hi,
As far as i knew, the vauxhall XE2.0 (148bhp) was a FWD engine?? *maybe i'm ignorant, but forgive me, i've only been in the UK 4 months, so aint that familiar with brit cars yet*
at any rate, according to some other posts, this can be used in a locost? how?
at this point in time, i'm trying to plan out how to build the most powerful car i can for the least money *student*. so on paper, the power of the XE looks good, but what of complications? any other options out there for good powerful engines that wont cost an arm and a leg to get in, and wont have to be worked extensively, like a sierra engine, to make 150+bhp?
regards
dave

as far as i no the 16v engine was in the same vain as the ford cossie i.e. a new 16v head on the old block

the 8v engine was origanally rwd thats why the alternator is buried at the bac

I still have a Getrag Manta box for sale! Not only will it bolt up to the XE engine, it's all alloy, it has a quickshift gearchange mechanism, and there's a very light flywheel to go with it.

I even have a inline 1.8 GT/J alloy sump, pick up pipe and alloy engine mountings that fit any of the 1.6/1.8/2.0 transverse fours, including the 16V's and Ecotechs!

Drop me an email if interested.

I recall it as being 158bhp, or 150bhp with a cat fitted.

*shrugs* the 148bhp figure i got was out of the latest totally vauxhall mag. wether its right or not, i wouldnt have the faintest..
what is a good price to pay for one of these in decent shape incidently?

how much for the manta box??

Simple realy, go to SBD motorsport, buy bell housing and clutch kit (about £200 all in)which allows you to fit a Ford 'box to the XE engine. You,ll also need a shallow baffeled sump £235 to get it low enough to clear under the bonnet, £400-600 for a good exhaust system, £150 for an inlet manifold £650 for twin 45 DCOE webbers and linkage and about another £500 for fuel pump, fuel lines, ignition coil and a rolling road session to set it up (assuming you run it on dizzey ignition and dont go to the extra £6-700 for a 3D idnition if so double the rolling road time)........Oh and £650 for the limited slip diff to make it driveable with the 180BHP it should make if you do it right. Expect to pay between £500 and £1000 for a good XE engine, of course you could use the use the standard injection but it strangles the motor to about 145BHP and you'd have to plumb in all the flow and return fuel lines to the tank use a high pressure pump swirl pot ect ect. If you brought 2nd hand (if you can find all the bits without using the standard EFI you could expect to take about a third off the above approx costs. A Zetec costs about the same minus the bell housing but you'll still need a shallow sump. Try SBD or QED for Vauxhall, Raceline or Dunnell for Zetec.

Alternately, being australian, i could ring one of my mates at home, and get him to pick up a complete programmable engine management system for about $1000 new, or 400 pounds, or 600 secondhand, 250 pounds, then send it over, for another 50 quid, pay the 50 or so excise, and have my management system. As for the rest, an aussie bosch motorsport fuel pump (A$300) would suffice, as they flow enough fuel for about 500hp, every man and his dog has one or two on his skyline at home. bellhousing and clutch, yes, i'd have to get one from SBD or similar. as for the injection, a set of surplus throttle bodies from say, a nissan SR20DET, and some constructive welding or an ugly, but efficient 4 ltr capacity plenum, and you'd probably have a pretty efficient unit. exhaust, i'm really not sure, but couldnt costs be cut by getting a set of new headers for like 100 quid, then running a simple, cheap 3' pipe and single muffler?
ALTERNATELY, i could save all the stuffing around, and just get myself a halfcut nissan SR20DET, or even the 6cyl RB20DET. if you wanted to go really overboard, maybe even a toyota 1 or 2jzgte would go nicely, especially with the standard 6sp box the later ones get.. all the above would require no modification and punch out 200+hp instantly (300 with the toyota donks). thinking about it, even a CA18 (180hp) out of a nissan sylvia would work okey, and then you'd have your LSD ect to boot, has anyone ever tried to use one of those as a donor??? they're reasonably cheap here, i've seen several advertised at around 700 pounds, and then you've got 180hp standard plus all other parts for the price of an XE engine..
urgh... i'd do that myself, except that with the turbo'd jap engines, i'm thinking i'd get royally screwed for insurance (23yo, just arrived in the UK, hence new UK license, and NO ncb)
thats why i'm looking at vauxhall engines, coz locally manufactured cars seem to get much less hassle from insurance brokers, so i'm hoping that locally manufactured engines will too...