Tom DiCenzo's 1963 MGB, with Chevrolet 454cid V8
as published in British V8 Newsletter, Volume XV Issue 1, April 2007Owner: Tom DiCenzo
City: Calais, ME
Model: 1963 MGB
Engine: Big Block Chevy
Conversion performed by: Owner
| Engine: | 1976 Big Block Chevy V8 (nominally 454cid, actually 468cid).
Edelbrock Performer RPM heads, manifold, and cam. Delco starter
& alternator. Soon to be replaced with 540cid / 695 HP
Shafiroff Ultra Street engine. |
| Induction: | Holley "Projection 4" throttle body injection, soon to be replaced
with multi-port injection (probably Mass-Flo). |
| Cooling: | Custom built radiator to fit widened inner fender opening. |
| Exhaust: | Fabricated by Tom. |
| Transmission: | 1976 Chevrolet Turbo-400. TCI 10" Street/strip torque converter.
Shortened driveshaft from 1966 Impala. |
| Rear Axle: | (2) 9" ford rears shortened to fit. One has 2.73 gears and open
differential. The other has 4.11's with a spool. Can swap between
them in 30 minutes! |
| Suspension: | The front is stock, except with MGBGT-V8 springs. The rear includes
home-made ladder bars with coil-overs. |
| Brakes: | Stock front. Ford F-150 rear. |
| Wheels/Tires: | American Racing "Outlaw" 14" X 6" front, 15" X 10" rear. |
| Weight: | 2650 pounds. |
| Electrical: | Stewart-Warner gauges. Realistic AM/FM with Cassette. |
| Other Chassis Mods: | 1.5" X 3" tube frame from original front crossmember to rear bumper.
16 Ga. steel firewall, transmission tunnel, and floorboard.
Rear wheel-wells enlarged for 305-50-R15 tires. Custom fuel tank.
Roll bar. |
| Completed: | 1968. Has been modified a few times over the years! |
| Miles Driven: | About 70,000 as of March 2007. |
| Performance: | Best 1/4 Mile to date was 10.67 @ 128 MPH. |
| Comments: | Started out with stock radiator, but it was too small. Had to
cut out inner fenders and install 28" wide 4 core radiator. Used
427" BBC in 1968, then 454" in 1988, 468" in 1995... I built those
myself. 540" Shafiroff Ultrastreet engine has been ordered. I hope
the car (and myself) can handle it! The car is a LOT of Fun to drive,
very reliable, drives well, corners well, but because of 12" engine
setback it has lost a foot of legroom; that was the price I had to
pay for a car that has been so much fun on the street and at
dragstrips in Maine, New Brunswick, and New Hampshire. |
