Wide arch, wide track, z18xe on bodies...

[Mxcrazy]

Ive been a bit of a lurker around here for 6-8 Months, keeping an eye on things and researching/asking questions.

I have a build planned, when i say planned, its not really started yet, just early stages, but I have gathered a lot of stuff already.

This whole Nova thing started with me buying a complete car off a friend. It was reasonably spec'd.

c14se on 40 webers, a cam (270) and pulley, making 120bhp @ Fly.
Quaife f13 sccr gear kit, 4.5:1 final drive
tran-x diff
quaife quick rack
compomotive mo's
6 point cage
carbin fibre Corbeau seats
Luke harnesses
fibreglass bonnet
spax suspension
solid engine mounts
256 brakes
gsi front bumper
and various other parts.
I have a folder of reciepts for over 10k spent on it, 1900 of that on the bare engine, webers not included.

I paid a reasonable, but fair amount for it knowing the shell was a bit tatty.

Forward on a few weeks and I had a good look around the shell and it was a complete turd, fit only for the scrap yard. So it go stripped of all its good bits and bye bye shell.

I have since sourced a nice clean straight shell. This will be stitch welded, strengthened and lightened.

I have poly windows, fibreglass skinned door and looking in to a fg bootlid.

I also have a fibreglass wide arch kit and skirts to go on.

To compliment that I have a superfwd wide track kit to go on it.

Suspension wise it will be running Bilstein B14 coilovers, eccentric top mounts and a braced rear beam.

Other parts sourced or for sourcing include;

Quaife internal shifter
extended steering column and corsa epas
hydraulic hand brake
floor mounted pedal box

The gearbox is having a 3.933:1 final drive fitted, new genuine synchros and a Quaife ATB diff.

The engine is going to be changed to a z18xe

It will be running z18xer vvt rods, pistons, valves and solid buckets. A decompression plate to get the deck height back to where it should be as the vvt pistons are slightly taller (approx 1.3mm)
A ported head and Piper bp285 cams, piper pulleys, and Piper corsa vxr valve springs.
R1 throttle bodies on a custom manifold, with the intension to run a variable length intake tract.
Emerald management.
Tony Law full exhaust system.

Thats the basics, I will try and set up a photobucket account and get some pics up as and when things happen.

Cheers.

[novarally]

Sounds good, look forward to seeing this.

[Mxcrazy]

The aim like all these things is to keep weight down whilst not being dangerous. Some weight has to go in, but I want to keep as much off as possible, whilst keeing it road legal too.

Its going to cost me a fortune, for a road legal trackncar, but hey ho, its all part of the fun.

[totalnova]

If you need any help with the conversion just drop me a pm, engine wise I'm doing very similar also using the z18xer pistons but I started with a x18xe1 same engine when stripped as the z18xe I'm also using bodies.
Nick

[totalnova]

Where a bouts are you located? Oh and get some pics up

[Mxcrazy]

Where a bouts are you located? Oh and get some pics up

East Sussex mate. I need to get some pics and sort a photobucket account at some point.

Are you aware of the dimension differences between the xe and xer pistons?

[totalnova]

Yes the Xer Pistons sit proud of the Deck, my engine builder is working out compression ratios at the moment, once we know that we will work out if we will machine the Pistons or use a thicker head gasket. Do you know what way your going to go?

[Plug]

This is going to be my twin by the sounds of it bar the engine!

get photobucket sorted I'd like to see this!

[Mxcrazy]

Yes the Xer Pistons sit proud of the Deck, my engine builder is working out compression ratios at the moment, once we know that we will work out if we will machine the Pistons or use a thicker head gasket. Do you know what way your going to go?

I am going decompression plate, then measuring valve to piston clearance with my cams, and will skim the head to suit both the valve/piston clearance and compression.

The beauty of the xer pistons are the valve cut outs, if you machine off the top face you'll have to likely cut the valve cut outs again, thats lots of work/hassle.

[Mxcrazy]

Well, dummy built the engine with cams in and xer pistons/rods, Getting over 4mm of valve to piston clearance at tdc and 10 degrees either side so thats promising. These are pipe bp285 to suit x14xe/x16xe, so i dare say that longer duration/higher lift cams will fit with room to spare. This is With the 1.4mm thick decompression plate and I am getting a piston to head clearance of 1.1mm (calculated, as getting 0.8 with decomp plate and no head gasket, old head gasket is 0.3mm thick compressed). 1.1mm clearance isnt bad, but i can tighten it. I will look in to having 0.2 skimmed off the head, if i need it, for compression.

I need to measure the combustion chamber volume etc.