In a typical american engine, 10 psi boost would be OK with a 7.5:1
compression ratio. If care is taken in preparing the head of the TC- round
all sharp edges, etc- it shoud be OK there provided you use the best gas
you can get and run to the rich side of the best power mixture.
Concerning the strength of a TC engine. If it were something for which
replacement parts were readily available, my opinion would be crank it up
an go for it. However, you are talking 45 years of wear and tear on the
rotating components already. These components are becoming quiter rare and
valuable. If it were me, I would feel terrible if I overdid it and threw a
rod through the block or cracked a head.
>From my knowledge of TC's, 70 or 80 in one of these would be scary
regardless of the engine. The tires and brakes suck by modern standards.
In any event, just increasing horsepower will not make the car cruise
faster. You would have to change the gearing, too. Otherwise you would
again be risking setting a con rod free through your block.
I do admire the fact that you want to use the TC as a driver. I don't like
the way the top end of the "collector car" business is going where the cars
are considered investments or works of art too expensive to risk driving.
This fall I drove my Corvette down to Kansas and traded it for an MGA. On
the way down, people scowled at me when I passed them, assuming I was some
self centerd prick (which I am). On the way back in the A, I got more
waves and thumbs up than I ever had in my other cars. I can only imagine
the enjoyment that running a TC down the freeway at 75 mph would bring to
yourself and to those around you.
Good Luck
Bill Eastman
61 MGA
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