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MG MGB Technical - Any one drag race with an MG?

If so what is you car set up like.

I was thinking a MGB GT with the rear tubed, Turbo charger and NOS (AKA the juice). Or even putting in a Larger engine. Waht do you guy/gals think?
The G

TTT
The G

Actually one of the current land speed class records is held by an MGA V8 ( adifferent type of drag racer!). The car as I recall has an interesting history in that it was converted to a Buick V8 back in the early 1960s (who said Costello was the first) by a couple of engineers and put up to the management of Buick as a hybrid similar to the AC Cobra. Unfortunately only 3 cars were built. This one was re-engined with a Chev I believe. One of the others also exists in its original form in the USA.
regards
mark
mark mathiesen

My record is pretty bad. I've come close to beating my buddies 76 2002 (slightly modified). I've beaten some UPS trucks, tougher than it sounds. But for the most part I keep to the twisties.


Here are some issues your gonna run into if you want to drag an MGB. First of all in order to tub the rearend your gonna have to get rid of the leaf springs and go to some type of 3 or 4 link coil over system. But you may as well scrap the stock axle because with wide drag slicks and extra horse power it probably won't hold up too well. Your also probaly gonna need to build some type rear sub-frame to attach the coil overs to. As far as motors go, the MGB block is a good little motor, but I wouldn't put it on the bottle, your just asking to blow it up. And turbos have been discussed on this board recently and ruled out due to excessive heat in the engine bay as well as some plumbing problems. You could build a really hot race motor or put an supercharger on it but I would think that 170 hp would be the absolute limit. Maybe with some kind of twin cam head or other rediculous mod you could get more. so your best option is motor swap. You have your domestic V8's ford and chevy, your rover V8, your domestic V6, and your 2.3 L Pinto motor (my personal favorite). All of these have great potential and will provide you with enough go for drag racing. You also have the options of putting these motors on the squeeze or doing some type of forced induction setup. Each motor has strengths and weaknesses in terms of weight, power band, torque, cost, potential etc... Do your research. Grass Roots Motorsports recently did a motor swap guide that lays out all your options pretty well, you might wanna check that out. The dodge turbo 4cyl is also a potent motor with potential if you could some how get it to drive the rear wheels. Wow I'm rambling now.....
So as you can see it is expensive to do real hardcore track drag racing with a B. However slower and IMHO funner stop light drags are a breeze. Gas Clutch Go!
Bill
Bill Mertz

MGA 1500 21.5 sec
Paul

The turbo Chrysler 2.2/2.5 can be rear wheel driven by using the transmission out of the Dakota. Dakotas came with these transmissions in both manual and auto. Just .02 to add to the above message so if it ends up in the archive it may come to some help for someone.

Luke
Luke Staley

21.5 Second what was your MPH? I do not know if I want to but a Chrysler engine in the car. 170 Hp and strip the inside may help with making lighter so it might be a little faster. What is a good strong rearend out for an MG?
The G

PLEASE, buy yourself an old Mustang or Camaro to build a dragracer from. There are not enough good Bs around any more to take one from the pool and butcher it up with the engine/tranny/rear end/tubs to make it a worthwhile drag racer.
gerry masterman

Bill;

You make some great points regarding flat out max. performance from an MGB. You could go to the last step and drop a 'glas MGB replica body onto a AA Fueler.

But the real basis for the success of drag racing amongst the unwashed is bracket racing. I agree it is not a big rush "leaping" out of the hole with 70 BHP to the rear wheels and taking all day to get to the line, but I maintain that supercharging to 170 BHP and getting into the 14's is a great place to start!

Gene Fox on the East Coast has been drag racing with his supercharged MGB GT and the last I heard was turning in the mid 14's, which is consistant with a 160 HP power output with a car weighing 2400 LB. weight.

This is well within the capability of a solid motor running 8# of boost. It would, none-the-less, be helpful to know how long the stock rear end and drivetrain will stand up to this type of abuse.

