got myself a cheap runabout till ive build my mini

[Anonymous]

Outside just looks like a standard nova GTE without the sideskirts and some plain 15" rims, so no point posting pics of that, but heres under the bonnet.

http://miniowners.com/vaux/c20let.jpg

My mate built it, it needs a bit of finishing but already spanks imprezzas and M3s etc.

Thats on low boost anyway, i havent got enough fuel to wind it up, need a 5th injector or soemthing.

Chip

[wisewood]

nice.
looks like it should shift.

[Anonymous]

Its not mega quick like the mini will be of course, but it is fairly nippy.
Raced and beat my mates M3 twice in a row and did an Sti WRX 02 reg imprezza.

Rough spec is:
2.1 litre bottom end with forged pistons
group A head gasket
smaco hoses
bailey piston dump valve
modded head
high lift cams
hybrid trubo
vernier pulleys
standard intercooler (the limiting factor at the moment)

I was on only racing on low boost, it doesnt fuel enough at the moment, need to stick a 5th injector on it really, then i can use it on high boost too.

Chip

[RobIsGrt18]

Wicked !! would love to see those m3 drivers faces when u fly past haha classic!! what bhp u looking at getting in the end ??

if thats ya runaround cant wait to see this mini lol :lol:

[Ric 16v]

nice lovely turbo, mmmmmmmmm :D :D :D

[CP]

Cheap you say? Blimey your mate must be a real mate!

[Anton]

what bhp is it at? Whats the top speed without it being airborn?

[Breeny]

Ive been out in this, its convinced me a need the same conversion!

Oh and LOL @ Airbourne! We did last night, he drives it properly :lol:

[Fester]

mad, crazy, awesome, the bollocks, fuckin the way forward, I WANT

[Anonymous]

Breeney mate, thats not proper driving, that was in the wet in a car i had barely driven before on roads im not familiar with, so i wastaking it relatively steady, if you think that jumping a car at 100mph in a 30mph limit is hard driving then you really dont want to be getting in the mini with me when i get it! LOL

CP, I got this VERY cheap, it cost 14K to build, its nearly finished now but not quite, probably needs another grand or two spending on it before its safely up to the sort of power that its designed to run, which is around the 300bhp mark, but at the moment its running a fair bit less as thats what it should be giving on 15psi not the 10psi its running now.

I paid the grand total of 2200 quid for it.

The shell is more or less perfect, its got some SLIGHT bubbling on the arches, but the boot floor is like new etc, as is the rest of the car.
EVERYTHING on it was new, even the rear lights and tailgate were brand new from GM less than a year ago, same for headlights etc, its got top adjustable shocks, brand new tyres, braided lines etc, as well as nice stuff like a digital air/fuel ratio meter.

The engine alone (with turbo) would probably cost 5K to reproduce, and it had done only 400 miles after being run in when it got taken off the road 6 months ago, and hadnt turned a wheel since until i bought it on monday.

It was just a case of my friend REALLY needed money and he needed it the same day, so i made him what i though was a really insulting offer (2 grand) and it ended up at 2200 when it had tax new plugs and new leads.

Already been offered 4 grand for it by a couple of people, but im going to hang onto it cause i would never be able to replace it for that.

Top speed is a shade under 160, as thats where the rev limiter is, but i havent got it up there yet, i had it to 150 a couple of times but it was starting to lean out and i dont want to be rebuilding it so i backed off.
Even on low boost it would go past 150 easily though, was still pulling fairly well, so on high boost once ive bodged up a 5th and 6th injector for it i should thinkg it will accelerate really well up to 150.

Im actaully amazed at quite how quick it is to be perfectly honest.
I dont like the lag on the hybrid though, id be much quicker in most circumstances in my SR (2.0 16v on throttle bodies)

Chip

[Chris LR]

What have u got to stop it?

[Anonymous]

Its on valver calipers, with drilled disks and fast road pads.

Chip

[Aragorn]

how can you tell it was beginning to lean out?

[Anonymous]

Because i have mystical powers!









































(and a digital mixture gauge in the car!)

[Aragorn]

that all fitted on my screen so it didnt really work :P

one of those things that connects to the lambda sensor i assume?

[?Marty?]

That's shit hot.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the nice comments everyone.

It is a great fun little car, ive been having a blast driving it.

My mrs's pug 1.9gti now feels like a pedal car! LOL

Mind you, this nova is going to feel like a toy compared to the mini when its finished, so I can wait to get one with that once ive got my workshop in the new year, its SO frustrating having it sat there half made!

