Keep original engine?

[Church of Noise]

Dear people of PH,

Last week, I gave in to the urge to get another, ever so slightly more powerful, engine for my MGB GT V8.
Up until now, it's always been my intention to keep all modifications to the car reversible.

Now, I am in doubt whether to keep the original engine or to sell it.

The 'new' engine comes with its own carb (Weber 500/Edelbrock 1403), inlet manifold, distributor, ...
As the original inlet seems to be made out of fairy dust, I assume I could recover some of the outlay.

But this poses the following problem: it would also mean not being able to bring the car back to more or less factory spec come the day I want to sell it.

So the question arises: sell the original engine or keep it?

[DonkeyApple]

Are matching numbers currently important with MGBs?

[Church of Noise]

Not as far as I know.

In this case, it's more a matter of being in line with factory spec or not.
(I'm assuming the market for upgraded/improved cars is more limited due to the impact of personal preferences)

[crankedup]

I would definitely keep the original engine, for people like me originality is key for a purchase, or not as the case may be. It may seem less important for 'matching numbers' on your car at the moment, twenty years time could see a opposite POV.

[Hooli]

I'd keep it, but then I keep all the bits I change on cars & bikes just because I like to know I could make it original even if I don't currently want too.

[LordBretSinclair]

Is the rest of the car original??

If you are talking about your car which has already had the rubber bumpers converted to chrome I wouldn't worry at all about originality.

[Church of Noise]

LordBretSinclair said:

Is the rest of the car original??

If you are talking about your car which has already had the rubber bumpers converted to chrome I wouldn't worry at all about originality.

Fair point mylord.
I was indeed referring to the ex-rubber bumper car.

[sideways man]

My mk1 escort was originally 1100cc,50 odd bhp. Now it has a 2 litre turbo with 340 bhp. Although the conversion wasn't cheap when brakes,suspension etc is factored in,the car is now worth considerably more than it was.
The car wasn't std when bought, it came as a rolling shell and 10 boxes' of parts,so wasn't as if I was destroying a mint example.

A low miles,low owner,superb condition car should be kept as standard. Anything else is fair game,if it helps to keep the model roadworthy or more useable.

And a 1100 escort holds no appeal for me anyway.

[roscobbc]

For the money you'll get for the original engine its hardly worth selling it - 'mothball' it - matching no's may have far more significance to future generations!