1973 MGB GT V8 Race Car
(Currently racing with the Equipe Classic Racing BCV8 series)
In April 2014, we purchased a genuine MGB GT V8 to convert into a BCV8 class C race car. Oliver had grown up watching the BCV8 races with his dad & brother, and had always wanted his own race car. The car underwent a full restoration as it was one of the worst shells to have passed through the workshop. The shell was restored as opposed to buying new as it was a genuine factory V8 and therefore worth saving.
In our workshop, the car has been strengthened (including seam welding & welding in a roll cage) to ensure it is as competitive and safe as possible. The gearbox tunnel has been modified to accommodate a stronger Cosworth gearbox, and the inner wings were modified to fit extractor exhaust manifolds and a larger radiator. In addition, the rear wheel arches were stretched to accommodate the larger racing tyres.
After fitting lightweight front wings and a tailgate, in March 2016 the car was sent to a body shop for painting in Tartan Red (an original MG colour from the 1960’s).
During these two months where the car was at the body shop, work commenced on building the 3.9 Rover V8 engine to the BCV8 regulations. When the car was returned in April 2016, the final assembly commenced.
In July 2016, the car was tested during a track day at Cadwell Park, and Oliver participated in his first official race there in August 2016. Other than some minor fettling and adjustments as would be expected, the car ran well!
Since then, we have not missed a race weekend!
Over the following years, the car was continually maintained and upgraded by us, with only slight modifications taking place. In February 2020, we were asked to display the car at Race Retro as part of the MG Car Club stand.
In May 2022, during the last lap whilst racing at Oulton Park, the engine suffered unexpected oil starvation. Prior to this, the car had not suffered any major issues in nearly 6 years, showcasing the reliability of the original engine we built. We carry out a full refresh of the engine every winter between race seasons to keep any issues to a minimum.
The next race meeting was scheduled for mid-June 2022 at Silverstone, so the race was quite literally on to get the backup engine into race worthy condition!
The ‘backup’ engine performed well for the rest of the 2022 season and was eventually taken out and completely refreshed over the following winter ready for the 2023 season. In 2023 the car performed better than ever without any major issues.
However, in October 2023 at Silverstone (the last race weekend of the season!), during qualifying a racing incident caused significant damage to the car. The driver's side door was badly caved in, as well as damage to the rear wing and wheel arch, offside front wing, and front valance. The car was patched up at the track, and did make it out to race! However, further damage was then sustained to the bonnet when another racing incident took place in race 1. Thankfully, the car was patched up again and there were no incidents during the final race!
Over the following winter, we put the car on our tailor-made bodyshop jig and completely stripped it back to the bare shell. Whilst on the jig, we also checked for any signs of twisting following the two impacts, of which there were none. The following body work was then carried out before we sent it off to be resprayed in February 2024:
- The offside sill and A post were straightened;
- The B post, offside rear wing and wheel arch were all replaced and welded in place;
- Both front wings, front valance, slam panel, and the bonnet were all replaced.
Once the car was returned back to us, it was reassembled and put back together with a refreshed engine ready for the 2024 season.
