Don Hayter, in case you didn't know, was an draughtsman (later
engineer) at MG, joining in 1956, becoming Chief Engineer in 1973. In my
book (plug plug), I suggest that if Syd Enever - as Chief Engineer - was
the father of the MGB, Don Hayter and Jim O'Neill - who between them
shaped its classic lines - were its God-Parents. Don, deeply involved in
ALL R&D work should know if there had been a twin cam MGB, and I asked
him the direct question. I have also spoken to others who would know -
e.g. Terry Mitchell (Chief Chassis Engineer) and Jim O'Neill (Chief Body
Engineer), Dickie Wright, Cliff Bray, Geoff Allen, Uncle Tom Cobbledy
and all etc. and I can assure you, if it happened at Abingdon, they
would know about it. But they say it didn't. Period. Sorry.
Don't get me wrong - it is a lovely idea - and I agree with you, it
would provide a truly fascinating project, with a unique slant on MG
`heritage', but please please don't be taken in by some of those
`papers' which come with cars - I found out that a Daimler V8 engined
MGB which was built by an employee at Ricardo Engineering in his spare
time somehow gained an `official' history, with papers (which I have
copies of) implying official Abingdon involvement. I checked back
thoroughly with all the proper sources - Abingdon sources - and they
confirmed that although a Daimler V8 engine was tried in a bodyshell in
the experimental shop, no complete car was ever built. The Daimler V8
MGB was last seen in Switzerland, with a for sale tag on it.....
Another thing, for fans of competition MG's; you should know that
Abingdon wasn't averse to swapping chassis and registration numbers
around a bit, making the life of the masochistic MG historian all the
more interesting. Add to this the fact that two people could try to
build a single car from different bits......
David Knowles
1974 MGB GT V8 Damask
1980 MGB Inca
----------
From: Kai Radicke
To: David Knowles; MGDIGEST
Subject: Re: Yet more on the MGB Twin Cam
Date: 01 August 1997 17:17
> The `rumour' about six MGB Twin Cams got me going - and having come
> across other cars which have had a factory involvement claimed for them
> which, after a little detective work, turned out to be fake (e.g. a
> road-registered Daimler V8 engined MGB) I decided to ask a man who
> should know - Don Hayter.
And why should I believe Don Hayter?
> Don confirms that no twin cam MGB was ever built by MG at Abingdon; he
> said that although the packaging was investigated in the early days, the
> problems with the engine ruled it out; there were piston problems and
> the fact that the engine required high octane fuel, which was being
> phased out and was in any case hard to get in some markets, militated
> against it. If someone has a twin cam MGB, he says, it isn't one of
> ours.
You and I both know that the MG Factory was specail and REAL records
weren't taken proper care of. This may have been a R&D project, with a
MGB. Remember this isn't a 1800block and twincam head this is a MGA
block
and TwinCam head.
I think I'll do my own detective work...
> The MGB was originally going to have the 1,622 c.c. engine (as per the
> MGA Mk.II) but as you may know this was soon changed when it was found
> that the 1600 MGB was slower than the 1600 MGA, and that the ADO17
> saloon planned for 1964 would also need an 1800. I doubt that there will
> be much enthusiasm in our ranks for building a 1,622 c.c ohv MGB.....
Yeah but I would built a 1,622cc DOHC MGB...with out a doubt!
KMR
Kai M. Radicke -- mowogmg@pil.net @ 1966 MGB --
http://www.pil.net/~mowogmg
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