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Shaun Hateley's 1980 MGB with Rover 3.5L V8 and LT77 5-speed

Shaun Hateley · 1980 MG MGB

MG MGB

BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports carsas published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XIX Issue I, December 2011

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 1980 MGB rebuilt with a Rover 3.5L V8 and LT77 five-speed

Shaun Hateley converted his 1980 MGB to right-hand drive and built it around a modified Rover V8 and five-speed gearbox, with Frontline front and rear suspension conversions and a mix of MGC and Sebring-style fiberglass bodywork. The write-up is a detailed specification sheet covering the engine build, drivetrain, suspension, brakes and exterior changes completed by the owner.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
Rover 3.5L V8 with Omega cut-away pistons, Kent 214 camshaft, Stage 1 polished and lightly ported heads, waisted valvestems, upgraded valvesprings, double roller timing chain, Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, Edelbrock 500cfm carburetor, Opus electronic ignition, wet sump with upgraded oil pump
Cooling
Stock radiator and electric cooling fans
Exhaust
RV8 through-the-fender headers and stainless steel exhaust system
Gearbox
Rebuilt Rover LT77 5-speed with heavy duty clutch
Rear axle
MGB (Salisbury) axle, 3.071:1 gears, open differential
Front suspension
Frontline Costello telescopic shock absorber conversion, standard steering rack, castor reduction wedges, uprated anti-roll bar
Rear suspension
Frontline four-link coil-over suspension with Panhard rod
Brakes
Wilwood four-pot front calipers with vented rotors, stock rear brakes
Wheels
Compomotive TS 16-inch 3-piece modular wheels
Tyres
Toyo tires, 145 front, 225 rear
Instruments
Smiths Classic tachometer and electronic speedo conversion
Interior
Converted to right-hand drive, aftermarket steering wheel, stereo radio
Body
Steel front fenders with fabricated steel flares, Costello front fiberglass spoiler/valance, modified MGC-style fiberglass bonnet, Sebring-style fiberglass rear fenders and valance, swage lines removed, side trim holes welded up, new mirrors on quarter lights

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 8

Fuel & Ignition 3

Cooling 2

Gearbox & Drivetrain 3

Suspension & Steering 5

Brakes 2

Wheels & Tyres 2

  • Compomotive TS 16-inch 3-piece modular wheels

    Fitted wheels

  • Toyo tires

    145 front, 225 rear

Body & Trim 5

Interior 1

Electrical 2

Other 2

  • RV8 through-the-fender headers

    Exhaust headers routed through the fender

  • Stainless steel exhaust system

    Full exhaust system fitted

Photos

20 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.

Shaun Hateley's 1980 MGB with Rover 3.5L V8 and LT77 5-speedPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Rover 3.5L V8 engine with Edelbrock 500cfm carburetor.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Edelbrock Performer intake manifold.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Omega cut-away pistons.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Double roller timing chain.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Stage 1 polished and lightly ported cylinder heads.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Waisted valvestems and upgraded valvesprings.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Frontline Costello telescopic shock absorber conversion. Wilwood big brakes.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Frontline four-link coil-over suspension, with Panhard rod.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Smiths Classic tachometer and electronic speedo conversion.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Mirrors mounted on the quarter lights.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Steel front fenders with fabricated steel flares.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Swage lines removed and side trim holes welded-up.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Modified MGC-style fiberglass bonnet.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
A textured film has been applied over the bonnet to present the appearance of carbon fiber.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Nifty!Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Sebring-style fiberglass rear fenders and valance.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Sebring-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

Engine and drivetrain

The car received a Rover 3.5L V8 built with Omega cut-away pistons, a Kent 214 cam, lightly ported Stage 1 heads, waisted valvestems and upgraded springs, a double roller timing chain, an Edelbrock Performer manifold and 500cfm carburetor, and Opus electronic ignition, running a wet sump with an upgraded oil pump. Drive goes through a rebuilt Rover LT77 five-speed gearbox with a heavy duty clutch to the standard MGB Salisbury axle.

Suspension and brakes

The front end uses a Frontline Costello telescopic shock absorber conversion with the standard rack, castor reduction wedges and an uprated anti-roll bar, matched with Wilwood four-pot front calipers and vented rotors. At the rear, a Frontline four-link coil-over setup with a Panhard rod replaces the leaf springs, while the rear brakes remain stock.

Body and interior

The MGB was converted to right-hand drive and fitted with an aftermarket steering wheel and a stereo radio. Exterior changes include steel front fenders with fabricated flares, a Costello fiberglass front spoiler and valance, a modified MGC-style fiberglass bonnet, and Sebring-style fiberglass rear fenders and valance, with the swage lines removed and side trim holes welded up. Smiths Classic instruments with an electronic speedo conversion were fitted, and new mirrors were mounted on the quarter lights.

Completion

The build was completed in December 2010, running on Compomotive TS 16-inch three-piece modular wheels with Toyo tyres.

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 ↗

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Shaun Hateley's 1980 MGB with Rover 3.5L V8 and LT77 5-speed | Restomod Life