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joby

1.8 16v Turbo conversion

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Been thinking about selling the corrado :cry: i really dont want to but im desperate for more performance its a 1.8 16v with only 63000 on the clock full service history in mint condition burgundy pearl with 17" Ten spokes lowered otherwise standard 1991 my mate has offered me £3400 for it ! seems a fair price to me, I have thought of keeping the car and maybe doing a turbo conversion but i dont think turbo technics do the conversion anymore ? Anyone know of any one that does this conversion and how much, as i am trying to weigh the pros and cons up but dont really want to let my mate down :? This is my second corrado and i dont think there is many other cars on the road that get so much interest, My ideal car is an Audi S3 but i will have to wait another year to afford one and will i be as happy with that as i am with the corrado, ADVICE PLEEZZE

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Tough one. We all get a little bored at one point or another with what we have and consider a change. The general trend with Corrado-ownership, as far as can tell is that everyone that has had one, always says, 'I wish I had another'.

 

£3,400 seems like a reasonable price for the spec (no leather I presume?), so why not find yourself a better C? G60? VR6?

 

Way I see it is that you are in a good position! Your mate wants yours for a decent price so why not ask him to hang on for a month or so, and have a hunt round for a new one?

 

If you buy an Audi S3 (or similar), I still think you'll be wanting another C after long. You could spend a lot more modifying what you have, but it will still be about as quick as a G60 or VR.

 

Just my thoughts

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Keep the corrado mate!! I was in exactly the same position as you last year - i wanted more performance!! after spending a small fortune getting my C right, i sold it to some lucky bugger!!

 

I then went and bought a Cosworth - it had serious performance - but i only kept it for about 3 months - sold it and bought the corrado i have now!!

 

The C might not be as quick as some, but it aint just about balls out speed, the C offers so much more as a drivers car than just performance.

 

The S3 is a crackin car no doubt ( i would defo have one)

but its also about 10k more than my C.

 

If i was you i would keep the quality motor that you have now, until such a time as you can afford the 13k S3 quality car. bBut i speak from personal experience when i say that you will regret selling your C for another car of the same value! chances are it wont be as good!!

 

hope you make the right choice dude! 8)

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Dont sell it mate.

 

I did the same (not for performance, but money problems) and I have regretted it ever since.

 

You could do a turbo or supercharger conversion.. but with the performance boost generally comes an element of unreliability.

 

I'd give Stealth a call.. Vince is a top chap, and will gladly chat to you about the various options available to you. A turbo mod is going to cost you the better part of £4000/5000 to be done properly though!

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Thanx for everyones reply, i think i will sell my corrado to my mate in a couple of months and spend about 6 grand on a nice G60 or VR6 Spending 12 to 13 grand on a S3 that may not excite as much as the corrado is a big gamble ! :?

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Turbo technics will only sell the kits providing they receive an order for 10 of them, which is understandable as they have to get the moulds and tooling out of the loft and remanufacture them. They concentrate on Supercharing now but are still a turbo overhaul/supplier specialist. Besides which, to turbo your 16V to Stealth's 8 injector setup will cost you the wrong side of £4000 I'm sorry to say :cry:

 

A VR6 is a lovely car and I think you'd prefer it to be honest as the performance difference between it and a turbo'd 16V is not that great, trust me on that.

 

Kev

94 VR6

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if you have spend some cash on your car and dont wanna sell it than id consider on looking in 16vturbo kits,they give serious performance if done right,you talking about 300-350hp but it all depends on how much you want to spend and how much power you want but think well before you sell.

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I would certainly sell the Valver and buy a VR6. You'd still have the elegance and head turning ability with a lot more tarmac tearing power to boot :evil:

 

I love my 16v, but ideally I'd have it and a VR as well. The money's there, just a matter of finding a good example locally.

 

Once you've driven a Corrado, no other car comes close.

(trust me, I drive brand new cars every day)

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if you have spend some cash on your car and dont wanna sell it than id consider on looking in 16vturbo kits,they give serious performance if done right,you talking about 300-350hp but it all depends on how much you want to spend and how much power you want but think well before you sell.

