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Re: Questions of an esoteric nature

To: Will Brien <wbrien@mediaone.net>
Subject: Re: Questions of an esoteric nature
From: Martin <martin@virtual-motors.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 09:23:01 -0500
What state do you live in? What you want to do is
VERY illegal in some states. You might warrant a
conspiracy charge even talking about it here.

To lower the front just remove and replace the front member from an early
MGB. R and R the carb and exhaust manifold with a down draft
weber and tube type header will help some. Your
engine will still have a retarded camshaft
and retarded distributor which will produce retarded performance.

Will Brien wrote:

> OK, guys -
>
> Sorry for the length of this one but here's some stuff that I would love
> your feedback on.  As I prepare to embark on the "big task" sometime after
> top down weather is past, i.e. pull motor, rebuild or replace bad tranny,
> etc., I am putting together a list of should do's, could do's and should I
> do's.  One thing that I would like to achieve at some point is to bring the
> car back to what I believe was it's original state of snappiness and
> handling.  To whit, my understanding of the evolution of the B, and please
> correct me if I'm wrong, is that the car improved in little ways through the
> years from it's inception until 1973 - 1974.  At that time, because of new
> safety regulations imposed by the Feds here in the states, the car was
> modified at the cost of handling, performance and, some would argue, looks.
> Specifically, to meet the more stringent bumper regs, the chrome was
> replaced with rubber but, more importantly, the car was raised 1 to 2 inches
> in height.  As a result, any B manufactured after 1974 had more body lean
> and roll.  In addition, to meet emission standards, the engines were
> systematically de-powered, dropping the HP steadily, year after year.
>
> So, my first question is, am I correct in my understanding of the above?
> (I'm sure that this is all detailed in one of the many MG books available,
> but I don't know which one or ones, and at $30 to $50 bucks a pop, I don't
> feel like experimenting to find out.)  Second, if my 77 is higher off of the
> road than pre-74 models, then by how much and what is the best way to bring
> the height back down?  I really believe that I can tell a difference in the
> handling of the 77 vs. earlier models I have owned in the past.  I know that
> I can install new springs in the rear which will drop the car back down an
> inch or so.  What happens to the front end?   I don't feel like driving a
> "raked" B.   Third and last, not being as mechanically adept as many of you
> appear to be, the prospect of removing and replacing the engine is daunting
> enough in and of itself.  Cracking it to do an engine rebuild is not
> something I feel ready to tackle.  But there are things that I can do, such
> as upgrade the carburetion, put on a better exhaust system and so on.  What
> advice can you auto sages offer a restoration novice like myself in that
> regard?
>
> Will
> Yellow 77

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