Twin Cam Engines

SpidersWeb · Post by **SpidersWeb** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:50 am

Yeah I think he was just showing how much it cost him. I had budgeted $3000NZD for the conversion, however new concerns about gearbox and the likes for me have put me off a little bit:

VR4 Engine - $450
L300 Throttle Body - $80
EV03 TDO5 big 16g turbo - $800
then the ehxaust manifold fabircated - unsure on cost
then depending on what was left:
Link 2nd Hand ECU - $800 or
VR4 Chipped ECU - $400

Have access to equipment and mechanic friends to get it done with no labour costs, however exhaust had to go elsewhere.

But from what I've learned about exactly how difficult it is from here, I'm thinking of selling up and getting an EVO, which would provide a better base for drag/show uses. Still got lots to do on Starion before then, but yeah doubting a VR4 conversion for mine now.

scum · Post by **scum** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 1:28 pm

opps,that does sound a bit stupid doesn’t it? it does need some explaining. sorry, didn’t mean this is what it cost, this is what it cost me, partly coz I am a member of a family of automotive enthusiasts. we have bits of everything lying around everywhere. The vr4 complete with intercooler and ecu in a start able condition (the whole front cut) cost $3200, going by prices in the paper there is still way over $2000 worth of parts on it, I’m just to lazy to sell any of it. But I still consider my vr4/ecu/intercoller to cost about $1200. Exhaust 3" bends come off our 180sx wreck and 3" stainless muf (damaged) cost $100, $20 worth of straight 3" pipe (second hand) wreckers will sell a damaged 3" exhaust for around $100 from time to time. Gearbox found in dirt at some guys house $25 - $30 to rebuild coz where a hydraulics company (bearings and stuff cost us next to nothing) and they don’t cost that much anyway, there are only 5 of them in there. Gaskets I can make myself $15 for a sheet of paper that is about 10 times bigger than you need. Turbo extractors $40 for 3 flanges and $60 for 6 mandrel 180deg 1"1/2-od bends. thermostat - basic workshop and pipe bending stuff is all u need, and a lump of aluminum. manifold, well, I was lucky that I found someone to swap a fwd / rwd one. don’t get me wrong, we arnt a load of wankers cruseing around in open top sports cars (well, except for the old man) me, my brother, and 3 friends that all do this kinda stuff don’t have 2 bucks to scratch our arses with most of the time. its all spent on cars........... hrmmm, so that’s where my life went. its just some of these posts seem set to turn ppl away from doing anything major, and really, that’s why allot of us buy a 20yo car. I think. on a side note, allot of ppl we know don’t even have a garage, but can still do this stuff. u just need to be a wheeler and dealer. don’t expect to make any friends along the way but you get the job done just don’t be a total wanker, small amounts of wankness will normally get u by. :) but yes, not cheap, not easy. my car was supposed to be a buy and drive. almost didn’t make it home. small bits of rust turned into large bits after a poke around. that turned into a full respray. engine craped itself. needed full rebuild, and that was more money than I wanted to spend on a std engine to bring it up to std specs. it has taken 3 years of work, money, and not having a social life at all. but it can be done, I believe, by almost anyone. - that my 2 cents.

SpidersWeb · Post by **SpidersWeb** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 1:47 pm

Bit easier for us NZ folk by the look of it, we can get a VR4 complete for $4000 that is road worthy. I imagine a half cut being around $1500. Engine can be picked up for $450 without turbo or intercooler.

scum · Post by **scum** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 3:12 pm

WHAT??!! U BASTARD!!!!!! biuld the bloddy parts canon and hurry up!! :D

scum · Post by **scum** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 4:28 pm

o yegh, when i say "not cheap" i supose i am thinking of the whole thing, re-spray and all. sorry.

any one have a breakdown of a starion gearbox? might biuld it tonight be4 any of u go and buy one then abuse me coz the last thing wont fit in :D

btw, anyone got that wireframe pic of the 4wd rally starion? does it show the 4wd trans and drive line?

NXTIME · Post by **NXTIME** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 7:43 pm

This page has info on the 4WD rally Starion and has the pic you want: http://www.starion-turbo.co.uk/4wd.html

NXTIME · Post by **NXTIME** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 7:47 pm

SpidersWeb wrote:I'm choosing VR4 engine because I don't want to be limited by the rooftop of the SOHC head, then replace everything like cams etc to upgrade to a VR4 engine.

Even if I spent 5 grand on parts, and got the same power as someone who spent 4 grand on Starion upgrades - at the end of the day, I still have a lot more power to grow.

Thats my beleif anyway. Also the twin cam brings the car in to a 90's look, for show purposes as well. So I think all round there are benefits.

But if somebody buys a Starion for $2000, and only wants to spend a few grand on mods and nothing else, then the VR4 conversion would be a waste of time. ECU + 4 point inj + new cams + TD05-14 would probably generate more power than a stock VR4 engine

The reason I don't just go and buy a VR4, is because I'd have to strip almost everything out to get it down to the weight of an EVO or Starion. Also the RWD drivetrain is a lot stronger, no need to squeeze so much in to such a small space.

SR20DET - friend has a Pulsar GTi-R, set up for 550hp, capable of 650hp on NOS, but drivetrain (axles etc, gearbox replaced with dogbox) only capable of 600hp max, so that Nissan engine is definately a good one, but I beleive you could get similar power out of a 4G63 if you'd spent the same cash on mods as he did. Still I have too much Mitsi pride to do that, racing a Mitsi with a Nissan motor is kinda like saying 'Mitsi wasn't good enough' - and I'm more out to prove what Mitsi can do than what Nissan can.

I agree with just about all you have said there. This is the nucleus of the whole SOHC V DOHC argument.

scum · Post by **scum** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 8:02 pm

i am quite sure that is the 4wd setup i have seen liveing in mud behind a workshop in kewdale. the guy wants $250 for the gearbox, more for diffs and stuff. still........ got me thinking.

scum · Post by **scum** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 1:00 pm

my poor, poor gearbox....

i pulled my staz gearbox apart, now 99.999999999% sure this will all work. BUT, my poor widdle gearbox was 2 seconds off becomeing scrap metal!

now need new shaft and a new gear. anyone found a breakdown of the std staz box yet? i need it to identify the busted bits and make sure it all goes together right.

SpidersWeb · Post by **SpidersWeb** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 2:40 pm

This is another reason I don't want to swap gearbox.

Mine has a 1 year warranty and was recently rebuilt, only driven about 500Km since it was worn in. Now its as smooth as Paris Hilton's ass.

Cookiemonster · Post by **Cookiemonster** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 2:52 pm

SpidersWeb wrote:Now its as smooth as Paris Hilton's ass.

Gee, it's had plenty of use then.

SpidersWeb · Post by **SpidersWeb** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 3:08 pm

Yet to be caught on camera though.

scum · Post by **scum** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 4:08 pm

hehe, warranty. that’s why u get a 1 year warranty with it, they know without a doubt that that gearbox will last more than a year under almost any conditions. anyone that builds a gearbox that lasts less than 5 years should not be rebuilding gearboxes. we build 3000hp rotation head gearboxes and they last about 2 years punching holes in the planet 24-7.

anyway, I have measured almost everything in this box and it all fits. I hope I get this shaft soon and get on with it.

anyone got a stazz gearbox apart in Perth??

and does a gearbox breakdown exist online for the stazz?? surely someone has a pic of it?!?! I have seen it in a mates manual but its too far to go and get it

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Twin Cam Engines

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