14 replies to this topic

[minbin69]

hi all,new to the site. I've got a 1961 mini van which i want to put a 1600 engine in.
Any advise, ideas,comments all will be appericiated
like which vauxhall is best to use as a doner car, what bits to make sure to take off
it,sub frames, flip fronts anything as im the sort of person who forgets the easy bit
cheers i'll post updates when it gets underway

[*franky*]

give rob at allspeed a ring mate very helpfull they do good subframes http://www.allspeedengineering.com/ . you looking at the 8v or the 16v engine. any way welcome get some pics up lol

[alexcrosse]

depends on what vauxhall... 16v or 8v? if you want 8v, the donor vehicle is a 1996 era astra and engine a C16SE, and if you want a 16v you will want a X16XE or a C16XE (difference is EGR or no EGR) from a Corsa B GSI.

Subframe: go for a Allspeed subframe, with his (rob hall's) driveshafts and lower arms & tie rods. everythings brilliant, all rose jointed and double shear.

Id keep it steel front in a van shell as they give a better finish (mines fibreglass and you cant get the quality!). The radiator will have to be a MPI mini rad and above the gearbox in a roundnose.

Exhaust is a 1.4 exhaust manifold on the 8v (keeping it simple) or bespoke tubular job on the 16v

http://www.allspeede...m/subframes.htm

hope this helps buddy,

Cheers,

Alex

also... once you add everything together to get your budget... double it

[minbin69]

give rob at allspeed a ring mate very helpfull they do good subframes http://www.allspeedengineering.com/ . you looking at the 8v or the 16v engine. any way welcome get some pics up lol

i'm thinking on the 8v bit cheaper on insurance, just been looking on the web site looks like the way to go cheers
i'll get some pics of my shed i mean van up in the next few days

[minbin69]

depends on what vauxhall... 16v or 8v? if you want 8v, the donor vehicle is a 1996 era astra and engine a C16SE, and if you want a 16v you will want a X16XE or a C16XE (difference is EGR or no EGR) from a Corsa B GSI.

Subframe: go for a Allspeed subframe, with his (rob hall's) driveshafts and lower arms & tie rods. everythings brilliant, all rose jointed and double shear.

Id keep it steel front in a van shell as they give a better finish (mines fibreglass and you cant get the quality!). The radiator will have to be a MPI mini rad and above the gearbox in a roundnose.

Exhaust is a 1.4 exhaust manifold on the 8v (keeping it simple) or bespoke tubular job on the 16v

http://www.allspeede...m/subframes.htm

hope this helps buddy,

Cheers,

Alex

also... once you add everything together to get your budget... double it

yea going 8v so astra it is then.the front end on mine is scrap so i was thinking extended fibreglass just to make life easyer
budget? whats one of those just keep throwing money and time at it lol!
cheers larry

[Rosslin Racing]

hi all,new to the site. I've got a 1961 mini van which i want to put a 1600 engine in.
Any advise, ideas,comments all will be appericiated
like which vauxhall is best to use as a doner car, what bits to make sure to take off
it,sub frames, flip fronts anything as im the sort of person who forgets the easy bit
cheers i'll post updates when it gets underway

what a shame to wreck a 61 van with that luton junk!

[minbin69]

hi all,new to the site. I've got a 1961 mini van which i want to put a 1600 engine in.
Any advise, ideas,comments all will be appericiated
like which vauxhall is best to use as a doner car, what bits to make sure to take off
it,sub frames, flip fronts anything as im the sort of person who forgets the easy bit
cheers i'll post updates when it gets underway

what a shame to wreck a 61 van with that luton junk!

what would you do with it then? want to use it every day bit of motorway want it to cope with that

[alexcrosse]

hmmm you can get it in a non extended not a problem buddy, just mount the radiator on the side, rob got a 16v in yours.

Up to you buddy! your project =p

what you after? speed or looks?

[minbin69]

hmmm you can get it in a non extended not a problem buddy, just mount the radiator on the side, rob got a 16v in yours.

Up to you buddy! your project =p

what you after? speed or looks?

worth thinking about, the main thing is to keep it on the road have to travel a bit for work so fast enough for motorway
but slow enough to keep my licence lol

[alexcrosse]

yer, id go steel, let work in the long time, especially if you want to be blasting down the motorway. Ive found the motorway destroys my front ends, cracks it and all sorts

[Rosslin Racing]

a restored 61 van will be worth money. with a luton lump and plastic it will be worth bugger all, that was my point.
did not want to pee you off.

[minbin69]

a restored 61 van will be worth money. with a luton lump and plastic it will be worth bugger all, that was my point.
did not want to pee you off.

dont worry you didnt,like i said i'm open to idea's ,i can see your point

[baker_boy]

im kind of with rosslin racing on this, im sticking a vtec in my roundnose at end of year but theres plenty of them about and it will increase the value when its done properly as there only usually worth 3k max but that would be for a minter..

A van on the other hand in standard form would reach 5k happily but sticking a vauxhall in it would ruin it a bit.. i tell you what ill swap you my roundnose for your van and then you can stick a vauxhall in that and ill keep the van a series.. good deal yeah?? but yea if you stuck a higher final drive on a 1300 itd happily keep up with motorway traffic, stick an eleccy ignition and your pretty much away. how much motorway mileage are you gonna be clocking up? but as said were only here for advice/tips etc. you dont have to actually listen tho.. wheres the pics of this van i want to see it anyway

Edited by baker_boy, 03 June 2009 - 03:52 PM.

[Furyan]

Get the 1.6 Vauxhall engine in, if you want value for money, 100+ bhp, reliable and a bit nippy, you won't get this with an with an A series! As for spoiling a van, well everything you need to do to fit the Vauxhall engine is fully reversible, it's all basically contained within it's own subframe apart from a wee bit trimming here and there, the rest of the van will be untouched so if you get bored with the Vauxhall engine or want to sell the van, just unbolt the Vaux stuff and bolt back in the A series stuff, simples! Have a look over on www.16valveminiclub.com for advice, tips etc.

[Cheezpie]

Minbin69.

If you try it with the 1.6 8V will you be doing a guide to what you have done? I would be interested in it.