Fast Facts

• Best model: Original GT
• Worst model: Bad home made versions
• Budget buy: Cheap Costello cars
• OK for unleaded?: Yes
• Will it fit in the garage? (mm): L3890 x W1520 mm
• Spares situation: Excellent
• DIY ease?: Excellent
• Club support: Brilliant
• Appreciating asset?: Yes, so buy soon
• Good buy or good-bye?: Great buy, best MGB of all

No roadsters offi cially but hatch gives this sports car fi ne practicality, especially in two-seat mode

Apart from larger alloy wheels and subtle V8 badging and higher ride height, V8GT looks like a normal MGB, making it a superb Q Car. Model was launched in late 1973 so anything before an M-reg plate could be a home made one

Cabin is essentially MGB with different dials (a non standard wheel is fi tted here).

Rover V8 fi ts like a glove and is lightly stressed although a lack of servicing will gum up the works

Only V8 logo gives game away

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Too little, too late! That’s what critics said about the MGBGT V8 when new. Today, its vintage driving feel is the key to its appeal as a more practical and cheaper alternative to a similarly powered Morgan

It just doesn’t make sense ! Today the under-rated MGB GTV8 can cost the same as a normal MGB GT to buy and own. Given the extra performance and smoothness, plus the usual easy MG running costs, this V8 makes a high-performance Q car bargain. However, back in 1973, that wasn’t the term used to describe the car the MGC should have always been, thanks to the V8’s staggering £500 price penalty over the 1.8! This was especially hard to swallow when buyers found that the car was little improved, apart from the powerplant. Fast forward the thick end of 40 years and the car’s Morgan-like character is now part of this MG’s charm. Here’s how to buy a good one!

History

Racer Ken Costello may have been the fi rst to produce one for the road, but the engineers at Abingdon had been trying to shoehorn a V8 into the MGB for years (some say as early as 1967, but offi cially since 1971). It is said that they fi rst tried the in house Daimler V8 unit. Once cash-strapped MG decided to use the Buick lump, this had to be done as cheaply as possible. Although working on a relative shoestring, MG still had more resources than daddy of the MGB V8 Ken Costello (who continued to make his own conversions up until recently) and so was able to engineer the power unit to fi t under the standard ‘B’ bonnet properly. This was unlike Costello who retained the original V8 carbs, resulting in an ugly bonnet bulge (until a later switch to Weber carbs). On the other hand, MG made do with the lower-tune 137bhp Range Rover-spec V8, while Ken went the full-fat Rover 3500S route. The MGB shell needed minimal changes to make the V8 fi t and, as it was 40lb lighter than the cast iron B-Series unit, this engine helped alter weight distribution from 47.8/52.2 (front/rear) to a more satisfactory 49.4/50.6. Unlike the laden MGC, the V8 even retained the conventional MGB front suspension set up, although the ride height was hiked by about an inch in the process, pre-empting what the company reluctantly would do to the MGB a year later. Indeed, in 1975 the V8 received those infamous rubber bumpers, despite this model never being exported to the USA! After the disastrous launch of the MGC, expectations were pretty low for new MG and the reception for the V8 at its 1973 introduction was lukewarm, despite giving MG fans what they had desired for years. During its three year production run only 2591 cars were made. Some months V8 production barely broke into double fi gures. Apart from the rubber-bumper addition in October 1974, the car remained essentially unchanged until it was quietly put out to graze in 1976 – only to be revived with the RV8 in the 1990s.

