1.0 litre lite - need a little bit more power - Any easy tweeks?

[Alphajay]

My son has a 1.0 litre Nova life and it could do with a little bit more power. Are there any little tweeks we could give it without changing the engine. We have fitted 288mm Calibra discs to the front and 16" rims, conti sport 3 tyres and an SRI brake servo so it stops very well. I don't want to change the engine yet as he is only 17 (1st Car) and the insurance is bad enough as it is.

Any help would be most appreciated

Jim

[Hobbit]

Not really many tuning options for the 1 litre unfortunately.

Swapping for a 1.3 or 1.6 at a later date really would be the best option.

[Alphajay]

Cheers for that Hobbit, not really the answer I wanted though. Air filter / exhaust maybe

[mk1nova_rich]

Well unfortunately there really isnt much you can do with a 1.0. An air filter change will make bugger all difference, same with an exhaust change so not really worth the expense.

Let him get some driving experience under his belt then go for an engine swap when insurance comes down. For now money might be better spent on upgrading the suspension...and fitting some smaller wheels will help acceleration

[Alphajay]

Thanks for that but we cannot reduce the size of the wheels due to the size of the front discs and I wouldn't want him to lose the braking for the sake of a bit more acceleration. What would you recommend for the suspension, we have fitted an SRI torsion bar to the rear beam

[garyc]

fit a 4.1 diff and a CR gear cluster, that should help you accelerate faster.

[mk1nova_rich]

Stiffen everything up with a polybush kit and some uprated shocks and springs.

288mm discs are serious overkill on a 1.0 lol maybe look into some 256mm brakes?!!

[Southie]

simple things really:
remove the berries from the manifolds and ports, cut back the valve guides and give the head a full de-coke. set the timing and change the advance springs to give a few degrees more advance at high RPM. new air filter with cold air feed (on std air box), use a stepped key or remove the key and advance the cam timing a degree or 2. set all the valve clearences bang on. skim the head, inc the compression ratio and use better fuel. build a new manifold to take the 1.2 carb and re-jet to suit.

that lot will be a good improvment, however in std, well maintained state, the 1.0 OHV engine is very nice to drive, quiet, and economical with good gearing and good spread of torque for town and adequate to reach 70mph where conditions allow.

Meritlover loves the 1.0 OHV engine.


/\

[Jack]

288 brake setup will fit behind 15" wheels.

Work on suspension and weight next - try to improve the power:weight ratio. Minor mods still attract an insurance premium though, so it may well work out the same to just whap a bigger engine in there in terms of insurance hikes.

[mowgli]

if you can find a mk1/2 astra 1200, the engine is very similar to the 1.0, but to be honest, you'll be better off saving up for somethning bigger

[Alphajay]

Many thanks people, sounds like a short wait and a bigger engine

[mowgli]

Remember if you get a bigger engine, 1.2/1.3/1.4 etc, you need the matching gearbox, the 1.0 bellhousing is different

[Alphajay]

Many thanks people, looks like a short wait for a 1.6 engine and box is the best bet, but the suspension and bushes are a definite in the very near future. Merry Xmas

[_Jake]

Id keep driving it and build up another engine. Im only 17 too & thats what im doing with my 1.2. Managed to get a mk2 astra to strip for the 1.3 out of it which will be cam'd/carbed etc and going in :)

[Alphajay]

Cheers for that Jake, it sounds like a very good idea

[Timmy]

take out back seats , passager front seat dont worrie about not havin your mates in the car they heavy too. buy AA cover you wont need the spare do you have iphone or ipod they lighter than a radio lose that as well and speakers, and just use headphones, if its MK1 take the dash out it cause cancer and zipp tie dials to streeing coloum burgo stylei door cards are for homoes dump them and the back ones. should be a lot faster now

[Alphajay]

Thanks for that Timmy the Tear****

[mowgli]

take out back seats , passager front seat dont worrie about not havin your mates in the car they heavy too. Buy aa cover you wont need the spare do you have iphone or ipod they lighter than a radio lose that as well and speakers, and just use headphones, if its mk1 take the dash out it cause cancer and zipp tie dials to streeing coloum burgo stylei door cards are for homoes dump them and the back ones. Should be a lot faster now

1. Doing that lot & notifying the insurance will mean it costs more than sticking a larger engine in...
2. Re the cancer.... Jack got it, but he most likely got lee to do the dash swap........cough cough