Ther's always the easy way out (the one I took) - buy a stock factory car. I
gather there are about 1700 left in existence out of about 2500 built. Mine
is one of the first 30 and is contemporaneous with the press cars.
I thought I'd got a good deal too, until that horrible moment two days after
I bought it when I took it up to 70 mph for the first time and the car
filled with smoke...
... you see, I had noticed that the rear crank case breater filter was
missing. So I made one up and when I came to installing it found the
breather tube had a bolt jammed in it. OK, I thought, that just to stop dust
and dirt getting in there. But no. It was to disguise the fact that the
bores were (somewhat) worn and thereby allowing "crank case pressurisation".
It cost GBP 3000 for a professional rebuild and a further GBP 1000 for
installation and sundries.
Good luck, Glen!
Simon Holt
Bournemouth UK
----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Howard <DigiFX@coastalnet.com>
To: mgb-V8 list <mgb-v8@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 8:52 PM
Subject: Re: Disappointment for the day
> Glenn...I hear you,guy...this is a good time for you to come to terms with
> several facts of life, or you are not going to enjoy this adventure of
> building your dream car. I'm guessing you haven't done a project of this
> magnitude before...Why would I say that?...Only because you sound exactly
> like I did before actually realized how much work, trouble, blood, sweat,
> and tears this would take. Everybody's experience is not the same of
course,
> but based on 20 years experience of owning/maintaining MGs, total rebuild
> and modification of one 1970 Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, and the
> conversion of B-GT>Buick 215, I suggest the following: However long you
> think your project will take...triple it, and be prepared to extend that
> shedule as well...it is a conservative estimate. The financial costs will
> increase by about the same amount...2 to 3 times. The project will
grow...as
> you see, it already has, and you haven't hardly started. (I put ALL my
spare
> time and energy into my conversion. It took me nearly 2 years to build my
> Buick 215 motor at a cost of many thousand dollars...I had expected
> hundreds. I spent 6 months getting it into the car, and another 6 months
to
> fine tune it. This is not to discourage you at all. Just accept that this
> thing is going to take as long as it takes. There are many things you
cannot
> hurry...other people's actions and service. I waited 6 months to get a cam
> ground...I was originally told it would take a couple of weeks. Following
> professional advice, I totally ruined the valve spring seats, and had to
> have everything welded up to cut new ones. Nobody took responsibility for
> anything. I spent way too many sleepless nights wondering if $6000 worth
of
> parts would ever actually be anything else. By the time you finish, you
will
> think of several things you did in the beginning that you wish you could
do
> over again a different way. But at some point, you have to stop planning
and
> start doing. In doing you learn new things and it becomes impossible to be
> totally happy with the things you did before you got so experienced. Look
at
> it this way...now you will build a new motor and you will know everything
> there is to know about that engine....much better than some unknown motor
at
> any price. Hoping I don't come across as too much of a know-it-all.....
> ron howard
> ----------
> >From: Wake074@aol.com
> >To: mgb-v8@autox.team.net
> >Subject: Disappointment for the day
> >Date: Mon, Oct 11, 1999, 8:40 PM
> >
>
> >Some of you have been following (or at least reading my constant barrage
of
> >questions) my quest to turn my B into a V8 over the winter. As you have
all
> >read, I'm still just into the buying parts stage.
> >
> >Well, the good news is my Buick 215 arrived today from Oklahoma, from a
> >gentleman that collects Buicks. It was supposedly pulled 3 years ago
(and
> >running), and stored inside protected since then. Well, upon examination
> >tonight, the intakes and exhausts were left uncovered, and only some
plastic
> >was stuffed in the spark plug holes. So I took one of the cylinder heads
> >off, and found just what I was expecting, 3 of the 4 were completely
filled
> >with animal debris. So obviously the cylinders show major signs of
pitting
> >and rust damage. The engine will obviously not budge, big surprise
there.
> >
> >I guess I will end up paying big bucks for machine work. Anyone care to
> >throw out a good estimate of what this is going to cost to repair.
> >
> >Very disappointed from the setback, both in financial terms and trust of
our
> >brethren in the collector car hobby.
> >
> >Glenn
> >
> >
>
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