Tuesday 29 May 2007

Transformation begins!

Believe it or not I did consider racing my wife's frogeye (and she consented...sort of)! However at 6ft tall there was no way I was going to get me, my crash helmet and a roll bar under the hard top, and as the car is all steel and very original it just didn't seem right to take it racing, so that left my MGB GT. The B had been sat on the drive for 18+ months after I blew the engine at 100mph on the motorway. I brought a good secondhand engine straight away but never got round to fitting it. So the engine finally went in. The front and rear suspension was changed with new springs and uprated dampers all round, a stiffer front anti-roll bar and upgraded front brake pads (as well as braided steel brake lines). Some minilite wheels with Yokohama's should keep it on the road!

The engine got a tubular manifold and large bore exhaust, K&N air filters and electronic ignition. And that was it.......I just wanted to get the car together and handling well to start with, rather than worry about power. This going to be a long term project.

Safety wise the car got a rear cage (with the option to fit a front cage), racing seat and four point harness and a cut out for the engine.

A few number backgrounds, and other stickers just for effect, and the car was just about ready.

I got a sprint race licence from the MSA and joined the MG Car Clubs Speed Championship for some hill climbing and sprinting.





Work in progress. Chopping the frame of the webasto sun roof to fit the roll cage (on day I'll get rid of the webasto and weld the roof up)






The inside finished (sadly the lovely motolita steering wheel would soon be replaced by a 13" race wheel).


I can't remember how I discovered this (the car flew through the MOT and I never noticed anything when doing the front suspension) but about 3 days before my first event I found the front king pin was wobbling all over the place. A call to my parts supplier and the night before I was going to get up at 6am and head for my first event I was out on the drive replacing it!!
Even with the last minute drama everything was still ready to go on time.

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