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Graham Creswick's 1976 MGB with Ford 302 V8

Graham Creswick · 1976 MGB roadster

MG MGB

BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports carsas published in British V8 Newsletter, Volume XIV Issue 3, December 2006

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 1976 MGB roadster converted twice: Oldsmobile 215 then Ford 302 V8

Graham Creswick restored a rust-free Texas MGB from the ground up and first fitted it with an Oldsmobile 215 V8. After driving a friend's Ford-powered MGB, he repowered the car with a Ford 302 H.O. engine and Borg Warner T-5 gearbox, reworking cooling, exhaust, suspension, and brakes to suit. The write-up is useful for its detailed parts list and candid notes on problems encountered and lessons learned across two separate conversions.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
Ford 302 H.O. roller lifter V8 from a 1989 Mustang, +0.030" Keith Black pistons, 9.1:1 compression, Ford Racing GT-40 aluminum heads
Cam
Ford Racing B303, 0.480" lift, 224 degrees duration at 0.050", 1.6:1 rocker ratio
Intake
Edelbrock 2121 Performer intake with 600cfm Edelbrock carburettor and 1/4" phenolic spacer
Ignition
Early points-type Ford distributor converted to electronic with Crane XR-1 module, steel distributor drive gear
Fuel system
Carter P-4070 pump with series Facet backup pump and selector switch
Cooling
Ford short water pump M-8501-E351S, crossflow radiator from GM truck end tanks and louvered serpentine core, viscous fan drive from Mitsubishi B50/Rampage with 15" plastic fan
Exhaust
Coyote Engineering headers, 1.5" primaries, 2.5" collector, ceramic coated, 2.25" aluminized steel dual exhaust with X-crossover and Dynamax mufflers
Gearbox
Borg Warner World Class T-5 five-speed from a Ford Mustang, ratios 3.35/1.93/1.29/1.00/0.68:1
Clutch
1989 Mustang clutch and pressure plate, converted to push-type slave cylinder from a 1980s Nissan
Driveshaft
2-1/2" diameter custom length from D&D Fabrications
Rear axle
Ford 8.8 Traction-Lok, 3.27:1, shortened by Moser Engineering to MGB disc width, 4 stud x 4-1/2" pattern retained
Front suspension
Stock MGB front suspension with lowering coil springs, red polyurethane bushings, notched crossmember, 3/4" front sway bar
Rear suspension
Standard lowering MGB leaf springs with 1" lowering blocks, Monroe 5877ST tube shocks, 11/16" rear sway bar
Brakes
Aluminum 1" bore non-servo master cylinder from an early 1980s Lincoln, Ford proportioning valve, standard MGB front discs with Green Stuff pads, Ford 10.4" rear discs from a 1995 Mustang 8.8 axle
Wheels
Panasport 15x7, 22mm offset
Tyres
225/50ZR-15 Dunlop SP Sport 8000
Body
1976 rubber bumper car converted to chrome bumper, early aluminum hood saving 17lb with two rows of louvers
Interior
Carpeted console look of a 1968 car with an early 1970s console housing radio/CD and clock
Electrical
Tachometer converted for 8 cylinder pulses, 140mph speedo from a 1969 MGC calibrated via T-5 gear set
Performance
247hp at the rear wheels, dynoed at the 2005 British V8 meet in Terre Haute, IN

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 3

Gearbox & Drivetrain 6

Suspension & Steering 6

Brakes 4

Wheels & Tyres 2

Body & Trim 3

Interior 2

Electrical 2

Other 1

  • Dynamax mufflersDynamax

    Dual mufflers fitted in the exhaust system

Photos

18 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.

Graham Creswick's 1976 MGB with Ford 302 V8Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
new chrome valve coversPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Ford distributor converted to electronic with Crane XR-1 electronic modulePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Ford 302 H.O. roller lifter engine from a 1989 MustangPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Ford Racing GT-40 aluminum headsPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
engine steady bar mountPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Mitsubishi B50/Rampage water pump mounted viscous fan drivePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
drain petcock... and anti-sway bar, gently bent for tire clearancePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
MGB V8 seats and interior trimPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Panasport 15x7Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
MGB V8 hood louversPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
MGB heater inlet grillePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
converted to chrome bumperPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
B EightPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
MGB V8 dual exhaustPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
MG V8 FordPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Graham Creswick's 1976 MGB with Ford 302 V8Photo: 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

Starting point

Graham bought a rust-free MGB in Texas and carried out a complete teardown and ground-up restoration. The first conversion, finished in 2002, used an Oldsmobile 215 V8 and a T5 gearbox, chosen because BOP/Rover conversion parts and support were readily available at the time.

Switching to Ford

After riding in a friend's Ford-powered MGB, Graham decided to move to a Ford 302. The engine conversion was completed over the winter of 2005, replacing the Oldsmobile powertrain with Ford components throughout.

Engine and induction

He used a 302 H.O. roller lifter engine from a 1989 Mustang, rebuilt with Keith Black pistons, GT-40 aluminum heads, a B303 cam, and roller rockers. An Edelbrock Performer intake and carb were chosen to clear the standard MGB hood, with a phenolic spacer to curb fuel percolation.

Cooling and exhaust

Cooling uses a Ford short water pump, a custom crossflow radiator built from GM truck end tanks, and a viscous fan drive from a Mitsubishi pickup. Coyote Engineering headers and a dual exhaust system were fitted, with the fuel tank centered in the chassis to allow room for both pipes.

Driveline and axle

A Borg Warner T-5 five-speed from a Mustang was paired with the 302, with the shifter reworked from a Chevy S10 part. A Ford 8.8 Traction-Lok rear axle was shortened by Moser Engineering to fit the MGB's track, keeping the original lug pattern and suspension mounting points.

Suspension and brakes

Front suspension kept the stock MGB layout but added lowering springs, polyurethane bushings, and an uprated and reshaped sway bar to clear the wheels. Rear springs were lowered, and the brakes were upgraded with a Lincoln master cylinder, a Ford proportioning valve, and Ford 10.4-inch rear discs.

Body, interior and results

The rubber bumper car was converted to chrome bumpers, fitted with an aluminum hood and louvers, and given an early console with modern stereo. Dyno testing recorded 247 horsepower at the wheels, and the car has covered about 10,000 miles since completion.

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

  • Choose the right engine for the conversion from the start to save time and money.
  • An externally mounted clutch slave cylinder is much easier to service than a hydraulic throw-out bearing.
  • Check engine mount settling over time, as clearance to the steering rack can shrink and need shims.
  • Verify that purchased parts like headers suit your specific engine position and wheel-lock needs before fitting.
  • Expect to make ongoing improvements after a first conversion attempt, as it is rarely perfect the first time.

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