O.k., time for a side note.
I live behind the Iwo Jima Memorial across the river from D.C., so we get
alot of tourists through the area, most want directions to the Cemetary or
Memorial, so I've printed some up to the major sites in the hood to hand
out.
Two Summers ago I'm wrenching on my late great '76 Alfa Spider, and this
older gent walks up not for directions, but because he saw my TD out front.
Seems he worked at MG back in the day running wiring harness's and by the
way did I know that they'd actually built FI B's based upon the mechanical
Spica system I was working on?
My Spider eventually falls prey to a Pizza Hut driver, but I save the FI
system.
Last year my club has the owner of MotorHead out to a dinner and I ask about
fuel injected B's and get a blank stare.
Now I have confirmation, and a 74 1/2, and the old Spica system. Hmmmm....
Scott Allen
74 1/2 BGT
52 TD
>From: KGROWLER@aol.com
>Reply-To: KGROWLER@aol.com
>To: mgs@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: The MG Story on Speedvision
>Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2001 18:31:09 EST
>
>Dave Houser <mgs4dave@warwick.net> wrote:
>
><<<Subject: Re: The MG Story on Speedvision
>
>To All,
>Ken brings up the one item that tweaked my ears, too. Where are those 6
>MGB's with the "O" Series engines? Anyone have any info on them.
>Hopefully, there may be one more "Great Barn Find"?
>cheers,
>Dave Houser>>>
>
>I tried to find the full story on this yesterday but only came up with part
>of it. From David Knowle's research published in MG: the Untold Story and
>his recent MGB book:
>
>There were at least 11 O-series MGB development cars, six of which were
>(all
>fuel-injected versions) road tested in the US. There were also twin
>carburetted European spec versions in some of the cars. None was ever
>released from Abingdon with an O-series in place. One of the car bodies
>used
>is still known to exist - former MG Chief Engineer Don Hayter used one of
>the
>O-series development bodies to build the V8 he still ownes today.
>
>The part I could not find - I seem to remember that the O-series
>development
>project came to a very sudden end with urgent orders from Longbridge to
>pack
>up all the engines and ship them to Triumph and that was the last that was
>seen or heard of them. At least that is what I think I read somewhere but I
>can't find that specific statement anywhere at the moment
>
>David did come up with a couple photos of the O-series mounted in a B. He
>was
>told for some time that, despite the references to the project in the ADO
>register, there were no photographs of the engine in a B. Eventually he did
>come up with two - one of the carburetted version and one of the
>fuel-injected version intended for North America.
>
>The comparative figures were very promising - Top speed of 106mph in US
>spec
>and 107 in UK spec versus the B-series of the time at 93mph US /104mph UK.
>Zero to 60 was 12.0 US/11.1 UK versus the B-series at 17.0 US/ 13.3 UK. The
>other comment cited is that British Leyland's US resident liaison engineer
>said that the O-series B was the best B ever for cooling efficiency in high
>ambient temperatures.
>
>So from the documentation, it's unlikely one will ever pull one of these
>cars
>out of an English barn. But then there is always the story of the
>Pininfarina
>MGB GT development car that Chief Engineer Roy Brocklehurst said he saw cut
>up by the tax collector that actually still exists today to provide hope
>and
>inspiration...
>
>Kim Tonry
>Downers Grove, Illinois, USA
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