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The Project
This 1968 MG MGC GT arrived at our Carrosserie workshop in August 2024. It came in for replacement torsion bars with upgraded parts.
13th August 2024: The car has just arrived and the scheduled works will commence very soon.
> More updates to follow.
During the MGCs short production run, a total of 8,999 cars came off the assembly line with a slightly larger proportion of Roadsters (4,542) than GTs (4,457). Of these total production figures, 3,437 were built for the Home Market (1,405 Roadsters/2030 GTs) while 4,256 were export specification models destined for the North American Market.
The MGC boasted a top speed of 120mph and 0–60mph in 10.0sec. The MGC speedometer displayed a theoretical top speed of 140mph, this being one of the few cockpit differences between the MGB and MGC.
The engine finally developed for the MGC was different from the original BMC C-Series as it now had 7 main bearings rather than 5 and was 1¾ inches shorter. The official power output figure for the engine installed in the MGC was given as 145bhp at 5,250rpm, with a torque figure of 170lbft at 3,400rpm. These figures were slightly less than those for the Austin Healey 3000 which it was due to replace, data which the motoring press were only too keen to publicise. The addition of the extra bearings was, whilst making for a stronger, smoother and more reliable unit, one of the main reasons for the reduction in power through increased friction and windage within the engine.
University Motors, one of BMC’s main London dealerships, is widely known to have produced a number of ‘specials’, with no two cars being the same. These were usually prepared to individual customer’s requirements and many included special paint combinations, a wood-rim Motolita steering wheel, Koni dampers fitted all around, Cosmic or J A Pearce alloy wheels or a different stage of tuning and interior. Many of University Motors ‘specials’ carried a round enamel badge on the bonnet forward of the radiator bulge and a rectangular enamel plaque on the dashboard.
A new gearbox was developed for the MGC with synchromesh on all forward gears and with a higher torque capacity. There were to be a couple of changes to the gear ratios during the model’s short production run and a customer could specify a Laycock overdrive unit as an optional extra, giving overdrive selection in third and top gears. A Borg Warner Type 35 automatic transmission was also offered as an option on both the MGC Roadster and GT models.
At launch, the MGC was offered with a Manual gearbox whose ratios were: (4th Gear) 1.00, (3rd Gear) 1.382, (2nd Gear) 2,167, (1st Gear) 3.44, (Reverse) 3.095. With the Laycock overdrive specified the following gearbox ratios applied: (4th Gear overdrive) 0.82, (4th Gear) 1.00, (3rd Gear overdrive) 1.07, (3rd Gear) 1.307, (2nd Gear) 2.058, (1st Gear) 2.98, (Reverse) 2.679). Gearbox ratios were to later change for the 1969 year, non-overdrive model, giving: (4th Gear) 1.00, (3rd Gear) 1.307, (2nd Gear) 2,058, (1st Gear) 2.98, (Reverse) 2.679.
Unlike the MGB which, up to the launch of the MGC, was fitted with the ‘banjo’ type rear axle, the much stronger Salisbury axle was the final drive of choice for the MGC. Early production non-overdrive models were fitted with a ratio of 3.07:1. Models fitted with the Laycock overdrive unit and also those where the Borg Warner Automatic transmission was specified had a rear axle ratio of 3.31:1.
On later models fitted with the overdrive unit (Tourers from chassis number 4,236 and GTs from chassis number 4266) the axle ratio changed once again to 3.7:1.
13th August 2024
Are you ready to start your restoration journey with us?
- 01833 630 011
- 07973 616 478