Mgb Sebring V8 project build
Discussion
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Hello all,
In the spirit of a picture telling a thousand words I'd making up for lost time and next to no postings....
This 'project'- although back in 2013 when I bought the car I didn't know it would be become that then, only a curious exploration with a screwdriver at some bubbling paintwork would reveal the extent of the works required and I made the decision to start... 8 years later, 2 babies, a house move àcross the channel to northern France and a à new job keeping me in England most of the week leaving just the weekends to tinker means it's still ongoing, although I think it should be finished before my first born can drive! If we are not all forced to be electric by then of course.
So back when it felt I had all the time in the world the car, originally a rumber bumpered 1968 example was gutted, stripped of paint and the cutting out of rot began.... And continued.... and at this point I spent more than I care to remember with the good people at Moss motors buying panel after panel to replace a fair proportion of the underside....
It was at this point I had the thought to replicate as best I could the Sebring look, having read some horror stories from folk buying and attempting to fit the grp Sebring arches I discovered a workshop in the heart of Northampton that created the front arches out of steel with a English wheel, once welded, filled and faired I'm happy with the results, however the rear valance and arches remain Grp
A few long months later the car was ready for paint, my good friend Billy who at the time before retiring from a lifetime of painting and panel beating worked at Andy King MG garage in Nottinghamshire provided all the encouragement, training and direction throughout and expertly painted the car.
Then it was a case of putting it back together, for the most part I reconditioned what I had, the car already had limited slip diff and a solid V8 block, which was handed over to John Eales V8 for the treatment, the breif being a drivable, durable V8 with legs.... 290 BHP odd of them and 309 pounds of torque.
When putting everything together I purchases big AP racing calipers, new suspension all round, utilising the Costello front suspension system from Front line Racing who make the very expensive Maxda engined MGB LE50
And then I moved house and country..... The car sat, at the time I didn't have a workshop so works paused, eventually I would get to grips with fitting doors, regulators, dropping in the engine and gearbox (Ford Tremex T5) and starting the interior which is where I find myself now,
The car needs a new exhaust from the manifold, brake and fuel lines fitting and currently I have a aluminium bonnet with a hole for the engine to poke out of whilst I remain undecided as to how best shape and create the bonnet to achieve the required clearance without making it look too odd.
So a fair bit left to do, but I hoping it's not too long now, thanks for the comments, I will endeavor to turn the positivity into the much needed push to completion!
In the spirit of a picture telling a thousand words I'd making up for lost time and next to no postings....
This 'project'- although back in 2013 when I bought the car I didn't know it would be become that then, only a curious exploration with a screwdriver at some bubbling paintwork would reveal the extent of the works required and I made the decision to start... 8 years later, 2 babies, a house move àcross the channel to northern France and a à new job keeping me in England most of the week leaving just the weekends to tinker means it's still ongoing, although I think it should be finished before my first born can drive! If we are not all forced to be electric by then of course.
So back when it felt I had all the time in the world the car, originally a rumber bumpered 1968 example was gutted, stripped of paint and the cutting out of rot began.... And continued.... and at this point I spent more than I care to remember with the good people at Moss motors buying panel after panel to replace a fair proportion of the underside....
It was at this point I had the thought to replicate as best I could the Sebring look, having read some horror stories from folk buying and attempting to fit the grp Sebring arches I discovered a workshop in the heart of Northampton that created the front arches out of steel with a English wheel, once welded, filled and faired I'm happy with the results, however the rear valance and arches remain Grp
A few long months later the car was ready for paint, my good friend Billy who at the time before retiring from a lifetime of painting and panel beating worked at Andy King MG garage in Nottinghamshire provided all the encouragement, training and direction throughout and expertly painted the car.
Then it was a case of putting it back together, for the most part I reconditioned what I had, the car already had limited slip diff and a solid V8 block, which was handed over to John Eales V8 for the treatment, the breif being a drivable, durable V8 with legs.... 290 BHP odd of them and 309 pounds of torque.
When putting everything together I purchases big AP racing calipers, new suspension all round, utilising the Costello front suspension system from Front line Racing who make the very expensive Maxda engined MGB LE50
And then I moved house and country..... The car sat, at the time I didn't have a workshop so works paused, eventually I would get to grips with fitting doors, regulators, dropping in the engine and gearbox (Ford Tremex T5) and starting the interior which is where I find myself now,
The car needs a new exhaust from the manifold, brake and fuel lines fitting and currently I have a aluminium bonnet with a hole for the engine to poke out of whilst I remain undecided as to how best shape and create the bonnet to achieve the required clearance without making it look too odd.
So a fair bit left to do, but I hoping it's not too long now, thanks for the comments, I will endeavor to turn the positivity into the much needed push to completion!
Hello, albeit I haven't offered up either to see fit and I think the MGC bonnet is a thing of beauty 
and certainly a style I would like to mimic by handing the bonnet to someone with the necessary skills, I'd like to stay away from grp and the aluminium NOS are horrendously expensive.
I think it would need to be a fair bit of an exaggerated bulge too once the issue of air filtration is sorted, not a fan of the mesh style 'filters' and the smallest K and N (chrome lid oval type) would add an additional 40mm in height unless anyone could recommend alternatives...
and certainly a style I would like to mimic by handing the bonnet to someone with the necessary skills, I'd like to stay away from grp and the aluminium NOS are horrendously expensive. I think it would need to be a fair bit of an exaggerated bulge too once the issue of air filtration is sorted, not a fan of the mesh style 'filters' and the smallest K and N (chrome lid oval type) would add an additional 40mm in height unless anyone could recommend alternatives...
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