Engine Conversion. Places to go/costs. Advice?

[Bruceybaby 0]

Hello all.

 

I've spent a while looking into the various tuning possibilities for my Rado Valver.

 

I've settled on a 20v turbo conversion for my wee nugget. Not the most original but seems to me, the most straightforward and most obvious choice.

 

Fired off some emails to various companies and a chat with VInce at Stealth was the most fruitful discussion and he certainly left me with the feeling my car would be in good hands.

 

However, i wondered ifanyone else had any thoughts or suggestions of places to go or costs involved. Im on a tight budget and being based in Edinburgh, I'll also have to travel some distance.

 

I've had quotes of circa £2500 + Engine, Loom and ECU right up to £4500 + VAT + Engine, Loom and ECU.

 

Some of the threads on here are quoting £3000 all in :confused4:

 

I have neither the time, nor ability to take on such a conversion mysellf, so please, share yo0ur thought and experiences with me.

 

And help a tight scot!

[rolex 0]

only heard good words bout,

sub10motorsport

mvdevelopments

and that place that done 24v conversion and that mk3 golf (Black engine bay 20v) Midlands way ?

 

 

 

:)

 

 

Edit# isnt there a well know company up there, cant remember name.....performance somthing?

[lilfuzzer 1]

Dependant on how far you want to travel?

 

My mate has just picked up a mk2 syncro 20vt that was done at mvdevelopments and seems a really good job.

[Bruceybaby 0]

Cheers guys, any more info on sub10motorsport? A google search brings up nothing.

 

If I can hit that magic 3k all in mark ill be a happy chappy!

[easypops 8]

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=87435 :D

[Supercharged 2]

Stealth - they will be more expensive that others but they are probably the only place I would trust to do it to a high / safe standard.

[Jim 1]

Stealth or DG Autotech would get my money purely based on my own experiences and the work I've seen done by them!

[A1 VR6 0]

How about Star Performance in Fife which is pretty close to you.

[dragon green 4]

what about TSR ?

pricey, but have a good reputation

http://www.tsr-performance.com/

[Bruceybaby 0]

Thanks Martin :tongue: I'll be peeing all over your VR soon enough :norty:

 

Yeah Jim, i think Stealth will be good, Im just looingto se if theres a smaller garage somehwee else that people have good experience of. Who are DG autotech? read good things on this forum abput them but cant find a website.

 

I'vee-mailed TSR but they haven't retrned any correspondance!

[Supercharged 2]

First link in Google....

 

http://www.dgautotech.com/dgauto/

[Bruceybaby 0]

I blamemy 'google' phone for not bringing that up :mad2:

 

Fanks :D

[coullstar 0]

All I'll say is dont scrimp with an engine conversion. The established names are usually good to go with, ask what sort of gurantee you get as well. Dont be scared to travel to get the job done right.

[Walesy 0]

£2500 seems fecking expensive just for installation though :shock:

[Supercharged 2]

£2500 seems fecking expensive just for installation though :shock:

 

Not really... Stealth reckon most conversions are over 100 hours or work to do to a proper factory standard.

[Walesy 0]

:eek:

 

I can heartily recommend R.K Engineering in St Agnes for anyone in the South West, fantastic service, quality workmanship and non-scene pricing! :)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Stealth or DG Autotech would get my money purely based on my own experiences and the work I've seen done by them!

 

+1

 

Everyone has their own opinion of what a good job is and what a good price is, but as Supercharged said, if you want a conversion resmembling a factory install, you're going to have to pay for it.

 

I would personally go 2.0 TSI. The Yamaha designed engine from the MK6.

 

The earlier TFSI from the MK5 is a very nice engine too.

 

Both are more powerful, smoother and more frugal than the 1.8T :D

[davidwort 0]

£2500 seems fecking expensive just for installation though :shock:

 

Not really... Stealth reckon most conversions are over 100 hours or work to do to a proper factory standard.

 

totally agree, everyone I've spoken to who've done tidy 1.8T conversions, even using their own labour, has spent far more than they initially budgeted for, even if you have a complete intact donor car to cannabalise there's always unexpected parts to replace.

