1978 MG B GT V8

It would be easy to dismiss ‘APR 377T’ as just another MGB GT that’s been converted from rubber bumpers and had a V8 stuffed under the bonnet.

Easy perhaps, but to do so would be wrong because an awful lot of time, effort, and money has gone into creating one of the better examples of the genre we’ve seen.

For instance, apart from the way it looks – 226 photos show the finished car in all its glory – the MGB’s specification is so extensive we’ve had to resort to using bullet points to list it all.

And that’s before you’ve watched the video and listened to the Rover V8 engine’s burble.

The restoration and conversion was done between 2021 and 2023, a three-year period that saw the seller invest an awful lot of time and money.

And thought, lots and lots of thought because this really is a very nicely restored car indeed.

It’s only being reluctantly offered for sale because he’s got a Triumph Stag waiting in the wings to receive a Rover V8 engine of its own.

Converted from rubbers bumpers to the much more elegant chrome ones you see here, the MGB also benefits from a respray in its original colour of Pageant Blue.

The seller bought it as a part-restored car but being the perfectionist he is, he stripped it back to bare metal anyway and started again. There are photos in the history file of it in this condition but we thought the most important thing was to give you plenty of photos of the finished article because it is bloomin’ gorgeous.

The panels align perfectly and speak of many hours of carefully massaging them into place. The seller is a classic car enthusiast and talented restorer who enjoys the doing rather than the driving, so there was no arbitrary deadline for him to meet, no rushed and bodged stages, just an insistence that he had to get everything just so before he moved onto the next item: “It’s a proper job” he told us, and we believe him.

The 15-inch, Minilite-style, Minator wheels, which are finished in anthracite, were supplied by the MGB Hive in March 2022. The seller took the opportunity to have them supply and fit a matching set of Avon ZT7 tyres too, and the final bill topped £700.

As you can see, the wheels are still perfect, and the tyres still have their full depth of tread. He splashed out on a full set of chrome wheel nuts too, and the whole ensemble is flawless.

Plus, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

He also fitted a new windscreen, plus new stainless-steel and chrome trim outside – and as he converted it to chrome bumpers all of the parts needed to accomplish that are either new or refurbished too.

Of course, all the lamp lenses are excellent, and the glass sunroof both fits and seals well.

As for things to do, the boot seal could possibly do with replacing as it is a bit cracked needs fitting. That’s it.

The use of seats from the Mazda MX5 is still relatively uncommon, which is something we are struggling to understand given how well they fit into the MGB’s cabin and how much more comfortable and supportive they are.

And the leather-covered jobbies he chose are in great shape with only light creasing to their face material.

They also have speakers in their headrests, which will be a boon if you ever get sick of hearing that glorious V8 wail and decide to make use of the pre-installed wiring for a radio. (Spoiler: you probably won’t.)

The rear seat area is a simple carpeted platform. The seller removed the rear seat and replaced with it with a custom-made board, but if you need two more seats rather than this extra luggage space, the original layout would be easy to reinstate.

New carpets were fitted throughout, and these sit on top of Kilamat sound deadening.

The list of new parts goes on and includes new instruments with chrome bezels, including the correct speedometer and rev counter.

The leather-trimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel feels as good as it looks.

The boot is both well-trimmed and benefits from hydraulic struts to lift the spare wheel cover. It also contains a trickle charger to keep the battery topped up when the MGB’s tucked away in the garage.

As for work to do, the speedometer will probably need calibrating as the seller suspects it underreads at the moment.

Hold on to your hats because there’s a lot to unpick in this section, so much in fact that we’re going to use bullet points to try and convey as much information as we can:

Engine

• The engine number suggests the Rover V8 was originally destined for use in a 3.9-litre Morgan engine. The seller bought it privately as a reconditioned unit from a chap who had intended to put it in his TVR.
• While it is recorded as a 3.9-litre engine, he suspects it may well be a 4.2-litre, but he’s erred on the side of caution in the way he’s described it because that’s the way he is.
• It is fitted with a complete and new stainless-steel exhaust system from Clive Wheatley, the well-known V8 conversion specialist. Beautifully crafted, the exhaust manifolds exit through inner wings, which have been fitted with the correct strengthening pieces.
• Revotec fans with thermostatic control and a manual override keep things nice and cool.

