View Full Version : Trying to weigh up some things...
Usually there would be no thought to this at all and i would rush out and buy an ex, fit it over the weekend and whala off we go.
But im putting some serious thought into this as the nova has had a lot of work put into it and i want to make the right choice, This has been nigling at me for ages and as soon as i decide i want a certain engine somthing pops up and then i want the xe lol.
So, this is aimed at legal 2.0 16v XE owners who use there cars on a daily basis.
Can you live with your xe day to day, is your car fully stripped or do you run an interior. Is it comfortable to use daily and do you tend to race everything and anything on your daily commute?
how is the petrol consumption would you rather have a smaller engine over the xe etc. Just pro's and cons really, as i cant decide weather to xe the nova or x16xe the nova. Its really annoying me.
The x16xe consists of buying the engine, box loom etc using standard shafts and a modified downpipe.
The xe has more involved so is more expensive to initinally do, with shafts, mounts welding, strengthening kits etc. The engine costs vary with the 20xe starting at around 200 - 400 and the x16xe around £250 - £300
so taken into account the building costs, running costs, insurance costs etc which comes out the most economical, userable and cheapest.
Cheers for your time.
1600 16v is cheaper to do, very economical, a more modern engine, cheaper to insure.
Go for the 1.6 16v :cool: we can be brothers then :Dlol
lol ha ha ha. yours is pretty bloody nippy to say the least.
be differnt rexy. fit a baby xe
lol ha ha ha. yours is pretty bloody nippy to say the least.
Mine is pretty bloody sh*t to say the most lol
Hesitating, smoking, oil thirsty basta*d :mad: lol
Will be sweet though when i get this other one and reserect the mofo :cool:
i ran my xe daily as you know, and it was fine, great on fuel too, unless i got a heavy right foot - was better on fuel than my 1.4 SRi lol
dhdev (Oli)
26-06-08, 07:56 AM
Go smallblock. That is all.
I've been running mine for a few weeks now as a daily drive, and I've been thinking about this kinda thread.
Insurance, tbh there's not a lot in it between the 1.6 and 2.0. Yes, the 1.6 would probably be cheaper, but I pay £320 to insure the 2.0 so I doubt it would be that much cheaper...
Petrol consumption, too early to say at the moment really, but its looking like 35mpg. Putting in £10 is actually worth it, and will get you a decent handful of miles lol
Living with it day to day.... Hmmm... Its not a patch on the Celica, but as a shuttle to and from work its Ok I suppose. Its nippy (but not so I try to race everything on the road), noisy (mainly due to the exhaust), not exactly comfortable, and a fag to drive, but it'll do and at the moment its quite fun. I have full interior, bar the rear seats.
Handling is all over the shop and it understeers like a ******* - thats with Koni suspension, PVD XE springs, poo tyres and the tracking being out a bit on the front. I don't think I could use it as an every day car, and I certainly wouldn't want to drive any distance in it, my back was killing me after PVS. However, my views might be slightly jaded as I'm comparing it to the Celica - someone who is used to smaller cars might see things differently.
I would say if you want something easier to drive, get the 1.6 as it will keep the weight down in the front end. If you don't mind wrestling the car each time you want to drive it and would like more power, go for the 2.0. Plus, if you're keeping the engine standard, go for the 2.0, as lets face it the 1.6 is only 10-15bhp up on an 8v (once you account for the 8v being older and losing some over the years).
Austin_Nova16
26-06-08, 09:23 AM
I found I was driving like a maniac with an XE for every day....lots of fun and so nice to drive! But just dangerous.. lol
Well, I havent ever had an XE'd Nova so this may be of no use to you but the Ecotecs are easy run, whereas the Big Block is always going to drink it down, purely due to the fact that you need to floor it now and again and thats when they're at their thirstiest. Have you ever had a Baby XE before? Its worth trying I reckon. Worst case senario, just take it out again!!
craig green
26-06-08, 09:50 AM
I've used an XE Nova countless times to run about in, rather noisy & un refgined due to the exhaust manifold & the short system you have to use on a Nova. Good fun but ultimately the engine & box are a little heavy.
I've just finished my C16XE Nova. I wasnt expecting much from the engine, but the few miles I've covered indicate its pretty pokey (Mantzel inlet). It sounds like a 2.0, has immediate throttle response & is torquey, plus it loves to scream upto the redline. Obviously the handling is as you'd expect from a smallblock. Neutral & close to a std feel.
chimp007_uk
26-06-08, 10:56 AM
I drive my stripped out XE as a daily drive...
Now I've got a nicer driving position etc its fine... I re-insured my 306 dturbo now so i can carry out some work ont he XE and it bores me...
Only thing i can see would be fuel economy between the 16 and 2.0
I've just had an insurance quote on mine with a xe and someother bits its comming up at £427, which is awesome considering where i live. Insurance will be slightly cheaper on the 1.6 but not a lot.