 

You won't get 300-350bhp from the 1800 16V engine unless you spend some serious money on it and it'll be laggy as hell. You need a 2.0 block with forged pistons as a starting point for that sort of output. You'll also need a DTA management system and a bigger fuel pump + extra injectors. Or you could go with throttle bodies and high flow injectors.

 

Kev

94 VR6

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Not only are turbo converions unreliable in terms of getting from A-B but the power delivery can be unreliable as well.

 

I have seen conversions from very reputable companies where one day the car will be set up with 200bhp on the rollers. A few months later the car has lost serious amounts of power and runs like a dog.

 

It seems that the air and therefore power delivery is so harsh that the fuelling is very difficult to get right. This can not only result in wayward power figures but also detonation ect

 

I'd personally stick with a car that is turbo from the factory then modify it. Alternatively you could get a glader or even a naturally aspirated engine.

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I'm afraid I'm going to have to challenge that. Turbo conversions are reliable, witness the 1.8T engine that's been around for some years now.

VW merely bolted a 20V head and a turbo to a 20 year old engine block, so although it is factory fitted, the engine is still modified none-the-less.

 

I used to have a Stealth Racing built 16V turbo that was based on a Turbo Technics kit. Vince spent 2 to 3 years perfecting it and the result was an almost lag free motor that produced 210bhp all day long on the rollers. Other than a head gasket failure, which normally aspirated 16Vs blow aswell, there were absolutely no problems with it over 3 years of ownership. Power delivery was smooth and power was punchy from 2,800 to the rev limiter.

 

I used a small turbo (T25) for quick spool up, K star with MAP sensor and 4 additional VR6 injectors. It was a superb engine. And that is the key to it. Choice components installed properly to compliment the engine, not dominate it. If you go and bolt a T3/T4 onto a 16V, than yes, you will get major lag and a small power band.

 

Kev

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kevhaywire, Sorry i gave the impression that reliability is always a problem.

 

What i meant to say is in alot of cases that i have seen it can be a problem.

 

Ive heard alot of good things about Stealth so i wouldnt be surprised if there kit is very reliable.

 

Im just always wary of the more extreme conversions and personally to cut out any risk i wouldnt do it.

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kevhaywire, Sorry i gave the impression that reliability is always a problem.

 

What i meant to say is in alot of cases that i have seen it can be a problem.

 

Ive heard alot of good things about Stealth so i wouldnt be surprised if there kit is very reliable.

 

Im just always wary of the more extreme conversions and personally to cut out any risk i wouldnt do it.

 

No worries Rory, I wasn't trying to be argumentative or come across as a know it all. I was just trying to impress that if done properly, Turbo engines can be both reliable and great fun!

 

Since getting my VR6, I've become more keen on naturally aspirated engines again, purely because of their simplicity and if in large enough capacity, very powerful and torquey, especially if you fit a Shrick manifold to a VR6!

 

Having the turbo was a pain because the Garrett turbo didn't have roller bearings, so I had wait a minute after a run before switching the engine off. I'm far too impatient for that mallarky now!

 

Kev

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Since getting my VR6, I've become more keen on naturally aspirated engines again, purely because of their simplicity and if in large enough capacity, very powerful and torquey, especially if you fit a Shrick manifold to a VR6!

 

As the Americans say.... "Ain't no substitute for cubic inches!"

 

Personally, I reckon a decent supercharger/turbo makes a nice addition though! :lol:

 

I've been looking into upping the capacity of my G60 for a while now 'cos with 200K + miles :shock: she's getting ready for a new engine! Only thing is that I've heard the 2.0 conversion is a bit :!: rough, so I'm still looking and researching... :roll:

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Henny, indeed it is for both CCs and turbos. I adore turbo rushes, laggy or not! It's just so addictive and I heartily recommend a drive of an Evo 7 or Impreza if you like that sort of thing :D

 

The beauty of forced induction is the rapid build up of torque which makes overtaking so much easier and less stressful. You just KNOW you will get past. On the flipside, lag makes driving in slower conditions tiresome but with a supercharger, you don't have that problem :D

 

