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[immortal]

Hi,

Im thinking of buying a facelift omega (spec doesnt matter) and doing a project car. Out of the 2.5/2.6/3.0 and 3.2v6 which is the better engine?

I want a fast car but wouldnt for instance choose the 3.2 if it wasnt as good an engine as the 3.0 for instance.

Or is there a better non-genuine engine that fits that is easier to tune/faster? such as the vectra vxr twin turbo/ a v8 or a 4cyl turbo?

I will be buying a manual if that makes any difference

Matt

[albitz]

Well, the 3.2 is the newest and most powerful version of the v6, so I would say thats the one to go for.Ex plod 3.2 manual cars can often be picked up quite cheap.

[immortal]

Would say a Z20LET (vxr 4 pot turbo) be a good engine choice as they will produce far more torque and horsepower when tuned than even the 3.2v6.

Only thing i would miss is the sound. Or could you get the v6 up to around 250hp+ with matching torque?

Matt

[Kevin Wood]

Would say a Z20LET (vxr 4 pot turbo) be a good engine choice as they will produce far more torque and horsepower when tuned than even the 3.2v6.

Only thing i would miss is the sound. Or could you get the v6 up to around 250hp+ with matching torque?

Matt

There's not much to choose between the 3.2 and 3.0. The issues are slightly different, but neither can be regarded as better than the other, IMHO.

Chips are readily available for the 3.0, not the 3.2, but, being an already pretty good natasp setup, the performance improvement is not stellar.

The Omega needs a good bit of grunt available at all times to shift its' weight. Not sure the power delivery of a heavily boosted 4 pot would suit it in that respect. It would feel pretty laggy at times, IMHO. Still, don't knock it until you've tried it, and I haven't.

Torque is proportional to engine capacity on a naturally aspirated lump, so you won't get more of it by tuning. Beyond chipping the ECU for a little more grunt at the top of the rev range, no tuning is that popular on the V6. There is folklore that suggests cooling system modifications to improve flow to the rear cylinders are required, and also that bottom end strength is an issue with tuned V6s. Not much real-world experience we can rely on, though.

If a tuning path hasn't been well-trodden, it generally means it's going to be very expensive, though, and probably best avoided. A V8 conversion would be the best path if wanting a significant improvement in performance on an Omega IMHO.

Kevin

[tigers_gonads]

How about NOX  :-/

Best of both worlds imho

Smooth and silky V6 for day to day running then if you want to play, press the button and off you go 

[Clarkey]

Would the 2.8 V6 (z28net)Turbo from the Vectra C VXR be a possibility? 185kw power/350nm torque(about 260bhp). The 2.8 in the Insignia VXR is putting out 300+.

[immortal]

I was thinking the vectra vxr engine but they cost alot to buy. Perhaps getting a trusty old Rover V8 and tuning that would be a good idea as there are plenty of em about , easy to tune to good power apparently and should fit?

Matt

[Kevin Wood]

I was thinking the vectra vxr engine but they cost alot to buy. Perhaps getting a trusty old Rover V8 and tuning that would be a good idea as there are plenty of em about , easy to tune to good power apparently and should fit?

Matt

Hmm. You need deep pockets to get significantly more power than the standard V6 has out of a Rover V8. It's a very dated engine now. I was thinking about something from the other side of the pond myself.

Kevin

[immortal]

I was thinking the vectra vxr engine but they cost alot to buy. Perhaps getting a trusty old Rover V8 and tuning that would be a good idea as there are plenty of em about , easy to tune to good power apparently and should fit?

Matt

Hmm. You need deep pockets to get significantly more power than the standard V6 has out of a Rover V8. It's a very dated engine now. I was thinking about something from the other side of the pond myself.

Kevin

Which engine were you thinking of? Cant be one that costs thousands obviously

Matt

[Nick W]

Has to be a Mopar. Over 400hp from a basic rebuild on a cheap 318. 904 trans is probably the most efficient US auto available and is easily up to that power in a (reasonably) light car. A usable running engine and trans shouldn't cost more than £500.The tuning I mentioned is about another £1000

Hard to recommend a Rover these days; an XE makes as least as much power as a carbed 3.5. 3.9 EFI from a Discovery is less power than a 3.0l Omega. Plus, they're quite costly to rebuild, and though can be made to perform, more tha 250hp is VERY expensive. Also, they are quite bulky; if you can fit a Rover than a smallblock Chevy will also go in.

[feeutfo]

I was thinking the vectra vxr engine but they cost alot to buy. Perhaps getting a trusty old Rover V8 and tuning that would be a good idea as there are plenty of em about , easy to tune to good power apparently and should fit?

Matt

Hmm. You need deep pockets to get significantly more power than the standard V6 has out of a Rover V8. It's a very dated engine now. I was thinking about something from the other side of the pond myself.

Kevin

Which engine were you thinking of? Cant be one that costs thousands obviously

Matt

Ls1/2/3 chevy v8 with t56 box and drive train, if you can find one. Looking at about 370/80 bhp in stock form depending. May be some restrictions with exhaust on the omega, but in theory any bhp is possible with that lump, to a point.

 Or one of the less powerful Lm(?) lumps. but if going to all that agro, really should be an Ls IMO.

[omegadan67]

as stated already a chevvy small block will fit if the rover v8 will bear in mind rover v8 is 50 years old if not more,and push rod not ohc.

Ls1 will fit need to switch to rack stearing, and the 357 chevvy fits as does the 426 hemi headed unit

i have fitted a ls1 5.7 v8 to an omega and came across alsorts of challengers to put right,its up and running with a supercharger puts out 425 bhp and 485 lbs/ft toqure running through a lotus carlton tremec 6 speed box wheel spins all the way to 4 if your not careful moted it start of april ready for the blast to cypres in may driving all the way