Just found the site

[Jim Stabe]

I have been a MetalMeet member for about 5 years and it seems to be having its technical troubles lately and fewer people are posting. I just ran across this site yesterday and a lot of the MM people seem to have come over here, nice to see everyone.

I got started hot rodding in La Habra, Ca. when I inherited my dad's '54 Ford and I put a 390 in it with a '49 Lincoln overdrive trans. I also had a Henry J which I never finished and sold to a friend who put a Hemi in it.

After I got out of the Navy in 1972 I built an MGB roadster with a 215 aluminum Buick V8, Muncie and a narrowed Jag independent rear. As far as I can tell I was the first to put this engine in an MGB, now there are thousands out there. The car was featured in the original Petersen Engine Swapping Guide. The Buick gave way to an Olds 215 Jetfire Turbocharged engine that I dropped the compression, raised the boost and put on a 2" SU carb from an XKE Jag. The thing would really pull from 2,000 rpm on up.

It was my only transportation for 8 years and then it got mildly crashed when a friend was driving (he's still a friend). I moved to San Diego and had no place to work on it so it sat for several years. I sold the engine to a dune buggy guy and the rest of the drivetrain to other MGB guys who wanted to do the swap.

In 2001 I decided to redo the car but this time I wanted to widen the car (11") to fit the suspension - C4 Corvette front and rear - instead of the other way around. I have a Z28 Camaro LT1 that has Advanced Induction heads and cam and should be around 430 fwhp. The thing still isn't done due to home remodel/maintenance projects but is getting closer. Here are a few Pics.

Jim

[mr.c]

Jim: I can't see your photos. I have been anxiously awaiting to see how your MGB project is coming along.
I have a few of those 215 engines. Olds,Buick,and Rover. Very lightweight.

[Kerry Pinkerton]

Welcome Jim.

I kind of assumed that everyone knew about AllMetalShaping by now. I guess that's what I get for ASS U MEing.

Your photos should work the same way as they did on MM. Well, better actually, we're not having the problems with photos that they seem to have. You can either attach them to your post or upload into the integrated gallery and link them in.

I've been meaning to ask if you were going to lengthen the car also or is it just going to be wider?

[Jim Stabe]

Oops, the photos would probably show up better if I actually included them!

More located here http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581

6-22-06D.jpg

6-16-08 004.jpg

bottom2.jpg

Bottom Front.jpg

Bumper rear001.jpg

Dash 004.jpg

Roll Bar 001.jpg

rear.jpg

[HEATNBEAT]

WOW Jim! have read about your car at MM but this is the first time I saw pictures! looking nice

[Overkill]

Jim,

Looks like you've made some progress since I last saw the car on Metal Meet. Looks good.

Have a question for you. You went with a double frame, perimeter and one along the tranny. I've been thinking about doing the same thing. What size tubing did you use in the in the two different members?

John

[Dyce]

Jim that car is looking great!! What a blast!! The wide body gives it a high end, sports car look you only see in special factory built racecars. Thanks for posting and welcome to AMS.

[Jim Stabe]

Originally Posted by Overkill

Jim,

Looks like you've made some progress since I last saw the car on Metal Meet. Looks good.

Have a question for you. You went with a double frame, perimeter and one along the tranny. I've been thinking about doing the same thing. What size tubing did you use in the in the two different members?

John

John

If you are talking about the perimeter being the box section of the door sills, that is stock MG and really isn't part of the frame structure anymore. The strength of the car is the backbone structure that forms the trans tunnel and also provides the mounts for the engine and both suspensions. Everything else is hung off of that structure. Lotus used a similar construction in the Elan and Herb Adams shows a Cobra chassis that he made using that same concept in his book Chassis Engineering.

The tubing I used in the tunnel section is 1"x3" .083" along the bottom and 1" round and 1"x2" on the top (I wanted the rounded edgein front). It is sheeted inside and out with 18 ga and it has 1" polyethelene foam sandwiched in for insulation. It makes a very rigid structure.
Tunnel5.jpg

Tunnel7.jpg

Tunnel9.jpg

The tubes around the engine compartment are 2" .083" top and bottom

DSCF0031.jpg
DSCF0003.jpg
DSCF0002.jpg

The rear rails are 2"x3" .083". The relatively thin tubes would probably not be strong enough in a conventional ladder frame configuration but they gain a lot of rigidity with angled tubing braces and 18 ga shear panels.

DSCF0034.jpg
Jan05 7.jpg

[David Gardiner]

Hi Jim, Have you welded that bonnet together yet? (yes it is a bonnet not a hood) Good to see you here.

David

[Jim Stabe]

Originally Posted by David Gardiner

Hi Jim, Have you welded that bonnet together yet? (yes it is a bonnet not a hood) Good to see you here.

David

Hi David

It took me a while to figure out that the party had moved next door, I wondered why it had gotten so quiet at MM. To answer your question - no, I haven't welded it yet. I need to buy a sheet of aluminum and cut 2 of the strips I need for the fill (one to screw up and one to actually weld into the hood (bonnet). I can use all the waste to practice on. I guess if I really botch the weld I can just trim some off either side of the hood and weld in a wider strip. I hope you are right and at the end I find that it really wasn't a big deal.