V6 Powered 1969 MGB-GT

I’ve often viewed MGB-GTs as great little coupes but needing more power. The GT is attractive and surprisingly roomy inside, but that 1798cc four-cylinder has never done it for me (despite my racing one in an Austin Marina). This car has been repowered with a GM 3.4-liter V-6 and T-5 manual transmission, and a lot of debugging has been done since then, leaving what appears to be an attractive grand tourer. It’s listed for sale here on Facebook Marketplace and is located in Weld, Maine. The seller has recently reduced the asking price from $17,000 to $11,000, which wouldn’t be completely out of line for a stock MGB-GT in similar condition. Thanks to Richard in Maine for sending us this find!

By 1969, the MGB-GT had been in production for 3 years and had established a niche in the marketplace. Roughly one in four MGBs produced was a GT, but since half of those stayed in the UK, they are scarce on the ground in the USA. An apocryphal story I’ve frequently heard is that the delay in introducing the GT following the roadster’s debut in 1962 was due to the British styling team being unable to craft a pleasing shape using the original (short) MGB roadster windscreen. Once contracted, Pininfarina immediately raised the height of the roof, extending the windscreen up and also improving ingress/egress and the airy feeling once inside-uncommon amongst British sports cars. As you can see from the 1969 brochure above, the 1798 cc 4-cylinder engine delivered 92 horsepower and 110 lbs-ft of torque (and this is before the change from SAE gross HP to SAE net, which dropped that figure considerably). The seller doesn’t give power figures for the Camaro engine, but stock it would have had 160 horsepower and 200 lbs-ft of torque.

The seller has done a significant amount of work on this car besides the drivetrain conversion, which they tell us is from this BMC kit. Recent work completed includes a new fuel tank, a replacement master cylinder and clutch, a new GPS-based gauge (odometer/speedometer), and some suspension work. It’s also had newly upholstered leather Miata seats, new carpet and soundproofing, and a significant amount of rust repair. I guess that last one could be both good and bad, depending on the quality of the work. I wish there were some underhood and undercar pictures to examine as well, and more shots of the interior.

Speaking of the interior, this is the only picture we have, with an aftermarket Mountney steering wheel and that new gauge shining bright. I’m wondering if that is just fogging around the base of the windshield or if it’s delamination; something to check out.

In case you can’t tell, I *really* like this car. I always expected to own an MGB GT at some point, as I really like the styling and practicality (yes, I’m using that word about a British sports car) of the hatchback. But as I wrote earlier, the engine has always turned me off. If I were in the position to add a car to the Palmer fleet, I’d be pursuing this one for sure. How about you? If you buy it, let us know so I can drool over my keyboard some more!

NOTE:  Reader Steve R. pointed out in the comments that this car was on Barn Finds before in 2025. I’ve added the link to the left, as there are some different pictures, including an engine shot. Thanks, Steve!