MGB & GT Forum

Anyone around the Houston area who does conversions on a MGB to a V6 & T5

You want turnkey?
Contact Brian
http://bmcautos.com
Or do it yourself
Or better yet if not into DIY
Buy one at a fraction of build cost already done.

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LNDRVR4X4.COM
Home of Project "INCARN8'


1957 Series 1 Land Rover electric VEHICLE CONVERSION

FIXITUPCHAP.COM
FIXITUPCHAP INCORPORATED

RD3 Radar/ Electronic Warfare Technician
VIETNAM 1969-1972

I talked to Brian at BMC recently, and their installing a V6 won't be cheap, I can tell you that. Was weighing supercharger vs. V6. Supercharger is much less expensive.

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Drew Maddock, So. Calif. USofA

Not when you figure in that most engines 1800 are long in tooth and need rebuilding.
Before an SC paying for a shop to rebuild and install and cost of sc and install and tuning
Having someone do that isn't cheap by any means.
And if power is a consideration the SC sucks in comparison.
Or blows as it were
Nice v6 and at times v8 BOPR conversions come up for $10-15k at times
Keep an eye out..
Visit the swaps forum
And
http://www.britishv8.org/photos-mg-conversions.htm

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LNDRVR4X4.COM
Home of Project "INCARN8'


1957 Series 1 Land Rover electric VEHICLE CONVERSION

FIXITUPCHAP.COM
FIXITUPCHAP INCORPORATED

RD3 Radar/ Electronic Warfare Technician
VIETNAM 1969-1972

For sale
Nicely done 3.4 injected T5
Well sorted
Excellent
$14k
You couldn't build one this nice for the asking price.

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LNDRVR4X4.COM
Home of Project "INCARN8'


1957 Series 1 Land Rover electric VEHICLE CONVERSION

FIXITUPCHAP.COM
FIXITUPCHAP INCORPORATED

RD3 Radar/ Electronic Warfare Technician
VIETNAM 1969-1972

Alternatively you could opt having a Rover K series engine conversion. Frontline provide all the parts you need, in-fact they will do the job for you and considering they do a lot of them it will be the cheapest engine conversion you could get.

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MGB GT 1972 Black hand painted.

Future plans:

Rover K series conversion, in the shop.

If he lived in the UK.
And doubtful that any conversion by frontline would be the cheapest anything .
They open your wallet and extract paper in unabashed quantities.

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LNDRVR4X4.COM
Home of Project "INCARN8'


1957 Series 1 Land Rover electric VEHICLE CONVERSION

FIXITUPCHAP.COM
FIXITUPCHAP INCORPORATED

RD3 Radar/ Electronic Warfare Technician
VIETNAM 1969-1972

Drew,

There are many ways to look at the price and there are many ways to "save" on anything a person does. The average person who installs a supercharger on a stock MGB engine and then installs a reliable five speed behind it spends $8,000 (usually slowly- one piece at a time) and that does NOT touch the engine, the supercharger is $4300, the five speed is all over the place from $2500-$4500 for the stock MGB four cylinder. If a person does not rebuild the gearbox and purchases a kit, the price is lower, reliability is questioned and potentially unreliable. We run a restoration shop and one of our many directions besides for rebuilding and modifying the MGB Austin 'B' series engines amongst many other things, we also have the line of MGB V6 conversion products. The average person installing the V6 will spend about $7,000 (USD) to get it done.

So for a DIY price of about $8k, an MGB 1.8L with a supercharger, five speed and an engine that will go 5,000-15,000 miles at 18MPG before blowing up. Carburetor engines are only good for around 100,000 miles. Add a Proper engine rebuild with lots of things to hold the engine together and with enough headwork, no comparison in power but better than a stock MGB engine. I left out that this did not replace the water pump, heater valve, belt, spark plug wires or anything else... So figure about $5,000 +/- to build the engine and do all your own work.

