yobarr wrote:

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KJB wrote:

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What is the "story"....??

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 Dunno Kerry, but in 1973 a few MGBs were fitted with the Rover 3.5 litre (3500cc) 102kw aluminum V8 engine.

Supposedly these things could reach 200km/hr, but I'd still prefer the Fairlane! Cheers

 

 

 

Before the MGB V8 - (there were 2 versions)  there was also the early '60's  Sunbeam Tiger (small traditional British sports car similar to MG's) which was a  Sunbeam Alpine - factory fitted with a small V8 (Ford based)  motor. Maxwell Smart drove one in the TV Series "Get Smart".......

-- Edited by yobarr on Friday 21st of April 2023 07:04:07 PM

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Gundog wrote:

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MGB GT always wanted to buy one in the 70's couldn't afford one.

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 I think I may still have the copy of Australian Sports Car World with a photo of the new MG-B - The banner headline was "A sparkling 115 MPH".

I also wanted one, but as a young Father it just wasn't practical.

I had two MGBs. The first was a 1968 model, a Mark11 which I then traded in on an MGB L in 1972. The latter was the fifth last one to come off the production line as they ceased production in 1972 with the last ones being sold in December of that year. They retailed for about $3600 new. A friend of mine had more money and he bought a Falcon GT new that retailed for about $5500.

Around that time people were putting Holden engines in Austin Healey Sprites and they flew. There was also an MGC that was fully imported with a six cylinder engine. I think the pick of all the sports cars in that time was the Morgan Plus 8. It had a Rover 3.5 V8 and a wooden chassis and went like the clappers. Another one that they would race was the MG Midget. It had the 1275 cc engine of the Cooper S compared to the 1800cc of the B but could also get along. The MGB was not all that quick but they would cruise along at about 65-70 mph with the overdrive on 3rd and 4th gears. A flick of the switch on the dash and it either dropped or increased by 500 rpm.

Great days.

The MBG GT's later models were available with the Rover V8, which was a Buick 215  all Aluminuim small block remanufactured by Rover.

https://youtu.be/Zi_lANCiwAc

RickJ wrote:

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This topic has brought back memories for me.

Years ago we lived close to a Nissan dealer and in my walk of a night I would quite often stop and gaze longingly through the showroom window at an MG built on a Nissan chassis and engine.

With three kids and a mortgage this car was out of the question. Probably lucky I was a committed family man.

Here is one

https://www.bgsclassiccars.com.au/product-page/1991-td2000-australian-built

https://www.bgsclassiccars.com.au/product-page/1991-td2000-australian-built

 

Built in Ararat, Victoria at the Gason factory. Gason have built many items over the years including tractor cabins, cultivators and wood heaters. Still an important employer in the Region.  KB

 

The car I used to gaze at was the same colour and trim as the above link.. From memory it was in the mid 1980s

-- Edited by RickJ on Sunday 23rd of April 2023 01:29:09 PM

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watsea wrote:

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A young car-mad bloke who grew up in my street now has a car related business.
A one stage he has a convertible Nissan 300Z. A few years ago, I asked him if he still had that car. He said that he still had the car but he had put a 4L Nissan V8 into it. At that stage, he was still working on it. He was driving a V8 Holden Ute.

This month, I saw him. He told me that he has sold the Nissan. Now, he has a Porsche 911 and also, most recently, he has obtained a Chevy Silverado V8 petrol ute as a work vehicle.

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 Edit:

Chevy's motor is a 6.2L V8.  It needs 16-17L/100km normally but 35-38L/100km when it gets busy