C20LET is it worth the extra expense and hassle?

[Count Vaux Alot]

I think I already know the answer to this but i just wanted the opnions of others before i make up my mind.

Basically my question is - Is a LET engine worth the extra expense and hassle when compared to the XE?

Im planning on putting some thing more powerful in my new daily but im undecided as to whet yet, so any opinions or help would be appreciated.

Thanks James

[craig green]

An XE will always seem a little slow once used to it (I'm sure you are anyways), but you know what I mean.

I think LET's are great, its the wiring looms that give most issues reading about on forums.

But XE's can take having their heads kicked in all day & still come back for more every morning for the commute to work. I just love turbo's & their torque too much I guess. Turbo FTW.

[djbrowney]

i went out in fennys 400 bhp Mk3 astra last night and it was worth every ****ing penny :) :) :) :) :) :)

[david dixon]

Once you have had a turbo you'll never want anything else to replace it!

David.

[craig green]

fenny penny LOL.

[Sloth]

/\ agreed. been in a 300bhp corsa and that was ****ing scary enough

[blue_peg_16v]

definatly worth the extra imo

[Benn]

Turbo's are awesome, with your skills i cant you you having to much probs.

From what i've seen the probs come from retards thinking they know what they are doing and funking everything up. When things are done right there's not to many probs.

You can find them at good prices if you look. Wanna come for a ride in mine?

[Count Vaux Alot]

Well that's basically what I thought...but they are expensive imo the cheapest I've seen is £800 without a box etc and in need of a rebuild. On the other hand I suppose if it's worth putting an Xe in then it's worth saving for a let.

Benn I'm hoping to be at the next mig meet so a ride would be cool!

[bmw156]

count i have one here with a coscast head on.

and what is your new ride! i hope its classic and RWD

[Count Vaux Alot]

One is classic and rwd (that's the new project) and the new daily is classic/retro and fwd I will put up details of both shortly : )

[blue_peg_16v]

will these get finished lol

[Count Vaux Alot]

bmw what are you asking for the let? Is it complete?

[stt]

the only reason im going for a pretty high spec NA over a turbo is that turbos arent allowed in the events i want to do,
I could of built a 250bhp let that was reliable with loads more torque than my xe for a quarter of the cost!

[Benn]

Well that's basically what I thought...but they are expensive imo the cheapest I've seen is £800 without a box etc and in need of a rebuild. On the other hand I suppose if it's worth putting an Xe in then it's worth saving for a let.

Benn I'm hoping to be at the next mig meet so a ride would be cool!


You know what i paid for mine and when i did take bits off all the gaskets looked new. Sadly its started leaking so i'm renewing alot of them now. But i've had a year of almost pain free fun from it. Only probs i've had are ones i've made.
And they've only been simple ones really, when you getting in to upping the power to much is when they start to become a headache from what i've seen over the years.

And good man, about time. We'll go for a hoon.

[steveboyslim]

Well that's basically what I thought...but they are expensive imo the cheapest I've seen is £800 without a box etc and in need of a rebuild. On the other hand I suppose if it's worth putting an Xe in then it's worth saving for a let.

Benn I'm hoping to be at the next mig meet so a ride would be cool!

I have a choice of three (two and a half today, three bt the end of the week).
All will have had new rings bearings, seals, with sealed rebuilt GM heads etc, but will need service parts, with evry thing to make the run, but no gearboxes, £1200 each, which makes £800 for one which needs a rebuild expensive.

Steve

[Wazza024]

Turbo is better there bloody quick and scary even though mine only runs 280bhp thats still scary enough at that.

[garethcolley]

Difficult question this....

Pros:
-Blistering performance when fitted to a light car
-Decent fuel economy when pottering around
-Lots of spares available etc

Cons:
-Second hand ones often need TLC
-Can murder gearboxes and hence F28 is the only solution (try finding a good one and setting up the linkage!)
-Ruins the cars balance and overall handling IMO (although XE is similar)
-Insurance!

[bmw156]

with the let, it just opens so many more doors then an XE does

you start of higher BHP
its more stable when winding it up as opposed of tryingto get an XE to that level.

more pros then cons IMO.

[discoinferno]

i wouldnt change my turbo for an xe not in a millions years!!!

the torque makes it so nice to drive

[mayhem]

i'm kinda in the same position..

i'm driving xe nova's for a few years now, always good fun... but after a go in my mates let nova (280hp) it became really boring to put youre foot down in 3dr gear in a xe nova.

[garethcolley]

Although i should add i think my Nova LET is useless for the roads. Sounds silly but its too much power (mines only p1), once you have hit the limiter in one gear you generally have to brake as your going silly speed. I reckon ill get the most fun out of it on the track as ill be able to go up and down the gears.

