Omega.......V8!
Author
Discussion

Tonberry

Original Poster:

2,294 posts

221 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
I've been mulling this over for a while now and I really can't see it being anything but brilliant.

MV6 coupled with the block from an LS400 or similar V8 engine.

The existing transmission would be manual, I'm guessing this could be mated to the V8 block if it happened to be extracted from an Auto?

Am I mad?

Liquid Knight

15,754 posts

212 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
Just buy a VXR8 it'll be less work. wink

The Lexarse engines are cheap for good reason. GM V8s are prety cheap and plentyfull if you go Ebay USA and pay postage.

TEKNOPUG

20,468 posts

234 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
Opel built a V8 Omega using a Chevy 5.7 V8 (ala Holdens etc) and was ready to go into production. However, they couldn't get TUV approval due to over-heating issues or some such in Germany, so it was binned. I know of at least 1 in the UK that has been fitted with an LS series engine and there maybe others.

So it's certainly doable. However, it'll need engine (obviously) gearbox, custom props, rear axle, brakes etc. It's not really a plug'n'play engine swap. You'd need either a Camaro or similar Holden to source the donor parts from (Monaro even). It would be fun but more expensive than actually buying a working donor car in the first place. If you were in the US it would be a lot cheaper and easier as the parts are in abundance.

With reagards to using a Lexus V8; you'd have the added cost of finding and mating it to a Toyota Supra box if you wanted a manual. Anything can be done with enough time, money and skill. There is a Scandinavian Omega running 900+bhp with a supercharged Lexus V8 - will do 210+mph.....

CampDavid

9,145 posts

227 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
Yes, you're mental.

Being that the small block chevy unit goes in fairly easily you should probably just use that

nutcase

1,145 posts

281 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
No, not at all- these Norwegians (RATS Motorsport) used a Lexus V8 lump as a starting point, 1000BHP and 220mph+!

Check out the vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N__PXqzuyB0

Also, Evo did quite a good article on it a year or two ago...

TEKNOPUG

20,468 posts

234 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
Tonberry said:
I've been mulling this over for a while now and I really can't see it being anything but brilliant.

MV6 coupled with the block from an LS400 or similar V8 engine.

The existing transmission would be manual, I'm guessing this could be mated to the V8 block if it happened to be extracted from an Auto?

Am I mad?
Pretty much all V6 Omegas are auto with the exception of ex-Police and a few special orders. Either way, a standard Omega 'box would standard a hope with 300lbs/ft running through it.

Liquid Knight

15,754 posts

212 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
I stand corrected. wink

Big Rod

6,265 posts

245 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
^^^^What Teknopug says!

Why not just buy a Holden estate? I'm sure they come with V8s and are basicaly an Omega/Senator/Carlton base.

anonymous-user

83 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
Just import a cheap Holden Commodore! can get for under 4k!

Egbert Nobacon

2,835 posts

272 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
nutcase said:
No, not at all- these Norwegians (RATS Motorsport) used a Lexus V8 lump as a starting point, 1000BHP and 220mph+!

Check out the vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N__PXqzuyB0

Also, Evo did quite a good article on it a year or two ago...
He subsequently crashed that V8 Omega at the Nurburgring ....

davepoth

29,395 posts

228 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
GM made pre-production prototypes of a SBC Omega. The problem was that if you drove it for a full tank of fuel at top speed it overheated, which is not acceptable for german cars on the autobahn. Fixing it would have involved changing quite a lot of the front end, and they were looking to do it on the cheap, so the idea got binned. It will fit an SBC quite easily, and while not exactly pretty, a reciprocating saw can fix the cooling issues...

Aeroresh

1,429 posts

261 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
Why try and re-invent the wheel? As others have said, why not just buy an imported Holden?

anonymous-user

83 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
Liquid Knight said:
The Lexarse engines are cheap for good reason.
And why is that exactly?

Flintstone

8,644 posts

276 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
TEKNOPUG said:
a standard Omega 'box would standard a hope
Eh?

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

219 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
Liquid Knight said:
The Lexarse engines are cheap for good reason.
And what's the reason?

Liquid Knight said:
GM V8s are prety cheap and plentyfull if you go Ebay USA and pay postage.
Quite a difference in price though.

You can buy an entire LS400 for as low as £900 and complete engines for under £400. No way in hell will you get an LS1 bought and shipped from the US with all other costs included for anything near that.

LS6wetdream

229 posts

265 months

Thursday 9th September 2010
quotequote all
quite a few people use lexus engines in oz, and they have plenty of options to choose from, LS engine would also be a nice swap with a T56 into an omega, which is also a popular engine swap for a BMW in the USA, yanks have got a plentiful supply of engines though,

limited options in the UK make it a LS an expensive option, however shipping one from the US needn't be expensive

TEKNOPUG

20,468 posts

234 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
Flintstone said:
TEKNOPUG said:
a standard Omega 'box would standard a hope
Eh?
My bad - Should read "a standard Omega 'box wouldn't standard a hope"

UncleRic

937 posts

197 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
TEKNOPUG said:
Flintstone said:
TEKNOPUG said:
a standard Omega 'box would standard a hope
Eh?
My bad - Should read "a standard Omega 'box wouldn't standard a hope"
Eh?

JonRB

80,038 posts

301 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
nutcase said:
Also, Evo did quite a good article on it a year or two ago...
Yes, I remember that. 4-up at 200mph round Nardo or something wasn't it?

TEKNOPUG

20,468 posts

234 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
UncleRic said:
TEKNOPUG said:
Flintstone said:
TEKNOPUG said:
a standard Omega 'box would standard a hope
Eh?
My bad - Should read "a standard Omega 'box wouldn't standard a hope"
Eh?
That's right, "standard a hope"....... hehe