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Mike Alexander's 1973 MGB with Buick 215 V8

Mike Alexander · 1973 MGB (rebuilt with 1980 bodyshell)

MG MGB

BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports carsas published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XVII Issue 1, July 2009

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 1973 MGB rebuilt on a 1980 shell with a Buick 215 V8

Mike Alexander spent ten months and about $25,000 converting a 1973 MGB, rebuilt on a later rubber-bumper bodyshell, to run an aluminum Buick 215 V8 with a Borg Warner T5 five-speed. The write-up covers the rotisserie body repairs needed to use the 1980 shell, the engine and driveline installation, and the custom wiring, gauges and air conditioning fitted to a car built deliberately "not concours".

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
1962 Buick 215cid aluminum V8, bored 0.030 inch over, with Buick four-barrel intake manifold, Edelbrock 1405 500cfm carburetor with electric choke, Delco Remy distributor, Pertronix Ignitor module and Flame Thrower coil, Crower camshaft (part no. 50229), D&D swivel mount oil filter adapter
Cooling
D&D Fabrications aluminum radiator
Exhaust
RV8-style through-the-fender headers; fuel tank centered to allow dual exhaust
Transmission
Borg Warner 'world class' T5 five-speed, lightweight flywheel and driveshaft from D&D Fabrication, McLeod clutch and hydraulic throw-out bearing, Hurst Billet/Plus shifter
Rear Axle
Rebuilt stock 1980 MGB (Salisbury) axle
Front Suspension
Rebuilt stock MGB front suspension with one inch lowering springs
Rear Suspension
Rebuilt MGB rear suspension, lowered one inch, with polyurethane bushes and a late-model anti-sway bar
Brakes
Master cylinder updated to later (1975-1980) power brakes; front drilled and slotted rotors; rear stock MGB
Wheels/Tires
15 inch Dayton wire wheels with Dunlop SP Sport 5000 P195/65R15 tires
Electrical
Custom wiring using an Advance Auto-Wire kit, 100 amp alternator, gear reduction starter
Instruments
Autometer Pro-Comp gauges: speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure, water temperature, voltmeter, programmable fuel gauge
Interior
Modified Mark 1 MGB steel dashboard painted body color, custom upholstered center console, Nostalgic Air air conditioning, Tourist Trophy 15 inch wood three-spoke steering wheel
Body
1980 MGB bodyshell used as the basis of a rotisserie restoration; floorboards, trunk floor, rockers, doglegs and lower front fenders replaced; hat-section floor reinforcements added; chrome bumper conversion carried out
Weight
2316 pounds
Completed
September 2008, with 4200 miles driven as of June 2009

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 4

Fuel & Ignition 6

Cooling 1

  • Aluminum radiatorD&D Fabrications

    Custom radiator for V8 cooling, paired with dual fans and the AC condenser

    In the shops
    Aluminum Radiator ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $355.00 USD
    Aluminum Radiator ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $358.50 USD
    Aluminum Radiator ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $364.00 USD

Gearbox & Drivetrain 9

Suspension & Steering 4

Brakes 2

Wheels & Tyres 2

  • Dayton wire wheels, 15 inchDayton

    Wheels fitted to the finished car

    In the shops
    Dayton Wire Wheels ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $578.75 USD
  • SP Sport 5000 tyres, P195/65R15Dunlop

    Tyres fitted to the Dayton wire wheels

Body & Trim 10

Interior 7

Electrical 6

Other 2

  • RV8-style through-the-apron exhaust headers

    Routed exhaust through the fender aprons, required cutting a hole in the inner wing

  • Four-into-one header collector

    Combines header pipes into single exhaust

Photos

40 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.

