My MGB

[Instigator]

Yep.
The MGs are basically tractor motors and really made me look hard before buying one because I want to build the motor.

Amazingly though, after reading the book I listed, it’s way better than I thought.

The writer is s famous MG racer and more famous as a race engine builder.
He says, block, head, crank, rods are all good for modding.

Almost all is reported to be better even than aftermarket options.

Basically porting and maybe bigger valves, are good for 140 - 150 at the crank.

I like the Lotuses, especially w/the twin cam although that really doesn’t do as much as we think.
Always liked the Europe’s.

Top Fuel/Funny car make 10k HPs w/two valves.

Id guess parts/prices are way higher and harder to find.

Complete, polished, stainless exhaust and header, $690 delivered!
Aluminum radiator, $180.

Valve cover $40.

Etc, etc.

Rock, my first cars was a TR-4A.

An old dock neighbor had a gorgeous TR-6 that he wouldn’t sell to me cuz he liked me too much!

My Lotus was much more modern then an MG when new but is an anvil compared to a modern car. A Lotus was big block Corvette money with a 1600 (not quite) cc engine. No wonder not many were sold

[rock]

The 4A was a transition to the TR6. Basically the same car as the TR4 but with a 6 cylinder engine. Tried to find a TR6 for years but what was available had been well used. Do you remember the Stag?

Rock

[Instigator]

I think it went from a single carb to duals on the 4A.

Mine was a 4 (as was every other 4A I saw) banger w/dual carbs.

Yes on the Stag.

My wife had a TR-7 when it was only a few yrs old.
She hated it, as did everyone else!

One of the British collector books I read said that was one of the things that took down British Leyland was them and Triumph putting all their money into that new model specifically to go after the American market and motor trend rated it as the worst car of the yr!

They also made a few TR-8’s, w/a v-8 that was just as bad!

Paul, the Tiger w/the 4 is actually an Alpine, both made by Sunbeam.

When my older brother was in college in the late 60’s, early 70’s my dad bought him a tank of a Buick Lesabre to drive to school.
He fk’d up and put the title in my bro’s name.

Soon as he got back to school, he sold it and took that money and bought a ‘1960 Sunbeam Alpine!
An absolute turd!
Never ran.

I remember using a piece of my dad’s anchor line to tow it behind his Buick through the universities parking lot to try and bump start it :-)

Soon after, it caught on fire at a stop sign and burned to the ground!!!

Was a while after that before my brother came home to visit!

The 4A was a transition to the TR6. Basically the same car as the TR4 but with a 6 cylinder engine. Tried to find a TR6 for years but what was available had been well used. Do you remember the Stag?

Rock

[Instigator]

Yep

I bought one for the MG.

Although, it ain’t too different than tuning six one barrels on a V-6 looper and I always do them by ear.

I experimented w/the MG after getting the flow meter.

I can get to within a 1/4 of a turn by ear, and that’s close enough you can’t tell the difference.
It is a cool toy though.
Can use it on my bikes too.

[rock]

I had read an article years ago about the TR4. At one point Triumph considered a couple engine upgrades for the 4A, one of which was a 6 cylinder, but instead changed the head and something else giving the 4 cyl a few more horsepower. Getting harder and harder to remember what I remember.

Rock

[David]

Old Lotus parts are cheap and easy to find. Lotus used mostly parts from other British cars of the time. My old crock is cheaper to maintain then my brother’s Boxster. I admit he puts a lot more miles on

[tux974]

Hey Gary, make it unique. Small block chevy 302, 327, LT1 gets my vote......

[Dave S]

Towing with a Boat ankkor.......I remember Skitchin' on a hood of a car.... in the snow For thoszzz that don't nooow......Deadly.....Oncomming.....I gust was Lucky.........I was Skitchin on a towed hood........Damm stupid...

[Dave S]

Gary..... 215 BOP.... with a 1964 300 crank...... pinto pistons...... It all works......

[FMP]

What the heck is everyone thinking..... stick a ETEC G2 300 in it

[Instigator]

I really like the lil motor.

First boat race I was ever at was an inboard race and their was an 850 hydro there.
A tiny Crosley car motor.

It was an amazingly well engineered boat and ran well.
Maybe 12’??

I remember it had a tiny glass oil container that dripped oil on the prop shaft/stuffing box.
Made great noise while coming on plane!

Always been a fan of the lil motors.

And, I like an MG motor in my MG.

[tux974]

All great stuff, love it!

I need to make a video of it at full song. Red line is 7300 and it loves to go there!!! Even with over 100K on the clock!
Awesome engine with great longevity and basically easy to rebuild pull 4 jugs

At least they put the tach were it needs to be... in the center! The only gauge that counts.....LOL

Note the very rare year correct wheel which took a while for me to source, the original was replaced by a cheapie... And the floor mats are kinda cool.. Gary, you need some mats like these for yours! Yes, the coco mats, remember them well. They even made them for the Mercedes.

Yea I know the interior is trash. A dash is 2500+ bucks and the place I was going to buy one from went bust.... Same with the knee guard... I FINALLY found an original mount and an ashtray for it .... Not even going to tell how much I paid for that.... Oh the special tools... I have a door hinge pin puller??? One clip and two pins (it is a slide hammer) and off the door comes....I believe I have a steering wheel under my desk in a box, need to check now....LOL

Maybe I should have bought an MG?......LOL

Gauges that you cannot see, fuel level, oil tank (it is a dry sump 8 quarts) Oil temp, Oil pressure. And the clock...? The speedo goes to 150. Last time out it ran 135 and had more. All looks great!

The shifter now has a balsa knob... AH! Getting lighter! ......LOL. I'm a diehard Porsche guy, love them!


Attachment 500571

[Instigator]

Paul, you need to start your own thread for your 911.

Everyone loves them and will trample my MG story, as already evidenced here.

My brother owned two and have a couple good stories for your thread.

Make sure to post a link to the Yellow Bird video!

[tux974]

Gary, I will continue to follow your thread. Love seeing projects like this come to live and hoe the newer/better changes that can make them ever better.

Tony

[bouyhead]

Such a cool car, and the mechanical simplicity left us a long time ago.

As a little kid I wasn't around any hot rods, my older brother drove a beetle. His buddy shows up one day with a MG. I took one look at the dash and thought I was looking at a race car! The dash layout with all the gauges was so cool. It was probably the first time a saw a tach with a redline.