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Ken Biermann's Rover V8-Powered 1969 MGB

Ken Biermann · 1969 MGB

MG MGB

BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports carsas published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XVI Issue 2, October 2008

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 1969 MGB rebuilt with a stroked Rover-based Buick 215 V8

Ken Biermann transformed a 1969 MGB into a V8-powered sports car built around a bored, stroked Buick 215 aluminum block fitted with Rover-derived parts, paired to a Ford T5 five-speed and a Ford 8" rear axle on a custom three-link suspension. The build is notable for its subtle body modifications, carefully hidden engine clearance work, and strong attention to safety and handling detail. Biermann passed away shortly after completing the car in 2008, and it is now preserved by The St Louis Car Museum.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
Buick 215 aluminum V8, bored and re-sleeved to 3.800" and stroked to 3.400", 308.45 cid, 10.24:1 compression, Buick 300 heads and crankshaft, Chevy 283 rods with ARP bolts, Ross Racing pistons, Clevite bearings, Crower hydraulic cam
Induction
Re-worked Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, Edelbrock 1404 carburetor, K&N X-Stream polished 14" air cleaner
Ignition
Rover distributor with Pertronix Ignitor, Allison (Crane) high voltage coil, MSD spark plug wires
Oiling
Oberg Race Products "Tattle Tale" screen-type remote oil filter, low-mounted passenger-side oil cooler
Cooling
Griffin aluminum radiator, Spal 16" electric pulling fan
Exhaust
Adrian Akhurst custom ceramic-coated long-secondary tri-y headers with crossover pipe, dual Flowmaster mufflers, tailpipes exiting either side of re-centered fuel tank
Gearbox
Ford-spec T5 5-speed with 0.7:1 fifth gear, 10.4" Centerforce clutch with 2400# pressure plate, McLeod hydraulic throw-out bearing, custom driveshaft
Rear axle
Ford 8" with Currie aluminum gear case and pinion support, Auburn limited slip differential, 3.25:1 ratio, 28-spline axle shafts
Front suspension
Stock MGB with uprated 3/4" anti-sway bar
Rear suspension
Custom three-link design with Bilstein coilover shocks and custom Panhard rod
Brakes
Stock master cylinder with dual Wilwood 2psi residual pressure valves; Wilwood calipers and vented/cross-drilled rotors front, Wilwood calipers and cross-drilled rotors rear with working parking brake
Wheels
Panasport Racing 8-spoke 16" wheels
Tyres
Bridgestone Potenza S-03 225/50ZR16
Body
1969 shell with grafted-in rubber-bumper firewall, bellmouthed inner fender header holes, subtle mini IMSA rear flares, rolled fender lips, deeper rubber-bumper heelboard stiffener, modified rear shelf and trunk floor for three-link suspension, reinforced floorboards, later-model front valance with oil cooler holes, centered fuel tank
Paint
DuPont Chromabase basecoat/clearcoat in Mini "Pepper White"
Exterior trim
Stainless steel wire mesh grille, late-model MGB side mirrors, Stayfast convertible top
Interior
Fiero seats with custom tan leather upholstery, headrest speakers, electric seat heaters, Schroth Rallye four-point harnesses, early-model steel dashboard with custom console and color-matched eyebrow
Electrical
Modified Smith's tachometer, Odyssey drycell battery, Delco alternator, Mini starter, Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo
Completed
2008

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 6

Cooling 2

Gearbox & Drivetrain 6

Suspension & Steering 4

Brakes 3

Wheels & Tyres 2

  • Panasport Racing 8-spoke wheelsPanasport

    16-inch wheels fitted to the car

    In the shops
    Panasport Wheel Caps ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $31.75 USD
    Panasport Wheel Caps ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $39.99 USD
    Panasport Z-Light Wheel, 16"x7" ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $368.25 USD
  • Bridgestone Potenza S-03 tyresBridgestone

    225/50ZR16 size fitted to the Panasport wheels

Body & Trim 7

Interior 4

  • Fiero seatsMr Mikes

    Reupholstered in custom tan leather

  • Electric seat heaters

    Installed in the Fiero seats with console switches

  • Schroth Rallye four-point harnessesSchroth

    Fitted for improved occupant safety, designed against submarining

  • Early-model ('62-'67) MGB steel dashboard

    Fitted with custom console and color-matched eyebrow trim

    In the shops
    Dashboard (1962-67) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
    Dashboard, MGB 1968-71 ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
    Dashboard, MGB 1977-80 ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD

Electrical 5

  • Modified Smith's tachometerSmiths

    Adapted for the V8 conversion

    In the shops
    Smiths Tachometer ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $279.99 USD
    Smiths Tachometer ↗Sports & Classics· $45.00 USD
    Smiths Classic Digital Tachometer ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $296.50 USD
  • Odyssey drycell batteryOdyssey

    Provided electrical storage

  • Delco alternatorDelco

    Charged the electrical system

  • Mini starter

    Used to start the V8 engine

    In the shops
    Pre-Engaged Starter Motor (Mini 1984-2001) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $147.95 USD
  • Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereoKenwood

    Installed for the interior

Other 2

  • Adrian Akhurst custom tri-y headersAdrian Akhurst

    Ceramic-coated, long-secondary headers with crossover pipe, routed through the inner fenders

  • Flowmaster mufflersFlowmaster

    Dual mufflers for the exhaust system

Photos

32 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.

