Jerry Richards' 1972 MGB GT V8 Vintage Race Car
Owner: Jerry RichardsCity: Flowery Branch, GA
Model: 1972 MG MGB GT V8
Engine: Rover 3.5L V8
Built by: owner
Race Proven
This is the second of two MGB GT V8 racecars Jerry Richards has prepared and raced. Jerry purchased
the first one in 1980 as a street car, whilst living at home in England. It was one of the rare
"factory" V8s. Soon thereafter, Jerry decided to transform his MGB GT V8 into a Class D racecar
under the regulations of the MG Car Club's BCV8 Championship program. He first raced his
MGB GT V8 in 1986. (It appears here: Factory
MGB GT V8 Racer Arrives.) Over subsequent racing seasons, Jerry has developed and improved
his "Number 86" racecar in countless ways.
In more recent years, Jerry decided to build a second MGB GT V8 racecar. Jerry's "Number 40"
racecar (featured here) has carried him to victory in many races and in Sportscar Vintage
Racing Association's 2010 Championship for Group 8 racecars.
Jerry has decided to offer the Number 40 car for sale. With proceeds from the sale, he intends
to build another racecar. Jerry keeps his cards close to his chest, but we predict it will
be a different model car for an even faster racing class. Stay tuned.
If you think you might be interested in purchasing this dialed-in and race-proven MGB GT V8
vintage racecar, contact Jerry through this website:
register,
log in,
view Jerry's profile, and
then click on the words "Send a Private Message".
The classified ad appears here: For Sale: Extremely Competitive MGB GT V8 Vintage Racecar
Features and Specifications
| Engine: | Rover 3.5L engine¹ built by Lee Hurley at HESCO in Birmingham Alabama.
(Cast iron two-bolt main bearing caps.)
Chevrolet-spec 6 inch H-beam connecting rods.
~12.5:1 static compression ratio.
Later model Rover cylinder heads, O-ringed.
Rover valve covers.
Four Weber 48DCO/SP carburetors, choked down to 38mm.
John Eales swan neck intake manifolds.
MSD Pro Billet Distributor distributor (part number 8548).
MSD 6AL multiple spark discharge ignition controller.
MSD Blaster 2 ignition coil.
Moroso Blue Max spiral core 8mm spark plug wires.
Oberg 600 screen type oil filter.
Fram PH16 spin-on oil filter on a Mocal remote base.
Stock Car Products 3-stage dry sump oil pump.
Peterson engine oil reservoir.
Mocal aluminum oil catch tank.
Mocal 19-row oil cooler. |
| Cooling: | Griffin custom aluminum radiator. |
| Exhaust: | custom four-into-one headers built by Jerry Richards with help from Jay Bradley.
32" long, 1.5"-to-1.625" step-up primaries.
Speedway Motors collectors.
Ceramic coated.
2.25" exhaust pipes exit on right hand side.
|
| Transmission: | close ratio Muncie M22 4-speed, prepared by Roper at Bremer Racing (Atlantic Beach, Florida.)
D&D Fabrications aluminum bellhousing.
D&D Fabrications aluminum flywheel.
Ram Assault 2 plate clutch.
Modified Hurst shifter. |
| Rear Axle: | General Motors 10-bolt rear axle.
3.42:1 ring and pinion.
Auburn limited slip differential. |
| Front Susp.: | 7" long, 2.5" inside diameter, 750 lbs/in springs.
(Lower spring pans have been flattened with a sledge hammer to suit smaller then stock diameter springs.
Ride height has been adjusted by bolting shims into the upper spring perchs, and the
shims have a step feature in them to help keep the springs centered.)
Gutted Armstrong lever shock absorbers remain in place to serve as upper control arms.
PRO-formance SHOCKS custom valved telescoping shock absorbers (5" long stroke).
Fab-tek dropped spindles.
7/8" anti-sway bar, on polyurethane mounts. |
| Rear Susp.: | five-leaf leafsprings.
PRO-formance SHOCKS custom valved adjustable telescoping shock absorbers (7" long stroke).
Custom anti-tramp bars and A-arm, all mounted below axle.
FabTek adjustable anti-sway bar. |
| Brakes: | (master) dual Wilwood (3/4" and 7/16") master cylinders with adjustable bias bar.
