BritishV8 Forum

General Category => MG Sports Cars => Topic started by: Moderator on December 10, 2012, 12:12:09 PM

Title: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: Moderator on December 10, 2012, 12:12:09 PM
Per the October 2012 edition of Classic American magazine via scans on the t2vrestoration.com website:

Summary: In 1966, Keith Sales of SS Motors in Mitcham Surrey England put a 396cid Chevy V8
in a 1963 MGB and began dragracing it at Santa Pod. (Its first known race was August 14, 1966
where it clocked a 14.649s quarter mile. By Easter '67 it had taken more than a second off that.
By the end of the '67 season it was down to 12.15s on gasoline.) The car featured a radically
styled fiberglass bodywork and a flashy red with gold paint job. As dragracers do, the car was
given a bold name: "Megalomania".

(http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/0c638666d02686daebb8a08dfe5a0235_by8q.jpg)

===

(http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/34fa81cc4bb37cf5b33b8e967c0ca52e_e7x9.jpg)

===

(http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/1c02fe2ff85e2c3a020ac8e3f8d96733_ner1.jpg)

===

(http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/adcda4e2ffd57921f41acfb3aff15019_ssjm.jpg)

===

(http://www.t2vrestoration.com/images/d7cd98d6690aee337f3aeb716deea1ea_q57v.jpg)
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: Jim Stabe on December 10, 2012, 05:24:42 PM
Can you shrink the photos down so we can see them?
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: Todd McCreary on December 10, 2012, 07:33:55 PM
save each image individually to your local computer.

then download a decent pic viewer / editer and zoom in and out to your hearts content.

i use Irfanview.
http://www.irfanview.com/
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: MGBV8 on December 10, 2012, 08:53:57 PM
With Firefox, just hold the CTRL key down & use the mouse scroll whee l(or - key & + key) to zoom out or in.

Sure thought that car would run much, much faster than a 14.6.
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: Moderator on December 10, 2012, 10:22:47 PM
just two sentences further... 12.15s
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: Jim Stabe on December 11, 2012, 10:37:48 AM
Quote:

With Firefox, just hold the CTRL key down & use the mouse scroll whee l(or - key & + key) to zoom out or in.


Pretty neat trick, thanks
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: MGBV8 on December 11, 2012, 03:15:42 PM
Curtis,

I put my 3000lb Camaro (4 speed) well into the 12s @ 112mph with no slicks & no traction off the line. I was thinking that big block MG would be good for 9s or, at least, 10s.
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: Preform Resources on December 11, 2012, 03:18:26 PM
Interesting shot of him running against an old McClaren can am car !
Dave
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: Moderator on December 11, 2012, 03:26:42 PM
QuoteI was thinking that big block MG would be good for 9s or, at least, 10s.

Yeah, I know. Nothing about its racing history is impressive except when it happened. Starting from August 14, 1966... (!)
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: MGBV8 on December 11, 2012, 07:17:27 PM
Well, it is quite unique!
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: TeamEvil on December 24, 2012, 03:34:19 PM
What a neat post, I just LOVE this sort of thing. Ordered an issue of the magazine a few moments ago just for the article.

I'm new here (although I've been signed up for a time, I haven't been active at all) and not that familiar with the site, is there a section or on-going thread where more of this sort of thing/these sort of cars might be posted?

Thanks,

T
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: Moderator on December 24, 2012, 04:23:37 PM
Welcome to BritishV8, Thomas.  This sort of stuff is sprinkled in throughout, at odd intervals. I guess you'll just have to surf around for it. I can give you one tip. If you liked reading about Megalomania, you're almost sure to like <a href="http://www.britishv8.org/other/philipherrick.htm">"The Muscle Sprout"</a>
Title: Re: England's First Funny Car? '63 MGB w/ 396 Chevy circa 1966
Post by: TeamEvil on December 24, 2012, 06:21:27 PM
Thank you for that link ! !

I really DID enjoy the photos and write-up AND learned some good tech for my own project. I was worried about spring wrap. Having already purchased some "slapper bars" I thought that I might have it solved, but the idea of reinforcing (and possibly extending) the axle pads is going to be perfect. Low tech, easy, and seemingly a proven solution.

Been hanging around less than a day; already having a terrific time and learned something that I'll use on my build as well.

Terrific ! !

TC