Sign in

← All builds

James Englehart's 1967 MGB with Buick 3.8L V6

James Englehart · 1967 MGB

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 1967 MGB re-powered with a Buick 3.8L V6

James Englehart's MGB was converted to run a Buick 231cid V6 paired with a Borg Warner five-speed, fitted by builder Butch Pilgrim over a two year project. The write-up is notable for its detail on mounting the 90 degree V6 far forward to clear the firewall and steering rack, and the custom cable clutch linkage and subframe work needed to make it fit. It also covers the body, paint and custom interior finishing touches.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
Buick 231cid (90 degree) V6, rated about 140hp, with Edelbrock Performer high rise intake and Edelbrock 650cfm 4 barrel carburetor, stock cam, Delco-Remy HEI distributor, all new wiring
Cooling
Stock MGB radiator lengthened 3 inches with a new core, relocated and enlarged ports, assembly moved forward, single electric pusher fan
Exhaust
Custom built exhaust manifolds with a rear dump into side pipes, Harley Davidson motorcycle mufflers
Transmission
Borg Warner T-50 5-speed, cable operated clutch using the Buick cable with a modified MGB pedal on custom brackets, stock MG driveshaft rebuilt with a GM front yoke
Rear Axle
Stock MGB
Front Suspension
Stock MGB
Rear Suspension
Stock MGB
Brakes
Stock MGB
Wheels/Tires
Stock MGB wire wheels
Body
Pull-handle doors from a 1963 MGB, fiberglass Sebring front and rear valances, custom fabricated grille, steel hood replacing the aluminum original with a fabricated steel cowl-induction scoop
Paint
PPG acrylic urethane base coat in Porsche red with a black racing stripe, 2 coats PPG clearcoat
Interior
Custom walnut dashboard, AM/FM/CD stereo, custom upholstery by Keith Hall of University Upholstery
Completed
2005, about 500 miles driven as of December 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 1

  • Buick 231cid V6 engineBuick

    90 degree V6 rated about 140hp, mounted far forward in the chassis

Fuel & Ignition 4

Cooling 2

Gearbox & Drivetrain 3

  • Borg Warner T-50 5-speed transmissionBorg Warner

    Replaces the original gearbox behind the V6

    In the shops
    Cover, clutch, Borg & Beck ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £77.00 GBP
    Clutch Kit, 3 piece, Borg & Beck ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £141.50 GBP
    Clutch Kit, 3 piece, Borg & Beck ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £230.75 GBP
  • Buick clutch cableBuick

    Reused to operate the clutch via a modified MGB pedal and custom brackets

  • GM front yokeGM

    Used to rebuild the stock MG driveshaft for the new gearbox

Wheels & Tyres 1

Body & Trim 6

Interior 3

Other 1

  • Harley Davidson motorcycle mufflersHarley Davidson

    Used on the side pipe 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.

James Englehart's 1967 MGB with Buick 3.8L V6Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Buick 3.8 V-6Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Buick 231 V-6Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Buick Grand National enginePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Delco Remy HEI distributor for Buick 231cid V6Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
hood scoopPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
MGB radiatorPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
fabricated exhaust manifoldPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
log type exhaust manifoldPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
clutch release cablePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
cable operated clutchPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
bellhousing for 3.8L Buick V6Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
motor mount for 3.8L Buick V6Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
walnut dashboardPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
upholstery by Keith Hall of University Upholstery in Eaton COPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Harley Davidson mufflersPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Butch Pilgrim of LaPorte, COPhoto: 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

Choosing the V6

Englehart set out to re-power his 1967 MGB with a Buick 231cid 90 degree V6, rated around 140 horsepower, feeding it through an Edelbrock Performer intake and 650cfm carburetor with a Delco-Remy HEI distributor and all new wiring. The conversion was carried out by builder Butch Pilgrim and took two years from start to finish.

Fitting the engine

To avoid major firewall cutting and keep clearance at the cylinder heads, the V6 was mounted unusually far forward, with the crank pulley ending up just ahead of the MG steering rack. The passenger side subframe was sectioned and boxed back in so it would clear the starter motor and oil filter.

Drivetrain

Power goes through a Borg Warner T-50 five speed gearbox. The clutch is cable operated, reusing the Buick cable connected to a modified MGB pedal on custom made brackets. The stock MG driveshaft was kept but rebuilt with a GM front yoke to mate with the new gearbox.

Cooling and exhaust

The stock radiator was lengthened three inches with a new core, its ports relocated and enlarged, and the whole unit moved forward, helped by a single electric pusher fan. Custom exhaust manifolds were built with a rear dump feeding side pipes fitted with Harley Davidson motorcycle mufflers.

Body and finish

The car wears pull-handle doors sourced from a 1963 MGB along with fiberglass Sebring front and rear valances and a custom fabricated grille. The original aluminum hood was swapped for steel, with a fabricated cowl-induction scoop added, then finished in PPG Porsche red with a black racing stripe.

Interior

Inside, a custom walnut dashboard was built and an AM/FM/CD stereo installed. Seats are not otherwise identified. Upholstery work was done by Keith Hall of University Upholstery in Eaton, Colorado, rounding out the cabin.

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

  • Mounting the V6 far forward avoided major firewall surgery but required precise clearance planning at the steering rack.
  • Boxing in a sectioned subframe was necessary to clear the starter motor and oil filter.
  • Reusing the Buick clutch cable with a modified MGB pedal avoided building a hydraulic system from scratch.
  • Rebuilding the stock driveshaft with a GM front yoke let the original MG driveshaft mate with the new gearbox.
  • A V6 conversion of this complexity realistically takes around two years to complete properly.

FIND YOUR NEXT IDEA

Explore

VideosSearch videos and spoken topicsPartsFind parts from specialist storesBuildsLearn from other people’s projectsSocialsIdeas from the communityTechnical & communitiesGuides, advice and owner clubsGalleryBrowse photos and inspiration