Wilwood remote reservoirs. Wilwood proportioning valve. (front) Wilwood four piston aluminum calipers. Vented rotors. (rear) Chevrolet drum brakes. |
| Wheels/Tires: | Compomotive 3-piece aluminum wheels (15x7.5).
Goodyear Blue Streak tires (15x6.00). |
| Electrical: | compact Nippondenso alternator with large pulley.
Lead-acid battery. |
| Instruments: | (left to right)
Stewart Warner oil temperature gauge (140-325F),
Stewart Warner water temperature gauge (100-265F),
Elliot tachometer (0-8000rpm),
Stewart Warner oil pressure gauge (5-100psi), and
twin mini brake pressure gauges (0-1000psi). |
| Fuel System: | ATL 12 gallon aluminum cannister fuel cell.
Holley electric fuel pump.
Malpassi "Filter King" fuel pressure regulator. |
| Safety Eqpmt: | Willans six point cam-lock safety harness.
Kirkey aluminum racing seat.
Kidde dry chemical fire extenguisher. |
| Weight: | 1980 pounds, plus 75 pounds of lead ballast to meet class rules. |
| Comments: | Jerry appreciates the support of his wife Mary and of frequent crew member Greg Scott,
plus many other enthusiastic supporters over the years without whom he wouldn't
have completed so many successful races. |
Engine Installation
Rover 3.5L engine¹ built by Lee Hurley at HESCO in Birmingham Alabama.
This engine was built with a static compression ratio of ~12.5:1.
MSD Pro Billet Distributor distributor (part# 8548). Moroso Blue Max spiral core 8mm spark plug wires.
Ram tubes (a.k.a. velocity stacks or air horns) come in various lengths. Engine tuners select between
them to optimize performance for a specific RPM range. Weber 48DCO/SP ram tubes come in 16mm,
38mm and 75mm lengths. Jerry uses the 38mm version. Generally (but not always) longer ram tubes
shift the peak of an engine's torque curve to a lower engine speed.
Weber Carburatori - Made in Italy - Tipo 48DCO2/SP - No ON
John Eales swan neck intake manifolds.
Throttle return spring brackets.
Back of the John Eales swan neck manifolds and Weber carburetors.
Bottom of the John Eales swan neck manifolds and Weber carburetors.
Dipstick hole plugged so the dry sump lubrication system can draw a vacuum inside the crankcase.
Mocal aluminum oil catch tank.
Dual Tilton master cylinders with adjustable bias bar and Wilwood remote reservoirs.
Fram PH16 spin-on oil filter on a Mocal remote base.
Compact Nippondenso alternator with large pulley.
Stock Car Products 3-stage dry sump oil pump.
Malpassi Filter King fuel pressure regulator.
Left: Mocal 19-row oil cooler. Right: custom aluminum radiator by Griffin is 19" tall.
Custom four-into-one headers feature 32" long, 1.5"-to-1.625" step-up primaries.
A bung has been welded onto this header collector for installation of an oxygen sensor.
Rear Suspension
Jerry recommends PRO-formance SHOCKS, Inc. shock absorbers. For his front suspension
he uses 5" stroke shock absorbers although only ~1.5" of that travel is used.
At the rear: 7" shock absorbers and only ~2.5" of the stroke is used.
This FabTek rear anti-sway bar provides three stiffness settings.
Its location makes adjustment very convenient.
Jerry's rear suspension features both traction bars (a.k.a. anti-tramp bars) under the leafsprings
and also an A-arm mounted under the differential which keeps the axle centered and moves
the rear suspension's roll center to the center of the Heim joint under the differential.
Jerry explains: "I've tried a few different ratios. At the moment it's 3.42:1. This is for rolling starts,
so I can use 1st gear. The car is OFF like a robber's dog! Nothing gets to the first corner quicker.
In 4th on the longest straights, the engine is at peak HP and will do 150+ MPH."
"I have developed the brakes and suspension from experience with Saturday night stock car racing.
This car is never out-braked into the corners by same class cars - Porsches, etc. - Drivers of
lighter cars often remark how deep into corners this MG goes before braking."
Interior
Righthand drive is usually a big advantage for road racing because most races run
clockwise. Jerry gets a better view of corner apexs and passing opportunities.
Also, because most tracks run clockwise Jerry's cars are set up with side-to-side weight
bias (i.e. more weight on the right side tires) and he staggers tire air pressure too.
