Edward Burns <eburns@ads.com> (02/08/90)
All this talk about MG/Honda mating has got me wondering. Do any of you know if this has been done using real British bodies and Japanese drivetrains. Every time my `67 MGB/GT coughs or spits, I think about how nice it would be to have a clean reliable Toyota or Honda engine in it. I doubt if I'd ever do it because I'm a stickler for authenticity, but it sure sounds good. Any thoughts on the feasibility? On another subject, I have to say something good about the electrical system in the car. I started it up last night at 10pm 35 miles from home and the generator light stayed lit. Great, now what? I was feeling lucky, so I headed off. Got home with no trouble at all, lights even stayed bright. Checked the charging voltage - not a volt. I got up early this morning to troubleshoot and found a brush had worn down to the wire. The other one was almost intact. I had an extra set in a drawer so I put them in and gave it a try. I was amazed to find that the car started just like it always(well, usually) does and didn't even crank slowly. Thank You Batteries!! -Ed
ejd@iris.brown.edu (02/09/90)
Ed Burns asks: >All this talk about MG/Honda mating has got me wondering. >Do any of you know if this has been done using real British >bodies and Japanese drivetrains. There's a firm advertizing in the back of Autoweek every now & then which claims to make a swap kit for the Mazda Rotary into Spridget. 135hp in a Sprite - I'd love to try one sometime. Rotus Cars in Maryland, makers of the Rotus 7, use either a Toyota 4 or a rotary - Japanese engines in British (type) cars, at least. Now, a turbo 13B rotary in a TR6 ... hmmm, something else to add to the list of 'cars I want to build when I get rich & have a big garage'. ed
sfisher@abingdon.wpd.sgi.com (Scott Fisher) (02/09/90)
All this talk about MG/Honda mating has got me wondering. Do any of you know if this has been done using real British bodies and Japanese drivetrains. Every time my `67 MGB/GT coughs or spits, I think about how nice it would be to have a clean reliable Toyota or Honda engine in it. I still have to ask why you'd change the *engine* in an MGB. Reliability isn't the answer -- power, maybe, but the B series can be made to go pretty well, reliably, for less money (and certainly with fewer hassles) than converting. The engine isn't the unreliable part of MGBs. You'd be better off to spend your money working on the electrical system and putting new oil seals into the engine. Easily 80% of the problems that MGBs have can be related to electrical malfunctions or oil seal failures. The basic mechanicals -- the metal parts of the engine -- are tough as old boots. I doubt if I'd ever do it because I'm a stickler for authenticity, but it sure sounds good. Any thoughts on the feasibility? If you're determined to change the engine, change it to something with more power (or possibly to something with fewer emissions; that's a reason that I can imagine, especially for the future). For that, the logical choice is either rotary -- go for a built 13B, or just get a new engine out of an RX-7 that comes with its electronic fuel injection and ignition, and get, what is it now, 160 bhp with daisy-fresh exhaust and something of its own sporting heritage. The RX motor is small, light, and compact, and should prove little trouble to fit. This, for instance, is a popular conversion on Spridgets, which have tiny engine bays; I've seen several good clean conversions on Spridgets and it'd be a piece of cake for a B. Best bet: use the RX transmission (the B's won't take the revs or the power for long, and also the rotary's power take-off is higher in the block than a piston engine's is, and the RX transmission compensates for that). If you like torque rather than high RPM, try the factory way and drop in a TR-8 motor. It's best to have an MG built after September, 1973 for this one, because the factory changed the bulkhead shape to accommodate the V8. In stock form, that puts out something like 155 bhp but with more torque than the RX-7 mill; the aluminum V8 weighs something like 40 pounds less than a B-series four, to boot. On another subject, I have to say something good about the electrical system in the car. I started it up last night at 10pm 35 miles from home and the generator light stayed lit. Hmmm... I was amazed to find that the car started just like it always(well, usually) does and didn't even crank slowly. Thank You Batteries!! Like I said, the cars are amazing -- the electrical components were often shortchanged. All things considered, I'd probably rather have a B with a good rebuild, a nice cam, a free-flow exhaust and some well-balanced SUs and spend the money on upgrading the electrical components and on modern oil seal materials. RIght now, for instance, I'm having occasional starter-solenoid problems (I'm 90% sure that's what it is, but more on that later...) --Scott
gsds@uunet.uu.net (K.C.Babb) (02/09/90)
>Ed Burns asks: >>All this talk about MG/Honda mating has got me wondering. >>Do any of you know if this has been done using real British >>bodies and Japanese drivetrains. >There's a firm advertizing in the back of Autoweek every now & then which >claims to make a swap kit for the Mazda Rotary into Spridget. 135hp in >a Sprite - I'd love to try one sometime. >ed The fastest E-Modified autocrosser in the country is just such a creature; a mildly-ported, Weber-ized rotary in a Sprite (with mucho suspension mods and other pricey goodies). Goes like stink; one year at Nationals he broke his gearbox and had to drive the whole course in 2nd gear-- they won anyway. The car was recently sold to a Chicagoan named Kinser (former owners were the Kings, from Fresno CA). All it takes is money... KCB
George.Emery@p42.f4.n105.z1.fidonet.org (George Emery) (02/09/90)
> I doubt if I'd ever do it because I'm a stickler for authenticity, but > it sure sounds good. Look at it this way: it'd be an authentic original if you did it! > On another subject, I have to say something good about the > electrical system in the car. I started it up last night at > 10pm 35 miles from home and the generator light stayed lit. > I was amazed to find that the car started just like it always(well, > usually) does and didn't even crank slowly. Thank You Batteries!! It's fairly amazing how far you can drive a car without recharging the battery. I've driven from Portland to Seaside (~100 mi) at night with no generator, got a recharge at a gas station, turned around and driven back. -- George Emery - via FidoNet node 1:105/14 UUCP: ...!{uunet!oresoft, tektronix!reed}!busker!4.42!George.Emery ARPA: George.Emery@p42.f4.n105.z1.FIDONET.ORG
british-cars-request@alliant.com (02/12/90)
> It's fairly amazing how far you can drive a car without recharging the > battery. I've driven from Portland to Seaside (~100 mi) at night with > no generator, got a recharge at a gas station, turned around and driven > back. Seems like a long way to drive just to get your battery recharged. And wasn't it nearly dead by the time you got back? Seems like wasted effort to me. :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) -------------------------------------------------------------------- T.J. Higgins uunet!ingr!higgins (UUCP) Intergraph Corp. M/S CR041 higgins@ingr.com (Internet) One Madison Industrial Park Huntsville, AL 35894-0001 "Well-weathered leather, hot metal (205) 730-6191 and oil, the scent of country air" -Rush
craig@tolsoft.tolerant.com (Craig Harmer) (02/13/90)
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 90 11:29:28 PST From: Edward Burns <tolsoft!amdahl!ames!GARP.MIT.EDU!mit-eddie!ads.com!eburns> All this talk about MG/Honda mating has got me wondering. Do any of you know if this has been done using real British bodies and Japanese drivetrains. how about japanese bodies and british drivetrains? the worst of both worlds! can you imagine a toyota celica body with an MGB engine, transmission, and differential (and of course, Lucas electrical)? sorry, couldn't resist. craig