1963 MGB Racer/Roadster

1963 MG MGB Description

MGB dual purpose historic racer and road car, 1963

A very early example, West Coast car, no rust on the body, floors, sills, trunk, etc.

I bought this car for my son to use for historic racing....when I was acquired, was literally ready to race. But I had full road equipment added so he could drive it legally on the road to acclimate to its characteristics.

Engine has just been done.....balanced, gas flowed head, high lift camshaft, 10.5:1 compression ratio, 45 DCOE Weber, tubular headers, etc. Runs strongly, stays at 70-80 psi oil pressure at operating temperature, doesn't miss a beat. I then added a rev limiter, electronic ignition, and (best of all) a very close ratio Datsun 280ZX five speed transmission.

Not for the higher speed potential but for the close ratio gears...closer even then the BMC factory c/r gear set. And probably a lot stronger.

We installed a three quart Accusump oiling system with electric solenoid activation, all new braided steel Aeroquip lines and fittings, engine/trans/diff drain plugs are all safety wired, and this car has passed VSCCA and VRG tech inspection.

What is really slick about this installation is that it uses the original shift lever, is perfectly legal for any historic racing group AND allows the transmission to be removed without removal of the engine.

We installed four piston Wilwood front calipers with slotted, cross drilled rotors and added a bias control, to adjust front and rear brakes. Brakes are now 'world class' and work beautifully.

Suspension changes were limited to negative camber front lower control arms, better bushings, and a thicker sway bar. The car came with a rear sway bar but I felt there was too much oversteer.

Roll bar is removable for use, has a proper high back racing seat for racing and a beautiful set of original seats for road. A new ATL fuel cell in the trunk and the spare wheel mounted underneath for road. The car has twin fuel pumps, electric cooling fan for the (shrouded) radiator, working head and parking lights, turn signals, gauge lights, horn, working wipers, working handbrake, etc.

Spent a lot of money having the speedo recalibrated for the 5 speed, finding an expensive angle drive, cable, and hooking everything up. Not so much to tell how fast the car is going but to work as a reliable fuel gauge....when the odometer hits 150 or 200 miles...start looking for gas.

Car has its original (and often missing) alloy bonnet, has been converted to dual master cylinder, has a racing battery cut off switch on the roll bar, we installed sturdy barrel bolts to make sure a door doesn't fly open, hood pins so the same wouldn't happen to the bonnet, a road tonneau and a special race tonneau that covers the roll bar.

Wheels are 6 inch wide Minilite style, tires are 185/70 for road or race, with a SuperTrapp muffler, was sufficiently quiet for road or Lime Rock's noise meter. Take if off and enjoy the REAL sound.

5 point racing belts on the driver's side and 3 pt on the passenger's. And for road, a new Sony stereo/CD with USB input.

All of this was done during the past two years and my son ran it twice...at a VRG school at Summit Point (hitting the red line in 4th gear, we calculated a true 110 mph and, on a longer straight, probably a good bit more) and the VSCCA race at Lime Rock where we clocked him at a competitive 1:12....his first time at that track. With stickier tires, perhaps a bit more oomph from the engine, I suspect this could be a hell of a neat historic racing car AND STILL retain its street capability and use. For either novice or experienced driver.

Body appears to be excellent with no signs of damage, repairs, accidents, paint is very nice, no odd fender flares of air dams, and pretty rare to find a 1963 MGB....first real year of production. Thus a fun car to bring to shows where it would stand out from most any other MGB.

All of the gauges work, runs cool on the track or street, seems to be happy on premium gas (doesn't ping or run on) although we did add a modest dose of 114 octane Cam 2 racing gas for track use.

WITH ALL OF THIS DONE......tested, enjoyed on the road.....my son wants to pursue racing in his 32hp racing Kart. So, unfortunately, this MGB has become superfluous to our needs and is not for sale. And one really gets two cars for one...a neat 'sports/racer' like road car (looking low and aggressive with its cut down plexi racing screen) and ready for the track.

(car is pictured with both stock steel wheels for the VSCCA event and the Minilites for the VRG race. Minilites are the wheels that go with the car)

It is on eBay, it is an auction, but my intent is simply to sell the car. Hence the first reasonable offer is gonna get a sensational car at a bargain price.

I can be reached at my office at 203-377-6746 9-5 weekdays Eastern time and would be glad to do my best to answer any questions. I can also help the winning bidder with shipping. Thanks for looking and good luck!