autoevolution
 

Ford 302-Swapped MGB Is an Anglo-American Collaboration on Par With the Shelby Cobra

For those of you saying The Beatles was the greatest Anglo-American import that ever existed, you're mistaken because this MGB swapped with a Ford 302 V8 is better, at least to petrolheads. Don't believe us? Keep reading.
MGB V8 10 photos
Photo: The MG Experience: Castle 1967
MGBMGBMGBMGBMGBMGBMGBMGBMGB
The MGB was one of the first British Sports cars to see success in America. At least a few thousand of them were imported over the years. But now that any MGB is well past its 25-year import embargo, who cares anymore, right? Evidently, someone didn't care about preserving the numbers matching the original status that brings the big bucks in today's car scene.

As for what year to pin this custom build down do, it's a little bit complicated. Simply put, this is a 1966 MGB on top and a 1980 model chassis underneath. The red paint job is period correct, as is the folding vinyl roof. Other than that, though, the man who goes by Joseph B or Castle1967 on The MG Experience website went open season on the underpinnings of this classic British icon.

The engine is the aforementioned Ford 302 cubic inch (5.0-liter) V8 with four-bolt mains, beautifully machined and polished aluminum GT40 heads, custom hydraulic roller cams, and an aftermarket Edelbrock intake manifold. A Quick Fuel HR series 650-cfm carburetor feeds air and fuel to the burly muscle car engine. A Mantell Motorsport aluminum radiator and Flex-a-Lite electric fan make sure this beast doesn't overheat. All in all, it's good for 345 horsepower all day long.

In a car, this light, that's a heck of a lot of power. A conversion to Moss Motors (Monroe) tube shocks and upgraded late-model MGB brake master cylinder ensure the car also stops and corners in a manner conducive to maintaining a regular heartbeat due to lack of impact trauma. The 302 engine is fed through a venerable Borg-Warner T5 five-speed transmission. 14-inch aluminum "Z Racing" wheels with tires measuring 185-70 bring together a timeless look that one can only find from a well-sorted British sports car from at least 40 years ago and likely far older.

As for the interior, it's still seemingly largely the same as it would have looked decades ago, apart from a few apparent additions, like the aftermarket head unit that sits firmly in the space where the old one once rested in the dashboard. The vinyl and cloth seats appear to be in remarkably great shape, and there's an heir of Englishness about its interior features that don't lend to the fact about the all-American engine underneath. Not all great Anglo-American cars have to be the Shelby Cobra. But what we have for you today essentially embodies the same spirit as that car did.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories