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[omegaV6CD]

Well this is generating some healthy debate... but let's please keep it friendly guys!

Darryl, I am afraid I have to agree with Mark right now.

I recently got a (very nice) 2.3 CS Carlsson.

DAMN it is seriously quick!  
In a straight line the acceleration (once out of first!) is immense. For overtaking this car is awesome.

Alas, round twisties a manual MV6 will out handle it easily. I am in the fortunate position of having both outside to directly compare.

However, in a few months, once I have replaced all the shocks and springs and uprated the ARB bushes it may be rather different!

It has to be said though, the Aero has the best seats in a car I have ever come across. 

rhydv6. No turbocharged cars are not unreliable at all.
It is down to the engine design (was it designed with turbocharging in mind, or bolted on later in production) and proper maintenance.

Saab for instance, have been making turbocharged cars for a long time and the engines are generally very reliable if you maintain them properly. The mileage they attain is testament to that fact.
Actually with Saabs, turbo problems are well down the list of things to go wrong...

Allow me to add up to your turbo reliability valid comment a few things for general education. A turbocharger is only prone to failure at high altitudes where the impeller speed exceeds its limitations due to low air density, it is prone to damage when the air filter is not filtering well, and finally if you don't let it cool down after a  long drive, carbon formation can damage the bearings. So if you prevent these things from happening there is no reason why the turbocharger should not outlast the car itself.

[RobC_NE]

just thought id throw my input your way guys. have been told that it is possible to turbo a VX V6  :-? using a saab turbo manifold??? i can understand if its from the saab with similar mechanicals to the veccy but surely it would cause premature wear to various engine parts or gaskets  :-/

[Darryl Flynn]

Well this is generating some healthy debate... but let's please keep it friendly guys!

Darryl, I am afraid I have to agree with Mark right now.

I recently got a (very nice) 2.3 CS Carlsson.

DAMN it is seriously quick!  
In a straight line the acceleration (once out of first!) is immense. For overtaking this car is awesome.

Alas, round twisties a manual MV6 will out handle it easily. I am in the fortunate position of having both outside to directly compare.

However, in a few months, once I have replaced all the shocks and springs and uprated the ARB bushes it may be rather different!

Dave,
             like i said i was driving virtually new Omegas in Police spec daily without the constraints of the normal motorist and had plenty of opportunity to asses their OVERALL ability over thousands of miles.

My last Aero had covered 156k and was still an absolute missile. Owing to the mileage i treated it to a complete set of new standard shocks and springs as well as all bushes replaced. That made a MASSIVE difference!
If i had to cover a distance in a hurry ( including bends ) then for me the Saab would come out on top.

The model that you have bought is probably even  more brutal in its power delivery than an Aero
Wait until you sort the suspension

Lastly all i am saying is that you could throw a lot of money at an Omega and it will still not be a really quick car. An Aero can be picked up cheaply now and is quick straight out of the box.

[rhydV6]

Name a Ph3.5 C20LET thats reliable? Hell even the Ph2 one's can be dodgy if not correctly set up and engine internals of the correct spec.. I've seen enough of them to know, also CAV-T 4x4 system is terrible, with TB's breaking etc..

I'm talking vauxhall's here, not interested in any other cars, so no point mentioning your TDi runabouts lol

Ok z20let isn't a bad setup (as found in Astra G GSi, Zafira GSi etc), but one of these out of price range.

I've always been a fan of N/A Applications.

No LSD = no good for drifting, so will be awful on a track...

[Admin]

Yes, the C20LET was not good from what I have heard (I suspect Mark may disagree), but that is a case of "design a good engine then bolt on a turbo later"  :-/

Restricting yourself to just Vauxhalls does reduce the options somewhat.

You ever considered a manual 24v Carlton GSi or Senator?
Damn quick, cheap (well the Senator is), fitted with LSD as standard and makes a fun track day car.

[omegaV6CD]

Speaking of fast saloons, there is only one car that humiliated my omega, it is the 164 2.0v6 turbo. I still cannot understand why it pulled off like that at 120+mph.

