Holden Vk........jap powered?

[TURBO_VK]

Hey i currently own a vk Commo and i thought a good idea would be a rb30 conversion with a rb26dett cylinder head straped on for shits and giggles.
Now i was just wondering if it work and how much it would roughly cost??? and what trans and diff would be recomended to withstand the occasional track day and the odd drag????

[Bax]

Well I'd say straight away not to bother with the rb26 head. Unless your really really keen on spending the dollars. Rb25 head will do.

Workage and how much it'd cost, you'd have to talk to some workshops and I guess it depends what your chasing. How much power are you aiming for??

Do you want a manual or automatic?

[TURBO_VK]

well enough to show up subaru's lol i HATE them, umm yeah how much would an rb25 head cost and how much power would it produce roughly stock with it just put on?? and a manual forshore

[Slooth]

With the GTR head and VL bottom end and the right rest of it you could be looking at some huge power! 400kW easy. But make sure you do it right! You will be able to hook up the RB25DET gearbox for strength. Diff choice is up to where you want to race.

[Bax]

Hmm, I don't think it'd still be that easy to be subaru's on the road within a smallish budget.

Heads you can pick up for 800 dollars. Your looking at least 6 to build a decent motor.
1000 for the gearbox. Then diff choice, well, who knows.

I looked into it, still semi looking into it, just all depends on how keen or how slack I want to be. Theres too much effort required for me, to get an rb30 block, get the pistons and all associated components sent in, and getting somebody to put it all together.

Instead of building the engine like that, you could look at getting a half cut, front mount, some management, better turbo, exhaust. Boosted. That'd go fine.

[TURBO_VK]

yeah but i want the rb25 head and turbo shyte like the twin cam

[Bax]

Well is the 3 litre bottom end a necessity. The rb25 can be built up to go fairly hard. I'm just thinking along the lines of being able to get a gearbox/ engine and wiring/ brakes for alot cheaper then building the rb30/25det alone.

[TURBO_VK]

ive got the engine and wiring coz i got a vl in my gararge just need head

[TURBO_VK]

but over all wat would be better just a rb25det or a rb30 wit re25det head. what would produce more power and what would be cheaper,like i wanna know pros and cons

[Slooth]

Pro and cons? Just the usual. The RB25DET will have less torque at lower revs, but that is more a concern with a heavier vehicle, not a 1300kg Commodore. It will also have a higher rev limit being an undersquare engine although you need to consider the actual engine components and whether they can handle higher revs (a good reason to use GTR parts.)

The RB25/30DET will have more torque lower in the rev range, make the turbo/s come on earlier and give you more drivability off-boost. The downside is that it will have a lower rev limit due to the longer stroke, but that may suit the internals more anyway.

If you were going a RB25/30 combo, I would recommend the GTR head so you get the best airflow possible for the loger stroke. Otherwise just stick with an RB25DET. If you just want to take on the WRXs, then a retuned RB25DET in a 1300kg Commodore will do fine. Your biggest problem will be traction against an AWD, another reason to leave just the RB25DET and keep the torque sensible.

There was once a guy who went to the trouble of converting the complete drive train from a GTR to his VL Commodore, AWD, AWS and suspension!

[TURBO_VK]

so what do u recomend for the job and the factor of price????

[Slooth]

If you want to keep the cost down then just drop in an RB25DET. This will have heaps of torque for your VK to get off and moving. Beware that if you want 300kW from the engine that although possible, it may be expensive. If you are looking at that sort of power then spend the extra up front and go RB26DETT as it will do 300kW easy. It also opens up the opportunity for greater power mods later on.

The best way to do it is to get an R33 half cut for about the $2500 to $3000 mark. That will get you a long way there. The rest is up to you. If you do most of the work yourself then you will save a lot. Otherwise bank on about $1000 t $1500 for a sparky to do the wiring. Allow about $500 to $700 for an engineer. Odd bits like VL fuel tank, fuel lines, crossmember, guages, etc... As well as what ever you have to do to the car to get it up to V8 spec - brakes, suspension, exhaust, etc... Allow another $500 to $1500 for odd bits like a little welding, air-con.

If you are starting off with a 4cyl VK, it may actually work out cheaper to look for a V8 one first as it will have the better brakes and suspension, as well as the 5 stud hubs. There will also be the issue with the engineering as well - going from a V8 powered vehicle to a turbo 6 is not a big deal, but to go from a 4 to turbo 6 is a different thing. You see if increse the power of your car by a certain percentage there is a lot more that needs to be certified by an engineer.