Chip

[Matt Finary]

Sweet mate :twisted: , looks like it might shift :lol:

Matt

[barnes]

chip, no, 5k to reproduce????? feck that. only about 2.5k tops maybe 3k to rebuild that spec of engine. feck me i can have my whole bottom end rebuilt with forged pistons (400 a set of 4 including vat, you want the phone number???????) lightened and balanced crank and con rods and flywheel by local machining shop not even 250, so thats 650 for a fuckin top class bottom end.

head work, animal on mig does it for about 80-100 quid. cams, well an xe inlet cam is the best bet, dont need vernier pulleys. hybrid turbo's are about 600.

so........

650 for bottom end
plus xe inlet cam for 50 = 700
plus head work from animal = 800
plus hybrid = 1400
plus engine = 2400 for same spec probably more.

fuckin phase 4 is only 2500 and thats 380bhp.

lovin it

[Ste_Nova]

?14k :?:

robs turbo nova spider only cost ?8k to build


http://mig.lathwood.co.uk/uploads/turbox.jpg

[barnes]

mine including the car will cost about 6k for a phase 3.5 turbo nova including an engine rebuild of the spec above.

[dan16v]

at least he only paid ?2200 tho so fair play to him! i want a turbo now! cant afford it tho have to get tb's instead!
chip did you ever have any luck with those dbilas tb's?

[barnes]

my c20let cost me 320 including f28 g/box fwd converted, hybrid turbo and an lsd

[dan16v]

jammy git! if you know of any more going ie not just at that price up to a grand let me know then m8! or you could sell me yours!! :wink:

[barnes]

lol, 895 for the car then i sold bits so it ended up costng me 320 for the engine and box.

buy a car for 1500 sell bits get engine and box for less than a grand

ps u cant have my phase 3.5 monster

[dan16v]

worth a try! cant decide now weather to get tb's or a turbo lump :evil:

[barnes]

whatever peels ya banana. im going turbo route. my mate jimbo is going all steel bottom end 10k rev limited tb's route. personal choice

[Anonymous]

When you priced that you didnt include hald the stuff this has new
Pulleys
No idlers
Cam belt
Lightened and balanced rods
Reground crank
New bearings
Balanced flywheel

etc


Its not just about spending money on the bits that make an engien produce power if you want to do the job properly, you are talking about quickly throwing together a half arsed motor, not properly rebuilding one.


The 14k is ridiculous though, loads of bits were bought new that were a total waste of money like:
new tailgate from vauxhaull
new rear lights from vauxhall
new headlights from vauxhall

That sort of stuff should all have been sourced cheaply second hand.


Chip

[barnes]

lightened and balanced flywheel 30 quid from local machining shop
new big end bearings and main bearings 40 for the lot
pulleys as in tensioners are 11 quid a set
lightened and balanced rods can be done for about 50 quid
reqround crank is 20 quid from same machining shop
re-bore is 60
cambelt is 11 quid.

just trying to say y whole nova aint gonna cost the 5k that the engine you claim did and that includes a full re-build of the engine, not takin the piss

[Austin_Nova16]

reqround crank is 20 quid from same machining shop

new big end bearings and main bearings 40 for the lot

bloody hell!

I got quoted sumut like 150squid to get mine re-ground with new bearings!...so I just got a new one in the end for 200squid odd.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :x :(

[barnes]

big end bearings are 19.72, tensioners are 23 not 11, lol, read my hand writing wrong

main bearings are 38.43

water pump 15.60

head set 29.98

bottom end gasket set 21.15

all from motor factors place.

[Austin_Nova16]

well, done it the expensive way once...but will never make the same mistake again!

[barnes]

i aint paying jack shit for things, i mean all the part prices i quoted you are the same parts that vauxhall sell on at a massive cost, lol

[Anonymous]

Those prices, esp the machining are FAR less than i would expect to pay, so fair play to you if you cant get it done for that as a cash job of a local place or whatever, but those are NOT the prices that most people would pay.

Chip

[barnes]

thats not the price i can get stuff machined for, thats the price anyone can that phones up. i dont know the people there at all. i just asked for prices on bits incase i needed them.

i got a new liner pressed into cylinder 1 and it bored out to std bore size to match the others then the bloke cleaned on the outside, all other bores glaze busted etc for 72 quid. thats how much it costs.

so why cant anyone else get it dont that price?

[Chris LR]

Thats what Vauxhall Charge, If people pay it, they'll keep charging it.

[Anonymous]

I know someone with a machine shop but i cant get a decent job done for those prices, even without the VAT.

No point discussing it any further though, if you are happy with the quality and the price than fair play to you!

Chip

[barnes]

quality is tip top chip old boy, they do all engine machining for most garages, cars and truck parts round here.

they are very very good

[Anonymous]

Cool.

Dont get those sort of prices down south, but i guess thats the old north/south economic divide, things will always be cheaper up north cause people there are generally poorer to begin with.

Chip

[barnes]

now being poorer, that i can relate to