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Kurt Beidler's 1977 MGB, with Buick 215cid V8

Kurt Beidler · 1977 MG MGB

MG MGB

BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports carsBritish V8 Newsletter, Volume 8 Issue 2

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 1977 MGB rebuilt with a Buick 215 V8 found in a chicken coop

Kurt Beidler spent 8 months researching and another 8 months building a Buick 215 V8 before converting his 1977 MGB in about two weeks. He tackled suspension, brakes and drivetrain first, then stripped the car to bare metal for bodywork and paint before reassembling it in 18 days. The result is a driven, powder-coated, louvered-bonnet car with several thousand trouble-free miles on it.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
1963 Buick Skylark 215 V8 with 4-barrel heads, bored 30 over, balanced, estimated 9.5:1 compression
Carburetor
Carter 400cfm
Ignition
Pertronix ignition in stock distributor
Cooling
Custom 3-row 12 fin per inch radiator core, custom tanks, stock MGB electric fans, oil cooler
Transmission
Borg Warner World Class T-5 (0.63 final drive, from 1988 Firebird)
Clutch
Clutch/pressure plate with McLeod hydraulic throw-out bearing
Rear Axle
Stock MGB, 3.9:1 ratio
Brakes
Converted to silicone fluid, new master and wheel cylinders, stock booster; front stock MGB with Mintex pads; rear stock MGB
Front Suspension
All components rebuilt or replaced, stock sway bar, 1 inch lower springs, control arms reversed
Rear Suspension
All components rebuilt or replaced, stock sway bar, lowering blocks
Wheels
15x5.5 Minilite replicas
Tyres
Yokohama AVS 195x60
Exhaust
RV8 style headers from TSI, ceramic coated inside and out; custom 2.25 inch system with cross-over to single high-flow muffler
Instruments
Stock speedo, recalibrated tach, VDO mechanical oil pressure and temperature gauges, volt meter, clock
Body
Chartreuse base/clear exterior, soda-blasted to bare metal, dog-legs replaced, dings removed, bonnet louvered
Interior
Stock black vinyl

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 7

Fuel & Ignition 2

Cooling 3

Gearbox & Drivetrain 3

Suspension & Steering 1

Brakes 2

Wheels & Tyres 2

Body & Trim 1

Electrical 1

  • VDO instrumentsVDO

    Mechanical oil pressure and temperature gauges, volt meter and clock added

Other 1

  • RV8 style headersTSI

    Ceramic coated inside and out, feeding a custom 2.25 inch exhaust system

Photos

10 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.

Kurt Beidler's 1977 MGB, with Buick 215cid V8Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The MGB, dubbed BUMBL, with its yellow and black scheme.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
View of the completed V8-powered MGB.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Close-up of the Buick 215 engine installation.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Engine bay detail showing powder coated components.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Louvered bonnet detail on the finished car.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Interior view of the stock black vinyl cabin.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Underside or drivetrain detail from the build.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Final view of the completed MGB V8 conversion.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 cheap V8 start

Kurt bought a 1963 Buick Skylark 215 V8 rescued from a chicken coop for $50 to power his 1977 MGB. He spent eight months researching other people's conversions, relying heavily on the V8 Newsletter, before settling on his approach.

Building the engine

The engine was fully reworked: crank turned 10 under, rods resized and shot peened, line bored, new cam bearings, cylinders bored 30 over, SilvoLite pistons, decked block, milled heads, relieved exhaust ports, new valves and guides, and a Kenne Bell cam. All fasteners were ARP, and the engine was balanced.

Drivetrain and cooling

A Borg Warner T-5 five-speed from an 88 Firebird was fitted with a McLeod hydraulic throw-out bearing. Cooling was handled by a custom three-row radiator with extra length, stock MGB electric fans and an oil cooler.

Chassis work first

Before any cosmetic work, Kurt rebuilt or replaced the front and rear suspension, converted the brakes to silicone fluid with new cylinders, and fitted Minilite replica wheels with Yokohama tyres. This let him sort all the mechanical bugs first.

Body and paint

With the mechanicals sorted, Kurt fully disassembled the car, soda-blasted it to bare metal, replaced the dog-legs, removed parking-lot dings, louvered the bonnet, and repainted it in base coat clear.

Reassembly and driving

He reassembled the entire car in an intense 18 days to make the driving season. Since finishing, he has covered 5,000 to 6,000 trouble-free and enjoyable miles.

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

  • Skip block hugger headers; they are not worth the compromise.
  • Use a T5 transmission for a much better driving experience.
  • Sort out suspension, brakes and drivetrain before starting cosmetic work.
  • Make full use of the knowledge other enthusiasts share online.
  • A Super-Trap style muffler could allow easier tuning of the exhaust note.

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Kurt Beidler's 1977 MGB, with Buick 215cid V8 | Restomod Life