Project: Commodore powered buggy

[maddog]

Not a huge amount of this project relates to Holden Commodores, but the powerplant will be, so I'll create a thread here about it.

I'm building a tube chassis 4WD buggy for competition. One of the most important decisions on how to build the buggy is what engine to use, and where to place it.

As such, I ended up deciding that a V6 3.8L motor out of a Commodore VS/VT would be the go. Why?

It's a nice short motor, will be easy to fit into where I'm going to put it

Easily supercharged with the factory pump (6PSi from memory) to give it a bit more get up and go

Light compared to some of the other motors I was considering

Easily available, and easy to get parts for

I'm left with some questions which you guys might be able to answer:

- Are the VS and VT motors the same?
- Where's the best place around Sydney to get either an engine with computer/wiring harness etc or a front cut? I'd also consider getting one from QLD or VIC if it was cheap enough. I have a car trailer for my competition Jeep.
- What would I expect to pay for a front cut of a VS or VT?
- There's hardly any room to run an exhaust. Basically the extractors will just taper off to open air and run that way. Any forseeable problems?
- Is there anything else I should consider?

 

[mattman]

- There's hardly any room to run an exhaust. Basically the extractors will just taper off to open air and run that way. Any forseeable problems?

No idea on the rest.. but doing this it's bloody loud! I've seen a vid of someone running a block part lifter out of the engine, no extractors or anything, and it was bloody noisy..

Plus you'll have no cat.. so you'll probably end up with carbon monoxide poisoning (or the guy behind you will at least).

 

[maddog]

Good point re the fumes. Might have to run some form of pipe down and dump it somewhere. Just won't have much room to run too much piping.

If it was rear mount engine, it wouldn't be a problem, but at this stage I'm pretty sure I want to make it front mount engine.

 

[yZoH]

Run the headers and make up a bracket and go "Manifold/Headers/Cat/Resonator"

Pretty much one after the other no joining pipes if possible
So it just looks like a jumple of sound restrictors/monoxide,

Cheers
MaT

 

[burnz]

i personaly would use a rodeo v6
lite, lotta grunt, loves forced induction
no need 4 cats a set of zoomies go well

 

[maddog]

i personaly would use a rodeo v6
lite, lotta grunt, loves forced induction
no need 4 cats a set of zoomies go well

What capacity is it?

I'll have to see if I can find a wrecker that has one. I spoke to a guy this afternoon who's getting a price for a VT 3.8 motor for me.

 

[elljay]

You'd be betta off with a rear mounted engine wouldn't ya??

 

[burnz]

What capacity is it?

I'll have to see if I can find a wrecker that has one. I spoke to a guy this afternoon who's getting a price for a VT 3.8 motor for me.

3.2ltr alloy motor

 

[burnz]

You'd be betta off with a rear mounted engine wouldn't ya??

i hade a 253 went very well

 

[maddog]

You'd be betta off with a rear mounted engine wouldn't ya??

That's more like what I'm going to build.

Front engine is better for climbing up vertical walls, and it saves me having to flip the diffs over and all the hassals that come with that. The front or rear mount debate can go on forever when you're designing a rock crawling buggy, but in the end I decided to go with front mount.

I've spoken to a wrecker this afternoon who's got a VS motor with computer and wiring for $990. What do you guys think about that price? Is it reasonable?