Dave
Dave

gerry masterman,

Thanks for the advice but I do not want to be like other people. I like the looks of the MG GT and would like to use one for this. Who knows a 100 HP shot of N20 and 8# of boost might blow a few engines but hey I might have a 13 sec MG.
The G

I don't have a problem with the supercharger or the NOS. It's what comes after that which hurts me. Non-returnable changes like the tubs they use for tire clearance and cut up bodies that can never be stock again. I don't like anything that cannot be undone.
gerry masterman

I have watched a B run 14.08 @ 97mph in the 1/4mi. BEating a Cobra R in the process. The B in question had a stock 302 installed with a weak C4 tranny and stock tires. When I say weak I mean it would not spin the tires off the line, but the car had the power to blast the second half of the track. As for engine advice you may want to run over to the V8 bords of this site, we talk about allot more than just V8's...

You should not need to tub the car to get some decent drag slicks under it. With all the import racing goin on, the tire makers are stepping up with smaller drag slicks. 22"x8"-15 is one I just saw. The main issue would be limiting rear axle travel with a panhard bar and maybe taller bump stops so when the rear squats, the tires do not come up into the bodywork. Just get a 2nd set of wheels for the rear, mount the tires and you can swap em in when you get to the track...

Someone above mentioned B's are getting rare and I agree to a point. My car is being converted to V8 presently, but I am doing it to retail stock appearance (tires, hood, body work etc), hey what could be more fun the a completely stock looking B with 300hp under the hood!?

If you REALLY want to make a B/GT for racing, why not find a beat up one, one with rust etc, one not worth restoring. Once you hit sub 13 sec at the strip the regs start getting tight, so get a rustbucket, replace the rust with tubular frame, pull the interior to cut weight, tube rear etc.. have at it, you would be doign best of both worlds, keeping a MG in the public view but not pulling one off the road..? I am actually hoping to do something like that if time and $$ ever allow it. CB MGBGT, tub rear, full cage and tube frame, bored stroked 351, blown and NOS, C4 or C6 tranny, Ford 9" rear with 25x10.5 drag slicks.....
Larry Embrey

You might want to browse the Grass Roots Motorsports or SVRA classifieds for an ex-race car that has already been gutted. YOu can find them pretty cheap. As far as hacking up a perfectly good one, I too cringe at the thought. What is your goal in terms of speed, and class? What type of dragging will you be doing and what is your budget?
Bill
Bill Mertz

I have not looked into a class to run NHRA or IHRA. But I could run it in the import classes. But I was looking for a fun thing to take to the local track and run in the brasket classes. I think a blown MG with NOS would be very original and I like the looks of the MG.
The G

While I have a '70 B-GT (reason I read the "B" threads), I recently took my rotary midget to the drags on Friday. Wow!!! lots of fun, and 1 slightly soiled pair of shorts!! The car is making about 210hp and weights 1500lbs. With the cold weather that came in Friday, I had big problems with traction and was spinning at the launch, shifting into 2nd, into 3rd, and into 4th. I stopped running when she got sideways shifting into 3rd at about 60mph! Best time was a 14.3xx @ 95 mph with no traction.

The best part was the look on peoples faces when they saw it run :) They kept asking what kinda little furrin car is that.

Have fun with the B, and kick some butt!!

My future plans - twin turbo 13B rotory powered MGB-GT that can easily make 400rwhp :) Now if I can only convince the wife....
Brian Kraus

Brian,
Thats one thing I am after people just do not see these car to often at a drag strip. Good run maybe some drag radials next time you go out.
The G

Yeah, a set of Hoosiers are on my Christmas list (I hope Santa is reading the BBS ;) )

Brian Kraus

I was working at Pocono Raceway while some tire testing was going on. A secretary answered a call "How may I direct your call?" the voice on the other end said "Hoosier tire company" she said "Jack Williams" (a local dealer) the voice said again "NO, Hoosier tire company" she said "JACK WILLIAMS" and so it went.
Ken Knize

This thread was discussed between 24/10/2001 and 02/11/2001

MG MGB Technical index

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