Buick Into VS (I have my reasons)

[hotweelz]

Hey guys, as the title suggests im putting a buick and T5 into A VS Shell i just picked up so ill give a quick rundown on the Story first haha
Basically My December 88' Series 1 VN 5 Speed got defected and it was clear it wasn't going to live thru the pits, so i went on then hunt for a VN-VR Shell, end ended up with a $400 VS Botanic Mica Sedan with no motor and a blown box

So at the moment everything is bolted in just needa hook up the fuel lines and power steering, but i discovered a problem, The Plug one the ECU end of the Engine bay loom was different to that in the VS, But i have fixed this by switching over to a VP Engine Loom, But now ive discovered another problem, The Plugs in the engine Bay (Drivers Side Firewall) One is the same but the other is different so im basically just looking for a wiring diagram for that to get her started and running in the VS Shell, I Have the VS Engine Loom that i Can Cut bits of off or Use Instead of the VP one if that would work, I also have a VR Mid BCM and Key head if I need it

Cheers
Greg

[Brett_jjj]

You wont get the car registered with an older engine fitted.If its a VS,it will need the ecotec engine to comply with rego rules (in NSW anyway),I dont know about SA.Its probably the same there too.

[hotweelz]

don't have to go over the pits here unless you get defected for Vehicle Inspection Station (only "major" defects) mate, so that's not really a problem, and if i do ill silicon a vs engine cover to it

[Avi8or]

Arn't you going to have to give them the engine number for the car and then they will figure it out?

[hotweelz]

No, the car still has the plates on it from when it was last registered last year and i have the papers to transfer it into my name so it wont be a problem, just need to figure the wiring out on the small back plug at the driver side of the firewall, or use the VS Engine loom if i can

[hotweelz]

Could i get away with using the VS ecotec engine loom on the VN Motor with modifying it a bit, I know i will need to extend a few wires to reach the Series 1 Temp sensor and change the Alternator plug aswell as convert it to run only a single o2 sensor, but other than that the car should run?

[delcowizzid]

need dual knock sensors dual o2 sensors cam sensor coolant sensor maf etc all fitted then it would need dyno tuned to run properly just not worth the hassle to run vs ecu on the vn engine

[woteva]

If you have an accident and your vehicle is inspected, you will be found 100% in the wrong as your vehicle will be found un-roadworthy with that engine and should not have been on the road. Your insurance company will just rip-up your insurance cover.

This thread should be deleted or locked as the mod is illegal.

[hotweelz]

This hole thing is turning into a headfu*k thinking now i might put it off for a while and try and track down a cheap ecotec to put infront of the T5 or maybe even a L67 if i can find one for the right price

[hotweelz]

If you have an accident and your vehicle is inspected, you will be found 100% in the wrong as your vehicle will be found un-roadworthy with that engine and should not have been on the road. Your insurance company will just rip-up your insurance cover.

This thread should be deleted or locked as the mod is illegal.

if it will make you happy, we could just pretend that this car wont be seeing the street?

[delcowizzid]

who really cares if its legal its not gonna kill anyone just cause it has a buick in it LOL will go better than the ecotec ever did but LOL

[Z2TT]

delcowiz are you saying the Buicks go harder than the Ecotecs?
All my friends say they prefer buicks but never say why.

Also as for legality, wouldn't you be able to just do an Engine Number change form I know some people here in WA have done that I don't know how it's like in SA

[hotweelz]

im not too sure about the engine number change, but getting her legal is the least of my concerns at the moment i needa try ans source a wiring diagram to fix up all the lose ends
Basically i started Out with a T5 And S1 Buick, Slotted that in, But then realized that the plugs that feed up behind the dash at the ecu where wrong on the S1 engine loom, i got around this by swapping it over to a VP loom which i had laying around, just needa extend a few wires and that will be sorted, but the next problem is connecting it to the Plugs at the back of the Firewall on the Drivers side, there are two of them and 1 is a different plug so it wont go straight in so i need a wiring diagram for this as well as a plug down buy the fuse box.... or alternatively I could run the VS Engine loom on The Buick and do away with those issues, but i wold create a few more Like Knock sensors

[hotweelz]

On second thoughts, would a VR Engine loom have all the correct Plugs at the fuse box and Firewall?

[Z2TT]

All the people have told me it's too complicated to Swap from Ecotec to Buick and Ecotec to Buick, Your best bet is getting gregories books for both cars and start from there.

[GTP 85]

Did the VS have and engine in it that was working? why not just bolt the T5 behind the Ecotec???

on a side note...Buick going harder than an ecotec? lol. I'll believe it when i actually have one beat me in my dads stock VS.... and the P platers do try lol

[hotweelz]

Na the VS was $400 with no motor and a blown trans, and id prefer to stick with the Buick if i can

[hsv91ss]

It is completely up to you what you want to do it.

But if you use the Buick it will just be a matter of time before you get in trouble with authorities, you may have rego on the car as of now but it will not pass on the next renewal.

If it was me I would track down a low KM Ecotec, and as for the power difference Ecotec VS Buick, who really cares you can't use any sort of power on the street anyway.

[Andrew426]

If you have an accident and your vehicle is inspected, you will be found 100% in the wrong as your vehicle will be found un-roadworthy with that engine and should not have been on the road. Your insurance company will just rip-up your insurance cover.

This thread should be deleted or locked as the mod is illegal.

Unsure about australias backwards traffic laws, but (here, atleast) having a different engine in the car does not automatically make you at fault in an accident, nor does it void your insurance cover. Unless the engine was a direct cause of the accident (IE it fell out and killed someone or something) it can not void your insurance cover.

Guys on this forum are way too anal about engine swaps, or just cool mods in general.

I guess none of you are running remapped memcals, either? And your sparkplugs are all gapped at exactly 1.5mm? your EGR and PCV systems are all in perfect working order? If your worried about violating your precious emissions laws, you might want to look into that.

[Adamvr93]

if i was you id keep my eye out for a L67 and put the T5 behind that xD

otherwise just get an ecotec... its only a few hundred bucks and you can just put it straight in without worrying about all the wiring...

[Z2TT]

I'd keep the ecotec, I guess they chucked the buick for a reason and swapped to ecotec apparently it's a more reliable engine and heaps of bolt ons avaliable

[hotweelz]

Id Love to track down a nice L67 VS Calais or Stato and Put a T5 Behind it or Getrag :P
But onto the progress
So its all in place now and ive converted a VS Engine loom to Run The Buick, (Single Knock Sensor and Changed the Alternator Plug, So It Cranks and Ive Got Spark but The Fuel pump inst kicking in at all, even when i bridge the wires and the relay, so im thinking that the pump is seized but just to double check ill hope under it tomorrow and put 12v straight to the pump and see what happens

Cheers
Greg