For about $7,000, have a rebuilt T5 with a used engine from a fuel injected car. FI engines in most cars last around 250,000 miles so find one with 150,000 on the clock and you 'only' drive it another 100,000 miles- just like a fully rebuilt MGB 1.8l engine. You get fuel injection which gives so many different positives including better fuel economy, a broader power band with lots of power right off idle. The torque off idle is beyond that of the well built far more costly supercharged engine at its best PEAK point. No comparison. For this, the propshaft is replaced, so no 'it's good enough' and new heater valve, hoses, fittings and so on. Far more is replaced so there is no comparison. Want to rebuild the engine? Figure about $3,000 more. Now we're at around $10,000. Want the best possible axle so you can do something that NO MGB Austin 'B' Series engine can do (downshift into 3rd gear at 60 and have LOTS of power left?) then add a better rear end gear ratio to the stock MGB rear axle sometime in the next couple years.

MGB fully rebuilt 1.8L engine w/supercharger and five speed, someplace around $12k
MGB fully rebuilt 3.4L V6 SFI (engine rebuild Not required!) w/ 5 speed and different gearing around $12k (this is optioned out and not required)
Either one of these- the sky is the limit.

Power, noise, vibration, harshness, fuel economy, drivability in traffic (or a parade), drivability on the track and the most miles between major services- these are all in the V6 favour.

I know some that say the V6 conversion can be done for $3500. I agree with that. I do not agree that it can be done reliably any more than I agree a supercharger should be bolted to a stock high mile MGB engine that does not have proper camshaft and engine condition and engine build for it. I also believe that cutting costs means adding a huge amount of time trying to reinvent the wheel and finding cheap parts that cost a fortune to procure.

Last item- my iMac is now six years old. (Stick with me PC guys, I know our stories have similarities!) When I ordered it, I upgraded a couple of items to make sure it would take many years to need updating. I figure I'm due for a new computer in another two years. (no signs of slowing yet!)
Once in a while, I check out apple.com to see prices. The base model is $1,099. The pretty darn neat one is $2299. The tricked out pretty darn neat one is $4,627.98. At these prices, it would be pretty easy to get discouraged and purchase a $300 PC and then keep spending money to upgrade it, protect it and go through oodles of cash on a bottom of the line computer rather than get something that worked right the first time and met my personal needs. Never had a virus or any issues.

Okay- Truly the last item... I have never heard anyone say they wish they still had the four cylinder but I have heard many people say they wish they had the V6. The (204ci) 3.4L V6 produces more power than any of the stock (215ci) 3.5L V8 engines did with better fuel economy and easier installation. I have had many people ride in my MGB planning to NEVER change their engine out and I was not trying to sell them on anything other than giving them a chance to drive a car that was different than their own. I have had people with fresh restorations pull there engines out shortly after driving my car. That was not my plan nor goal, nor was it theirs. This is not a single incident.

Recent thread with photos: http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?40,3361179

-BMC.

Restoration First, alteration second. I am a Purist by heart.

Brian I have always considered you an intelligent and convincing guy. In the future I thought of giving you some business. But now I know your a mac guy.

This is a joke by the way. Well stated argument Brian, even if you do only have one mouse button.

LOL! I know i ruined it. So once in a while I come out of the Computer closet and admit this. The shop does own a PC used for tuning the 3.4L PCMs only.

My mouse is an off-the-shelf two button plus scroll plus scroll button. Although I use them all, I'm really more of a Command button kind of guy. Clicking buttons with the mouse is too slow.

-BMC.

Just caught this thread, thanks Rob!

I will say the redlines have been recently replaced with 4 new Michelins in all black.

New steering rack went in in Sept.

Okay, Brian, I take you are speaking of the Rover & not the 200HP Buick nor 215HP Oldsmobile 215.

IMO, the Buick/Olds/Rover V8s go into the late RB MGs very easy, as well.

Count me in for a nice V6 conversion over a SC 1800 any day.

You are correct. Also the 3.9L V8 should make more power than the 3.4L V6. I do not recall specifics but think the 215HP version was turbo charged and for some reason, I thought the 200HP would not fit the MGB so again I am splitting hairs but the engine as it came stock.

I also agree that the 3.5L V8 fits the (1977-80) rubber bumper MGBs with the radiator further forward fine when using the T5 and not the LT77 TR7/8 gearbox from memory. Since the 3.4L is narrower, it fits just a little easier and allows for more air flow but for the 77-80 MGB this is something to consider when all parts are found.

-BMC.

Yes, the 215HP Olds 215 was a factory turbocharged model.

The 200HP Buick 215 is what I have. It's a 1963 Buick Special 215 with 11:1 compression. Externally the same, but I like it better than those wimpy ones you like to use for comparison.