Ever started a little project that just kept snowballing until you woke up one day and realized you'd replaced every single part? That's kind of how this Jaguar V12-powered MGB-GT came about. Mark Sawatsky of Winnipeg is the culprit.
Mark just happened to have an tattered MGB-GT and a 5.3-liter Jag V12 sitting around, and thought it would make a good project for autocrossing in the SCCA modified class. Sure, he knew that an LS1 swap would probably be easier, but combining the two British-built units splayed across his shop floor just felt like the right thing to do.
Well, it's a good thing Mark's got a good plasma welder, and isn't afraid to use it. Checking out the build thread, it seems he's had to do a bit more custom work than perhaps he'd expected. But, you know, any mission for awesomeness is fraught with danger. And like most things, the payoff appears to be worth the extra effort.
Mark says, "With a gutted interior, no glass and extreme attention paid to weight, I'm hoping for a car in the 2000 lb region, which is about 150 lbs more than the class minimum." Good luck with that.
There's the bloke.
Shoehorn, please.
Lots of welding needed. Why? Because racecar.
Yes. It fits.
Where'd everything go?
C'mon Mark. That four-link rear isn't going to install itself.
The pedals fit. Now on to to fabricating a custom housing.
This is super-geek cool. Mark didn't like the position of the shifter, so he concocted this setup using some custom fittings and a well-placed rod end bearing. Pretty neat.
A Ford 9" rear and some Hoosier slicks will put the twelve-pot power down.
Mark custom-fitted this inboard shock system using sportbike coilovers, their existing rocker arms, and some custom pushrods.
There she is. Almost ready for the cones.