1979 Mgb V8 3.5 L Rover Motor on 2040-cars

VIN: GHN5UL497917 Year: 1979
Interior Color: Tan
Make: MG
Number of Cylinders: 8
Model: MGB
Trim: Roadster V8
Drive Type: RWD
Options: Convertible
Mileage: 11,300
Exterior Color: Blue

Condition: UsedA vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections.Seller Notes:"See description for problems."

     This car is a 1979 MGB that has been converted from a 4 cylinder to a V-8.  The Motor used in the conversion is a Rover V-8 / 3.5 liter.  This is the same motor that was used in the Triumph TR8 and all V-8 Land Rovers built until the early 2000s. In fact, MG built about 2500 MGB GT V-8s from 1973 through 1976. Unfortunately none of these were shipped to the USA, they all stayed in Europe. Interestingly, the aluminium V8 block is 40 # lighter than the cast iron, 4 cylinder motor found in all factory imported MGBs. The lightness of this motor does not effect the handling, as would a heavy, US built, cast Iron V-8 block. This car is a conversion, but built in a similar standard as the factory did for it's B-GT and later in the RV8. The following article from Wikipedia has a more complete history.  There is also an on-line magazine ( www.britishv8.org ) with hundreds of articles dedicated to the MG V-8.   

MGB GT V8

Production	1973–1976 2,591 made
Body style	2-door coupe
Engine	3,528 cc (3.5 l) Rover V8 The above pictured car is not for sale.

"MG began offering the MGB GT V8 in 1973 utilising the ubiquitous aluminium-block 3528 cc Rover V8 engine, first fitted to the Rover P5B. This engine had been used in the A-body platform Buick Special and Oldsmobile F-85 and was the lightest mass-production V8 in the world. The Buick version had a dry, undressed weight of only 318 lb (144 kg), however by the time Rover had modifications to strengthen the block the engine was considerably heavier (170+kg). Some improvements were made by MG-Rover, and the engine found a long-lived niche in the British motor industry. These cars were similar to those already being produced in significant volume by tuner Ken Costello. MG even contracted Costello to build them a prototype MGB GT V8. However, the powerful 180 bhp (134 kW) engine used by Costello for his conversions was replaced for production by MG with a more modestly tuned version producing only 137 bhp(102 kW) at 5000 rpm. But 193 lb·ft (262 N·m) of torque helped it hit 60 mph (97 km/h) in around 8 seconds, and go on to a respectable 125 mph (201 km/h) top speed.

By virtue of its aluminium cylinder block and heads, the Rover V8 engine actually weighed approximately forty pounds less than MG's iron four-cylinder. Unlike the MGC, the V8 that provided the MGB GT V8's increased power and torque did not require significant chassis changes nor sacrifice handling.

Both chrome & Rubber-Bumpered GT versions of the V8-powered MGB were produced by the factory. Production ended in 1976. MG never attempted to export the MGB GT V8 to the United States. They chose not to develop a left-hand-drive version or to seek US air pollution emission certification of the MGB GT V8, although the Rover V8 engine was offered in US-bound Rover models throughout the same period and beyond. British Leyland Motor Corporation management cited insufficient production capacity to support anticipated demand for the V8 engine in  MGB GT, so they priced the MGB GT V8 high.^{[citation needed]}