Our Pick of the Day follows a familiar formula: It’s a small British car that has a V-8 under the hood. Hmmm… That sounds like a Shelby Cobra, doesn’t it? It does, but the car you see here is not a Shelby. The good news is that it’s not priced like one. You can find this 1977 MG MGB hot rod listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Lithia Springs, Georgia. It comes with receipts and owner’s and service manuals.
According to Shelby American, Carroll Shelby “wondered why no one in the United States built a sports car that offered European handling and balance with an American V-8 engine that could be easily serviced at any car dealership or independent garage.” To create the first Cobras, Shelby and his crew took a small British sports car, the AC Cars Ace, then dropped a Ford 260ci V-8 in between the front wheels. Over time, the V-8 grew in displacement and the Shelby Cobra became a racing and street car legend.
Based on unibody underpinnings, the MG MGB roadster served as the replacement for the MGA. The MG Owners’ Club website states, “Due to the MGB weighing some 45 lbs heavier than the MGA, it was decided to increase the power of the B series engine as a decrease in performance on the new model was not desirable. The B series engine was stretched by boring out to 80.26mm x 88.9mm giving 95bhp @ 5400rpm and 110 Ib/ft of torque @ 3000rpm.” Believe it or not, MG did produce an MGB — the 1973-76 MGB GT V8, to be exact — with a GM-based 3.5-liter Rover V-8.
Whoever was behind this build used a much larger 347ci stroker V-8. Perhaps even better, (s)he paired that with an 8.8-inch rear end and wheel-to-wheel side pipes, which instantly make this little brute look even more powerful. Judging by the underside of the hood, it looks as if the hood scoop is functional and not just cosmetic. A four-speed automatic takes most of the footwork out of forward motion.
Aside from those changes and four-wheel power disc brakes and digital gauges, this MGB looks largely regular. Burgundy paint and a black soft top with a plastic rear window don’t appear to be wildly exotic for one of these British roadsters. The same goes for the tan vinyl interior.
But one stab of the throttle will instantly make it clear that this is not an ordinary 1977 MG MGB. If you want to make it your MGB, be prepared to spend $30,995.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
