MGA Forum

On most cars the limits of narrowness will be fixed points like the A and B pillars, after the exterior bodies have been removed. To widen the MGA body to fit a Kappa chassis would require widening it approximately 13". I have to wonder if that wouldn't stretch it too much for it to look like an MGA.

A friend widened a TR-3 body to clear the front attachment points for the rear trailing arms of a TR-4A-TR-6 chassis and that was only a 4" addition (http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Triumph-TR3-Plus-4.htm). I don't think the aesthetics of the MGA would survive triple that.

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Bill Spohn www.rhodo.citymax.com/carstuff.html
Current: 1958 MGA Twincam (race car (170 bhp)),1962 MGA Deluxe Coupe (98 bhp)
1957 Jamaican MGA (200 bhp)1965 1971 Jensen Interceptor (350 bhp)
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe (375 bhp)
2007 BMW Z4M coupe (340 bhp)
Recent: 1969 MGC roadster (175 bhp),Jensen CV8 (375 bhp),
1969 Lamborghini Islero S (350 bhp), 1988 Fiero GT turbo (300 bhp)
North Vancouver BC

A lot of MGB parts will swap into the MGA. Simple bolt ins. That's a more modern car with better brakes and more power.

I'm even considering the collapsible steering column from the B.

Adrian

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Home built Eaton M62 Supercharger with 8psi boost, 8:1 compression, custom "supercharger" cam from Schneider Cams, Mikuni HSR48 Carburetor, custom ground high ratio "stock" rocker arms, Maxspeeding rods with Teflon wrist pin buttons, custom aluminum cold air intake, CB Performance computerized ignition, Fidanza 9 pound flywheel, 1.44 exhaust valves in 48cc chamber head, matched manifolds, 2 1/4" exhaust system.

Not so much, Adrian.

The suspension is essentially identical and the brakes are equivalent - no advantage to the MGB bits over the MGA bits.

Agree with the more power, which is why so many people fit an MGB engine to an MGA (my favourite swap is a 3 main MGB).

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Bill Spohn www.rhodo.citymax.com/carstuff.html
Current: 1958 MGA Twincam (race car (170 bhp)),1962 MGA Deluxe Coupe (98 bhp)
1957 Jamaican MGA (200 bhp)1965 1971 Jensen Interceptor (350 bhp)
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe (375 bhp)
2007 BMW Z4M coupe (340 bhp)
Recent: 1969 MGC roadster (175 bhp),Jensen CV8 (375 bhp),
1969 Lamborghini Islero S (350 bhp), 1988 Fiero GT turbo (300 bhp)
North Vancouver BC

I think the idea of placing a MGA body on any unibody car unworkable.
The strength of an MGA is the frame, the strength of a Miata for example is the body. To chop off the stressed body components of a Miata and replace them with the unstressed pieces from a MGA won't work. Something would need to be engineered to replace the strength you would cut away. Keeping the frame and adding modern components would be possible. Barney diplomatically made this suggestion and tried to point you towards feasible alternatives. To do what you imagine won't work. A custom made tube frame with Miata or S2000 suspension and running gear could be done. Heck we put a Chevy 454 and a Turbo400 in a Hillman station wagon so anything IS possible given enough money or talent.

I was thinking more of MGA drum brakes to MGB discs, adding the MGB front roll bar and kingpins and the dual circuit master cylinder. You can also fit an overdrive with some minor mods. Not sure how feasible the steering column would be... but then you could fit one of the power steering kits.

All a lot easier than swapping in a uni-body frame.

Adrian

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Home built Eaton M62 Supercharger with 8psi boost, 8:1 compression, custom "supercharger" cam from Schneider Cams, Mikuni HSR48 Carburetor, custom ground high ratio "stock" rocker arms, Maxspeeding rods with Teflon wrist pin buttons, custom aluminum cold air intake, CB Performance computerized ignition, Fidanza 9 pound flywheel, 1.44 exhaust valves in 48cc chamber head, matched manifolds, 2 1/4" exhaust system.

Here's my tupence.

Get an older Miata and strip out the engine, transmission, and all of the suspension. Remove the MGA body. Then fabricate whatever you need to install all of the Miata's drive train and suspension, including the power steering rack. If you get real lucky you might be able to source one of those early turbo charged Miatas. Of course the Miata is wider so you have to either flare or widen the fenders, which is a whole bunch easier than making the entire body wider. And don't forget the seats. Miata seats fit real nice in an MGA.

Doing this will give you double, or more, horsepower than the A had, with modern four wheel disc brakes, power steering (you'll want that to help with the wider tires) and independent rear suspension with nice cushy seats.

