Terry Zweifel's 1970 MGB with Ford 302 V8
(originally published in British V8 Newsletter, Volume 6 Issue 2)
By: Terry Zweifel
City: Santa Clara, CA
Model: 1970 MG MGB
Engine: Ford 302 V8
How It Was Done
| Engine: | 1970 Ford 210hp 302 cid Mustang engine.
500cfm Holley, substituted with the stock Ford 290cfm carburetor for California bi-annual
smog check. I did a smog check with the Holley and found virtually no difference in "real
world" emissions. |
| Transmission: | Ford "Top Loader" 4-speed, wide-ratio transmission from a Torino 390GT.
Small block input shaft.
Fairlane tailshaft housing with shift linkage 2" forward of Mustang housing: stock MG position. |
| Bellhousing: | 1970 Mustang modified with aluminum block mount for clutch slave cylinder.
|
| Clutch Slave: | 1970 (?) MG Midget with 1" bore.
|
| Clutch: | 1970 Ford Mustang.
|
| Flywheel: | 1966 Ford Mustang.
|
| Exhaust: | stock cast iron exhaust manifolds so no body work modifications forward of the footwells were required.
|
| Rear End: | 9" narrowed 3.00:1 unit from 1979 Cougar. Axle shafts redrilled to 4-bolt 4-1/2" circle.
Brackets for sway bar, axle wind up shock, and Panhard rod welded on. |
| Body: | engine installed behind axle centerline. Stock sheet metal replaced with heavy gauge steel
and bead welded. 1/4" steel boxed sub-frame welded from front cross member back from foot wells. |
| Suspension: | (front) standard MGB roadster springs with steel core MG V-8 bushings, 3/4" sway bar. (rear) re-arched springs with 3/4" sway bar and gas charged tube shocks, axle wind-up shocks and snubber. |
| Brakes: | (front) standard MGB disks. (rear) Ford 10" drums with 29/32" bore cylinders and adjustable proportioning valve. |
| Cooling: | early Mustang (Falcon, Cougar, Comet) 17" x 17" x 3-row radiator. MG crossmember modified to allow
lower radiator hose below steering rack. 16" puller fan, thermostat controlled. |
| Exhaust: | dual 2" pipes to 24" torpedo glass-packs with single 3" collector. |
| Tires/Wheels: | Continental 185HR/70 x 14 on Panasport 5.5 x 14 Minilite replicas.
|
| Instruments: | Sun V-8 tach, water gauge with real numbers.
|
| Performance: | 0-60mph < 6 seconds.
|
| Conversion by: | me, myself, and I (with occasional help of wife's hand or foot.)
|
| Comments: | (1) this conversion requires MAJOR body sheet metal changes. THINK, make the commitment,
swallow hard and Do It Right! (2) Buy a complete donor car. Keep until patience of wife
and neighbors wears thin. (3) When in doubt, over engineer. (4) Take your time. If I had
to do it over again, I would spend (1) more money, (2) less time under the car, and (3)
more time in the car.
|
| Estimated cost: | $3000 excluding original car... plus about 10,000 hours!
|
Weight Distribution:
| (full gas tank, no driver) | (with 200# driver) | |||||||||
| Left Front | 598# | Right Front | 605# | Front | 1203# | 51% | Front | 1283# | 50% | |
| Left Rear | 571# | Right Rear | 596# | Rear | 1167# | 49% | Rear | 1287# | 50% | |
| Total | 2370# | 100% | Total | 2570# | 100% | |||||
