Which Forum for 1980s/90s Vauxhall technical expertise?
Which Forum for 1980s/90s Vauxhall technical expertise?
Author
Discussion

HustleRussell

Original Poster:

26,570 posts

190 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
I'm in a difficult spot and I need to find some kind of bearded Vauxhall/GM guru for guidance. I really need someone who understands the older, mundane models like the Cavalier at a nut-and-bolt level. It concerns sourcing a cylinder head for a kit car engine which is long out of production and nobody seems to know anything about. I know the engine code and some very basic info about the engine's applications, and that's about it.
Where should I ask?

rohrl

8,984 posts

175 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
www.mk2cav.com could be worth asking.

Loplop

2,012 posts

215 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
Mig web possibly?

Wouldn't happen to be looking for the Coscast XE head by any chance would you?

HustleRussell

Original Poster:

26,570 posts

190 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
Thanks, I'll look into those. 2.0xe? if only it were so easy biggrin the cylinder head I need is totally bread 'n butter yet totally unobtainable!

Davie

6,250 posts

245 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
What's the engine?

You could try Migweb or if it's a little older or standard, try Vauxhall Opel Drivers Club. Loads of knowledge out there when it comes to older Vauxhalls.

vit4

3,507 posts

200 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
As above, try the VODC, small forum but a lot of knowledge on there smile

DKS

1,916 posts

214 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
Ask here. I or others might know. Have you tried in the Vx section?

loose cannon

6,057 posts

271 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
8v 2.0 like my sri 130 is a c20seh
The 115 bhp version was c20ne
C20xe is the red top 16v

DKS

1,916 posts

214 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
16SV?

HustleRussell

Original Poster:

26,570 posts

190 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
The engine was supplied as part of a Caterham kit between 1997 and 2002. The engine is a 1.6 8v Vauxhall/Opel effort which fell foul of 1993 emissions standards and ended up being bought wholesale by Caterham. The code is C16 NZ2, the '2' part is important because it denotes that the engine has a bigger bore and shorter stroke than the more popular C16 and X16 engines.
I think the engine was used in single point injection Cavaliers and early Astras and Vectras.
An entry-level race series was founded using these engines and it has been attracting grids since 1997. Unfortunately we've now ran out of spare parts and they aren't easy to find anymore. My engine is with the Motorsport team up in Leicester with buggered pistons and a warped cylinder head which is already at it's minimum height and I'm having trouble finding pistons and the head.

ETA: the cylinder heads were also 'decked and ported' by Caterham prior to fitment and currently our racing regs permit only Caterham-prepared cylinder heads. However, now we've run out of these I'm investigating finding a standard head and getting this machining work replicated.

Edited by HustleRussell on Monday 7th January 19:35

DKS

1,916 posts

214 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
C16NZ2 is, I think, a big block engine used in the run-out Mk3 Cavaliers. It was low compression (the N) and ran single point injection (the Z).
Unusual as the 1.6 was normally small block.

Paul v8

756 posts

195 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
Vauxhall drivers club find very helpful

HustleRussell

Original Poster:

26,570 posts

190 months

Monday 7th January 2013
quotequote all
DKS said:
C16NZ2 is, I think, a big block engine used in the run-out Mk3 Cavaliers. It was low compression (the N) and ran single point injection (the Z).
Unusual as the 1.6 was normally small block.
Sounds exactly right. It was also used by Daewoo.