1974 MGB V8 Roadster. Sept 07

When I first drove an MGB, there were only two important questions in life. Should I buy an MGB or a TR4? Then there was the really big question. Were you a Stones or a Beatles person? A no brainer for me. Beatle people drove Minis and, God forbid, VW Combis. Stones people were a tougher breed - we could handle a proper car - one with two doors and no roof. But, as Bob Dylan said, 'times they are a changin'. Do I still want to be in the camp of a guy who falls out of coconut trees and sniffs his dad up a rolled banknote? Getting shot in New York has got to get some sympathy votes, too, but in the end, the answer comes down to longevity. MGs & Triumphs? - gone to greener pastures. The Beatles? - gone for 30 years or more. But Mick and his (very) merry men? - still rockin' on. I always knew I'd backed a winner!
The MG brand, of course, struggled on in one form or another until just a couple of years ago. There is still talk of a resurrection with an "Asian" MG, which in all honesty, I prefer not to think about.
The MGB was the jewel in the MG crown. Not to say that it was the best MG ever, just that it was the single most significant car in the firm's history. It was produced over a period of 18 years and most people alive today think of MGB the car as MG the brand. It was the car that brought sportscar motoring to the masses. And why not? The B was great to drive, looked good, was reliable and didn't cost the earth to buy or run. So what if the hood looked ratty after a couple of years, or that any decent hatchback could kill it around the Top Gear test track. Rust was a bit of a problem if you drove over roads that were coated in salt during the winter months. The beauty of a B, however, is that everything is fixable. Rust can be cut out, and a wonky sill replaced. The spare parts backup is second to none in just about any first world country. And you can even fix the performance deficit by simply dropping in a V8 - (Yes, it is simple - you give a man money and he does it for you).
What you have then, of course, is your own version of what MG did to the MBG GT in 1973, and that was make it into the MBG GT V8. (Now you may think that name is a bit of a mouthful but think what the non-abbreviated version would have looked like across the boot lid " Morris Garages Type B Grand Tourer with Vee Eight Cylinder engine" Phew!).
This cat was a corker and deserved a better and longer life, but internal British Leyland rivalries (between MG and Triumph, who were trying to save their TR7 and Stag) meant that the GT V8 was only produced in RHD form, and thus was denied to the European and American markets.
Our test car has been converted and has also had a complete makeover. The result? One of the best, adn certainly cleanest MG V8 roadsters in the country. The engine has been tweaked with the addition of Weber Carbs and the performance is bound to be very strong when you consider the all-up weight is only around 1000kg.
The gearbox is a 4 speed with overdrive on 4th gear. Having O/D on 4th only is fine as the V8 torque will see you through almost all the conditions you are going to encounter on an Australian road. In fact, this car drives just like a good 'B' should. The suspension is lively and you can feel the rear axle doing its thing as you push hard into a corner. On a fast bend, there is slight body roll, but nothing too frightening. You get the impression that this is a car that will neither hurt nor embarrass you. Corners tend to be taken with understeer rather than oversteer, and while this might not always look thrilling, it normally does the job.
The inside of this car is a very nice piece of kit indeed, having been completely retrimmed in a Moss Grey colour that includes matching carpets. The interior looks and smells like new, which is always a nice thing.
The paintwork is Alpine White with 72 spoke chrome wires neatly setting off the exterior.
If you are in the market for a top end MGB and also like the idea of V8 performance, there will be few better cars than this one.
Trevor West

WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & HOW MUCH
Model: MGB V8 roadster
Year: 1974
Dealer:Nepean Classic Cars
Units 6-7 123 Coreen Ave,
Penrith, NSW, 2750
Ph: (02) 4732 3211

Price:$32,990
0-100 kph: 7.5 seconds
Best point: Condition and power
Worst point: Non-originality might bothersome
Recommendation: Not dear for the pleasure it will give
Trivia: Some early GT V8 owners found they had overdrive in 3rd as well as 4th gear. It turned out this was just a mistake, as the blanking plate destined for 3rd gear was left off for the first month's production.