Dazbo
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Registered: 14th Nov 05
Location: Norwich
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please give and answer to each of the questions
question 1
how hard is it to the conversion from 1.4 to a 2.0 turbo?
question 2
is it worth buying a pre turbo'd corsa (another words one thats someone else has done)
question 3
Where is the best place to find info on the conversion
question 4
what is a good average cost for a conversion if self done
question 5
if you was offered a turbo lump that you dint really know the history of what are the key signs to keep an eye out for like smoke... ect
question 6
am i wasting my time writting this???
ta
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SR91
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Registered: 21st Jun 08
Location: Lancashire.
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quote:
Originally posted by Dazbo
please give and answer to each of the questions
question 1
how hard is it to the conversion from 1.4 to a 2.0 turbo?
Fuck knows 
question 2
is it worth buying a pre turbo'd corsa (another words one thats someone else has done)
Probably (its cheaoer but less peace of mind..) 
question 3
Where is the best place to find info on the conversion
Google and Mig
question 4
what is a good average cost for a conversion if self done
in excess of 5k IIRC...
question 5
if you was offered a turbo lump that you dint really know the history of what are the key signs to keep an eye out for like smoke... ect
just refurb it you pussy
question 6
am i wasting my time writting this???
very much so
ta
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Gareth F
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Registered: 16th Jan 08
Location: Location Location
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With out fail Sr helps someone out
evening 
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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question 1
how hard is it to the conversion from 1.4 to a 2.0 turbo?
Depends what you term 'hard'. If changing a wheel is moderately difficult then a 2.0 turbo installation is prohibitively unobtainable.
question 2
is it worth buying a pre turbo'd corsa (another words one thats someone else has done)
This would mean you get to use it now, and it's generally cheaper to do this although you do leave yourself open to buying something that someone else has botched and lied to you about when you buy it.
question 3
Where is the best place to find info on the conversion
This web site.
question 4
what is a good average cost for a conversion if self done
I think the consensus is around £1500 by the time you have bought the engine itself, mounts, shafts, exhaust and all consumables. You could probably scrape it for less if you're lucky but this would include used parts in unknown condition.
question 5
if you was offered a turbo lump that you dint really know the history of what are the key signs to keep an eye out for like smoke... ect
Same as buying the car - it should have service history and sound and look OK. Check for leaks and the condition of hoses and wiring as an indicator of general condition. Problem is you won't generally be able to see it running if you buy it while it's out of a car. It's a complete gamble really.
question 6
am i wasting my time writting this???
If you don't have a few grand and can't insure it when you've finished then yes. If this hasn't put you off then no, absolutely not, good luck.
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SR91
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Registered: 21st Jun 08
Location: Lancashire.
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quote:
Originally posted by Gareth F
With out fail Sr helps someone out
evening
Good morning, good sir
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Rob E
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Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
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I bought my 2.0 turbo already done. It was done by a reputable vauxhall specialist and is a very tidy job tbh. If you are running turbo power, its highly recommended to fit a strengthening kit to the chassis. How much experience have you had on the spanners? If your pretty capable of removing and installing engines then you could probably do it yourself. There are plenty of guides kicking about the net on how to carry out the conversion. Ideally if you want to find a good engine, the best bet is to buy a calibra with the engine still in that has a service history. I have all the service history for the vehicle that my engine came out of, its been spent on and well looked after. Before you consider the engine conversion, you also need to remember the other parts you need to upgrade like the brake setup and suspension setup. The standard corsa items wont be up to the job. Get it declared too, if you dont and you have a smash, prepared to be fucked by the long dick of the law! Mine is insured for £639 with every modification declared with a company called Brenacre who have provided the best service ive ever had with insurance companies. I highly recommend them
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Forbes789
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Registered: 19th Sep 07
Location: Buckie, Moray
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quote:
Originally posted by Rob E
I bought my 2.0 turbo already done. It was done by a reputable vauxhall specialist and is a very tidy job tbh. If you are running turbo power, its highly recommended to fit a strengthening kit to the chassis. How much experience have you had on the spanners? If your pretty capable of removing and installing engines then you could probably do it yourself. There are plenty of guides kicking about the net on how to carry out the conversion. Ideally if you want to find a good engine, the best bet is to buy a calibra with the engine still in that has a service history. I have all the service history for the vehicle that my engine came out of, its been spent on and well looked after. Before you consider the engine conversion, you also need to remember the other parts you need to upgrade like the brake setup and suspension setup. The standard corsa items wont be up to the job. Get it declared too, if you dont and you have a smash, prepared to be fucked by the long dick of the law! Mine is insured for £639 with every modification declared with a company called Brenacre who have provided the best service ive ever had with insurance companies. I highly recommend them
how old are you?