OK, re the 2.0 G60 conversion, I can tell you now it is a beauty of a conversion. I've driven Mark Harries's (used to be a PVW writer) white Golf 2.0 G60 and it absolutely flies mate. As for rough, not a chance. It's as smooth as the 1.8. This particular engine was built by Stealth with forged pistons and a mild cam. Results were great, 240bhp and 238bhp with scope for more. The G-Lader just had a rudimentary rebuild and I think the pulley was the stock 73mm one IIRC. He also used a chargecooler. It was a fantastic engine but cost ££££s to build :(

 

Kev

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Apologies schoolboy moment coming up:

 

If i was rich i'd get a brace of c's and tune them in every different way to the max, race them, live with them and find the best. Then i'd be happy :)

 

 

 

And smug :p

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Like your sentiments!

 

The wish list would thus be:-

 

Naturally aspirated:-

 

Corrado 2.0 Crossflow 8V - 160bhp

Corrado 2.0 16V, Shrick cams, lightened etc, 4-1 manifold - 190-200bhp

Corrado 3.1 VR6 with shrick - 240bhp+

 

Forced induction:-

Corrado 2.0 G60 - 240bhp+

Corrado 2.0 16V Turbo - 250bhp

 

Kev

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Is 'Corrado 3.1 VR6 with shrick ' available with a supercharger, or even better turbo!?

 

Would turbo & supercharger together be possible? Would there be any point if you could just get a bigger turbo/supercharger instead?

 

With a lottery win i'd give it a go. Might even do it myself for a laff

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The 3.1 needs a 2.8 block so could add delay to the project but yes, you can supercharge or turbo it aswell.

 

A blower and a turbo together is possible, with the right amount of cash!

 

The Lancia Delta HF Intergrale EVO had both a supercharger and a turbo, so the technology is proven. The idea behind it is to have supercharging to provide low down grunt and then you can use a dustbin lid sized turbo to take over at higher rpm but getting the two to work together seemlessly is tricky.

 

Turbo size is dependant on an engines ability to absorb boost. Too small a turbo will give masses of torque (undrivable) at low speed and bugger all higher up the range. Too big a turbo will give major lag and will blow the spark out when it comes on boost and would probably cause the engine to grenade itself as it struggles to cope with boost. It's a fine art but the VR can soak up a lot of boost, so you're looking at a Garrett T3/T4 hybrid.

 

Kev

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Guy Hartley has just supercharged his 3.0l VR6 and is, from what I hear, very happy with the results.

 

I don't think that the VR engine can take much re-boring though so I think 3.1 is about on the limits.

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Yeah, you can't take the 2.9 out much further but the 2.8 can go out to 3.1 and like you say, that is the max.

 

Kev

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OK, re the 2.0 G60 conversion, I can tell you now it is a beauty of a conversion. I've driven Mark Harries's (used to be a PVW writer) white Golf 2.0 G60 and it absolutely flies mate. As for rough, not a chance. It's as smooth as the 1.8. This particular engine was built by Stealth with forged pistons and a mild cam. Results were great, 240bhp and 238bhp with scope for more. The G-Lader just had a rudimentary rebuild and I think the pulley was the stock 73mm one IIRC. He also used a chargecooler. It was a fantastic engine but cost ££££s to build :(

 

Kev

 

Ooooh... :D The only one I've come accross was by a certain 3 letter company that I won't mention for fear of what could happen! :lol: EVERYONE has warned me off it 'cos it's based on the Type4 2litre lump and has a HUGE stroke "more suited to a diesel" as I was told by one tuning company... :shock: :?

 

I've got a small wodge of about 6K :shock: ready to throw at the car... Think I may have to give Stealth a quick call! :D

 

And before anyone says, "why not sell yours and buy a VR6" or anything similar. I DON'T WANT TO! I wanna spend my money on doing something a bit different to a car I've already fallen in love with! :p

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Yeah, you can't take the 2.9 out much further but the 2.8 can go out to 3.1 and like you say, that is the max.

 

Kev

 

Just curious, but why cant the 2.9 be taken out to 3.1 like the 2.8 can. I thought they were the same block apart from the bore. Hasnt Niko took his 2.9 out to 3.1?

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