As was stated, anything can be done. My brother and another guy recently finished 59 Chevy Apache pick up truck that has an entire 2003 Corvette frame and drive train under it. It's all Vette underneath. It was a lot of fabrication but now the truck looks stock, except lower, but handles like a Vette.

Go for it man.

Bill

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Si Vis pacem, para bellum

Randy, not sure to what degree the strength of the unibody cars comes from the unstressed panels fitted on top of the chassis. The Solstice, for instance, derives no strength from the fenders etc. - the basic chassis provides the structural rigidity and the fenders etc. are just dressing over top. I do not know if that is the case for the Miata - maybe someone else knows?

That begs the question of the difference in width anyway - you'd want the end result to look like an MGA and I'm not sure that a foot wider would allow that. In which case you'd be right about wanting a tube frame (that's why I suggested the Lotus Elan +2 earlier - about the right dimensions).

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Bill Spohn www.rhodo.citymax.com/carstuff.html
Current: 1958 MGA Twincam (race car (170 bhp)),1962 MGA Deluxe Coupe (98 bhp)
1957 Jamaican MGA (200 bhp)1965 1971 Jensen Interceptor (350 bhp)
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe (375 bhp)
2007 BMW Z4M coupe (340 bhp)
Recent: 1969 MGC roadster (175 bhp),Jensen CV8 (375 bhp),
1969 Lamborghini Islero S (350 bhp), 1988 Fiero GT turbo (300 bhp)
North Vancouver BC

My guess is that if the Miata suspension components were adapted to the MGA frame you would have no increase in width. It's all a matter of cutting and welding steel. People have been narrowing rear axles for at least fifty years and shortening half shafts is not difficult. That leaves the front suspension and there I would bet the MGA frame could simply modified to hold the Miata parts in the correct place. All it takes is money, imagination and a good welder.

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Si Vis pacem, para bellum

What's the horsepower rating for a typical MGA rear end? It's gotta take more than 57 hp, yes?

Were I put in this situation, I'd keep the MG frame and start with installing the Miata engine/tranny. Splicing the MG's driveshaft to the Miata's is specialty work, but inexpensive.

John Larsen built a Miata powered A..

http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?40,3107418

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Gary

Murphy's law

Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe, and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it, and he'll have to touch it to be sure.

You don't want to abuse the early diff, Drag racers need not apply. If you use it considerately, it is fine for a couple of hundred BHP. And the thrusts don't give up like the later MGB axle.

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Bill Spohn www.rhodo.citymax.com/carstuff.html
Current: 1958 MGA Twincam (race car (170 bhp)),1962 MGA Deluxe Coupe (98 bhp)
1957 Jamaican MGA (200 bhp)1965 1971 Jensen Interceptor (350 bhp)
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe (375 bhp)
2007 BMW Z4M coupe (340 bhp)
Recent: 1969 MGC roadster (175 bhp),Jensen CV8 (375 bhp),
1969 Lamborghini Islero S (350 bhp), 1988 Fiero GT turbo (300 bhp)
North Vancouver BC




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-10-07 03:06 PM by bills.

You can go modern suspension on the A chassis front and rear, ditching the rear axle and leaf springs,and going fully independent rear ford differential, LSD if you like and any ratio you choose,also makes the car disc rear brakes etc. Front is coil over set up with mgb uprights, u can get big brake set up for this too, check out Hoyle suspension in the uk, it'll got you around £4500 tho.
S2000 engine and box requires plenty of chassis mods round goal post reinforcement areas and tunnel ,if u like Miata get the 1600 and turbocharge it, you can get well in excess of what the S2000 will put out with no internal upgrades as the Mazda unit was originally turbocharged in the 323 4x4 oil squirters under the forged Pistons as standard to keep them cool. 300hp plus is easily attainable. Checkout Flyin Miata site that'll keep u busy with a calculator and your bank manager.it also leaves the chassis mostly untouched.

And are you really prepared for what will be a mammoth task,even though fairly simple the MGA body and associated parts are going to take you quite a longtime and lots of cashola restore to a standard where it's going to take the abuse of a modern drive train,

And yes I'm doing exactly the same,

I've had to fight the demons though , sometimes I think I'll go standard ,then modified,then standard, original parts are being restored and kept so I can swap if needs be , thanks to the Fun police and Euro politicians that are trying to shut modified classics down over here to be named as a "Q" cars made of bits, ageless, lose tax free historic status and most of its value lost, if they decide they want to see your car to inspect it for originality and it doesn't meet criteria, eg minimum 8 points,they take your plate and get a Q even if you go back to original car by removing the parts,the plate never comes back.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-10-07 03:35 PM by Twofin.

There was a guy on the Morris Minor forum last year that took a Miata drive line and build a tubular frame to make it happen. The build looked really professional. I don't think what you're proposing will be difficult to do, but I know, it'll be worth the effort.
Have fun