My Vauxhall Monaro VXR (RIP)
Discussion
I bought my red 05-reg Monaro VXR (6-litre version) from Vauxhall in 2006. It was an ex-demonstrator with 3K on the clock. I was happy to pay £29K for it, as it looked great (even the wife was impressed).
Over the next couple of years, I spent quite a few quid modifying it. This is mandatory for Monaro owners, as the base car is such a willing blank-canvas. Monkfish Performance kindly fitted poly bushes, Pedders adjustable coil-overs, AP racing brakes, a quick ratio steering rack and a rip-shifter (the standard one is a bit stodgy). All these smartened up the driving experience no end. All that was left was to deal with the obviously inadequate engine (400hp).
It might sound daft, but even the most powerful Ro feels 'slow' compared with many hot hatches. Long gearing and a slow gearshift don't help. At legal speeds, it's often the case that you can't leave that turbo FWD that's up your a*se. Over 100mph (on private roads) the story is different, but for most owners more real world power is a must.
Monkfish sourced a bolt-on twin turbo kit from Australia (GEN-TTR). They fitted this, along with a new exhaust, injectors and 100-cell cats. It was work in progress for some time, as the kit wasn't as fit-and-forget as you'd hope. The dyno chart below shows what was achieved:
The installation looked stock, which was nice:
The car was much more lively now, pretty much all I wanted. It could break traction in gear at 100mph in the wet without much provocation. Not particularly useful, but an indication of how much torque it had.
Sadly, at a run round RAF Marham a couple of years ago, I lost a piston due to detonation. Stock pistons are good for around 550hp. I was experimenting with the boost at the time and guess I took things a bit too far. Amazingly, even with a stuffed piston, it managed to outrun everything on the back straight.
The car languished on the driveway for several months, while I considered my options. Then one day on Eurodragster I spotted just the thing to replace my old engine...
Over the next couple of years, I spent quite a few quid modifying it. This is mandatory for Monaro owners, as the base car is such a willing blank-canvas. Monkfish Performance kindly fitted poly bushes, Pedders adjustable coil-overs, AP racing brakes, a quick ratio steering rack and a rip-shifter (the standard one is a bit stodgy). All these smartened up the driving experience no end. All that was left was to deal with the obviously inadequate engine (400hp).
It might sound daft, but even the most powerful Ro feels 'slow' compared with many hot hatches. Long gearing and a slow gearshift don't help. At legal speeds, it's often the case that you can't leave that turbo FWD that's up your a*se. Over 100mph (on private roads) the story is different, but for most owners more real world power is a must.
Monkfish sourced a bolt-on twin turbo kit from Australia (GEN-TTR). They fitted this, along with a new exhaust, injectors and 100-cell cats. It was work in progress for some time, as the kit wasn't as fit-and-forget as you'd hope. The dyno chart below shows what was achieved:
The installation looked stock, which was nice:
The car was much more lively now, pretty much all I wanted. It could break traction in gear at 100mph in the wet without much provocation. Not particularly useful, but an indication of how much torque it had.
Sadly, at a run round RAF Marham a couple of years ago, I lost a piston due to detonation. Stock pistons are good for around 550hp. I was experimenting with the boost at the time and guess I took things a bit too far. Amazingly, even with a stuffed piston, it managed to outrun everything on the back straight.
The car languished on the driveway for several months, while I considered my options. Then one day on Eurodragster I spotted just the thing to replace my old engine...
The trouble with a current generation SBC is that it's very cheap to replace. A crate LS3 can be had for around £5K, pushes 400hp and comes with a warranty. Fixing a broken LS2 isn't a cheap option, as you have a lot of garage labour to pay for. I didn't really want to spend big money, but equally felt the need to get something in return for the outlay. I was on the verge of paying for a simple rebuid with a forged rotating assembly when an LSX427 turned up on Eurodragster.
For those who don't know, the LSX block is iron and has extra head bolts. GM built them for tuners and rate them at 2500hp. To prove the point they put one together and ran it to 2000hp with just 6.6-litres. This engine was a very similar specification and wasn't much more than a crate LS3. I bought a pair of BW turbos (around 60mm), and Tial wastegates and handed the lot over to John Sleath in Doncaster, asking him to build me a fast car.
My vision was of a stock looking Monaro, with an autobox, turbo lag and looooads of boost. John spent a few months building my new set-up:
Once the installation was fully assembled, John moved it to the engine dyno for tuning. I was hoping for over 800hp. We maxed out the 96lb injectors at 17.5psi. The new dyno sheet was f**king amazing:
Shake down testing was a pain, as the car ran incredibly hot to begin with. The radiator blew after a couple of hundred miles, so the car went back for a new cam and custom rad. Airlocks in the waterpump also caused problems, as did the odd oil leak.
The biggest problem was the power. I ran it at 12psi (around 1000hp) and found it was a nightmare to drive. Anything more than no throttle would spool the turbos and try to kill you. Driving it was not fun, by any stretch of the imagination. What I needed was more traction...
For those who don't know, the LSX block is iron and has extra head bolts. GM built them for tuners and rate them at 2500hp. To prove the point they put one together and ran it to 2000hp with just 6.6-litres. This engine was a very similar specification and wasn't much more than a crate LS3. I bought a pair of BW turbos (around 60mm), and Tial wastegates and handed the lot over to John Sleath in Doncaster, asking him to build me a fast car.
My vision was of a stock looking Monaro, with an autobox, turbo lag and looooads of boost. John spent a few months building my new set-up:
Once the installation was fully assembled, John moved it to the engine dyno for tuning. I was hoping for over 800hp. We maxed out the 96lb injectors at 17.5psi. The new dyno sheet was f**king amazing:
Shake down testing was a pain, as the car ran incredibly hot to begin with. The radiator blew after a couple of hundred miles, so the car went back for a new cam and custom rad. Airlocks in the waterpump also caused problems, as did the odd oil leak.
The biggest problem was the power. I ran it at 12psi (around 1000hp) and found it was a nightmare to drive. Anything more than no throttle would spool the turbos and try to kill you. Driving it was not fun, by any stretch of the imagination. What I needed was more traction...
is all
t I was not expecting that !! That's insane, OP we defo need a video or two
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