DizzyRebel
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Registered: 2nd Jan 09
Location: Lincoln
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No they are over engineered, they didnt design the engine to be poweful then put restrictors in it, they designed it to be super reliable from the beginning. Were not talking garden shed creations - these are multi million pound projects, they dont spend millions on R&D of a 500bhp engine then decide to drop its output to 300bhp for no reason. Reliability is one of their key design criteria so the designers will over engineer them to the point of amazing engine life.
There is a general rule of thumb with any project and that is to double your estimated budget for a more true indication of cost. Everyone i know says the same thing, as you have to budget for unpredicted mishaps and setbacks along the way as well as general want and desire for a better overall result.
Id upgrade those parts for the simple reason that if i bought a second hand engine i wouldnt rest my projects success son some dodgy twats word that its a 'good runner' or its 'just been rebuilt.' Id rebuild it myself anyway for peace of mind, but whilst its in parts, instead of using standard bits id fit performance parts and have it blueprinted fpr the extra reliability it would offer and incase i wanted more power in the future. Perhaps the engine doesnt need it, but ive seen enough 300bhp lets go pop in my time as they hadnt been rebuilt first so id rather rebuild it than take your word for it thanks.
Ive never owned a let corsa before, but i know a guy who builds them for a living and about 10 of his customers are good freinds so i know enough about the money they have put into theirs, the advice he gives his customers when budgeting for one and the dodgy nature of buying a second hand engine you dont know the history of.
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stubs
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Registered: 30th Jun 02
Location: Bolton
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Yadda yadda yadda... I think you 2 have taken this a bit off topic.
Both are making reasonable arguments but the guy asked what is the average cost.
In an ideal world, and if money wasn't an issue then yes Dizzy, full rebuild with uprated internals would be nice. However, VXR is talking from personal experience and with relative money restrictions in mind.
I can understand that "a guy who builds them for a living" would advise to rebuild an engine... otherwise he wouldn't his living 
I know a guys who's mum's work mate has a daughter that's shagging some guy who went to school with a lad who's dad works in a cardboard factory where the boss's grandson's babysitter's brother lives next door to a guy who's engine blew after doing a conversion... word is that he should've spent £20k and had the conversion done properly with a full uprated rebuild. Then again maybe not 
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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No, they would never design a 500bhp enigne and put it at 300bhp, they build it to a reliable specification to last. Compromise of Power over reliability.
Everyone you know? That means nothing on the internet.
Yeah my mate of a mate of a mate sisters dog actually builds LET's.... For shizzle.....
You don't double a budget, that says poor planning from the start. Things will go over budget yes, but if your coming to 1.5x the budget cost, your planning was terrible to start with, and you should account for extras on top of a budget.
You don't need to rebuild an engine unless it has a problem or your going for big power. Why replace parts that arn't broken. Again your talking like you have lots to spend, this person is asking a REAL LIFE budget of which your is just opinion with absolutly no experience bar what "your mate" tells you . Whoi is this mate, as im actually honestly interested and would like to see images of some of his conversion cars.
300bhp LETs go pop when abused and not looked after, like any engine would when not looked after properly and ragged everywhere. Like transfer boxes, everyone says "they are crap" when they arn't, its just most haven't been serviced and looked after, hence go pop. And anway, increase an engines power by 1/3 and you have to appreciate you may cause an issue if not originally setup right.
As said, this topic has been covered many times, with many people, over 10 years. I've added help for the poster, im not getting into a debate with an online noobie who has got no real experience with it, only a desirable wish list.
Sure, i'd love £30k budget for build a LET, but most real people don't, and need to know roughly how much they are looking at to do it properly. Of which the answers been given, so nothing more for me to contribute.
[Edited on 14-05-2009 by VXR]
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DizzyRebel
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Registered: 2nd Jan 09
Location: Lincoln
User status: Offline
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His place is PC automotive or 'powercrazy' here in lincoln.
I said you could spend 5 grand building a shit one or 10 grand on building a mint one. Low budgets are very rarely sucessful - imo if your only looking at spending 2-3k build a redtop or a v6 as they cost less when they go wrong.
Perhaps your ethics are different to mine, but to me if your going to do a job you do it right first time around. And i always rebuild engines before putting them in. If im building something that i want to last then i trust my own handy work, not the word of somone else on an engines condition. Ive learned that one the hard way.
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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Powercrazy, the V6 specialists, not LET specalists as far as im aware. I remember their first conversion, it wasn't "THAT" long ago either.
