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MG MGB Technical - Weight saving for sprints/hillclimbs

Hi,

How do you lighten the rear hatch (tailgate) on a Gt for hillclimbs and sprints. I know I can remove the rear board and rear seat. On a standard car what other weight-savings can be made?

Can I remove the centre console and radio console for example.

Thanks in advance.

Iwan
Iwan Jones

You can remove pretty-well anything! The arm-rest part of the console has no electrical or mechanical function so can simply be discarded. The dash part does have some switchgear (heater controls also on late models) which would have to be removed or mounted elsewhere, but the savings on that would be minimal given the weight of an MGB. Is this used as a road-going car as well? Options are a bit limited then, unless you have a plastic tailgate for competition and conventional otherwise.
Paul Hunt

hi, thanks for the reply.

I'm looking at the Luffield comp. It seems as if interior trim e.g. side panels has to be kept in cars competing in the standard section. The regs don't make it very clear what is allowed here.

I was wondering what else could be done and where I could find the info.

Ta

Iwan
iwab

Iwan,

Last time I read the regs there were a few things standard class GT's were alowed to do that roadsters were not so as to even up the weights. One of these was to have a plastic rear window.

If you go tho the MGCC web site there are links that will take you to the regs.

David
David Witham

If you follow this link you should find your way to the regs.

http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgccsc/
David Witham

Hi,

Thanks for the replies, I have the regs but It is not exhaustive as it states, it would be far too large.

However, a couple of things are confusing, e.g. centre consoles are interior trim but the regs say only side panels can be removed - which is it.

Which panels can be removed?

What other changes are possible not fully outlined in the regs. i.e what could I do if I can apply changes in the General section.
'Any modifications made to a model during it's production lifespan may be retrospectively fitted to earlier vehicles of that model and vice ve rsa. For this purpose mgb roadsters and MGB GTs are considered to be one model. Any itemfitted to a vehicle as a factory-fit optional extra may be removed. It is incumbent upon the competitor to demonstrate the limits of a vehicles standard specification.'

Ta

Iwan
iwan

"For this purpose MGB roadsters and MGB GTs are considered to be one model"

Chop the roof off :)
Simon Jansen

Iwan,

Early cars did not have a centre console so that can be removed, in my opinion.

I have heard it said that in some markets in certain years Bs were sold with no over riders on the chrome bumpers so some people leave them off on that basis.

I fitted an electric fan in a chrome bumper car on the grounds that the later rubber bumper cars had them. I also ran with a single 12v battery.

However, I ran with the trim almost complete as I wanted my car to be a nice road car. Only the side trim behind the doors was left off so you could see I had blanked of the fire path through the inner wings.

When I was running in the Luffield I was in the standard class. One of the key things I discovered is that in normal scrutineering is about safety. Eligability is not considered unless there is a complaint or you are doing well in which case the championship's eligability scrutineer will look at your car.

If you send the eligability sctutineer a specific question he will normally respond.
David Witham

Hi,

Thanks for your replies.

With a gt, 'may use lightweight tailgate and rear window'

So, what do you replace the rear window with and is there a way of lightening the tailgate without replacing it with a fibreglass version?

Ta

Iwan
iwan

This thread was discussed between 20/07/2009 and 26/07/2009

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