It's obvious that we have touched upon a very sensitive subject here -
everyone has a different level of tolerance for "modification", or as
the opponents of it say: "butchery".
It's really a question of degree. Few people have any qualms about
engine swaps into MGBs or GTs, maybe because 500K of these cars were
built (let's assume 250K survive). But it's interesting that when a
fellow on the list a while back considered chopping the top off his GT
to make a roadster, a large number of folks cried FOUL! Why chop up a
GT when there are so many roadsters available in the US?
My Factory MGB-GT V-8 is currently in the midst of a complete ground-up
restoration. I am trying to go as original as I can, down to the
exhaust manifolds and wiring clamps. The reason for this is that there
are less than 20 of the beasties in North America, and I feel I need to
present the V-8 as an original example at car shows. That means that I
will have to endure the buckboard ride, marginal cooling, and ordinary
MG interior that was original to the V-8. But who knows - after a year
or two of showing the car, I may decide to put in Doug Jackson composite
rear springs, an RV8 front crossmember, and Mike Satur dash, or I may
not. It's my choice. But the miniscule numbers of original V-8s in the
States may sway my decision.
I personally wouldn't mind a WELL EXECUTED engine swap on an MGA, after
all, over 100K of these were built, and maybe 40K survive. There are
large numbers of excellent restored MGAs, so we don't have to worry
about the occasional big-engined MGA conversion "diluting" the pool of
original cars.
TDs and TCs, well they're a lot rarer, but there still are many perfect
examples on the roads or gracing the GoFs and car shows (witness the
pre-enrollment of no less than 54 (!) TCs for the Monterey GoF). I
would like to see one or two TDs with the Ford V-8-60 conversion
preserved, simply because it is an example of the hotrodder's art from
the 1950s. Is an original, perfect MG from Abingdon any more "worthy"
of preservation than a nice example of the Southern California hotrodder
culture from the 1950s? I don't think so, with the production numbers
we are talking about. Both cars represent a state of mind, and a part of
both American and British culture.
Here's where I disagree wholeheartedly with Bill Schooler, and his
analysis of cars as "just pieces of metal". Sure, that's all they are,
but what makes them special or sacred is what they represent within the
culture. When I place that 9/16" wrench on a (rusty) bolt under my GT
V-8, I feel a continuity going all the way back to that guy at Abingdon
who screwed the thing together. And when I loosen the cylinder head
bolts, I feel a kinship all the way back through Abingdon and Solihull,
back to the Buick engineers in good ol' Flint Michigan that were the
original designers of the "Fireball Aluminum V-8".
No, there more than just hunks of metal. If that's all they are, I
might as well spend my spare time restoring trash compactors or other
kitchen appliances. (Uh-oh, now I've done it - I've offended the folks
who restore vintage toasters and mixmasters!)
Cheers,
Paul Kile
1974 Factory MGB-GT V-8 (soon will no longer be The Rustbucket)
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