Drivetrain

• An LT77 gearbox is fitted with an upgraded clutch with a heavy-duty steel carrier from Clive Wheatley.
• Clive also contributed a new V8 propshaft and a reconditioned rear differential. This has, of course, been modified to run the correct diff ratio.
• The only issues with it are “the gearchange is notchy into second when cold. This is a common issue with the LT77 box, and it improves as gearbox warms up.”

Brakes

• Uprated four-pot brakes calipers and matching discs from the MGOC have been fitted on the front.
• The drum braking system on the rear is standard but is all new.
• New brake lines have been fitted throughout with braided hoses used on the front and rear.
• A new servo and master cylinder have also been fitted.

Suspension

• The correct MGB GT V8 rear springs are fitted.
• Standard-rate but lowered springs have been used at the front.
• All four corners have standard dampers.
• Polybushes have also been fitted all round.
• Period Ron Hopkinson roll bars are in place at both ends.
• A Frontline castor correction kit has been fitted.

The seller tells us that he tried to imagine what the factory would do if they were building them now. The front suspension, for example, has been left at a standard spring rate because both he and Clive Wheatley think it handles better that way.

As for the cost, while we haven’t been meticulous in totting it up (and we’d be surprised if the seller has either), this wasn’t a job done on the cheap: our rough back-of-a-vape-packet sums got us well into five figures – and that was without factoring in what the engine cost him …

And that probably wasn’t cheap either because it fires into life readily and if the rev counter takes a while to wake up (don’t we all?) you’ll be too busy admiring the engine note to notice.

It burbles along at low revs nicely but really comes alive when it is provoked, the twin K&N air filters and bespoke exhaust system working in concert to let the big V8 fill its lungs.

As for the exhaust note, if you’re reading this before you’ve listed to the video stop right now and skip to 3’ 10” – and turn the volume up.

The seller tells us it is “running extremely well with no issues.”

Gas struts hold the bonnet open, allowing you to admire the engine bay without fear of decapitation – and you will spend some time admiring it. Beautifully finished, the black and blue and silver colour scheme (again) reflects an awful lot of hard work and thought.

The chassis is solid and is said to have been “Waxoyled regularly.” We can certainly see a nice combination of Pageant Blue paint and underseal in addition to that gorgeous-sounding exhaust.

Supplied by Wadham Stringer of Weymouth on the 11th of December 1978, the stamped Passport to Service booklet that comes with the car shows that a cracked oil filter housing led to a new engine being fitted in August 1982. That engine is long gone now of course, but it is an interesting part of its history, nonetheless.

The service history booklet has stamps up to 1986 and 66,000 miles, after which the paper trail of invoices takes over – and there are plenty of them. All-in-all, the photos of the car’s paperwork stretch to 117 pages.

The bulk of the invoices are from 2021/23, the period the car was given its new paint, elegant bumpers, and V8 engine.

The MGB’s MoT certificate is valid until November 2025 – and of course it, like every one on record, was issued with no advisories.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear.

Apart from the quality of the work the seller carried out, the main thing that struck us was how readily available and how cheap the parts he used were.

Sure, the final bill easily topped five figures (plus the cost of the engine) but there were an awful lot of top-notch components in there plus to a huge volume of nuts, bolts, fasteners, and the like, and it served to remind us that the MGB can be a very cost-effective sportscar, especially when someone else has already done the heavy lifting.

We estimate this one will fetch somewhere between £12,000 and £16,000, which is an absolute bargain when you factor in labour on top of the invoices on file.

Best of all, the seller is so confident in the quality of his car that he’s offering it with no reserve, so it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

So, if you’re looking for a special Christmas gift for that special someone in your life, you know what to do.

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