[vn88calais]

dont bring a nice vk down to a piss pore vl level man....get the vk a 308 or something more..serious!!

[Slooth]

dont bring a nice vk down to a piss pore vl level man....get the vk a 308 or something more..serious!!

Here we go again... :b:

[chunderlicious]

go the rb25, has much the same head as a GTR well its slightly less flow but not much, and it still comes with titanium springs. the Rb25 is an awsome engine, to get 300kw all youll need is cam gears and good flow (turbo, exhaust, airfilter, intake manifold, injectors) if you can afford around $6500 for the engine then the 26 would be awsome, if your lookin at $6500 for engine, box, ecu and all/most of the other ancillaries then go the 25.

ive been up a slippery hill at less than 600rpm in 1st gear in a skyline r33 and it just chugged up nicely, it has plenty of torque, the turbo hits boost at about 2500-2900 which is still damn easy to drive around off boost

[Bubba]

i like the idea of having a RB30 in a VK calais, mmmmmmmmmm

[daveatron]

what about the allmighty 2jz-gte????? I know you want manual but auto halfcuts are "fairly cheap". And with cost in mind you will get bigger hp in these compared to the rb26. but thats just my 2c.

[simmo 76]

How bout dropping a v6 from a vn or newer into it?

[VRFURY]

dont bring a nice vk down to a piss pore vl level man....get the vk a 308 or something more..serious!!

so whats ment about that.......... vn88calais

[vkberlina]

VLFURY - alot of people think a VL isnt a true Holden due to the Nissan implant, so much for a V6 commodore with a Buick implant etc

Personally Im not one for VLs but everyone has they personal choice, on the grounds of the VL I cant think of a single commodore which isnt influenced by another brand partnership, or company within the GM group...


cheers
Scott

[VRFURY]

ohh really i never new ppl felt that way....pffft
if all you guys truley liked holdens you would take them no matter what they did to one of there models,

[Bax]

Theres lots that feel that way, then theres others like me that think the VL is the only decent Commodore because its got the best engine. And all the rest are trash.

[VRFURY]

yeah i like your thoughts but i juast cant see why they would discriminate against the vl's but yeah go VLs

[TURBO_VK]

hey vn88calais, so your saying an rb30 isnt a serious engine and a 308 is ha ha ha ha i find that really funni.

Now some updates:
EXTERIOR..Group A Front bumper,Grille,rear bumper and group 3 side skirts,rust repaired, and painted,Black with red pearl,

ENGINE..Rb30 has gone in nicely with some help from a donor vl,im using the standard gearbox and diff for the moment,Now engine wise ive had the block crack tested and chemically cleaned,Flat top pistons,Port,poloshed and planed head, Crow cam,k & n pod filter,8.5 HT leads, Custom 3 inch inlet piping,

SUSPENSION..King Springs,Monroe Shocks,Lowered 4in,adjustable panhard bar

EXHAUST..3 1/2 cat back exhaust with pacemaker exctactors

INTERIOR..VK group A front and rear seats,autometer gauges, sony xplod 6*9\'s, xplod 6 inches, Rockford fosgate 15 inch subwoofer, Sonxy Xplod 1200w amp.

[clixanup]

hey vn88calais, so your saying an rb30 isnt a serious engine and a 308 is ha ha ha ha i find that really funni.

Not wanting to argue, but let's look at some facts here.

The EFI Holden V8s used from VN to VT are actually a decent motor. 165kw in stock form, versus 115kw from the Nissan 3.0. To get the Nissan engine to the same level of power & torque, you'd be looking at a fair sum I'd imagine.

The Holden V8 was in production for over 30 years. The basic internals changed very little, so most parts are common as dirt (and about as cheap). The EFI version was in production for over 10 years, and with minor modification is capable of 215kw.

Personally, what I'd do is buy a written off VX - VY SS or HSV and put the Gen3 into the VK. Now we're talkin' power. 235kw in basic form. 300kw is only an extra $1000 away. How much would it cost to get a basic Nissan 3.0 litre engine to that level? And if you wanted to go nuts later, the Gen3 has much more room for improvement. The stock bottom end is good for at least 600kw.

Food for thought.