Phil Erikson's 1974 MGB GT with GM 3.1L V6
Owner: Phil EriksonBritishV8 UserID: perikson
City: Caldwell, Idaho
Model: 1974 MG MGB GT
Engine: GM 3.1L V6
Built by: Killer B Conversions
Features and Specifications
| Engine: | GM 3.1L V6 from a 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix.
Stock camshaft.
Stock aluminum cylinder heads.
Stock multi-port fuel injection intake manifold.
Spectre Performance PowerAdder air cleaner.
Mallory Comp 9000 distributor.
Mallory Promaster ignition coil.
MSD spark plug wires.
Accel vane-type fuel pump.
Haltech F3 fuel management system.
Delphi Automotive alternator (from a 1993 Chevrolet S10).
|
| Cooling: | MGB radiator, rebuilt with three-row core.
Meziere electric water pump.
Electric cooling fan (pulling). |
| Exhaust: | custom made headers and flanges.
H-pipe.
Dual exhaust to the rear, exiting driver's side.
Dual Supertrapp glasspack mufflers. |
| Transmission: | Borg Warner T5 5-speed from a 1983 Camaro (with 0.73:1 fifth gear).
Custom mounting bracket.
Hurst shifter.
10" single plate clutch.
Diaphragm pressure plate from an Oldsmobile Quad 4. |
| Rear End: | stock MGB (Salisbury with open differential and 3.909:1 gears). |
| Front Susp.: | rebuilt lever shock absorbers. Lowered springs. Stock rack. Stock anti-sway bar. |
| Rear Susp.: | KYB tube shocks. Lowered leaf springs sourced from Australia. |
| Brakes: | stock MGB except for EBC Green Stuff brake pads and cross-drilled rotors, and
an earlier model MGB master cylinder has been substituted. |
| Wheels/Tires: | Superlite 14x6 eight spoke aluminum wheels with gold centers and polished rims.
Dayton 195/65R14 tires. |
| Interior: | stock MGB instruments.
Abingdon pillow style dashboard, stripped and covered with wrinkle-finish black paint.
Dodge Omni center console.
Pioneer DEH245 CD stereo radio.
Two 5.25" speakers in center console and two 6"x9" speakers in the cargo area.
Power antenna.
Seat and door panel upholstery in saddle color, supplied by Moss Motors.
Headrests removed.
Honey colored carpet, supplied by Prestige.
Momo steering wheel.
|
| Body: | bumpers removed.
Stainless steel wire mesh grille insert.
Sebring style front and rear fascias.
Shaved side marker lights.
Euro-spec taillights.
|
| Weight: | 2180 pounds. (1100 front / 1080 rear). |
| Performance: | 14.9 second quarter miles at 92 miles per hour.
33mpg on road trips.
|
| Completed: | 1996. (Has accumulated ~14,000 miles as of May 2014.) |
| Comments: | This is the prototype Dann Wade built before he began producing MGB V6
conversion kits as "Killer B Conversions", which later became "British Car Conversions".
Phil Erikson purchased this car from Dann Wade's original customer, Mike Maloney.
Ken Costello
reviewed this car at a show in St Louis in 2003. At that time, Costello told Maloney
"This is the car we should have built!" and he autographed an aluminum inspection
plate in the engine bay. (See photograph below.) |
Engine Installation
3.1L V6 from a 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix. General Motors built both front wheel drive and
rear wheel drive versions of their 60-degree V6. Generally, it's more convenient to install
the RWD versions in an MGB, but the FWD versions have some technical advantages.
Among those advantages: aluminum cylinder heads and bigger valves.
Generally, to balance pressure wave effects it's highly desirable for exhaust header
tubes to be equal in length. Toward that aim, one of these wraps around the steering.
Delphi Automotive alternator from a 1993 Chevrolet S10.
The accelerator pedal is connected via cable to this side of the throttle body.
So what is this second control cable for? Manual operation of the idle air control valve!
(GM provided this engine with an electronically controlled stepper motor type IAC valve,
but there were interference issues between the IAC valve and an MGB bonnet reinforcement.)
Meziere electric water pump.
MGB radiator, rebuilt with three-row core. Note also that this 1974 MGB GT has been retrofitted
with a single circuit master cylinder even though tandem master cylinders were provided on U.S.
spec models from 1968 in accordance with then-new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Stock aluminum cylinder heads.
Passenger side exhaust header.
Spectre Performance "PowerAdder" air filter.
"To Mike and Dann: well done! - Ken Costello"
The starter motor has been relocated from one side of the engine to the other.
(It's a FWD versus RWD thing.)
Exhaust pipe routing. Note also KYB telescoping shock absorbers.
SuperTrapp mufflers feature a stack of up to twelve baffle plates. They may be added or
subtracted to tune performance and sound output. The more plates, the louder the sound!
Polished exhaust tips.
Suspension and Brakes
Stock MGB front brakes, upgraded with EBC Green Stuff pads and cross-drilled rotors.
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Interior
Quilted headliner!
Momo steering wheel. Hurst shifter.
Abingdon pillow style dashboard (circa 1968-71), stripped of foam and vinyl, and then covered
with wrinkle-finish black paint. Dodge Omni center console. Pioneer DEH245 CD stereo radio.
Back seats were standard equipment on the MGB GT model.
The backrest of the back seat folds forward to lengthen the cargo shelf.
One of the rear speakers.
Exterior
Custom "MG V6" badge.
Stainless steel wire mesh grille insert.
This MGB GT has been lowered ~1.25 inches, both front and rear.
Shaved marker lights and Euro-spec taillights.
Superlite 14x6 8-spoke aluminum wheels (gold centers / polished rims) and Dayton 195/65R14 tires.
Sebring style fiberglass rear valance.
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