how many years no claims?
i'm looking at a turbo project later this year for over the winter for next summer, but i want it logged and insured as a turbo, i'm 21 and 3 years no claims, just wondered how much it'll cost
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fazza
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Registered: 7th Feb 08
Location: Plymouth
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im 21 been driving 4 years but no no claims as change my car to often.
I pay 821 on my corsa let with everything declared
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Rob E
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Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
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I'm 23 with 5years no claims mate. Also thats insured at my uni address which is supposedly one of the highest car crime rates in the uk 
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tom_simes
Show Staff
Organiser: South Wales
Premium Member
Registered: 12th Jan 05
Location: Undy, Newport Drives: Skoda Octavia vRS estate
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quote:
Originally posted by Rob E
I'm 23 with 5years no claims mate. Also thats insured at my uni address which is supposedly one of the highest car crime rates in the uk
Brentacre will know that all too well, they are based in Swansea
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Torsa g
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Registered: 20th Sep 07
Location: Tamworth. Rides: An OSTRIDGE
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quote:
Originally posted by fazza
im 21 been driving 4 years but no no claims as change my car to often.
I pay 821 on my corsa let with everything declared
Whos that with shaun
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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quote:
Originally posted by Ian
what is a good average cost for a conversion if self done
I think the consensus is around £1500 by the time you have bought the engine itself, mounts, shafts, exhaust and all consumables. You could probably scrape it for less if you're lucky but this would include used parts in unknown condition.
For a LET??????
You sure its that cheap??
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fazza
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Registered: 7th Feb 08
Location: Plymouth
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quote:
Originally posted by Torsa g
quote:
Originally posted by fazza
im 21 been driving 4 years but no no claims as change my car to often.
I pay 821 on my corsa let with everything declared
Whos that with shaun
through adrian flux mate.
Thats very cheap Imo ian.
Looking at atleast 1k for a c20let with box etc, then brakes, suspension, mounts, shafts.
easily over 1.5k even if you use second hand parts, but buy doing it that way your taking a risk not rebuilding the let
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Rob E
Member
Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by tom_simes
quote:
Originally posted by Rob E
I'm 23 with 5years no claims mate. Also thats insured at my uni address which is supposedly one of the highest car crime rates in the uk
Brentacre will know that all too well, they are based in Swansea
Yeah, handy too, I had my documents within 20 mins of taking the poilicy out 
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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
quote:
Originally posted by Ian
what is a good average cost for a conversion if self done
I think the consensus is around £1500 by the time you have bought the engine itself, mounts, shafts, exhaust and all consumables. You could probably scrape it for less if you're lucky but this would include used parts in unknown condition.
For a LET??????
You sure its that cheap??
depends though, if you get an engine and use an f20, then can get exhaust cobbled together and use calibra shafts etc, i suppose so. to do it properly using only the finest stuff id imagine it be over 2k easy.
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DizzyRebel
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Registered: 2nd Jan 09
Location: Lincoln
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depends on the quality of the build. If you just want to slap one together as cheap as possible with no regards to performance or reliability you could get the bits for £1500 or so.
If you want it reliable and done properly you will need an engine, then get it rebuilt by either yourself or a professional using all new forged pistons and rods with all new hardware etc. Then a rebuilt hybrid turbo, custom mounts and shafts, racing clutch, F28 gearbox with 2wd conversion, custom silicon hoses, custom intercooler, custom exhaust with a good manifold, then custom management with a remap. Plus lots of other little things id have missed. Your looking at a good £5000+ in parts depending on the spec you want but if it was my car id want it built properly from the start so i knew everything was fresh and ready to take years of running.
It would be cheaper to buy a built one. you can get shit ones for about 2.5k and will pay about 5k for a really nice one.
Dont attempt one yourself without budgeting around 10k for a proper build.
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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£10k is whey over-priced.
