Turbo MGB
Project in progress.  A 1977 MGB with a 1986 Thunderbird Turbocoupe drivetrain.  More details and pictures to come soon.  Everything on this car  came from a junkyard or was intercepted on the way there, including the car itself!  This car is and has been my daily driver for the last eight years, plus for 4.5 very shitty years I used it to run between Salt Lake and So Cal  once a month or more. As of Dec 01 the MG made it through the California Smog Referee process so now it's "Smog blessed" and legal
Last update-1-14-04
My Favorite Links:
Turboford
My Info:
Name:
Mark Matejka
Email:
Gocartmg@aol.com
Best times, so far
13.72 sec @ 100.61
13.98 sec @ 99.39
These were at Palmdale, 2,800ft altitude
14.01 sec @ 100.39 mph
14.2 sec @ 95 mph
14.3 sec @ 97 mph
These were  at 4,500 ft altitude
13.964 sec @ 99.74
At California Speedway  approx 2,000ft
Not a lot of room leftover!
Yes that's my boot in the lower left corner , I was standing on the front fenders to get the picture.
Nov 11, 2000
ENGINE

Block, rods and crank stock (86 Tbird).  Stud kits (from Esslinger) fitted for head and main caps. Esslinger heavy duty rod bolts.  JE Pistons, stock style and compression, hopefully stronger than stock. Lastly, an Esslinger windage tray

Head 84 Tbird, fitted with Esslinger oversize valves.  No port work but I did grind smooth all the rough edges.  Esslinger springs and retainers.  88 Ranger roller cam    

Intake Stock, havn't gotten around to gutting it out yet.

Exhaust   Home built.  Cut a flange from 3/8" plate, got a chunk of 2'' square pipe 1/8" thick, cut a "window" straight out from #2 exhaust port (had to raise the turbo and move it forward) and welded a flange for the turbo into the "window".  Used 1 1/2" dia, 1/8" thick water pipe about 2'' long to attach the square pipe to the flange.  Not pretty and probably not the best flowing, but it gets the job done!

Exhaust Sys   2 1/2" whipped up from J-tubes from Jegs, Supertrapp muffler.  (Yes I know a 3" would work better, but there just isn't enough room!)

Turb
o  T3, straight from the junkyard!

Intercoole
r  Conquest, cut and reangled the tubes a little.  The tubes are a little small at 1 3/4" but there's not much room to use bigger tubes and still get it into the car.  The tube size appears to be a limiting factor, as I can't get the boost above 17 psi no matter what I do.

EC
M  Was stock 86 Tbird,  installed "big" VAF and a LA3 (88 Tbird) processor.  Well worth the effort, runs better and the idle is a hell of a lot better.. 

Fuel Sy
s  "One size fits something" parts store fuel pump used as a primer pump, 86 Ranger cartridge fuel filter (this seems to make a good surge tank,  because the fuel return goes into this before going back to the tank), then a 86 Ranger external pump.  Accel adjustable fuel preasure regulator.  35 pound injectors flowed by RC Engineering.

Ignitio
n  Stock with a Crane HI-6.

Transmissio
n  Stock 86 Tbird T5, with a home made bracket to hold a clutch slave cyl.  (MGs have a hyd. clutch)

Rearen
d   77 Mustang II 8" with a posi, narrowed to fit and the stud pattern re-drilled.  3.55 gear ratio.

Tire
s  The biggest tires I can fit under the back are 195/70 14s.  This does limit traction, on the bright side it spins the tires before it breaks driveline parts. (Or so I thought)

Weigh
t  The car weighs 2520, however that's with a full tank of fuel (14 Gal) and the spare tire, tool box and other assorted crap in the trunk.  If I clean the trunk I could get it down to 2400 easy, however I need the weight in the back for traction.
Starting point!
Oct 1 2000
A day at the races
I finely got some 13 sec time slips, then when I was doing a burn out (ya know dump the clutch at 6K against the rev limiter with 17psi boost...no line lock) I blew the shit out of the third member. When it let loose the ring gear hit the back of the rear end housing so hard that it left an imprent complete with the teeth in the rear end housing.  It also twisted the left side axle a little.  Oh well anything for a cheep thrill!!!!!!!
A day at California Speedway
This is at the tires @ 14psi boost, I was too cheap to put good gas in it so we could run 18psi. This was enough to run 13.964@99.74mph at California Dragway on opening day, and that was with a 2.231 60foot time!.