Jeff Neal's 1975 MGB with Rover 3.5L V8 Engine
Owner: Jeff NealCity: Boston, Mass.
Model: 1975 MG MGB
Engine: Rover 3.5L V8
Conversion by: father (Roger) and son
How It Was Done
| Engine: | Rover 3.5L V8 from a Triumph TR-8.
Crane 260 H hydraulic camshaft.
Buick 4-barrel intake manifold.
Edelbrock 500cfm carburetor.
K&N air cleaner and filter.
Buick (Delco-Remy) distributor, upgraded with Pertronix Ignitor breakerless ignition module.
Pertronix ignition coil.
Remotely mounted oil filter.
|
| Cooling: | MGB GT V8 style copper/brass radiator.
Engine driven Flexolite fan.
Two stock MGB (auxiliary) thermostatically-controlled electric fans.
|
| Exhaust: | custom.
Dual glasspack style mufflers.
Dual chrome exhaust tips.
|
| Transmission: | Rover LT77 5-speed manual transmission.
Custom driveshaft.
|
| Rear End: | Ford 8" rear axle.
3.25:1 final drive ratio.
Open differential.
|
| Front Suspension: | stock.
|
| Rear Suspension: | stock.
|
| Brakes: | (master) stock, with power brake booster. (front) stock. (rear) stock. |
| Wheels/Tires: | stock Rostyle 14" steel wheels, with trim rings.
Radial tires.
|
| Body: | centered fuel tank. Aftermarket luggage rack.
|
| Interior: | stock appearance upholstery and dashboard.
DIN mount stereo radio in center console.
Door mounted speakers.
Dashboard mounted switch for over-riding thermostat on the electric cooling fan circuit.
|
| Instruments: | stock, except with tachometer modified for V8 signal.
|
| Electrical: | Delco-Remy style chromed alternator.
|
| Completed: | 1994. Approximately 25,000 miles driven since conversion, as of summer 2017.
|
Engine Installation
Rover 3.5L V8 from a Triumph TR-8.
MGB GT V8 style radiator. Flexolite fan, plus MG dual thermostatically-controlled electric fans.
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Interior
Stock appearance upholstery from 1992 restoration project.
DIN mount stereo radio in center console. Door mounted speakers.
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Exterior
British racing green paint.
Luggage rack.
Rostyle wheels with trim rings.
(as originally featured in British V8 Newsletter, Volume 3 Issue 2)
How It Was Done
By: Roger & Jeff Neal
City: Millis, MA
Model: 1975 MG MGB Roadster
Engine: 1980 Triumph TR-8 3500cc (3.5 Litre)
| Modifications: | complete rebuild.
3 angle valve job.
Heads milled to true surfaces.
Valve stems shimmed to proper height.
Ports modified to match gaskets.
Oil passages drilled to increase flow.
Oil pump uprated.
Larger oil pickup tube.
Edelbrock 500cfm 4-barrel carburetor.
Stock Buick 215 aluminum intake manifold.
Custom dual exhaust with 1-3/4" ID pipes. |
| Transmission: | 1980 TR-8 5-speed manual. |
| Bellhousing: | 1980 TR-8 with heavy duty throw-out bearing and reinforced clutch fork arm. |
| Clutch Slave, Clutch, Flywheel: | 1980 TR-8. |
| Exhaust: | MGB V8 stainless steel supplied by Glen Towery. (Very nice!) |
| Brakes: | complete rebuild of all components. |
| Tires/Wheels: | Rostyle wheels (sandblasted and painted) with P195-70SR14 B.F. Goodrich T/A tires. |
| Suspension: | front suspension rebuilt with stock parts. Front end lowered 2". Heavy duty stabilizer
handling kit installed (bar and hardware). Front and rear shocks rebuilt. |
| Cooling: | MGB V8 3-tube core radiator. 1977 MGB expansion tank and cooling fans to assist
mechanical blade on engine. Aftermarket electric controls to turn on fans at
180 degrees (worked beautifully all summer). Audi 1986 4000 heater (hot water)
control valve. |
| Rear End: | currently the stock 3.9:1. This is the final part of our project. The car
definitely needs highway gears. The stock ratio is too low and the unit itself
is too weak for the torque the V8 puts out. |
| Instruments: | tachometer calibrated for V8. 140 mph speedometer. All underhood connections to
electrical components cleaned and repaired as necessary. I can spray the engine with
water and it keeps running. Eat your heart out Lucas! |
| Conversion performed by: | Roger and Jeff Neal (father and son) |
| Sources of Parts and Info: | Towery Foreign Cars and reprints of various magazine
articles dealing with conversions. Most vital parts were supplied by Towery
Foreign Cars. Other items were obtained at local junk yards and through catalogs |
| Conversion Recommendations: | use Glen Towery's advice and use him for whatever parts are required. He is
clever and experienced. He also knows how to use many existing parts just by
making a few changes and modifications. This saves time and money. Also, with
little modification you can use 70's-80's Buick/Olds/Pontiac non-A/C alternator
bracket and G.M. alternator. It's a good idea to install another fuel filter
before the fuel pump. I am going to do another conversion with my
youngest son when he gets a little older. I will change nothing since this
conversion was relatively easy and VERY rewarding. Moreover, the car
looks completely stock in that the hood has no scoops or cut-outs. In addition,
the shifter stayed in the same position as stock. |
| Estimated Cost of Conversion: | $4000 including original car. |
Photos by Jeff Neal for BritishV8.org.
Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.
Use by written permission only.
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