A&Q about 350Z
Q:
OK, so I have recently been getting seriously itchy feet about quicker cars with a view to selling the Golf and trading back up to something more powerful. My problem is that I have become really attached to the Golf, and thus I would like to be aware of the opportunities for making it go a little (lot) quicker.
The car is in excellent condition with sensibly uprated brakes and suspension; so I am really only concentrating on spending money on going quicker. The original engine and box have done 142k, and although in great shape they rarely deliver genuine excitement in a straight line.
Bearing in mind that I have neither the time, skills, nor inclination to do any of the work myself - What are my options for improving the performance of my car with a rough budget of £2000?
Thanks in advance for any help.
A:
2.0 16v is achievable for that sort of money. Lots more performance, good mpg and round town driveability. An ABF engine is the best bet (I think) if you're starting with a late digifant Mk2. I think you need ECU and keys too, to do it the easiest way. 170 bhp is achievable with a decent exhaust (no cat) a rechip and a proper setup. I'd guess the initial engine would set you back about £400-500 with all the bits you'd need.
You could go 2.0 8v but you'll probably spend more money to get less power.
A VR6 might just be do-able on that budget. Bags of power, but a bit thirstier than a 2.0 16v, which is a consideration if you do a lot of mileage.
A:
nearly all done on my little 8v.
go for a 2L bottom end firstly (big differance ). £150
big valve head or polished and ported if you cant afford the BVH. £200 - £700
manifold. £150
16v exhaust. £125
272 cam or 276 if you want it lumpy. £150
chip off e-bay. £20
nitrous is a good option too. £200 - £800
A:
Glad your thinking of keeping the car
I did the same thing and traded "down" to a 90 mk2 8v although it was A i love them and B i wanted a track/road car for fun
It depends what your ultimate goal will be but i'd say forget 8v (the B/B 8v is the perfect donor for vehicle for conversions mind) a mk3 16v might be worth a look or better still a vr6 conv but i think you should cost a 20vt before any of them though it might take more than your budget too tune in the future
it depends who you know and what you do as in,if your going to depend on tuners/specialists or mates rates but the cheapest way to do it is buy a damaged car take and install what you need and sell/ebay whats left to recoupe some of your outlay
put it this way, i bought an 02 seat Ibiza cupra 20vt minus interior with damage for £750 its not going to cost £1250 to put it in! (ok i know thats cheap but i know of a leon 20vt who's engine and 6sp box will go for the same money totaly legit) the same amount of money will get you a whole damaged vr6 then just sell off the bits you don't need/want
Its just a question of how/where/who & help!
Best bit of advice i can give is plan it all out 1st before spending a penny,and i mean EVERYTHING! plus put a little aside for those "un-forseen" costs then think about it again!
you want a good reliable ride not a money pit!
just some things to think about that don't empty your wallet just yet
A:
2k will get you a very respectable 16v mk2.
A:
Thanks for the advice all - As I said previously I really am not looking to do any of this work myself, and although I don't object to it, I really don't have the time to be running around chasing parts left right and centre.
Who should I speak to about getting a quote for dropping in the 16v engine (do I need a gearbox)?
Once I have this info and a list of required parts, I can begin to budget for any modifications to the engine.
A:
sell it and buy a fiat coupe, or at least sell it and buy a mk2 vr that's already been done
A:
prof - This is what a lot of my thinking is based on at the moment. Although the FIAT Coupe, despite being pretty nippy; is a bloody awful car.