V8 Newsletter
for August 2004 published in Safety Fast!, the award winning monthly magazine of the MG Car Club

This month we have news of the V8 Gathering at the Club's annual Silverstone meeting, news of other forthcoming V8 Events, news of increased interest in V8s from Germany, and a fascinating feature article on a V8 Roadster Conversion.


V8 Track Laps at Silverstone - the view near Abbey as V8s enjoy a track laps session. (Photo: Victor Smith)

V8 Gathering at the Club's annual International MG Meeting at Silverstone
The event is held over long weekend of Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th July will be based on the V8 Marquee in the centre of the Circuit. For members not so familiar with either Silverstone Circuit or how to get there, you will find a comprehensive briefing note on the V8 Website. At noon on Friday a group of V8 enthusiasts will meet up at the Hook Norton Brewery to collect the beer for essential upper cylinder lubrication purposes over the weekend, and then have lunch at the nearby Pear Tree Inn. Many V8 enthusiasts arrive at Silverstone from mid-morning onwards on Friday to spectate a lively practice session for the weekend racing programme and the V8 Marquee is prepared during the afternoon. On Friday evening there is an informal supper at the Sun Inn in Sulgrave village from about 6.45pm. If the weather is fine, there is very pleasant garden bathed in evening sunshine. Full details of how to find Sulgrave are on the V8 Website.

On Saturday the V8 Marquee will be in full swing with workshop notes CDs and regalia available, together with spares and of course the traditional real ale and Stilton. The Club has a wonderful range of attractions on Saturday with one of the best Club motor racing programmes, trader stalls and the MG80 anniversary exhibition and displays in the Club marquees. On Saturday evening there is the Club Dinner in a marquee at the circuit where we usually have a V8 table - note advance bookings only for the dinner through Club Office. This year we also have an informal V8BBQ on Saturday evening arranged by Mike Maude-Roxby and Walter Kallenberg which will be very much like the very informal "bring your own sausage" events of the early years of the V8 Register. Several German members have been in contact clearly perplexed by "the choice of two events on the same evening and which should I attend?" For those V8 members of an organised disposition, the Club Dinner is your natural choice as the V8BBQ will be a relatively small and informal affair, and of course is subject to the vagaries of the weather!

Sunday has traditionally been a relaxed day at the Silverstone meeting but this year more activities are packed in to the day including a full track racing programme, autotests, concours and a number of track laps sessions. Many V8 enthusiasts have obtained tickets for the track laps sessions and we hope most of the V8s will be grouped in the same session. The V8 AGM will be held at the V8 Marquee at 12.30pm prompt on Sunday when the whole of the V8 Committee stands down and a new committee is elected.

Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley Heath
The next Sunday lunchtime V8 Gathering at the Shoulder of Mutton, just north of Hook in Hampshire, is on Sunday 22nd August. Bryan Ditchman is your local contact and the former V8 owner and landlord, Steve Thorning, will be pleased to see you. As always he has lunch available - he offers Sunday lunch or good quality snacks. If the weather is fine, there is a pleasant garden to relax in. Bryan can be contacted on 0118 932 6346.
Increased interest in V8s has been seen from enthusiasts in Germany
Allan Doyle (Damask 1667) reports that "one reason for the recent increased interest in Factory produced V8s in Germany is possibly the motor tax regime here. Germany has a very complicated motor tax system based on engine capacity and "cleanliness" based on Euronorm. An old 3.5 litre V8 costs a fortune in motor tax whilst a new, small-engined car is charged less than in the UK. However, 30 years after the date of first registration, this changes and the car becomes an "historic vehicle" for which a lower blanket tax figure comes into effect making a 1974 V8 suddenly very attractive!".


A V8 in Teal Blue is an attractive car. (Photo: Graham Thomas)

A number of very good looking V8s have been appearing on the MGV8s for Sale webpage on the V8 Website over recent months including Teal Blue 0451above, is an exceptionally well looked after example owned by Graham Thomas and on offer at £8,900.

V8 Roadster Conversion project - from a dream to reality!

V8 Roadster Conversions are very popular with V8 enthusiasts and come in a variety of specifications. Here Geoff King (Tartan Red 4309) from Kincardinshire provides a fascinating tale of how his project was conceived and carried out over a three year period to produce an award winning V8 Roadster with a wonderful specification and performance. Geoff converted his rusty 1972 MGBGT 1800 to a V8 Roadster over a three year period and completed the project in August 2002. It has a 3.5 litre injected engine with a five speed gearbox, independent rear suspension, unequal length double wishbones, and coilover dampers front and rear. The brakes have been upgraded with disc brakes front and rear, with four pot calipers on the front. It looks standard but it isn't!

See the full article