[theolodian]

Allow me to add up to your turbo reliability valid comment a few things for general education. A turbocharger is only prone to failure at high altitudes where the impeller speed exceeds its limitations due to low air density, it is prone to damage when the air filter is not filtering well, and finally if you don't let it cool down after a  long drive, carbon formation can damage the bearings. So if you prevent these things from happening there is no reason why the turbocharger should not outlast the car itself.

Most turbocharger control systems can handle high altitudes.  I have never seen one go due to ingestesting anything on the cold side other than it's own retaining nut.  More of an issue probably with construction equipment.  Baking the oil can damage the bearings with high mileage, not a problem with water cooled turbos until well over 200K and then only if no after-run pump.  Unless you have a ball-bearing turbo, what will kill it quickly is thrashing it when cold.  Otherwise, only high EGT's are deadly, but that is a tuning issue.

[MikeDundee]

An Alfa Romeo???

Speaking of fast saloons, there is only one car that humiliated my omega, it is the 164 2.0v6 turbo. I still cannot understand why it pulled off like that at 120+mph.

[TheBoy]

The Omega is never going to be the fastest accelerating car in the world, its simply too heavy (1.7 tonnes) with small engine (3.0/3.2l).

Without a lot of bank breaking mods, achieving more than 250bhp is unlikely.  The power:weight is never going to be good without spending a fortune, so cheaper just to buy a fast car.

[Omega-MV6]

I have to agree.
Though the Omega ain't very slow, all things considered.
I must confess I've spent weeks in not months looking for a Turbo for the 3.0l, and Can't find one.  

Though mine has the spare wheel, and boot lining removed, Alloy wing added to the boot
If anyone finds a Turbo mod for the 3.0l I'd be VERY intereasted.
I'm going for handling mods, unless a Turbo, or supercharger mod comes along.

I did have a "brainwave", could one convert a Turbo charger to mechniclly run from the alternator or another ancillary unit?

Cheers.

Matt

[theolodian]

I have to agree.
Though the Omega ain't very slow, all things considered.
I must confess I've spent weeks in not months looking for a Turbo for the 3.0l, and Can't find one.  

Though mine has the spare wheel, and boot lining removed, Alloy wing added to the boot
If anyone finds a Turbo mod for the 3.0l I'd be VERY intereasted.
I'm going for handling mods, unless a Turbo, or supercharger mod comes along.

I did have a "brainwave", could one convert a Turbo charger to mechniclly run from the alternator or another ancillary unit?

Cheers.

Matt

Yeah, it's called a supercharger!    Seriously, that's all a centrifugal supercharger is, a turbocharger cold side geared to a belt pulley.  People have messed around with electrical superchargers, as in run form an electric motor instead of a belt.  Don't think they got anywhere interesting.

There's always NO2 . . . .

[Omega-MV6]

Spose it is, yes...

Yeah seen those electric ones, and they look ok, but underneath the Marketing crap, is the science, which doesn't add up.
Be good to see if I could get one to run from a pulley...

Time to trwl EBAY for an old rusty Turbo charger I can do up..

Cheers.

Matt

[theolodian]

Centrifugal superchargers are by far the easiest major power boost to an NA motor, other than NO2.  Trust me, you don't want a hand-made installation of a turbo unless you have paid someone a ton of money and/or really know what you're doing.  On the other hand, you are going to need a special ECU chip for the turbo or supercharger, and/or you will need a properly set up additional fuel controller.

A centrifugal supercharger set for 5-7psi, an additional fuel controller setup, some handmade intake plumbing, lots of octane additive, and the philosophy that it is a learning experience (in other words some very expensive stuff will expire with a loud bang!) and you could have a fun project.

[Admin]

Saab tried turbocharging the V6 lump and found under anything more than very light boost there were loads of problems, not least of which being cooling to no.6 cylinder.

Strangely enough they did produce a turbo'd 3.0 V6 unit....

It pushes out...210bhp... a whole 3bhp more than standard (oh and the torque is almost identical too)!

Why they did it I really don't know!  :-/

[Marks DTM Calib]

The torque was actuly very much increase and the cooling is easy to get round it would appear.

As for converting a turbo to run off an aux pully, thats gonna take some clever work as you need to be able to spin the thing at anything upto 80-100K rpm!