Nothing wrong with a standard LET to make sure things bed in. Internals can handle 300+bhp which is plenty.
And if your going all out, you don't start with a LET, you turbocharge an XE saving £1k buying the engine.
2wd conversion cost bugger all.
Don't need custom mounts or shafts, they are available off the shelf.
An engine with forged pistons doesn't mean years of running.
Why would you want new rods and hardware?? (whats hardware???)
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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quote:
Originally posted by Nic Barnes
depends though, if you get an engine and use an f20, then can get exhaust cobbled together and use calibra shafts etc, i suppose so. to do it properly using only the finest stuff id imagine it be over 2k easy.
I guess, you can do it pikey style for that, but as i've always said
200+bhp per tonne = do people value their lives
Aye, think Donna spent about £1000 in total, but we bought a whole car, stripped that for parts, custom IC, custom exhaust, and sold the blown C16 for a good bit of wedge, but still cost around £1k after selling all the bits. Think she spent in total about £2500, and tbh, thats on sh1tty assed FK coilovers. And still got the bloody 4pots to go on..... 2nd set of Reylands made, and they've still never been fitted
So i guess it can be done for that cheap, but it would be a silly lad/lass who did scrimp that much on a turbo as their so bloody quick.
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FruitBooTeR
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Registered: 18th Jan 07
Location: Wolverhampton Drives: S15
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Just buy Pickfords
Job done  Id buy it if i was looking for an engine but concentrating on bodywork atm
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DizzyRebel
Member
Registered: 2nd Jan 09
Location: Lincoln
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by VXR
£10k is whey over-priced.
Nothing wrong with a standard LET to make sure things bed in. Internals can handle 300+bhp which is plenty.
And if your going all out, you don't start with a LET, you turbocharge an XE saving £1k buying the engine.
2wd conversion cost bugger all.
Don't need custom mounts or shafts, they are available off the shelf.
An engine with forged pistons doesn't mean years of running.
Why would you want new rods and hardware?? (whats hardware???)
If i were to build a let properly, id have it stripped down, new shells put in, a re ground, balnced and lightened crank, forged h beam rods that are matched and balanced, and forged pistons that are matched and balanced. A reliable build needs blueprinting, and at the very least the bottom end balanced for reliable high rpm running. Forged parts for me are peace of mind, as id rather have an over engineered reliable engine on the road instead of one running on the limits of its internals that i couldnt depend on to get me to the shops and back.
Then the head rebuilt with new uprated vavetrain and some good cams, proabably some flow work on it too whilst its off. Then use the best hardware (bolts, gaskets etc) to bolt it together.
Custom exhaust manifold or a very good off the shelf item, with a fresh hybrid turbo thats not going to fuck up when its asked to run decent boost levels.
Lightened and balanced flywheel with a clutch thats going to take more power than will go through it, motorsport shafts, joints and hubs. F28 gearbox.
Custom exhaust system.
new silicone hoses throughout, custom intercooler.
New standalone management with a custom map.
all those parts must add up to what £5,000? Maybe more?
Then if you add in the price of a good corsa shell of about £1000, some nice wheels and tires at £500+ some good suspension at £500+ good brakes at £500+ poly bushes, rear arb at what £300? Chassis stregthening and seam welding at a cost if you cant weld yourself.
Easily 10k when you do the job properly not cobble it all together cutting corners and bodging.
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Jas
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Registered: 13th Oct 04
Location: Mid Wales
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imo.....
buy one already done, if its no good.
Rebuild it and make it good
that way you don't have the stress of fitting the lump and you might be lucky enough to land a good LET corsa in the first place..
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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quote:
Originally posted by DizzyRebel
If i were to build a let properly, id have it stripped down, new shells put in, a re ground, balnced and lightened crank, forged h beam rods that are matched and balanced, and forged pistons that are matched and balanced. A reliable build needs blueprinting, and at the very least the bottom end balanced for reliable high rpm running. Forged parts for me are peace of mind, as id rather have an over engineered reliable engine on the road instead of one running on the limits of its internals that i couldnt depend on to get me to the shops and back.
Then the head rebuilt with new uprated vavetrain and some good cams, proabably some flow work on it too whilst its off. Then use the best hardware (bolts, gaskets etc) to bolt it together.
Custom exhaust manifold or a very good off the shelf item, with a fresh hybrid turbo thats not going to fuck up when its asked to run decent boost levels.
