AN MGB – TRANSFORMED
MG’s new Frontline Developments brakes and front suspension make a world of difference
Those who have been following the V8’s build will know that finishing it off hasn’t been straightforward because as I’ve had to puzzle through the mechanical solutions former owner Matthew Tottle and engineer Alan Bayliss had put in place before deciding on my course of action. They’d done a great job, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought the car, but they’d not used the conventional solutions covered in the book How to give your MGB V8
Power by Roger Williams. The Getrag gearbox in place of the more usual Leyland LT77 is a case in point. Also I’ve been unlucky – it was rear-ended on the way home the day I bought it, then burst into flames and burnt out some engine wiring the first time I drove it again. That rather set the tone for a build that has sometimes focused on perseverance over inspiration.
However, I knew there was one area I was going to address from the start – the suspension and brakes. Matthew had fitted polybushes and a shocker conversion, but freely admitted that he’d stalled before he’d got to that stage of the build in earnest. With the power available the combination of chrome bumper front ride-height and rubber bumper rear ride-height was frankly dangerous. As to the brakes, well they made the handling seem safe…
While doing other work on it, I’d been reading about various suspension and brake modifications for MGBs but hadn’t made up my mind, not least because they represented an outlay greater than I’d made to buy the car. Then I was fortunate enough to drive Frontline Development’s demonstrator. I was instantly smitten and knew that I had to make my V8 handle like this. It was amazing, with fantastic turn-in, superb traction and brilliant feedback.
Serious consultation with Ed and Tim at Frontline also showed that using the company’s suspension system could get me the stance I wanted, which gave me the go-ahead to order the Halibrand-style wheels I’d long coveted from Image Wheels. It had to be done that way because Frontline’s brakes don’t fit inside 14-inch rims.
The other thing I liked about Frontline’s suspension was that it still uses the original live rear axle, but locates it properly with a multilink system. This form of multilink chassis sorcery has had racers who have tested it in raptures, and from my position of limited talent in that department I can understand why – it makes the car fantastically transparent and biddable, so much so that even a numpty like me can enjoy it safely. We all know that independent rear suspension should be much better than a live axle, but look at the Rover SD1 compared to its ancestor the P6. The SD1 ‘reverted’ to a live axle but was actually a better driver’s car (although perhaps slightly less comfortable) because the Watts linkage located the live rear axle properly giving great feel, which inspired driver confidence. Also (and I’m aware that this sounds daft in the context of this particular V8 conversion) I felt that the Frontline suspension kept the ‘feel’ of the MG in a way that a full independent rear suspension system wouldn’t.
I did look into fitting it myself, but Frontline’s development engineer, Tim Fenna, pointed out that I’d still have to bring it in for them to set up the ride height, damper settings etc, because each car is different. Did you know, for instance, that all MGBs, from new, were a different length on one side compared to the other? No, neither did I, but it’s partly why Tim likes to set up each car individually and road test it extensively to hone it to perfection.
The results are frankly astounding. The four-pot caliper vented front discs are hugely powerful, with great feel and a subtle pedal graduation, while the handling is transformed out of all recognition. However the most wonderful thing is the much improved ride at both high and low speed. It handles better, produces less road noise and is more comfortable; a form of magic!
The stance, as you can see from the picture, is also exactly how I wanted it, low enough to work with the larger wheels and tyres, but subtle enough not to ruin the essential prettiness of the MGB GT. A big thanks from me to Tim, Ed and technician Ross.
I love driving it, but now need to sort the dashboard and electrics properly before I can actually use it reliably. The finishing line is just over the hill, I hope.