Ken Biermann's Rover aluminum V8 powered 1969 MGBPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The St Louis Car Musuem - we buy and sell distinctive British sports cars!Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Buick 215 aluminum V8 engine: bored and re-sleeved (to 3.800) and stroked (to 3.400) to 308.45 cid.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
K&N X-Stream polished 14 air cleaner.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Rover distributor with Pertronix Ignitor module inside.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Re-worked Edelbrock Performer intake manifold.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Oberg Race Products Tattle Tale screen-type (remote mounted) oil filter.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Holes were cut in the inner fenders for through-the-fender headersPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
MGB front suspension.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Wilwood 4-pot calipers and vented rotors.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Adrian Akhurst's tri-y headers feature really long secondary pipes.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Dual Flowmaster mufflers and stainless steel exhaust system.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Ford 8 inch with Currie aluminum gear case and pinion support.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Third link attachment point above the driveshaft.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Panhard bar attachment point on the axlePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Panhard bar body attachmentPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Bilstein coilover shock absorbersPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Panasport Racing 8-spoke wheels with Bridgestone Potenza S-03 225/50ZR16 tires.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
subtle bodyworkPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The rear fenders (quarterpanels) are flared out about one hald inch per side.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
miniature IMSA flaresPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
suspension mounting pointPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
trunk floor modificationPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
relocated fuel fillerPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
heated seat switchesPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Schroth Rallye four-point safety harnessesPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
cream colored paintPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Stayfast convertible top.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Stainless steel wire mesh grille.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
dual exhaust sticking out the rearPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Ken and Ila Biermann at Spring Fling 2006Photo: 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

Building the heart of the car

The engine began as a Buick 215 aluminum V8, bored, re-sleeved and stroked to just over 308 cubic inches with Buick 300 heads and crankshaft, Chevy rods, Ross pistons and a Crower cam. Rover-sourced ignition parts and a reworked Edelbrock intake with its markings ground off kept the engine's origins understated.

Cooling and exhaust sorted

A Griffin aluminum radiator and pulling electric fan handled cooling. Custom ceramic-coated tri-y headers routed through bellmouthed holes cut in the inner fenders, feeding dual Flowmaster mufflers that exit symmetrically around a re-centered fuel tank.

Driveline upgrades

Power reaches the road through a Ford-spec T5 five-speed gearbox with a heavy-duty Centerforce clutch and a custom driveshaft, into a Ford 8" rear axle fitted with a Currie aluminum gear case, Auburn limited-slip differential and 28-spline shafts.

Suspension and brakes

Up front the stock MGB suspension was retained but stiffened with a larger anti-sway bar. Out back, Biermann engineered a custom three-link setup with Bilstein coilovers and a Panhard rod. Wilwood calipers and rotors at all four corners, with dual residual pressure valves, gave the car strong, controlled stopping.

Reworking the body

Though built on a 1969 shell, the car received a rubber-bumper firewall for clearance, subtle rear quarter panel flares, rolled fender lips, and extensive floor and trunk modifications to fit the new rear suspension. The chassis was reinforced along the floorboards for added stiffness.

Finishing touches

The car was finished in a Mini-sourced white paint closely matching MG's Old English White, with a mesh grille, later-model mirrors and a Stayfast top. Inside, Fiero seats with tan leather, heated seat switches and Schroth four-point harnesses completed a car built as much for safety as for speed.

A finished build, cut short

Ken Biermann completed the MGB V8 in 2008 but became ill soon after and was still sorting out the car when he passed away that August. The car is now kept by The St Louis Car Museum, which supplied photographs so the build could be documented and shared.

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

  • Routing headers through bellmouthed fender holes can improve both clearance and strength.
  • A three-link rear suspension needs significant trunk floor and shelf modification to fit properly.
  • Dual residual pressure valves help a stock master cylinder work well with aftermarket calipers.
  • Subtle fender flares and rolled lips can add tire clearance without changing the car's look.
  • Four-point harnesses like Schroth's are worth fitting for genuine safety gains, not just show.

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Ken Biermann's Rover V8-Powered 1969 MGB | Restomod Life