Mike Alexander's 1973 MGB with Buick 215 V8Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
1962 Buick 215cid aluminum V8, bored 0.030 over.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Delco Remy distributor with Pertronix Ignitor ignition module (in lieu of breaker points).Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Offenhauser finned aluminum valve covers.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Steering universal joint.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Edelbrock 1405 500cfm carburetor, with electric choke.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Pertronix Flame Thrower ignition coil.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
RV8-style through-the-apron headers.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Accel Hi-Temp Spiral Core 8mm spark plug wires.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Four-into-one header collector.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Sanden air conditioning compressor.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The air conditioning system's receiver-dryer.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The air conditioning system's condensor, mounted in front of a D&D aluminum radiator.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
D&D Fabrications swivel mount oil filter adapter.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Positive crankcase ventilation system.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Electric choke actuator.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Hole in the passenger-side inner wing to accomodate the exhaust header.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Delco 100 amp alternator (and billet pulleys).Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Heater valve.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Hood louvers and insulation.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Wiring has been relocated out of the engine area.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Ready to get started...Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Installation of replacement floorboards.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Replacement MGB floorboards.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
MGB structural repairsPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Eliminating the fender-top seam.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Replacement trunk floor.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Replacing the castle rail (i.e. inner rocker panel).Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Installing the rocker panel and replacement quarterpanel dog-leg.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The passenger-side fender went on and looked really good.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The driver-side fender took more work. Rust repair necessitated replacing the whole lower part,Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
...which needs to be done on the car so that fit and alignment come out correctly.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Note also the tie-down brackets for transport.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Hat-section reinforcements were added under the floor. They strenghen the seat mounting points.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Very minimal transmission tunnel mods.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
A single battery box is another distinctive feature of the rubber bumper bodyshell.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Buick's classic all-aluminum 215 engine, with a modern aftermarket transmission bellhousing.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Chevy Camaro spec diaphragm pressure plate and clutch disc.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Actual engine installation is so quick and easy compared to all the preparation...Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars

How it was done

Starting with a later bodyshell

After thirty years restoring British cars, mostly Jaguar XKEs, the owner decided to finally build a V8-powered MGB. He began a rotisserie restoration based on a 1980 bodyshell rather than the original 1973 shell, which meant adapting the car to the later chassis features and later converting it to a chrome bumper look.

Structural repairs

The rotisserie work involved replacing the floorboards, trunk floor, rockers, doglegs and lower front fenders, with the driver side fender needing extra rust repair to its lower section. Hat-section reinforcements were welded under the floor to strengthen the seat mounting points before the shell was painted.

Fitting the Buick V8 and gearbox

A 1962 Buick 215 aluminum V8, bored 0.030 inch over, was built up with a Buick four-barrel intake, Edelbrock carburetor, Pertronix ignition and a Crower camshaft, then mated to a Borg Warner T5 five-speed through a Chevy Camaro-spec clutch and a modern aftermarket bellhousing. A D&D lightweight flywheel and driveshaft completed the driveline.

Cooling, exhaust and underside work

A D&D aluminum radiator with dual electric fans handles cooling, aided by careful pulley clearance checks during installation. RV8-style headers run through the fender aprons, and the fuel tank was centered to allow for dual exhaust. The rear axle is a rebuilt stock 1980 Salisbury unit with a late-model anti-sway bar fitted using new brackets.

Wiring, gauges and climate control

The owner built a custom wiring loom from an Advance Auto-Wire kit, relocating wiring out of the engine bay and adding a 100 amp alternator and gear reduction starter. Autometer Pro-Comp gauges were installed along with a Nostalgic Air air conditioning system, including a Sanden compressor, receiver-dryer and condenser mounted ahead of the radiator.

Interior and finishing details

A Mark 1 steel dashboard was modified and painted body color instead of its original crinkle finish, paired with a custom upholstered center console built around the Hurst shifter and a cut-down 1977-1980 armrest/console. A Tourist Trophy wood steering wheel and mixed-year exterior trim, including an early grille, later mirrors and relocated bumper overriders, finished the look.

On the road

The car was completed in September 2008 after about ten months of work and roughly $25,000 spent, all done by the owner himself. A rocker arm failure at 105 miles was the only mechanical problem encountered in the first 4200 miles of driving.

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 ↗

Worth knowing

  • Using a later rubber-bumper bodyshell as the restoration base brings extra differences to work around, like a deeper heelboard and relocated radiator mounts.
  • Rust repair on fenders is best finished with the panel fitted to the car so alignment comes out right.
  • A single defective rocker arm can appear even after careful, thorough engine building, so it is worth being prepared for early teething problems.
  • Centering the fuel tank was necessary to make room for a dual exhaust system.
  • Relocating wiring out of the engine bay helps keep the installation tidy and serviceable.

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