wanted something a little different
and I wanted to see how hard it would be to make my own. The upside is definitely cost, but I
think Sebring or Huffaker flares might function better. My tires hit the inside on hard bumps."
This is the third spoiler Ivan tried. He purchased a fiberglass spoiler, but was unhappy
with how it fit. Ivan decided to fabricate a spoiler out of aluminum. After he got it
installed, he measured the angle of attack and decided its 70° angle was too great.
This second homemade aluminum rear spoiled has an angle of attack of about 50 degrees.
Smoothed rear valence.
Konig Runaway 17x8 aluminum wheels. Nitto NT555 (225/40R17 front and 255/40R17 rear) tires.
The "Before" Photo
Ready to start the conversion. (Notice the Formula SAE banner!)