Driving

By the time the V8 fi nally found its rightful home in the MGB, the engine outshone the rest of the car and so merely highlighted the vehicle’s many shortcomings, due to sheer old age. However that ‘vintage’ feel which was so criticised when the car was new is now much more appreciated, along with touring capabilities that outstrip a similarpowered Morgan with ease. The MG’s performance is still effortless and smooth and it can still show a GTi a clean pair of rear tyres (0-60mph in 7.7 seconds and as much as 125mph according to one road test!). Such is the torque on tap there’s little need for boy-racer antics. This torque is handy because second gear is still too low on the MGC-sourced transmission. On the other hand, despite no automatic option, this is effectively a two-gear car and the standard overdrive gives a lovely long-legged and economical 28.5mph/1000rpm gait. It’s a shame that wind noise from the screen pillars negates this touring advantage. Ironically, the initial fears of poor economy that killed the car rarely manifested themselves on the road: the V8s drank about the same as normal MGBs as the engine was so lightly worked in comparison. You’d think that, with its improved weight distribution, the V8 would have handled better as well. While it’s an improvement on the lumbering MGC, it still didn’t handle as predictably as the four-cylinder MGB. Road tests at the time put this down to the too stiff ‘police spec’ rear suspension and added ride height that spoiled the drive. Other known MGB traits, such as the rock hard ride, that wind noise, poor heating and ventilation and lack of overall refi nement are of less consequence now than when the car was new. Certainly, thanks to its compact size, useful rear hatch facility and sheer usability, this MG is still a tempting daily driver and a practical classic. Like the MGC, the V8 is being seen in a far better light now, compared to when it was new and competing with more advanced contemporaries. The ancient design and over-ambitious pricing made it a no-goer for many pundits when new. One of the sternest critics was Car magazine, which headlined its test “Too Little, Too Late, Too Much” and had much to complain about, reckoning it felt like just like an MGC with a V8 fi tted. “It’s not a bad car; it’s just not a very good one” was the organ’s critical verdict. That may have been true as a new car back in 1973, but fast-forward almost 40 years and any faults are now part of the car’s character. And, as any owner will tell you, an MGB GTV8 certainly has plenty of that!

Prices

As only 2591 were built and there are not too many for sale at any one time, you’d think prices would automatically be at a premium over a normal GT, but this is not always so. A roadlegal V8 might be found for £4000, a decent car for around £7000 and a concours winner for £10,000 to £15,000, which is about the same as an ordinary 1.8 model. Home-made V8s are certainly worth less than the real thing and much depends on the workmanship (see box out for advice) but genuine Costello conversions are beginning to command a premium over the factory car at long last.

Improvements

As with any MGB, it’s a case of how far do you want to go. For many, a standard V8 is quick enough, so just needs the chassis tweaking. Lever arm dampers were fi tted front and rear, but it’s possible to swap to telescopics. This works well but the ride will be even harder. To really sharpen up the handling it’s worth fi tting uprated front and rear anti-roll bars with poly bushes, although the ride will be made a harsher. Servo-assisted brakes were fi tted from the outset and this essentially standard MGB set up

Three Of A Kind

Triumph Stag

In-house rival to the MG, this was also V8 powered, with more bhp but less go, plus it was a hard/soft top instead of a hatchback. Initiallydodgy, Stags are now pretty durable and desirable as cut-price Mercedes SL rivals. Still strong value for money and with a fi ne specialist and club back up. Of course, many cars were converted to Rover V8 power and these are good, if done right (many not) but values lag behind the real thing.

Daimler SP250

If the MGB GT V8 didn’t go as well as it looked when new, then the Daimler SP250 was – and remains – the complete opposite. With its quirky stylingand questionable body rigidity, what made the Daimler great (in common with the MG) was its engine, in this case a pure V8 gem. Quick and sporty, ‘Darts’ are now starting to hit double-top and prices are on the increase. See full buyers guide in this issue!

MG RV8

Rather late in the day, MG Rover launched the roadster V8 – almost two decades after MG, as a company, bit the dust!Based upon the Heritage bodyshell, with a full-fat 190bhp and totally reworked chassis,without doubt it’s the best sorted V8 MGB and most luxurious around. The MG RV8 feels like a cross between a Morganand a TVR and prices are similar
to those for standard MGBs.