Craigslist is a dangerous, dangerous thing. Sure, there are people out there waiting to take advantage of you, but this isn’t a public service announcement. I’m talking about the kind of dangerous that comes from copious amounts of cheap, relatively sexy sheet metal. Take the 1974 MGB GT you see up top. It’s for sale locally with a price tag of $2,800. I don’t have 28 C-notes floating around without a home, but the ad does say something about trades. Now we’re talking. Read on.
First off, you’re probably asking why in the name of the Car Gods I would want this thing. It’s packing a whopping 95 horsepower, has the top speed of a Shetland Pony without the reliability and is about as prone to rust as my International Scout. There’s a reason Brit car lovers live and die by the credo “If it runs, sell it.” It’s not even that attractive. All true. But this little gem has other attributes on its side.
For one, it’s got charisma coming out the tail pipe. This rig was penned by Pininfarina, which explains the somewhat quirky yet stylish looks, and while it’s considerably heavier than its soft-top brothers, it’s also much stiffer thanks to all the added body structure. Stiffer means quicker through the twisties, and that’s good. But that’s not all.
These things came with an all-aluminum Buick V8 under the hood. The engine weighed 40 lbs less than the iron four-cylinder and put out about 40 more horsepower. Tee hee. If that’s not enough, Chevrolet 350’s fit under that long n’ low bonnet like they grew there, and the sky’s the limit with power on those mills. Just imagine all the reliability of a fuel-injected aluminum 350 shoved down in the light-weight body—just 2,200 lbs—of the MGB GT. Fiendish. Though, just to be different I might try for a FoMoCo 302.
So what to trade? I’m guessing the ’71 Lincoln is a good candidate. It’s worth about as much and runs like a top (now). The owner of the MGB even asked if it had the 460 when I called, so odds are he knows his Lincolns. Will he want to swap a minnow for a land shark? I doubt it, but just imagine the garage space I’d have if he did. So what do you think? Keep the barge or go for the row boat?
Posted By: Zach Bowman | 10 Comments »
Tags: 1971 1971 Lincoln Contiental Mark III 1974 1974 MGB GT Craigslist Lincoln Continental Mark III MG MGB MGB GT
If he’ll swap for your 71 Lincoln, I’d definitely go for it.
The big question to me is whether to keep the 3.5 liter Rover/Buick V8 or to go for something else. As you say, with the Chevy 350 being the natural choice it’d be a quick and easy conversion. The Ford 302 could be interesting, but frankly I’d stay within the GM family since that’s the pedigree of the original engine.
I’d definitely get a kick out of some newer forced induction engines in that car, too. Like the Pontiac Solstice GXP’s 2.0 liter turbo with 260 horses. Or even a supercharged V8 out of a Jag. But those aren’t just the image antithesis of the Chevy/Ford engines, they’re the opposite in terms of price and running costs too.
I guess there’s a reason everybody puts a Chevy 350 or Ford 302 in their cars.
Funny you mention the GXP mill. It was one of the first to come to mind as an alternate power plant before I found out about the Rover block. But, like you say, it’s all about cost.
There are plenty of good small blocks to be had out there thanks to the SUV crash. Still, what about the F20C out of the S2000? Six speed, independent rear and all? Not easy, but probably crazy fun.
What about a ZR1 crate motor, Zach?
He’s saving that for his Ariel Atom.
Brewhaha. Seriously though, an LS9 isn’t a bad idea. A little excessive, but not a bad idea. Of course, I’d need corporate sponsorship to pull down a mill like that. Hint, hint.
Wouldn’t be complete without a Viper V10…..
Or a Jag V12….
Jag V12 — finally, someone is makin’ some sense around here…
Even a nice new cheap and plentiful 5.7 Hemi should fit in there nicely.
It is so old, but still so fashionable! I’m amazed that it is still running! i would be glad to posess such thing!
@ Justin, under the bonnet of the circa ‘64 Sebring edition of the MGB GT V8 (pictured above with the large flared arches), as with all BL cars, some seemingly being assembled using a random set of parts grabbed off the shelf, you’ll find the V8 is more often than not in fact the overbored 3.9l unit, rather than the 3500 a-la the SD1 Vitesse.