Again, you have NO experience with it.
£1000-£1500 will get you a safe reliable XE conversion. I know, I had one.
£3k-£4k will get you a safe reliable LET conversion, I know, I still have one (well the GF does) that was built 5 years ago.
My ethics are no different, as said, your living in a dream world. Basically your saying 99% of conversion out there are bodge jobs becuase they haven't "rebuilt" the engine, "rebuilt" the shell. Your living in a dream world, no-one has £10k to spend, and if you actually want to do it "properly" like you say, you will need a LOT more than £10k, so your still out.
Your talking from opinion, and "your mate"
Im talking from experience, proven experience, and 10 years of Vauxhalls, and the fact your now dissing everyone on here who owns a LET and spent less than £5k on it as its a "sh1t" one... (YOUR WORDS).. How to get friends eh
I will let the poster decide.
I'll lay odd theres hardly anyone here who spent £10k on their LET conversion alone. Im sure not even Nic has spent that on tuning parts to reach nearly 500bhp.....
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richc
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Registered: 24th Mar 07
Location: Ilkeston
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I wouldnt be suprised though if he turned around and said he had spent £10k
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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Yeah actually I wouldn't, including rebuilding, issues etc....
But Nics is a homegrown, so problems are expected as he's built it up and home, so credit where its due.
But if you started off with a goal, then it saves you massive amounts.
My car cost me shedloads, but i'd put stuff on, take it off, etc etc... If i'd have gone at the start, "right, I was xyz on my car" I would have saved thousands.
If you had a car, and just enjoyed building it up over time, it'll cost more, but will be more rewarding, but if you know what you want, you can save lots of cash.
I would love someone to go "heres £30k, now go build me a FWD NA engined track corsa." Great fun.
Real life - Aint gonna happen unless you in motorsport.
Most "normal" people want to do it on a budget, so having a guideline is good. You know if your billls come to £1k, your missing something (or got some blinder deals on parts). If it comes in the £2-4k region, you have a better idea. If its costing you £6k+, your paying for extra goodies.
I aint being an arse, i've jsut been there so can give an idea. Maybe some other LET owners could also give their unput, but I can imagine we're all in the same ball park and not into 5 figure numbers on a conversion alone (unless your stupid and go to Regal or Cortenay Sport (do Courtenay Sport still do older conversion cars??))
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DizzyRebel
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Registered: 2nd Jan 09
Location: Lincoln
User status: Offline
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I think your on the same wavelength as me were just wordings things differently. Yes you can budget a working useable let for 5k, but it will have issues and will need money pumping into it to keep it running when various things go wrong over time.
Im not the sort of person who builds something half useable then spends the next 3 years repairing bits and replacing parts keeping the car off the road all the time. Id rather just take a hit rom the start and build it how i wanted from the start. even if that means spending well over budget etc. Its just the way i am, i wont build anything unless i know it will be perfect when im done.
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Nic Barnes
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Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
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quote:
Originally posted by VXR
But Nics is a homegrown, so problems are expected as he's built it up and home, so credit where its due.
for the internet record. my homegrown problems are as follows
1. had a liner pressed in by some company, they did it wrong and the liner worked its way downwards and smashed into bits by the crank. new block and pistons.
2. powder coated rocker cover, argue as much as anyone wants i should have checked it, but i didnt know. new gaskets and bearings, oil pump and another std cylinder head.
3. valve guide cracked while at ten of best as head that i fitted from powder coating incident had bent valves but sadly onoly had 3 days to fire a head on it, make it run and drive it to ten of best. my fault for being nieve that it would be "fine". needed new head, new pistons.
4. turbo shaft snapped. ebay cheapo one. it lasted about 10,000 miles and had nothing but pain and abuse. i wasnt that bothered as ive ended up with better stuff
5. drive shaft snapped. it has 458lb/ft of torque. i cant expect something rated at 300bhp to cope really.
so in fairness, yes other niggly things have gone wrong like more recently a clutch, but these things wear on a standard car so cant really mention them, they come under service and maintainance parts id say.
in my opinion for a homebrew driveway built car, its either doing quite well, or ive just been extremely lucky so far. maybe more lucky than anything as im not a mechanic or an engine tuner at all. i just like to, how they say, have a go.
2 of my problems were cuased by someone else really. the liner and the powder coating. the head that decided to smash valve guides up, well id paid my 100 quid to enter ten of the best. i made the car work and run, it was getting taken down no matter what. it died, i had fun anyway.
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