350 Chevy Powered MGB!!!!!!!

Here is my project. I'm building this car in a single car garage, with a DIRT floor!

I will be adding pics of the progress soon.

Plans already are made. I have a '79 350, with a 327/350hp cam, which I must say sounds pretty damn good. I have purchased a Offy Single Carb Tunnel Ram. I plan to have it powder coated silver. Should look good.

MGB Diarrhea,… I mean Diary

Aug. 22 2003 – Wife is PISSED! Pick up my 1973 MGB from Dan Robinson. He had it at his salvage yard for 5 years. My brother tore his garage down and did not have room for it. I didn’t either. I never thought I would get it back, in fact, pretty much figured it was sold or crushed.

Motor was locked tight. Thought it might run again, before the V8 conversion. Oh well, just my luck.

Aug 28 2003 – Pulled the engine and transmission. Pulled the head off to find one cylinder had rust from water seepage. I have talked with my brother. He has a ’79 Malibu with a rebuilt 350. Decided to buy it.

September 1, 2003 – Put all the parts I don’t intended to use on E bay. Need space in Garage.

September 6, 2003 Started at about 10am, installed new cam in 350. Was finished at around 7:00pm. Sounds real good. Setting valves and started it on fire….. No problem extinguishing it.

September 8, 2003 - Ebay Auctions will end. Hopefully will make enough to either buy a intake (single carb tunnel ram) or chrome for the motor. Made about 170.00, not bad plenty to sell still.

September 9, 2003- I actually removed metal from the engine bay. I now, no longer have a heater box. I also cut the legroom boxes, to free up about 4 inches on both sides. Hopefully I will be able to have regular exhaust manifolds, maybe even shorty headers??

September 10, 2003 - Removed the driver’s seat. I ripped the seat back off with my bare hands. It was unbelievably rusty! Kyle Phillips is giving me a set of tires for the car to roll. I took off the wheels and loaded them up.

September 11, 2003- Got tires from Kyle Phillips. Had Amoco install them. Won’t go back…. Charged me over 50.00 and I helped switch them!

September 13,2003 - Bought a Lincoln Welder from Everett in Carbondale. Practiced a little. This will make progress much better, since I will not have to farm out any welding!!!

September 17, 2003 - Last night took some pics of the progress. Looked at another website. I think I will need to cut out the tunnel. Since the tranny will be set back a ways also. I think it will ease installation of the motor and tranny. Plus this will help me, since I will have to put new floors in the car.

September 18, 2003 – Last night built a roller stand for the welder. Looks pretty nice for minimal measurements.

September 19, 2003 – Cut out transmission tunnel. Left a 2” lip to use as a reference point plus to weld to. Also re-welded wheels on to cart. I had only tacked them on the night before.

September 21, 2003 - Cut part of the floor pan out. Talked to Greg King, he is going to give me enough galvanized sheet metal to construct the floor pans. I also ditched the clutch and Brake cylinder.

September 25, 2003 – Yesterday I picked up the Tunnel Ram. Sandblasted it until I was out of sand. I also picked up some square tubing. For a go cart for the kids. Today I bought a Tubing Bender. I plan to make my own roll cage, yes cage. Should look pretty good.

September 29, 2003 – Yesterday got motor and transmission out of car. Started cleaning the motor. Not sure if I will use this Trans, Otis has a good one I might try to use. Plan to get my timing chain cover and oil pan soon….

October 1, 2003 – Have ordered my oil pan and 2 piece timing chain. Removed the rest of the grease off the motor and painted it Hi-heat gloss black. Looks pretty good. Wish I would have went with orange, but black will make the chrome stand out more.

October 3, 2003 – Dave picked up the ’79 ‘Bu. Traded it for a set of 882 heads. I hope to rebuild them and port and polish them. (Someday). Might even just trade them for something else?

October 7, 2003 – Welded in motor mounts. Will need to grind my welds a little, nothing major. Did not get a chance to fab up trans mount, but I will do that when I bolt motor in.

October 8, 2003 – Greg dropped off the metal for the floor pans. It’s good thick metal. Should work out very nice. I hope to reinforce under the rocker panel and on each side of the transmission. I also took the valve covers off, drained the rest of the fluids. Work is coming along very nice!!

October 9, 2003 – Cut drivers floor pan out last night. I also got my chrome oil pan and timing chain cover. Hope to install them this weekend.

October 13, 2003- Got the oil pan installed. Today I received my Ram horn Manifolds. They look great. They have been ground smooth. I will pain them Hi-temp alum paint. Hope to install the motor on last time this weekend. I really need to clean the starter and get it installed on the motor. I hope to utilize the head pipes off the old motor for set up.

October 15, 2003 – Last night painted the Ram Horn Manifolds. Good old grace, dropped on in the dirt. Luckily I had brake cleaner and it took everything off, so I could repaint it. Went to the garage today. The paint looks super! There are a couple runs in the paint, but they will not show.

October 16, 2003 – Last night I made my template for the floor pans. Tonight Neil Barnhart is going to cut them out with his plasma cutter. I tried with my sawzall, worked but was very nasty looking. I also bolted on the Manifolds, they look great on the motor.

Now I am thinking about running my old 5speed out of my truck. I just think that car needs a manual transmission to be a true hot rod. I’m going to look and see what I’m missing. It would be just too cool!! Before this car is truly “finished” it will have a manual transmission.

Neil cut them out. Wow, what a great fit too! I don’t think I will need to trim anything. I will not install them until I get the motor and tranny in. I still need to make the tranny mount. I’m thinking this weekend. I might do that. I need to pick up Otis’ T-350 in case I go with his. Mine needs rebuilt.

Been talking with a guy from Wilood, he is helping me pick the right pedals.

October 21, 2003 – This weekend. Welded one floor pan in. Fits real nice. Also installed the motor with the Ram Horn’s, There is no way those will fit. To get it to clear the steering shaft, the motor had to go about 2” to passenger side and about 8” higher. Looked horrible… So I rewelded the motor mounts in and set it back to the way I had it originally. Will have to me my own headers, but that is okay. Things will work out eventually. Cut a hole in the hood also. Need a narrower carb. The hood will be a lift off.

October 27, 2003 – Reworked the alternator bracket from the old motor. Need to reshape it some more then it’s ready to be primed and painted. I do think that I will cut the top ½ off it. I really don’t think it needs be one solid piece, even though I want to as it was bor historic value. I just don’t think it looks as nice as it could. I’ll shape it more sometime this week. Or have Neil plasma cut it to a nice shape.

November 3, 2003 – Yesterday modified the cross member to accept the T-350. I NOW HAVE A ROLLING PROJECT WITH NOTHING HELD UP BY A JACK!!!!!!!!! *YAHOOOOO*

November 5, 2003 – Last night I cut the curved section from the alernator bracket and welded in a “factory” curved section. Looks a lot nicer! Man, I’m glad I bought that welder! Wife is going to kill me. I bought a floor shifter off E-bay.