Pearce’s car has been taken the latter route in its evolution....................



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   Page Three of Four
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 This motor has had its bottom end lightened and balanced, the top end has been gas-flowed, and there’s a special cam. The carbs, distributor and manifolds are standard, although the exhaust has only a single box instead of two. The result is 175bhp at the flywheel, up 30bhp over the standard 145, translating into 136bhp at the wheels. MGCs wear telescopic shockers up front, but on Graham’s car these have been changed for uprated, adjustable items up front, and there’s a tele-conversion kit at the back - £100 plus VAT from Heritage suppliers: "They don’t work so well on Bs – makes them a bit skittish – but on the heavier C they’re fine.

"Next I fitted a thicker anti-roll bar at the front – 7/8in – and new rear springs with inter-leaves to make them more supple, and nylon bushes. The last thing I did was fit an uprated set of torsion bars – they’re £200 the pair. I was happy with the car anyway but I tried some and they improved it still further."

Since then Graham has used his C all year round: "It was my only car for three or four years. You just have to put some weight in the back in winter." He’s got an RV8 as well, but you can tell he prefers driving the C. The tow bar has been there for about five years: "We were going on holiday to Devon, so I put the bar on the back so I could tow a box trailer, which the C doesn’t notice. The only problem is I can’t get VR-rated trailer tyres.



Thanks to  Graham Peace of The Bromsgrove MG Centre 
for the loan of the test car.

"When I drive a standard C I must say I have to agree with some of the initial criticisms – although the early cars are more relaxed with their higher diff – 3.307:1 as opposed to 3.7:1. It’s much less keen to turn in than the sorted car. It has to think about it first, whereas mine goes in fairly instantly."  
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