I think personally i'm going to carry on with the 16xe idea, I dont want to end up selling the nova like i did with the saloon becuase it got unusable everyday that was a 2.0xe and i sold up for a vectra ST.
At the moment, bar the ****ty engine (1.0) i'm quite happy with my nova, personally i would love a brand new car but i can't afford to and rather plough the money into what i have instead of saving lol as i would also get bored of the new car within a few months.
But, as with anybody who has had a 2.0xe you kinda feel anything else power wise is pointless lol as its easy power. I know that 1600xe's can make some good power and will hopefully handle better than its big brother.
deffo going for the baby XE i feel it's working out a lot cheaper in every option.
craig green
26-06-08, 12:22 PM
I wouldnt have my 16XE on the std inlet tbh.
Having the powerbox type inlets on a smallblock XE is a must IMO, likewise a lightened flywheel (GTE/GSi) & clutch.
I wouldnt have my 16XE on the std inlet tbh.
Having the powerbox type inlets on a smallblock XE is a must IMO, likewise a lightened flywheel (GTE/GSi) & clutch.which makes my engine perfect to buy as you get the flywheel and clutch and you would change the inlet anyway :thumb:
lmfbo... ha ha ha ha.
Its having a lightened fly wheel and bottom pully anyways, regardless. How much lighter are they over the x16xe item?
I had 2 Xe Nova's this winter, loved them both to bits, so much fun to drive! Coped with them everyday, and to be honest miss the second one like fcuk!
My 1600 is perfect for a everyday runner(engine wise) IMO
Quiet(engine, not exhaust,Lol) and economic on dual carriageways/motorways but PLENTY of poke to have a lot of fun with. I love mine around the B-Roads, handles sweet now its back to a practical ride height.
PLUS you dont need mess about with mounts,driveshafts, welding.
OH amd btw, a 1600 16v converted nova is cheaper insure than a 1.6 8v nova :cool:
OH amd btw, a 1600 16v converted nova is cheaper insure than a 1.6 8v nova :cool:
lmfao, how does that work?! lol
blah blah you know you love mine and want a xe so much lol
i dunno but i like the sounds of it lol.
yes, but im a mature male now... with other commitments and money has to go towards other things. LMFBO
lmfao, how does that work?! lol
Lower donor car insurance group ;)
HIC said the corsa sport my engine was from was grp10. And a nova gte/gsi is grp11......
Hence the 16v was £86 less to insure.
Sell it and get a 106 GTI. Much better :thumb:
However if you want to stick with the Nova. Then consider a LET as a road car engine. If it was me I would go for a 2.0 rather than the 1.6 but then I KNOW they handle ok, so it's not really an issue. If you put a 2.0 in a Nova it's usually a good idea to get the tracking done, fit the proper springs and decent tyres before commenting on the handling lol (RJ;))
I had a 2ltr daily drive, it was fine. Was actually better on fuel than all my mates newer 1.4/6 cars. The best thing about it was if you suddenly had the urge to hammer it you could and when bmw drivers sit up your ass its fun leaving them lol
I also had it stripped out with bucket seats on coilovers which i didnt mind, but if you want more comfort just keep gsi/sr seats and its just a normal car.
Plus they really dont handle bad if you have decent suspension/tyres to suit
its the costs involved which is off putting dar, we all know xe's can handle with the correct setup.
I'm tempted to have my birds saxo VTR, but the build quality on them is just as bad if not worse than the nova. Im compareing eveything to my xsara VTS more than anything and its annoying the hell out of me.
I could go out and buy xxxxxxx car but thats not the fun, i love building them first then selling them on lol. I just need somthing which wont annoy me, be drivable and comfy but still be fun etc. I'm asking an aweful lot i think, far too much than the nova can offer.
I think an XE corsa might the way forward for Drivability etc, the corsas seem to handle the power a little better.
Sounds like you want a GTI-6 to me ;)
If you put a 2.0 in a Nova it's usually a good idea to get the tracking done, fit the proper springs and decent tyres before commenting on the handling lol (RJ;))
I have the proper springs! lol
...and I have one decent tyre up front :D
i'd buy another Xsara VTS before i bought a GTI 6 ;) lol
Jack get it sorted lol saying that.... nah spend it allll on the celica.
...and I have one decent tyre up front :D
ROFL, one lol
french riggy
26-06-08, 07:52 PM
one seven two
1600 16v is cheaper to do, very economical, a more modern engine, cheaper to insure.
slower and gayer
As you know the red 2.0 16v gets hammered every day to work and back and everywhere else and hasnt missed a beat except the initial teething problems.
Its also done roughly 50 runs up the 1/4 mile as well so far this year and has got me home fine every time.
Depends if you want a quick car or something a bit more unusual i guess.
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