Stewart Warner water temperature and oil pressure gauges surround an Elliot tachometer (0-8000rpm).
Twin mini brake pressure gauges help Jerry dial-in his brake bias. Below, a Wilwood
brake proportioning valve facilitates convenient adjustment of the rear circuit.
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Jerry extensively rebuilt the Muncie transmission's Hurst shifter with shortened levers and Heim
joints at all the pivots. "The shifts are very positive and really give confidence changing down,
which you especially need when you are under heavy breaking from 150 to 30 MPH racing
the Porsches at the end of the main straight at Road Atlanta. I love this transmission!"
The emergency shut-off switch is mounted on the center console, but it can
also be remotely actuated via cable from outside the car, on the cowl.
MSD Ignition - Multiple Spark Discharge - Model MSD-6AL - Part No. 6420
Note that a 7000rpm rev-limiter chip has been selected.
Just is case, Jerry has installed a clutch scatter shield to protect the footbox.
Door area cross braces help stiffen the chassis and protect the driver from side impacts.
Aluminum door panels embossed with MG logos.
Kirkey aluminum racing seat and Willans six point cam-lock safety harness.
Raised turrets have been installed to accommodate telescoping shock absorbers.
Oberg 600 screen type oil filter.
Peterson engine oil reservoir.
This Go Pro HD Hero 2 camera records Jerry's track time so he can review, strategize and improve.
Shoulder harness attachment points are rather low. In the event of a high energy
impact, the straps may compress the driver's spine. A horizontal bar added
to the roll cage at should height would provide a much safer installation.
The rear hatch's glass has been replaced with polycarbonate and its frame has been lightened too.
ATL twelve gallon aluminum cannister fuel cell, under a thin aluminum cover.
Exterior
Crew Chief Mary
In this photo, Jerry's MGB GT V8 is shown queued up for the Saturday morning qualifying session
of SVRA's 2010 U.S. Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Jerry qualified third quickest of fifty
Group 8 racers. He achieved an average speed of 91.219 mph around the grueling 3.4 mile circuit.
After qualifying, Jerry's parked MGB GT V8 was struck by a Lotus Seven. (We understand the
Seven's rear axle broke, causing its driver to lose control.) Jerry wasn't even in his car at the time!
However, due to damages incurred, Jerry was unable to continue racing his MGB GT that weekend.
After returning home, Jerry was able to quickly bring his racecar back to good-as-new condition.
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To contribute to our operating budget, please click here and follow the instructions.
(Suggested contribution is twenty bucks per year. Feel free to give more!)
Jerry fabricated the fiberglass fenders for this racecar. Styling was obviously based on the iconic MGC
"GTS" design developed for the MG works team's entries in Sebring twelve hour endurance races.
Earlier in the weekend, for a practice session with damp track conditions, Jerry had switched
over to Michelin PB49 rally tires mounted on classic Revolution five-spoke aluminum wheels.
Cable remote for the engine "kill" switch. (Sticker says: Driving Machines 614-873-5536)
Window nets keep a driver's arms within the car in the event of a rollover.
Weather is typically quite variable at Watkins Glen in the second week of September.
This day: rainy and windy in the morning, then blues skies and sunshine all afternoon.
MGB GT fiberglass rear hatch spoiler from Targett Motorsport.
London taxi taillamps.
Compomotive 3-piece aluminum wheels (15x7.5).
Goodyear Blue Streak tires (6.00x15).
All photos shown here are from September 2010 when we viewed the car at Glenora Winery's Vintage Grand Prix
of Watkins Glen, New York. Photos by Curtis Jacobson for BritishRaceCar.com, copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
| Notes: | ||
| (1) |
Some features and specifications of the car have changed since we photographed it.
Specifically, a Rover 3.5L engine has been installed in lieu of the Buick 215
engine shown. (Rover 3.5L and Buick 215cid engine blocks are nearly identical in
every dimension, although casting techniques were quite different.) Wilwood
master cylinders have replaced the Tilton master cylinders shown above. | |
 Harry Lester's MG P-type (GUR 963), as photographed by Curtis Jacobson for BritishRacecar.com Did you enjoy this article? Do you value the unique information our website delivers? Please help us grow and thrive! Your donation will help us publish more articles. Special edition BritishRacecar.com stickers will be sent to all contributors! All supporters are publically recognized in our V.I.P. Contributors list, here. |
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