Theoretical Hot Roddery MG A variations

How about retro British?  Stick a Rover V8 in it like a back dated MGB GT V8?  Maybe source one from an old abandoned Land Rover?  Not sure what transmission would fit  

-Rob

I know this is theoretical, but as a guy who has restored 50+ MGAs and done some Miata swaps in MGBs, I'll offer a couple of thoughts.

1.  MGAs are hard cars to restore as initial build quality wasn't very good, they've usually had a lot of bodges for the past 60 years, and replacement panels (especially rust repair panels) all need modifications to fit. Big Healey's are slightly harder to restore for the same reasons.  Anyway, if this is more than theoretical, expect a long, depressing battle with the restoration in addition to the challenges of a swap. (It's about 4 times the labor to restore an MGA than an MGB, by the way). But MGAs are among the most beautiful cars built and they're a pleasure when properly sorted, so the effort is worth it if you know what you're getting into.

2. NA Miata swaps aren't as powerful as some of the swaps mentioned, but work well and fit the spirit of the car (think MGA Twin Cam).  NA Miata donor parts are getting harder to find for reasonable prices though.  I've seen and sorted several MGAs with various V6s that ranged from Ford Essex to both versions of GM as well as Rover V8 and they're fine too, but I prefer a higher-revving 4 cylinder.

Ok, back to bench racing...

In reply to Carl Heideman :

Wow, I don't think I've even seen 50 MGAs in my lifetime. And the newest one wasn't reallly all that old when I was born, but I have zero recollection of them as a kid. 
 

My much older brother in law bought his second MGB when I was six, so I was very aware of the brand, and I could at least recognize a TC or TD as an MG, but it just seemed like the MGA didn't even exist. 

Seconded, I think I've seen less than five MGA's in the flesh in my lifetime.  

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

I used to work at University Motors and John Twist, the charismatic MG Guru who shows up on YoutTube and at many British car shows.  In 1988, he figured he'd made 10,000 test drives in 2000+ MGs.  I left soon after that and  I figured I'd driven abut 500 test drives in 300 MGs myself while working for him.  Think how many test drives John Twist has made since 1988.

The last time I went to one of the every-five-year all MG shows, MG 2006, there were about 1000 MGs with maybe 50-100 MGAs.  I remember there were 3 MGA Twin Cams at that show while in the meantime we had 5 Twin Cams in progress at Eclectic.  Soon after that, restoring MGAs seemed too much like factory work so I sold off a lot of our specialized jigs and went onto new and different restoration frustrations.  There are still usually about 5 MGAs at Eclectic for storage or service at any time, but no full restorations anymore.  

pres589 (djronnebaum) said:

Seconded, I think I've seen less than five MGA's in the flesh in my lifetime.  

There were a total of 101,000 MGA's built. Ten times the number of  MGTD's 

rob_lewis said:

How about retro British?  Stick a Rover V8 in it like a back dated MGB GT V8?  Maybe source one from an old abandoned Land Rover?  Not sure what transmission would fit  

-Rob

Well Rob,  technically the Rover V8 was developed from the 1962 Buick V8 215 so it's not all British 

In reply to frenchyd :

But in the eyes of a six year old, there is no difference between a TC and a TD or TF. The MGA was something else entirely, and at that point, MGBs (and Midgets) were plentiful. The MGA sort of got lost in the middle. 

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

In reply to Carl Heideman :

Wow, I don't think I've even seen 50 MGAs in my lifetime. And the newest one wasn't reallly all that old when I was born, but I have zero recollection of them as a kid. 

Gee - I've owned a dozen or so MGAs, but then I bought my first one (which became the race car and is still sitting outside my house (under cover) 50 years later, when they were more common.  And of course I agree completely with Carl about the superior aesthetic attraction of the model!

On the 60Deg, GM V6 - they are easier to put into an MGA than the 90 deg engines - the engine bay is narrower and has two frame braces from the firewall that you don't want to cut out.

And you don't have to use an HTOB on the MGA and may wish you hadn't if it ever kacks on you and you have to pull the engine to replace it. While MGB owners have told me that you can't fit an external clutch slave on an MGB (which may well be true) I certainly did on the MGA by making a very simple adaptor plate and a TR6 slave cylinder on a 1994 Pontiac Firebird bellhousing.

You may want to take a look at my page that has lots of pictures of the conversion putting the V6 into an MGA chassis.

https://www.rhodoworld.com/Jamaican.html

I have not been any closer to this car than those photos. The old man states that the car was last driven in the late 1970s and is a complete clean car. There is a Hongworthy 1986 Chrysler LeBaron Turbo Convertible, the T Sedan, a clean COE International, a John Deere B, a 1967 Coupe De Ville Convertible and a 1956 Series Sixty Cadillac as well as at least 100 industrial engines in the barn. 

