The Ultimate Costello V8
Said by Ken to be 'easily the best example in existence' and extensively developed by him personally over a number of years, this Costello boasts every upgrade ever produced – and then some. It is now no longer owned by Roger Cook, but has a new custodian in Germany who has lavished further care on it and brought it up to strict German TUV standards – otherwise he would not have been able to register it for the road. He says it was a labour of love.
General specification:
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Costello alloy wishbone front suspension
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Negative camber lower front wishbones
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Frontline castor correction wedges
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Costello uprated front anti-roll bar
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Protech alloy tubular front and rear dampers
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Frontline/Costello 5-link, coil sprung rear suspension
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Wildcat 5.0 litre engine (separate spec. below)
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High capacity alloy radiator & twin Pacet Profans
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Costello stainless steel, long-range fuel tank (injection spec.)
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Bosch high capacity fuel pump
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Costello alloy sump / remote oil filter & cooler
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Costello/Torque Techniques 4/2/1 exhaust manifolds (ceramic coated)
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Costello/Torque Techniques dual exhaust system
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Helix heavy duty servo assisted clutch
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JE bell housing with concentric hydraulic clutch actuation
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CTS heavy duty Borg Warner T5 five-speed gearbox
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Heavy duty propellor shaft
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Quaife limited slip differential
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Heavy duty chromalloy half shafts
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- MES/DEA electric brake vacuum pump
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Brembo 305mm cross-drilled vented front discs and 4-piston alloy calipers
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Costello front valance with integral brake ducts
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Costello rear disc brake conversion
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Revolution 6J x 15 centre-lock alloy wheels
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Bridgestone RE720 195/60 – 215/60 VR 15 tyres
Wildcat 5.0 litre engine - Costello specification:
Rover V8 cross-bolted block, fitted with top hat cylinder liners. Reciprocating parts fully balanced with Wildcat H-section steel con rods and Keith Black hyper-eutectic pistons. Wildcat low-profile injection manifold with eight throttle bodies, Wildcat Stage I ‘high port’ cylinder heads with stainless steel valves and tungsten valve seats. Wildcat roller rockers, Crane 248 camshaft, hollow chrome molybdenum pushrods, Wildcat solid lifters, ITG air filters, Cloyes duplex roller timing chain, lightened steel flywheel and a Helix heavy duty clutch. Emerald K3 ECU, distributor-less ignition, Poly-V ancillary drives, heavy duty alternator and a high-torque starter motor. It produces a tractable 345 bhp and 327 lb/ft torque @5750 rpm.
Ken was a long-time admirer of the work of Ian Richardson of Wildcat Engineering, 'the best in the business', he used to say, but major engine re-working aside, he never really gave up on trying to maximise the potential of the classic MGB.
The car has also been fitted with:
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Bi-xenon HID headlamps
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Electric windows
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Full leather upholstery
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Golde mohair sunroof with West of England cloth headlining
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Stainless mesh Costello Mk III radiator grille
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Thatcham immobiliser
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High security locks
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Uprated, 3-speed heater
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Heated windscreen
