Five-speed gearbox conversion kit for MGBs

A new five-speed gearbox conversion for MGB owners is being offered by parts stockist British Motor Heritage. The kit requires no bodywork modifications and costs £2490, including VAT.

Based on the transmission from the Mazda MX-5 Mk3, the Vitesse Global five-speed manual gearbox conversion comes fully assembled and complete friction plate, slave cylinder, braided clutch pipe, speedometer cable, prop’ shaft and fixing kit.

Fitting it should make any MGB feel more at home in modern traffic. It also promises to create a smoother gearchange and the short-throw ’box is ideal for drivers looking to press on thanks to a better gear ratio spread. It's also said to be quieter than a Type 9 or MGB box and comes with 60,000 mile service interval. With a high torque capacity, it can even be fitted to a V8.

However, it's still one of the most expensive kits out there. A BMH spokesman said, 'The Type 9 kit doesn't include a gearbox, and a good refurbed unit is getting on for £1000. Add to it the £850 for the kit and you're getting close to the cost of our kit - but you get a brand new gearbox rather than a refurbished one.'

John Yea , BMH’s managing director, said, ‘We have tested this product in a wide variety of conditions and it performs as though it was made for the MGB; not least because the final drive ratios of the four-cylinder MG and Mazda MX-5 are the same.’ Find out more at www.bmh-ltd.com.

The BMH five-speed kit is based on the gearbox from the Mk3 Mazda MX-5.