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Harry Miller's 1961 MGA with Ford 289 V8 Engine

Harry Miller · 1961 MGA 1600

MG MGA

BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports carsas published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XX Issue 1, July 2012

Read the full write-up at BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars ↗

Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars

A 1961 MGA rebuilt with a Ford 289 V8 by Harry Miller

This MGA was originally converted to V8 power in 1969-70 by sailor Bill Parke, who swapped in a Ford drivetrain scavenged from a junkyard Mustang before shipping it home from the Navy. After decades of neglect and several owners, Harry Miller tracked the car down in rough condition and carried out a full rebuild in 2009-2010, replacing the tired original engine with a fresh 289 and restoring the paint and interior. It is a story of a resourceful period conversion rediscovered and brought back to the road.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
1965 A-code Ford 289cid V8, rebuilt by Pike's Engine & Machine Shop
Carburetor
Holley Street Avenger 670
Cooling
Griffin early-model Mustang aluminum radiator with electric pulling fan
Exhaust
Stock Ford iron manifolds (driver's side rotated 180 degrees to exit forward), dual glasspack mufflers
Transmission
TCI C4 automatic, with shortened driveshaft
Rear Axle
Ford 8 inch, narrowed housing, 3.00:1 gears
Front Suspension
Stock
Rear Suspension
Stock
Brakes
Stock MGA master cylinder and front brakes, stock Ford rear brakes
Wheels
VTO 8-spoke wheels, MGA bolt pattern front, Ford bolt pattern rear
Tyres
Cooper Tires, 195/70R15 front and 215/70R15 rear
Electrical
Painless T-bucket wiring harness; mixed instruments including vintage Stewart Warner gauges, original Smiths fuel gauge, and new AutoMeter gauges
Completed
Originally completed 1970, rebuilt in 2010

Parts used

Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 2

Fuel & Ignition 1

  • Holley Street Avenger 670 carburetorHolley

    Fitted to the rebuilt 289 V8

Cooling 2

Gearbox & Drivetrain 3

  • C4 automatic transmissionTCI

    Built and fitted for the V8 conversion, originally sourced from a wrecked Mustang then later replaced with a TCI unit

    In the shops
    BW-8 Automatic Transmission ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
    DG250 Automatic Transmission ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
    BW-35 Automatic Transmission ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
  • Shortened driveshaft

    Driveshaft shortened to match the V8 and C4 transmission swap

  • Ford 8 inch rear axle

    Narrowed housing fitted with 3.00:1 gears for the conversion

Brakes 2

Wheels & Tyres 2

  • VTO 8-spoke wheelsVTO

    Fitted with MGA bolt pattern on the front and Ford bolt pattern on the rear

  • Cooper TiresCooper

    195/70R15 front and 215/70R15 rear sizes fitted

Body & Trim 1

Electrical 4

Other 1

  • Dual glasspack mufflers

    Fitted to the exhaust system

Photos

8 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

Harry Miller's 1961 MGA with Ford 289 V8 EnginePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
1965 A-code 289cid Ford V8, rebuilt by Pike's Engine & Machine Shop in Watkins Glen, New York.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Harry Miller restored the paint and upholstery on this early MGA V8 conversion.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
His wife Bonnie did a great job painting the dashboard: faux woodgrain!Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Original Ford 260 engine installation.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Stylish fiberglass MGA hardtop.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Harry's granddaughter takes the newly found MGA for a spirited test drive.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Donate Now!Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars

How it was done

A Navy man's junkyard V8 swap

In 1969-70, Bill Parke, stationed at North Island Naval Air Station, decided to fit a Ford V8 into his MGA after it developed overheating trouble. He and a fellow sailor visited a junkyard together, Parke taking the automatic transmission, rear end and driveshaft from a wrecked Mustang while his friend took the 289 engine for his own project.

Finished just in time

Parke completed the V8 conversion about a day before his discharge, leaving no time for a proper road test. He drove the car home to Ithaca, New York in November 1970 with the top down, relying on engine heat and his pea coat and watch cap to stay warm along the way.

Passed around and lost

Parke drove the MGA around Ithaca that winter before trading it to a friend for a Baja Bug. The car changed hands several more times during the 1970s and eventually disappeared from the local car scene, becoming one of the cars people only talked about at cruise nights.

The search for the old MGA

After seeing a Triumph TR-4 with a Ford fuelie V8 at a car show in 2009, Harry Miller became interested in finding the long-lost MGA V8. Conversations with car club members pointed toward Spencer, New York, and an inquiry at a local NAPA store finally gave him the car's exact location.

Found in rough shape

The MGA had not been driven since 1984 and was found in poor condition. Harry's granddaughter Jill was along for the discovery and is pictured enjoying the find inside the tired interior.

A full rebuild

Harry began a complete rebuild in the fall of 2009 and finished by early summer 2010. The worn original 260 engine was replaced with a freshly rebuilt 289, and Harry restored the paint and upholstery, while his wife Bonnie hand-painted a faux woodgrain finish on the dashboard.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars ↗

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Harry Miller's 1961 MGA with Ford 289 V8 Engine | Restomod Life