This seems like the best barn.  I like this barn and wish to subscribe to it's newsletter.

nocones said:

This seems like the best barn.  I like this barn and wish to subscribe to it's newsletter.

Maybe we should ask real nice to go for a tour sometime soon.

Any time you guys are in the area.

nocones said:

This seems like the best barn.  I like this barn and wish to subscribe to it's newsletter.

Even from space there is cool crap here. On the left is a COE International with a flat bed for hauling pulling tractors, up front is an Eagle Coach and a pair of early 1990s Lincolns and not seen in this pic is a 1994 Spirit V6 and a crab box Chrysler Pacifica with a rotted subframe (truly the highlight of the tour)

Honestly the B interests me the most.

Carl Heideman said:

 

.... Big Healey's are slightly harder to restore for the same reasons. 

Ok, back to bench racing...

NOW you tell me!

In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :

i like big barns and i cannot lie.

what's the footprint of that magnificent structure?

QuasiMofo (John Brown) said:

nocones said:

This seems like the best barn.  I like this barn and wish to subscribe to it's newsletter.

Even from space there is cool crap here. On the left is a COE International with a flat bed for hauling pulling tractors, up front is an Eagle Coach and a pair of early 1990s Lincolns and not seen in this pic is a 1994 Spirit V6 and a crab box Chrysler Pacifica with a rotted subframe (truly the highlight of the tour)

Such a tease it's like your running an OnlyBarns account.  

We require multi photo features on each vehicle.  It sounds like there is something in this barn for everyone.  I'm especially interested in the COE ramp truck.  

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Totally down for a BDT field trip.  I'll even bring a trailer just in case. 

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

If I remember correctly it is 80x120 with a 20ft center peak. 

When it becomes mine the big farm style sliding doors will be removed in favor of big and little conventional doors. The rear interior will be split into two workshops (wood stuff and metal stuff) at about 30x40 each and a second story party deck above them that will be enclosed and be heated and cooled properly. The rest of the facility will be a hoist, tire machine and balancer, proper tool storage and shelves. It will not be an overnight project. 

In reply to nocones :

I can get you pics of Rampy McLawnornament no problem. Glamour Shots from inside the barn are a bit of an issue. It's a single plane of junk spread out over 9600 square feet. I think that the T and the Kubota Lawn Mower are about the only thing I can safely get multi angle pics of.

That's a nice looking Model T. 

QuasiMofo (John Brown) said:

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

If I remember correctly it is 80x120 with a 20ft center peak. 

When it becomes mine the big farm style sliding doors will be removed in favor of big and little conventional doors. The rear interior will be split into two workshops (wood stuff and metal stuff) at about 30x40 each and a second story party deck above them that will be enclosed and be heated and cooled properly. The rest of the facility will be a hoist, tire machine and balancer, proper tool storage and shelves. It will not be an overnight project. 

I like the cut of your jib

Carl Heideman said:

I know this is theoretical, but as a guy who has restored 50+ MGAs and done some Miata swaps in MGBs, I'll offer a couple of thoughts.

1.  MGAs are hard cars to restore as initial build quality wasn't very good, they've usually had a lot of bodges for the past 60 years, and replacement panels (especially rust repair panels) all need modifications to fit. Big Healey's are slightly harder to restore for the same reasons.  Anyway, if this is more than theoretical, expect a long, depressing battle with the restoration in addition to the challenges of a swap. (It's about 4 times the labor to restore an MGA than an MGB, by the way). But MGAs are among the most beautiful cars built and they're a pleasure when properly sorted, so the effort is worth it if you know what you're getting into.

2. NA Miata swaps aren't as powerful as some of the swaps mentioned, but work well and fit the spirit of the car (think MGA Twin Cam).  NA Miata donor parts are getting harder to find for reasonable prices though.  I've seen and sorted several MGAs with various V6s that ranged from Ford Essex to both versions of GM as well as Rover V8 and they're fine too, but I prefer a higher-revving 4 cylinder.

Ok, back to bench racing...

Just drove my NB powered Triumph Spitfire tonight. Have to say that the miata and 6 speed combination (along with a modern Subaru rear end) makes for a really nice drivetrain in an old style body. With a small turbo, you will have all the power you could ever want and it should fit nicely in the same space as the original engine.

NOHOME said:

Carl Heideman said:

 

.... Big Healey's are slightly harder to restore for the same reasons. 

Ok, back to bench racing...

NOW you tell me!

I put that in there just for you...

Seriously though I have told that to many people who want to restore a big Healey.

I've seen enough of your work to know you have the skill and patience for the job.