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tow bar
by G Walker - 24/08/26 06:52 PM
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Forums39
Topics49,836
Posts837,265
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Most Online1,063
Jun 14th, 2026
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 9,545 Likes: 132
Needs to Get Out More!
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Needs to Get Out More!
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 9,545 Likes: 132 |
Just returned from getting a new tyre for the tintop. At a roundabout a V8 MGBGT came through. Green with the side stripe and a nice V8 growl.
Plus Four MY23 Furka Rouge
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,463 Likes: 98
Has a lot to Say!
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OP
Has a lot to Say!
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,463 Likes: 98 |
Just returned from getting a new tyre for the tintop. At a roundabout a V8 MGBGT came through. Green with the side stripe and a nice V8 growl. I’ve built one MGB V8 Roadster and restored another. I would have liked a V8 but the prices are too strong at the moment.
2012 Plus 4 in Sport Green. Much comfier than the Plus 8!
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 5,432 Likes: 465
Charter Member
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Charter Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 5,432 Likes: 465 |
Back in the day as best I can remember I think there was a problem with BV8 manifolds cracking, and replacements became hard to find..? One thing that was never hard to find on a B was corrosion... this one I restored needed a few panels...????? https://www.tm-img.com/image/t9flvhttps://www.tm-img.com/image/t91ZS
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 614 Likes: 22
Talk Morgan Regular
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Talk Morgan Regular
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 614 Likes: 22 |
Luddite, many years ago I had a BGT for a short while. Your first pic reminds me of why I sold it!! LoL.
Cheers
john.
Last edited by John07; 03/07/24 09:51 PM.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 22,356 Likes: 353
Roadster Guru Member of the Inner Circle
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Roadster Guru Member of the Inner Circle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 22,356 Likes: 353 |
The BV8 cast manifolds had a very thin flange on the downpipes. There were three studs on each manifold and when "overtightened" would break the casting. I believe that towards the end of production, the flanges were thickened. I fitted a pair of Janspeed stainless manifolds to mine at the rebuild. It needed half an inch of panel bashing to the inner wings for clearance. Before that I repaired both the cast manifold flanges with JB Weld and amazingly it lasted until the rebuild, about 12 months, without letting go.
DaveW
'05 Red Roadster S1
'16 Yellow (Not the only) Narrow AR GDI Plus 4
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1 member likes this:
Luddite |
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,033 Likes: 33
Has a lot to Say!
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Has a lot to Say!
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,033 Likes: 33 |
I’ve built one MGB V8 Roadster and restored another. I would have liked a V8 but the prices are too strong at the moment. I've been looking at V8 Roadsters quite seriously - obviously as they're all individually specified/built there's a vast difference in quality and specification. The asking prices may be strong but my observation, over the last few months, is that very few are selling. The trick is obviously to find a good one at a sensible price.
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,824 Likes: 69
Talk Morgan Addict
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Talk Morgan Addict
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,824 Likes: 69 |
I owned a very nice v8bgt for several years. It was a great car but a constant battle against rust and that's a lot of engine under the bonnet, it used to get overshot very quickly in traffic. If I'd been in traffic like I was today on the M3, solid for two hours, it would have exploded. I used to dread any queue.
Made a lovely noise though. My plus 8 (1978) with same engine never overheated, just more ventilation I suppose.
Nick
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,463 Likes: 98
Has a lot to Say!
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OP
Has a lot to Say!
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,463 Likes: 98 |
I’ve built one MGB V8 Roadster and restored another. I would have liked a V8 but the prices are too strong at the moment. I've been looking at V8 Roadsters quite seriously - obviously as they're all individually specified/built there's a vast difference in quality and specification. The asking prices may be strong but my observation, over the last few months, is that very few are selling. The trick is obviously to find a good one at a sensible price. When I did the first one (nearly 30 years ago now - eek) parts were available and fairly easy to buy, MGC back axle, Princess front Callipers, LT77 gearbox, SD1 Vitesse engine, Edlebrok inlet, and block hugger exhaust manifolds. I got the lot for under £1500. The bulkhead, steering rack, propshaft, instruments, wheels and suspension needed modifying and that cost about the same. The car itself cost £3500 and was very nice, I managed to sell the parts I didn’t want for about £1300. So I built the car for a tad over £5000. Sold it 10 years later for £9500, today it would be around £25k. Best one we did was with a pal who couldn’t wield a spanner. He found a totally rotten genuine GT V8 and already had a very nice roadster. He gave just £300 for the horrible V8 and 4 of us put all the parts into his roadster, amazingly the mechanicals were all perfect. 6 years later I bought that car off him and it needed some restoration including a gearbox rebuild. It was a lovely car but I didn’t bond with it as well as the first one I built so I didn’t keep it that long.
2012 Plus 4 in Sport Green. Much comfier than the Plus 8!
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,033 Likes: 33
Has a lot to Say!
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Has a lot to Say!
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,033 Likes: 33 |
I
When I did the first one (nearly 30 years ago now - eek) parts were available and fairly easy to buy, MGC back axle, Princess front Callipers, LT77 gearbox, SD1 Vitesse engine, Edlebrok inlet, and block hugger exhaust manifolds. I got the lot for under £1500. The bulkhead, steering rack, propshaft, instruments, wheels and suspension needed modifying and that cost about the same. The car itself cost £3500 and was very nice, I managed to sell the parts I didn’t want for about £1300. So I built the car for a tad over £5000. Sold it 10 years later for £9500, today it would be around £25k.
Best one we did was with a pal who couldn’t wield a spanner. He found a totally rotten genuine GT V8 and already had a very nice roadster. He gave just £300 for the horrible V8 and 4 of us put all the parts into his roadster, amazingly the mechanicals were all perfect. 6 years later I bought that car off him and it needed some restoration including a gearbox rebuild. It was a lovely car but I didn’t bond with it as well as the first one I built so I didn’t keep it that long. I was expecting to budget around £25k for a car with all the modifications I'd want which would include suspension upgrades. I'm now optimistic that a good car can be found for closer to £20k. This one is for sale at a well known MG specialist and the price has been steadily dropping. Built by the chap who wrote the book on V8 conversions so you'd expect it to be well done. It has Frontline five-link rear suspension which is a costly option. I also know of an even higher spec. car which has independent rear suspension but unfortunately it's in France. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395448161862
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 5,432 Likes: 465
Charter Member
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Charter Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 5,432 Likes: 465 |
MPH, when you look at the spec of that B, how much do you think it would cost to have a machine like that built today...Which I think will apply to very many sports cars owned by the baby boomers who in some cases turned them into the equivalent of automotive jewellery over many years, and are now seeking to cash in... ?
Again from a very dull memory, I think BL only built original BV8`s in GT form...? In time originality may count even more than customisation..? But then currently restomods seem rather expensive..?
As with Morgans I suspect squeezing more horses under the bonnet by way of tuning, seems bound to risk some measure of overheating...?
Fortunately for me my standard tune mid 80`s +8 has never overheated even in a very hot trip through Italy in mid June a few years back, when Italians were reportedly fainting in the street with heat exhaustion
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