improving Blue 202 Economy

[MG's VH Wag]

Hi everyone, could anyone please give me some advice on how to build a reliable and economic 202? At this stage i just want to get my car up and running before i turn 18 so i got something to drive around. I'm not fussed about having a hotted up motor i would just like something that is reasonably good on fuel and is reliable, i plan on doing a few long distance trips and i would hate for it to break down on me.

I plan on keeping everything of the motor original like carby etc at this stage as i don't have much money to spend on the motor. What are some things that i can do or could purchase to make my motor more economic and realible?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Tom_1569]

well are you rebuilding or just trying to make it better on fuel?
To make it better on fuel:
Extractors + 2 1/4 exhaust.
Good plugs and leads, also coil, rotor cap etc
Tuned,
Weber carby (I know u said u didnt want a diff carb) people have great results for fuel economy with these
5 -speed manual, diff ratios to suit driving style.

[Paiste402]

agreed with tom. Also up-keeping the engine while its running is important. Regular oil changes, properly gapped plugs, good spark from both the coil pack and the distributor. Also make sure that the fuel system is clean and that you use the proper valve seating fluids or upper cylinder lubricant so make sure that you dont burn out the valves with the unleaded petrol.

May seem like a bit but it all becomes pretty regular. This really helps to keep fuel costs down and trouble free performance up!

Gearing and ratios also have a big play in economy.

[greenfoam]

My parents had one from new and it was pretty good on fuel as far as carby cars go, just all stock with a manual box so just make sure it's all running as it should and you'll be right. The biggest problem people have is with the varijet carby getting old and craping out but they are a very good carby so if that happens rebuild it or get one that's been rebuilt (pretty cheap from carby rebuilders on ebay)

[Nevyn]

where abouts are you? I have a blue 202 off a reco'ed engine that only did around 20-30,000k's....it was rebuilt to run unleaded and straight gas so there would be no need for lead replacement additives.

[MG's VH Wag]

Thanks for the help guys!

Well i want to rebuild it but i don't have a engine crane to get the motor out of my car so i wanna do as much as i can with the motor still in the car.

I will get the weber carby as soon as i put it through road worthy, registered and everything is complete on the car (i'm currently halfway through spraying it).

[Nevyn]

where abouts are you? I have a blue 202 off a reco'ed engine that only did around 20-30,000k's....it was rebuilt to run unleaded and straight gas so there would be no need for lead replacement additives.

sorry, I left out the fact it was the head I was talking about ...but I have the entire engine as well apart from the cam, but its all in pieces.

[commsirac]

best use of your money would be to convert it to lpg and get the rebate, for the vh should cost you next to nothing all up

[Paiste402]

best use of your money would be to convert it to lpg and get the rebate, for the vh should cost you next to nothing all up

LPG is great, i highly recommend it. Also it gets around emissions, the non leaded fuel issue and the price of running an old bus.

[MG's VH Wag]

thanks for the help guys. I will take apart my motor as much as i can and replace all seals etc.

With the LPG conversion how much does that cost approximately and how much do i get back from the rebate? I have a wagon and i dont want to mount the tank in the boot, can i mount it under the car anywhere? Will that restrict my ride height if it goes under the car?

Cheers

[85_Calais]

I know in the newer wagons they are able to provide a tank which sits into the bay for the spare tyre. Not sure if the VB-VL wagon has such a space? Most of the more reputable LPG conversion specialists here are reluctant to convert older cars because they get a better margin (and don't have to work as hard) by sticking to newer Commodores and Falcons. So it's best to ring around.

The conversion itself shouldn't cost any more than $2500 - $3000. The amount of the rebate depends on where you live. In WA the state gives you a rebate of $1000 to supplement the federal $2000 rebate. In my case, the combined rebate completely offset the cost of conversion. Even if you were only able to obtain the $2000 rebate, I reckon I save about $30-40 a tank running my car on gas, so depending on how much you drive it probably wouldn't take long to reclaim the cost of conversion. I honestly think it's the only way to make a noticable difference to your fuel bills with an old motor.

[Paiste402]

I know in the newer wagons they are able to provide a tank which sits into the bay for the spare tyre. Not sure if the VB-VL wagon has such a space?

Yea man, in the wagon part under a steel floorboard is where the tire and tire iron are.