View Full Version : Standard c20let Power in a Nova
creambun1403
10-10-14, 06:19 PM
After digging out this old Revs feature of one of my favorite Nova turbos built from back in the day and owning one myself I was wondering If there is anyone these days running a standard 204bhp 8psi c20let engine in a nova? I know there are many big power ones out there but was just wondering if anyone has not tuned there engine.http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u529/creambun1403/IMG_1501_zps6ea47a59.jpg (http://s1320.photobucket.com/user/creambun1403/media/IMG_1501_zps6ea47a59.jpg.html)
http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u529/creambun1403/IMG_1499_zps78e24862.jpg (http://s1320.photobucket.com/user/creambun1403/media/IMG_1499_zps78e24862.jpg.html)
No point running standard when 280/300bhp can be achieved fairly cheaply and very easily :D
After digging out this old Revs feature of one of my favorite Nova turbos built from back in the day and owning one myself I was wondering If there is anyone these days running a standard 204bhp 8psi c20let engine in a nova? I know there are many big power ones out there but was just wondering if anyone has not tuned there engine.http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u529/creambun1403/IMG_1501_zps6ea47a59.jpg (http://s1320.photobucket.com/user/creambun1403/media/IMG_1501_zps6ea47a59.jpg.html)
http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u529/creambun1403/IMG_1499_zps78e24862.jpg (http://s1320.photobucket.com/user/creambun1403/media/IMG_1499_zps78e24862.jpg.html)
I have this mag. I always kept it because of the sr buying guide in it.
turbojolt
10-10-14, 07:30 PM
if I was to do it I would start off with std power...once bored then choon it
chris gsi
10-10-14, 07:34 PM
Mine will be standard power once it's built and I may up the power over time
You will def up the power I have nearly 350hp in mine and still feel like it's not enough lol.
204 bhp is plenty in a fwd car that weighs 6kgs...
turbojolt
10-10-14, 10:31 PM
You will def up the power I have nearly 350hp in mine and still feel like it's not enough lol.
you must be crazy lol
Lol depends how you drive it, i mostly like the effortless power while cruising about, pulls like a train in 6th at 70. Im actually doing a few things at the moment to make it more user friendly so the missus can start driving it next year. Its making 200bhp by 3.5k and by 5.5k it's 347 so it's quite a handful in lower gears. Think I may need a in cabin boost controller so I can send her out with less or possibly even standard boost lol.
craig green
11-10-14, 11:09 AM
each to their own but having so much torque you risk shredding the tyres if you sneeze near the accelerator pedal is as pointless as a K&N on a 1.2 SPi.
Std LET power makes a lot of sense to me. Plenty other build aspects come before tunin.
each to their own but having so much torque you risk shredding the tyres if you sneeze near the accelerator pedal is as pointless as a K&N on a 1.2 SPi.
Std LET power makes a lot of sense to me. Plenty other build aspects come before tunin.
Its pretty useable with good throttle control but i have owned/own alot of extremely quick cars over the last 16yrs of driving so had alot of practice. In fact I can't think of a car I've owned in last 8yrs that hasn't required a fair amount of throttle control in low gears apart from various daily drivers. Nothing like having far to much power lol :) However I do agree you should get the rest of the car ready before you start adding mad power but my nova is pretty much fully sorted, power was the last remaining step lol.
Pistol Pete
11-10-14, 11:56 AM
204 bhp is plenty in a fwd car that weighs 6kgs...
This. I have always said i never fancied a LET in mine as i think its too much.
That said, 4 years down the line after building mine, i am considering an engine swap if funds allow!! I guess after a while abit extra is required. Or maybe TB's.
tbs make no sense to me unless its for competing.a good tb setup plus ecu etc is as much as a good let.
Like Andy said Itb's ain't really worth the cash inless you race the car, out on the road you would hardly notice a difference. Apart from the obviously epic sound and throttle response. I've driven a fair few highly tuned n/a cars which are great fun but out on the road nothing beats forced induction.
blue_peg_16v
11-10-14, 02:07 PM
I have a let and am building an xe on twin 48 webers as miss the sound and let's face it my old set up was 196bhp and that's plenty in a nova the let is faster but not as much fun IMO that's why in going back to xe on carbs
creambun1403
11-10-14, 02:24 PM
204 bhp is plenty in a fwd car that weighs 6kgs...
I agree its plenty of power for a Nova and having owned a Let for years now with more power I have forgot what it was like to run standard now, I suppose it wouldnt take to much work to take it back to the start again.
Tbs are not worth it? I would challenge that. Ill bet you've not driven a decent xe to make the comparison. Tbs torque curve is so much more manageable and driveable. Don't get me wrong, let's are funny, but up to 80 it's a farce, unless you've got some proper tyres and a diff and a good suspension set up. You're just fighting with the steering wheel and trying not to torque steer into things.
My saloon was for pure giggles and with 240 ish bhp and 300 lbft it was too much for my avos and 15s!
I havent driven a xe on bodies admittidly but have driven a fair few cars with them. Don't get me wrong they are great fun and sound awesome and yeah the power curve is nice and linear but for the price and the fact you ideally need supporting mods to make the best of them is it really worth it for a road car? £1800 for the kit and a omex then you need atleast cams imo another couple of hundred plus cambelt new water pump etc then you have mapping £300/400 Plus not everyone has the ability and tools to fit it all themself. If not i would imagine you would be charged a small fortune for that to. All that for 40/50bhp maybe a little more if your lucky? Stick a let in your at 200 already, few hundred for some chips a fpr and decent exhaust and your knocking on the door of 280/290bhp. People that can't control the throttle can just enable the low gear boost reducer or whatever you wanna call it lol.
nova_stee
12-10-14, 09:15 AM
After owning a standard xe with jenveys fitted i wouldnt own another they bore me to death. I can understand why people have them for track use but i am more of a turbo person in any car
blue_peg_16v
12-10-14, 07:58 PM
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm71/richardmee/0E7AF82C-9D7A-4BF0-9280-E67A8BC5354B_zpsh9jlsulj.png
I love a good well tuned n/a but they are absolute money pits for what your getting back, once you get past the basic mods your paying thousands and thousands for tiny gains, all good if your building a race car with endless sponsorship money or you rolling in cash but for me ill stick to turbo engines. n/a is slowly becoming a thing of the past, pretty much all car companys are lowering displacement and adding turbos now.
craig green
13-10-14, 08:40 PM
There are pro's & cons for n/a or boosted all day long. I have to admit that after I had my first turbo charged engine I was drunk on the torque every time I drove it. Now driving a Honda (with next to no torque) I can appreciate a free revving engine also. That characteristic is well suited for track work, just as the brutal acceleration of a turbo Nova suited to fast road use. Both camps make good noises so it really does come down to individual preference & ideally a good understanding of what you enter into in terms of mechanically running a converted/equipped Nova.
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