The close-up engine pic is the current arrangement of components.
I've had this car since I was in my late teens (I'm now 55). Like my favourite hammer it's had 3 handles and 2 heads. It was first powered by the 1498cc BMC original thing, then a twin cam MGA motor that I rebuilt and had sitting in the corner of my bedroom (parents home) for several years. Sold that for a ridiculous price before they were worth a King's ransom. Then a triumph 2.5PI engine and then finally the Rover V8. It was stored for 15 years (V8 fitted).
Basic specs include: MGB disc brakes adapted to the front suspension (DBA now have new cross-drilled discs available for the MGB at very reasonable prices), wire wheels and hubs all round. 5 1/2" front wires (widened inwards). 6" wires on the rear with reversed rims (widened out). Narrowed V6 Ford Capri diff (3.22:1 ratio) with hub adapters made to accept bolt on Austin Healey splined hubs. Homemade gearbox adapter to bolt Triumph Dolomite gearbox to the rear of the Rover SD1 block. Gearbox incorporates a Laycock electric overdrive operating on 3rd & 4th gear. Specialized tailshaft to link the gearbox to the diff. Dual circuit brakes using an underdash Ford econovan powerbrake unit and integral brake pedal. Valiant 225 radiator and homemade coolant header tank with a plastic windscreen washer bottle 'coolant recovery tank' adapted from a 60s Humber scrounged from the motor wreckers.
The car is lowered about 3" and the rear guards and doors have been widened by subtly altering the curvature of the panels (not flared). The front stone pan where the bumper used to sit is from a 64 Ford Cortina (my wife's first car) sectioned and welded to fit.
The engine uses the SD1 Zenith CD Stromberg carbs with the automatic chokes. It starts quickly with a touch of the starter button...no throttle...like an EFI engine. These took me ages to sort and understand but now work beautifully.
The V8 transforms the car as do the disc brakes and overdrive gearbox. It's been a long work in progress.
