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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - fibreglass flip front

Has anyone ever seen or done a fibreglass flip front for an MGB? This would look great, reduce weight and leave plenty of room for a thumpin' big V8!!
If no-one has seen this done, is anyone interested?
I am investigating getting this built from scratch and would be happy to make the parts and how-to available once (if) completed.
Cheers from OZ
Steve

Steve,
Not fiberglass, but check this out:
http://www.mgbconversions.com/photoalbum/variousv8s/JimBlackwood.htm

Jim
Jim Blackwood

A question which always comes to mind with one piece front engine covers (says he neatly avoiding the hood / bonnet debate) namely that of how long do the headlights stay aligned?

I recall ralking to an E type owner (Jaguar XKE in the US) who complained he seemed to spend a lot of time trying to keep everything on the straight and level.

Just a random thought.

Cheers, Pete.

Peter Thomas

OZ, I am doing this to a pro street/sports race car I have at the shop. I have never seen it done but if someone wanted to do it they should consider that the removal of the inner fender wells to accommodate a larger engine would affect body integrity if the tip front was installed. A builder should support the "frame rails" carefully before removing the inner fender panels. Next is a supporting cage for the "frame" in exchange for the removed inner panels and fenders. After that I would fabricate removable inner panels to help keep out dust, dirt and shrapnel picked up by the tires.
Dann Wade

Hey Jim,
How about a retractable hardtop? We could hinge the boot lid down near the bumper, and increase the length of the trunk lid to include the panel between the rear of the cockpit and the trunk lid, and have the top fold down into there. I've seen it on The Mercedes Benz convertibles, and the lexus sc430 too.

Possible?
Justin
Justin

Justin, Yes, it would be possible but I think I'd rather keep the top stowed in the current position and retain the trunk space. What would be trick in doing that, would be a segmented hard cover hinged below the stowed soft top which could drop towards the floor during raising and lowering of the top and then return to a closed position. I'm not going to be ready to tackle such a project for at least a couple more years but it's worth thinking about.

But getting back to the front assembly, First and foremost, if the fenders are to tilt foreward then something has to be done to replace the strength lost by detatching from the inner fenders, or stress cracks will develop in the inner fenders. I've found what I thing is about the simplest way to deal with this issue, note the stainless braces on each side which are also tied into the fender stubs to prevent them becoming occupant spears in a front end collision. Aside from that, the next big issue is the front hinge assembly and right along with that is the third, how the latching mechanism is going to work. It is a little more involved than simply putting a hinge at the lower front edge, as you have to provide for bumper overriders, and the rear edge cannot drag as the front end is raised. It took me a number of tries to come up with an acceptable solution and there are still issues. It does have a wonderful "Cool!" factor though.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I already don't have a trunk because of my fuel cell, so what's a few more inches of lost space? I go to church with probably a dozen engineers. I bet if I bought an old B and used it as a model we could figure it out, then modify my car to match. Man that would be cool!

Justin
Justin

My girlfriend has a Lexus SC430. The top mechanism is very complex. You will probably need all dozen of the engineers and a bunch of expensive 3D CAD to model the design.

Good luck !!
Edd Weninger

I bet that is a beauty to hold,... I mean behold. The Lexus that is......
JWK Kerr

Well, let's put it this way, it wouldn't be a quick project. Probably not worth it either as the market would be limited and the price high. But a drop-in self contained design would be possible, making installation a snap. Oh well, maybe someday when I get bored.. Yeah, like that's ever going to happen.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

This thread was discussed between 29/03/2004 and 01/04/2004

MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical index

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