[Graeme]

For an extra couple of grand it makes a completely different car to have on the road or track, xe novas were quick ten years ago but everythin has caught them up now, a let nova is still goin to make most things on the road think twice when pullin away from the lights, its a no brainer for me, money well spent imo

[Jeff16v]

Well worth the extra money, anytime you fancy a bit of attention just pull away without the 1st gear boost cut switchlol

4th gear going up a hill ftw

[blue_peg_16v]

lets can be bloody scary though put my foot down in the wet in mine in 5th at 80mph and whooooo wheel spin lol

and id agree with graham, i dont see lets as expensive tbf compaired to ybs there dirt cheap and i only paid £100 more than i paid for my first xe ( was about 13 years since and the going rate for an xe then was £700) an xe back then was a bloody quick car, remember going to york once and the first 8 cars in the 2.0 n/a class were xe powered, i came 3rd that day first car on injection, dave dixon was first in his green gte with xe on carbs phil lofthouse second again with carbs then me, so then an xe was quick but now there not a let gets it back to were an xe was in the mid 90s

[Rich]

I spoke to paul about it when i was wondering whether to carry on with mine. He said remember what its like going from 1.2 into an xe. Imagine that difference again from going xe to let!

[Paul]

Ask Maris what he did with his LET Nova

[AlexW]

Ask Maris what he did with his LET Nova

Lmfao, il always remember that story lol

[Alex J]

Lmfao, il always remember that story lolwhylol , what happenedlol

[AlexW]

Il leave you to explain it lol

[Alex J]

did it include an axe?

[AlexW]

Apparently

[Benn]

Cons:

-Insurance!

My insurance didn't go up at all when changing over.

[blue_peg_16v]

benn mine went down £40 because it was a standard engine at that point were as the xe had a few goodies lol has gone up again now with the phase 3 added but its only £20 more than the xe was 2 years ago

[Benn]

Nice, cant go wrong with that.

[MattBrown]

I would say go for the let.

Imagine a brunette, with huge norks, and a baywatch body,

Then imagine a avrage girl, in a trackie, swearing.

This is the comparison.

Chavs are good to abuse, but not mad fun.

However, brunette with norks is good times:)

And 120mph wheelspins are chavtastic too:)

[Mieran]

Wtf are you on about? lol

[Graeme]

its an analogy, look it up

[Count Vaux Alot]

My insurance didn't go up at all when changing over.

who are you with dude?

[blue_peg_16v]

im with hic count

[Andy]

Im currently converting my xe into a LET
Although it was an xe in a LET block,which will make oilways etc easier.
I remember years ago the 1st time i drove a redtop novver yo,it was fast as fukk lol
Built mine,and i was happy,but always feel/felt like id gone for 2nd best.
Then it went bang and i thought,thats it,im going to turbo the thing lol

[Benn]

who are you with dude?

Am with HIC too.

[Jeff16v]

am with HIC as well, just got the renewal £435 full comp

[Angus Closier]

Nothing to do with this thread but seems lets are popular conversions (worthwhile) In other non vaux cars..... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/C20LET-RED-TOP-TURBO-POWERED-GOLF-1-OFF-CAR-MUST-SEE-/320568306856?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4aa35c2ca8

P.S. This is not a forsale thread btw...nothing to do with me.

[Count Vaux Alot]

Well it looks like I'm going to have to do some saving as I would love a LET and a Xe would be second best I suppose the 1.3 will do for now.

Out of interest you guys with HIC are any of you on classic policies or is it modified only?

[krobinson]

Well it looks like I'm going to have to do some saving as I would love a LET and a Xe would be second best I suppose the 1.3 will do for now.

Out of interest you guys with HIC are any of you on classic policies or is it modified only?

Highly recommend a LET also mate, pity I didnt catch you at billing or you could have had a go in mine.

I'd appreciate a look at my PM also please!

Keith

[Jeff16v]

Well it looks like I'm going to have to do some saving as I would love a LET and a Xe would be second best I suppose the 1.3 will do for now.

Out of interest you guys with HIC are any of you on classic policies or is it modified only?

classic policy 5000 miles each year, fully declared with all mods and agreed value

[blue_peg_16v]

Well it looks like I'm going to have to do some saving as I would love a LET and a Xe would be second best I suppose the 1.3 will do for now.

Out of interest you guys with HIC are any of you on classic policies or is it modified only?

classic pol 5k p/a only £75 xs and it was £365 fully comp this year, fully declaired withagreed value and i also added there euro breakdown cover that is recovery form anywere in uk and europe for £39 a year bargin

[Count Vaux Alot]

Highly recommend a LET also mate, pity I didnt catch you at billing or you could have had a go in mine.

I'd appreciate a look at my PM also please!

Keith

I haven't forgot you mate I will pm you back when I'm next at a computer as the mobile hates long messages

[Count Vaux Alot]

I think I will be giving HIC a try tomorrow then!

[Benn]

I'm not on a Classic pol. No clue why.. Should it be offered? Or do i need to ask for it?

[blue_peg_16v]

if you have a main car and the nova is a second you can ask for one, it dosent use your ncd so is brilliant imo ans means it was affordable for me to go to 2 cars rather than starting ncd from scratch again on a new car