Star Resto: MGB V8
Will Gower had a special reason to finish his MG
Stunning father-son project that’s so much more than just a car.
This MGB Roadster is the result of a genuine father-son restoration and something I’m really proud of. I rebuilt it alongside my dad Colin, having spent much of my childhood helping him with numerous other cars including a host of classic Minis and an MG Midget. Before I was born, he had restored a 1959 MGA MKI among others, but he always said he missed his Flame Red MGB the most. As admirers of the extremely powerful Frontline Developments cars – especially the ‘Abingdon Edition’ performance modifications – we therefore decided to have a crack ourselves, in combining the handsome, classic look of the MGB with some serious performance!
We started the project at home in 2013 with the purchase of a donor car and looked into other four- and six-cylinder options, including TVR Speed Six and a Red Top. In the end though, we decided on a Rover V8 conversion and began a project that would prove to be significant beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. As we progressed, dad was diagnosed with cancer. Despite pauses for his chemotherapy, he and I worked closely and made great progress together, firstly preparing the Us-spec Roadster shell for a chrome bumper conversion. This meant dad teaching me how to weld and between us, we welded fully-integrated bumper irons and mounts. I learned MIG when I was 17, but had learned with dad for years before that.
Homework
I did the paint myself, back in 2015 after I’d finished my A-levels. I prepared the bodywork, repairing a few small areas and set to work with cellulose, panel by panel in a well-ventilated barn. I’d been doing touch-up jobs since the age of eleven so was confident – although if I look really closely, there are areas that I think I’d ideally like to do again. I powder-coated all of the suspension parts and stone-chipped the inner-wings and underside. Exterior additions included black MGC wire wheels, all-new chrome trim, original chrome bumpers from the ’70 donor car, an Rv8-style glassfibre bonnet and internal frame, all new glass/seals, a honeycomb grill and custom front valance.
Powerhouse
My engine knowledge wasn’t up to the job and dad’s ill-health meant we sent the engine away to Rover V8 specialist Hodgson Engineering. It’s a fully-rebuilt 3.6 Rover V8 with full EFI ‘Hotwire’ injection system, Rv8style MGB-HIVE exhaust and 2.5in stainless system. Power is 190bhp at wheels (verified by a dyno) and 175lb ft of torque. It also has an uprated cam, MGB GT V8 radiator and a relocated oil cooler. Other mechanical upgrades included MGB V8 discs with Austin Princess four-pot calipers, stiffer shocks, lowered springs and polybushes.
Dad’s determination to get the car on the road meant it returned to the road before I felt it was fully finished. For instance, I wanted to re-trim the roll bar in leather, but to him, that was all a bit of a faff! To start with, the car’s interior was bare except for two seats and a steering wheel but it drove superbly and we went on some memorable drives before, in the winter of 2016, dad passed away.
I think it was a blessing how the car distracted dad from his ill-health. He and I would sit discussing every detail – from the bodywork to the areas which go unseen, like those gearbox tunnel modifications and bumper iron mounts under the front wings. Restoring our MGB was a real motivator. I am very proud of the finished car as is my mum Candida, who continues to be supportive and often comes out to the garage to see what I’m up to! I have plans for the continued development of the MG – just tweaks here and there. Given the fact my dad loved driving far more than polishing cars, I have plans to take it to the numerous classic car shows which dad and I frequented every year, including the Beaulieu Spring Autojumble and Goodwood Breakfast Club meets. They’ll certainly hear me coming! In addition, I am planning some big road trips in the sort of car my dad always said loves to be driven. He was absolutely right.