It's not unusual for people to mention figures approaching 6 or 7 grand and most people attempting to sell cars on make a loss even if they are asking 5 or 6 grand or more for their cars.

I'm not saying you can't do it on a tight budget, but if you want a tidy, reliable job and tight running gear that can take the increased power and torque it's a flase economy to skimp.

[dragon green 4]

TSR quote £5k, thats including a checked 2nd hand engine !

Thats using your gearbox,and exhaust.

[Walesy 0]

Obviously its a case of 'how longs a piece of string' - engine conversions aren't easy to price because there's always more than one way to skin a cat, and unexpected problems can arise here and there etc etc - but that doesn't mean to say that any company that doesn't want top money won't do a proper job! :shrug:

 

For a straight forward 20vt installation, using the existing running gear etc etc , £2.5k labour seems steep compared the prices i've been quoted (although I spose you have to bare in mind that I live in the arse end of the UK where labour charges are a bit cheaper)

 

The company I mentioned above have done many conversions that have been done properly and are still running reliably years on, but they don't charge the earth, check out jezzag60's 16vG60T (supercharged & turbocharged) build thread and you'll see he doesn't piss about. You don't always get what you pay for! :)

 

I know everyone on here recommends the same few specialists, but travelling the length of the country to have work done on your car because of internet recommendations can bring its own problems, Im sure Trigger would agree if he still used this forum! :lol:

[Bruceybaby 0]

If you've got an E-mail for that company Walesy that'd be awesome?

 

I appreciate what everyone saying, it just seems as though everyone jumping on the 20vt bandwagon when its comes to installing them and its inflated prices.

 

If you look at some of the FI threads in engine bay, a lot of guys in the 2007 pages are discussing not having change left of 3k. Likewise someone had they're g60 converted (it was fiat blue) and he quoted a little over 3k. 2 years on and folk are chargin 5200 quid for a drive in drive out job.

 

4grand for an agu remapped to 200bhp, although granted that quote interests me as the gent says he'll fully rebuild the engine too.

 

Still Vince is the most convincing. I just think they're must be someone out there who is a 1 man band, just starting out who offers the same amount of tlc as you would, would you be able to do it yourself, but who doesn't want to charge the earth for it. I just think people who are involved in the scene, who hear the stories of what gets paid. They see pound signs right away. :(

[Walesy 0]

Seriously mate, I really wouldn't recommend having a conversion done in Cornwall if you're in Scotland! Its a hell of a way to travel to iron out any teething problems etc :lol:

 

As the guys have said, if you're looking for a 'factory install' that'll win shows etc then you may have to pay the scene premium, but that's not to say that you can't get a perfectly reliable and usable conversion done for sensible money, I'm sure there's someone capable up in Scotland! :)

[A1 VR6 0]

Seriously mate, I really wouldn't recommend having a conversion done in Cornwall if you're in Scotland! Its a hell of a way to travel to iron out any teething problems etc

 

As the guys have said, if you're looking for a 'factory install' that'll win shows etc then you may have to pay the scene premium, but that's not to say that you can't get a perfectly reliable and usable conversion done for sensible money, I'm sure there's someone capable up in Scotland!

 

As I said before Star Performance in Fife must be worth an enquiry but if you're determined to travel hundreds of miles so be it :)

[OSV 0]

I think its far more cost effective to buy a completed conversion (subject to quality of car and conversion) and then sell your own on. The cost of a conversion is more than many Corrados cost/ are worth..

[Bruceybaby 0]

Ha ha I wasn't ignoring you a1 I just don't hear good things very often about star, or rather it seems 50 50 some guys praise the hell out of them and some the opposite.

 

There aren't all that many company's up here really, just star, dastek and bedrock veedubs. And they all want fortunes.

 

I might have to bite the bullet really and save a little longer anticipate that's its gonna cost 5k and take it to stealth.

 

I know its a trek to get it done and similar price to bedrock veedubs but there's something about the reputation they seem to have