Lightened and balanced flywheel with a clutch thats going to take more power than will go through it, motorsport shafts, joints and hubs. F28 gearbox.
Custom exhaust system.
new silicone hoses throughout, custom intercooler.
New standalone management with a custom map.
all those parts must add up to what £5,000? Maybe more?
Then if you add in the price of a good corsa shell of about £1000, some nice wheels and tires at £500+ some good suspension at £500+ good brakes at £500+ poly bushes, rear arb at what £300? Chassis stregthening and seam welding at a cost if you cant weld yourself.
Easily 10k when you do the job properly not cobble it all together cutting corners and bodging.
So my other halfs has cut corners......... I think not £35k on a corsa says your wrong..........
Your talking about a high powered LET. In which case you would start off with an XE, not a LET. Why shell out for all the items your replacing anyway?
A LET in 300bhp guise is plenty for a Corsa turbo that managable, or your starting to talk straightline stuff only.
You can build a proper road-going corsa for £3-4k going for semi decent items (if you have a car already). This included engine, box, 2wd + speedo ring, all hubs and shafts and mounts. Our IC was custom made by Pace, £320.... Silicone is cosmetic, not really functional other than heat control, but its not a neccesity... If it was, then the cars the engine came from would have it....
Over-engineering doesn't mean reliability.
Your talking about starting with nothing and building a 400bhp monster. Not about a simple safe and not boding a road going Corsa Turbo. This guy is asking as if he has a 1.4 already.
Whilst its nice to have a spotless shell, its not needed. Hence why your budgeting costs (from not owning one yourself) are well over priced, and why mine (having one) arn't. We've been there, and this discussion has been covered many times over many years.
But essentially yeah, a conversion CAN cost £10k, but then it can also cost £20k, £30k, £40k, and upwards.... it just depends HOW much into it you want to go.
To do it on a budget, but SAFE though, £3k-£4k.
[Edited on 14-05-2009 by VXR]
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DizzyRebel
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Registered: 2nd Jan 09
Location: Lincoln
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General rule of thumb when building a car is to spec a budget and double it. Whats the point of shelling out all that money if the end result isnt perfect?
And over engineered does mean reliability - volvo and saab are perfect examples of grossly over engineered cars that have ridiculously reliable engines. Its common sense that the more stress a part is desined to take the more reliable it will be - i wouldnt run a let at 400bhp even with a high spec purely because i value reliability over outright power.
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crazybrightman
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Registered: 30th Mar 09
Location: leicestershire
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quote:
Originally posted by DizzyRebel
General rule of thumb when building a car is to spec a budget and double it. Whats the point of shelling out all that money if the end result isnt perfect?
And over engineered does mean reliability - volvo and saab are perfect examples of grossly over engineered cars that have ridiculously reliable engines. Its common sense that the more stress a part is desined to take the more reliable it will be - i wouldnt run a let at 400bhp even with a high spec purely because i value reliability over outright power.
well said that man 
plus its all very well fitting an engine and box, wiring and plumbing it in but what about brakes, wheels, tyres suspension and so on. soon all adds up.
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Daimo B
Member
Registered: 20th Mar 00
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by DizzyRebel
General rule of thumb when building a car is to spec a budget and double it. Whats the point of shelling out all that money if the end result isnt perfect?
And over engineered does mean reliability - volvo and saab are perfect examples of grossly over engineered cars that have ridiculously reliable engines. Its common sense that the more stress a part is desined to take the more reliable it will be - i wouldnt run a let at 400bhp even with a high spec purely because i value reliability over outright power.
It does not.... They are not vastly over-engineered, they are just reduced in power. A Volvo 2.5 lump (as used in the ST) is good for 300bhp on internals. MOST cars of this type are good to run this power, before you need to upgrade the internals. Its a safety zone. Saab runs very low pressure turbos so they don't need to make massivly strong engines.
There is no general rule of the thumb. How many modified cars you built? Anything can be done to a budget if you plan it correctly to start with.
Now you've lost me, if a LET is PROVEN to run a reliable 280-300bhp, bhy would you spend loads upgrading parts that don't need to be upgraded. You need to upgrade those parts to run more power, but if your never going to run that power, why upgrade the parts? The engine simple does not need it.
You had experience with LET converted corsas?
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