What engine?

[db_1.2]

Im looking to do a conversion about the begining of next year, and i was looking at doing a 1.6 gsi conversion as its simple to do, but then i thought about cat/de-cat issues as im looking for reasonable power but yet im looking to insure it too, as im only 17 (will be 18) even if i cant get insured ill look into it first, if not ill keep the engine till i can do the conversion.

So i thought along the lines of:

~GSI
~GTE
~1.3 / 1.4 sr/sri - always liked these, just seem a little hard to get hold of sometimes
~1.4 16v - immobiliser issues i understand???:confused:
~1.6 16v - may favourite, but concerned about costs of conversion i.e. shafts, mounts etc (this applys for 1.4 16v also)
~Obvious redtop, wouldnt mind but wouldnt be able to insure

So id appreciate help given in this choice, and any parts you have let me know, although im not really looking to buy right yet, im looking along the lines of 800 quid, may be able to stretch but obviously id rather save money!

May also look into twin carbs, but again its insurance, as there is a rather tastey 1.6 t40 on ebay for 600 very local, but like i said im not looking to do the conversion yet.

Any help is always appreciated.

:thumb:

[Welsh Dan]

My vote is a 1.4 sr engine with a 1.3 head, decent cam and some second hand '40s if possible. If not then a 32/34 and whatever headwork fits into the budget.

[db_1.2]

Good thinking, its what i was looking for, couldnt i use a skimmed 1.4 head? Or has the 1.3 got different sized ports, or something? im not very good at remembering!

What sort of power would i get some this then? Not so much looking for silly power but reasonable, also this will be used every day so im not too sure about t40's! Although if it was to be an sr lump theres no way id use the standard carb, or even a single carb.

[Welsh Dan]

The 1.4sr (C14NV) has a good cam, and tiny ports. The 1.3sr has muh bigger ports.

As for power, a friend of mine has the 1.4 in his mk2 astra, not sure of everything thats been done, but its been lightened and balanced in the bottom end, lots of headwork, 270deg cam, twin 40s (which were set up wrong and need doing again), and he gets 90-100bhp and 90-100lb/ft as far as I know. When I speak to him next I'll get a pic of his RR printout.

In a few months time I'll be upgrading from a 1.2 to a 1.4spi with 1.2 carb head and an f13cr, then I'll either tune that or just buy a 1.6.

[db_1.2]

Cool, 100bhp sounds good to me, have it lightened and balanced for better response and should be alright, cars ligth enough for that power anyway, pretty much ready for the conversion, i'd love to run twin 40's as ive always liked them for some reason:confused: but ive heard a few bad things about fuel consumpton, thats why i was looking for a 1.6 gsi/gte/16v as they give reasonable power without using gallons of fuel, but ill look into twin carbs a bit more as they do give good power, as for cam i made my mind up on a 270 as ive heard they are the best really BUT ''a pig to use on the road''?:confused:

Anyway i got a long time to do the conversion so theres no rush and i'd rather collect as much info as possible before doing any conversion, and i have still to make my mind up yet although its most probably going to be either a 1.4sr/sri (70% chance of using t40's) and a 1.6 gsi/gte (not so possible t40 setup, cus its going to be used for everyday use.

Gearbox:

F13CR unsure on fd but ill look into that more later

[Welsh Dan]

Dan's t40 1.6 gets around 35mpg on the road according to Dan and Stuart. In my honest opinion, fuel consumption is much more down to how you use your right foot than anything else.

Having watched my mate spend far too much money on his 1.4 though, I'd say get the 1.4, better head, 32/34 carb, decent manifold and exhaust and leave it at that until you can insure a redtop.

[db_1.2]

Hmmmm

I rekon ill just do a GSI conversion and like you said, leave it untill i can insure a redtop, although ive never really been to keen on a redtop in a nova, never really liked the idea! Bit too heavy i would of thought.

[General Baxter]

ther 1.4 16v and 1.6 16v bolt stright in, uses the nova drive shafts and mounts :)

[db_1.2]

Brilliant, i like the sound of that! Just a lot of slicing and dicing to the loom i guess??

[stv-b16a]

thats what im doin to my nova at the mo. 1600 16v out of a corsa sport. what gearbox are you running, General. stv

[Welsh Dan]

He's running an F15CR if i remember correctly.

[stv-b16a]

someone on here told me i would be better with a gsi box. so i could use all standard nova engine mounts.

[General Baxter]

yes you can use a F13 box, but the amount of power im going to put thru it, i think i was better off with an F15 and diff

[stv-b16a]

did you have too make up a custom mount for the box?

[General Baxter]

no just use the nova mount and gearlinkage

[stv-b16a]

really? so ur corsa lump just slotted straight in. gearbox and all. anything else i should know about this conversion. engines goin into a 1.2i shell. any help would really be appreciated.

[stv-b16a]

what driveshafts did you use are corsa ones not longer than novas.

[JJL]

use nova shafts