Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.

New Posts Contact us

Just Commodores Forum Community

It takes just a moment to join our fantastic community

Register

Best bang for buck? Roller rockers vs. SC14 vs. selling and buying a 5ltr

Andrew426

Active Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
1,095
Reaction score
7
Points
38
Location
New Plymouth, New Zealand
Members Ride
VP calais, VR Berlina, VJ valiant, BG5 legacy
So I have been getting a bit of an itch for more power, and was first thinking of getting a set of YT roller rockers. Now with the fact that Im in NZ and all that, with shipping and the exchange rate they will end up costing me around a thousand bucks. Now I have no problem paying that, they are a good quality product and thats a fair price for them. However, they would be worth almost as much as the whole car (VR exec auto with 260Ks and shagged paint) So I have decided to look at a couple of other options.

First option is, of course 1.8:1 ratio roller rockers. Probably the most reliable and simplest of the 3 options, but are worth almost as much as the whole car

The second is doing an SC14 conversion. I can make the brackets myself, and probably get the injectors for next to nothing so I would guesstimate around $1200 to do this. I realize though, without a shiftkit my trans wont last long, and it would cost me another $400 or so to get the mod certified (not urgent though)

The third is selling the VR V6 and getting a 5L. I might (optimistically) be able to get $1300 for my car after a bit of a tidy up, and I have seen a couple of higher Ks VN V8s on trademe for around the $2500 mark.

The Main thing holding me back from just going to the 5L is the fact that my VR in in mechanically very good condition, while I would expect a higher ks 5L to have been thrashed.

Any thoughts?

No P plate rules or anything over here, so I dont need to worry about any restrictions like that. And I get reamed on insurance for having a commodore anyway, so its not really a factor in the decision.
 

VrWagz1

The Wagon on Wheels..
Joined
May 5, 2008
Messages
2,438
Reaction score
29
Points
48
Location
wollongong
Website
www.wagzhome.justcommodores.com.au
Members Ride
VE SSV MY09 Auto Wagon
supercharging your 6 is gonna get you moving faster than a v8, but you will have less issues and less headaches just buying a 5ltr.
Also 1200 bucks to supercharge is a bit optomistic, the charger itself is the cheap part, its all the dyno tuning, custom headers, intake piping, engineering, strengthening g/box ect.. that starts to add up
 

eaton v8

my little sleeper
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
608
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
gladstone qld
Members Ride
vz 6l auto 239cam 3.9diff
no matter what you dish out to a 5l it will take it, or put a turbo kit togetherfor the v6 and get a tune of foam for it that would be cheap too. and they fly
 

stocky

New Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Messages
5,040
Reaction score
80
Points
0
Age
36
Location
Melbourne
Members Ride
1995 HSV Clubsport T5, 1991 VN Berlina
ive had a sc14 and a 5 litre, so i can give an opinion on this.

sc14 = fun. i had more fun with my sc14 v6 than i did with the v8. im not talking about burnouts or that ****. it was just cool having instant torque download as soon as you put your foot down. the downside was that it was noisy, but it always gave people that "wtf" look on their face, and could usually get to 100km/h in less than 6 seconds. a lot of people have gotten good results from them. i reckon its the best value mod you can do for a v6. you can pick up a 3 psi kit for the same price as a decent exhaust, and i can guarantee you would get a better power response from the sc14. 3 psi = approx 120rwkw. 8 psi ~ 150+, 11psi intercooled = closer to 200rwkw. if you were in vic i could sell you my setup

v8s are good too. theyre more epa and defect friendly than a blown v6, and will always sound better. from standard they arent that quick, but a few mods can get them going, and i have noticed that 5 litre modifications really arent that expensive if you know where to look. unfortuantely i havent had my v8 run quicker than my sc14 v6 just yet.
 

Reaper

Tells it like it is.
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
6,493
Reaction score
11,463
Points
113
Location
SE Suburbs, Melbourne
Members Ride
RG Z71 Colorado, 120 Prado , VDJ200, Vantage
This is how it goes. Note that there are exceptions but overall.....

Roller rocker 6 cyl faster than stock 6 cyl
Stock 5 Litre faster than RR 6 Cyl
Stock 5 Litre faster than a stock 6 cyl
sc14 faster than a stock 5 litre
Modified 5 litre faster than a sc14.
Gen III murders all of them :)

Reaper
 

ScoHar

Jizz in my pants
Joined
Apr 10, 2006
Messages
836
Reaction score
7
Points
0
Location
CHCH, NZ
Members Ride
VS Senator
I've got a VP with a 5L with bugger all mods and I can't find a stock gen3 (bar the HSV's) that beats it, but they are a far superior engine being alloy but same design overall.
 

PanthaVS

New Member
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
374
Reaction score
9
Points
0
Members Ride
VS S-Pack SII
i reckon its the best value mod you can do for a v6. you can pick up a 3 psi kit for the same price as a decent exhaust, and i can guarantee you would get a better power response from the sc14. 3 psi = approx 120rwkw. 8 psi ~ 150+, 11psi intercooled = closer to 200rwkw. if you were in vic i could sell you my setup

Just curious... what's your setup include? What you asking for it? and what internal mods have you mated with this setup?
 

Cobez

LS-EXUAL
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
3,109
Reaction score
42
Points
48
Age
39
Members Ride
2004 S2 VY SS Ute
This is how it goes. Note that there are exceptions but overall.....

Roller rocker 6 cyl faster than stock 6 cyl
Stock 5 Litre faster than RR 6 Cyl
Stock 5 Litre faster than a stock 6 cyl
sc14 faster than a stock 5 litre
Modified 5 litre faster than a sc14.
Gen III murders all of them :)

Reaper



ROFL!!!! That's an awesome way of putting it :D
 
Top