Vauxhall C20LET

loltim

loltim

loltim

Soldato
Joined
21 Oct 2002
Posts
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Location
Wellington, NZ
What power can these engines make reliably, and what modifications are required to get it there? Any ideas of cost too (+ actual block price)?
 
I guess that entirely depends on what route you want to take.

300bhp is reliably achievable but I've also heard / seen of 600bhp units running reliably as well with uprated turbos, superchargers, etc, etc.

I think good units are getting hard to find now so am unsure on what to pay for one.

I dare say a few of the younguns here won't even know about this iconic lump.
 
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Ah the old LET, makes me laugh every time. A mate fitted one in his mk3 Astra along with all kinds of very expensive modifications yet it still can't shake off a standard Civic Jordan :D
 
Was talking to a half educated young man who had a turboed one in a Nova. I don't recall the power figure but it was very fast and very furious.

Yes, it was a Nova but it has a bare chassis build and every aspect had been looked at and done with care. Would have loved a go in it but nothing more.
 
Clarkey said:
Ah the old LET, makes me laugh every time. A mate fitted one in his mk3 Astra along with all kinds of very expensive modifications yet it still can't shake off a standard Civic Jordan :D
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Round corners i take it, different story in a straight line, the astra must weight less and have loads more power.
 
I have NEVER seen a Vauxhall Corsa go as fast as the one I saw the other night, hence the interest in the C20LET i'm assuming it's most probably fitted with.

It came past me like I was parked up for gods sake:p
 
Yeah, it has the advantage on straights but not that much. Only running standard boost in it nothing special, don't know how much power. After the ribbing he got I wouldn't be surprised if he came back with a tonne more power for Round 2 :p
 
Around 300BHP is about as far as you'd want to push a standard LET, bearing in mind they're old engines.

My LET made 330BHP with the following mods:

VXR Injectors (2.8Bar Fuel Pressure)
Walbro 255 Fuel Pump
-31 Actuator
KKK16 Hybrid Turbo
EVO5 Chips (22PSI overboost, holding 18PSI)
Frontera 2.8 FMIC
Englarged Tophat

I reduced it to a moderate 16PSI for day to day use. This made around 270BHP but made the car drivable.
 
Janesy B said:
Haha sorry, what?
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Sits ontop of the throttle body.

8.JPG


Standard term, used widely.
 
Nova's and corsa's can be savage with tuned C20LET's in. Friends could show my Evo a clean pair of heals without much problem.

TOTB that has just gone had a good showing, with LET powered Tigra,Astra and Corsa taking the 1/4 1,2,3 FWD spots and the Tigra and Corsa taking that FWD top speed spots.

The Tigra trapped 128 1/4 :D
 
Cryfreeman said:
Nova's and corsa's can be savage with tuned C20LET's in. Friends could show my Evo a clean pair of heals without much problem.

TOTB that has just gone had a good showing, with LET powered Tigra,Astra and Corsa taking the 1/4 1,2,3 FWD spots and the Tigra and Corsa taking that FWD top speed spots.

The Tigra trapped 128 1/4 :D
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in 11.27 seconds. Also took first place in the FWD top speed over 1K at 166MPH.

Here's pic of said Tigra. Fully road legal.

And yes it's supposed to look like that :D

MF4M0492a.jpg
 
Here's one from when he was doing some pre-TOTB testing. Currently it's sitting just over 500BHP without Nitrous. Gas is installed and will be used soon!

MF4M1450a.jpg
 
Tim said:
What power can these engines make reliably, and what modifications are required to get it there? Any ideas of cost too (+ actual block price)?
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You're probably best to shop around for an old Calibra tubro. Can be had from £500 upwards if you're lucky. That way you'll get everything you need.

Engine with all the bits start at £1000 usually.
 
Not CTRs at TOTB this time around? CPL and TDi are normally their with their ridiculous EP3s aren't they?
 
Dup said:
Not CTRs at TOTB this time around? CPL and TDi are normally their with their ridiculous EP3s aren't they?
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I didn't make it this year :(

Don't think there were any CTR this year. I know some of the main players had mechanical failures which knocked them out of the running.
 
My mate was in the light green LET Corsa which just beat the Tigra at TOTB.

Some of them are just stupidly quick.
 
They'll make whatever you want them to really. :cool:

There's a guy in the Westfield Club who's running 1Bar of Boost giving somewhere around the 300Bhp mark, 2 Bar would gives him around 450Bhp. Could go more but in something as light as a Westfield :eek: :eek:.
In the previous car (Astra) but engine at a lesser older spec, he had it at over 500Bhp mapped on Nitrous and Race Fuel for TOTB.... 128mph terminal :cool:

Spec:
Vauxhall 2Ltr 16v Turbo (C20 LET)
Overbored by 0.5mm
V-Tuning Ported and Polished Coscast Head
T38 Turbo
ARP Rod Bolts
Arrow Rods
Oil Spray Bars for under piston cooling
Z20 LET head gasket
SBD Steel Valves with wasted stem on the inlet
Titanium Valve Caps
Double Valve Springs
C20 XE Inlet Cam
SBD/Kent Vernier pulley
SBD Shallow Sump
6 Pint Electronic Accusump System
Mocal Oil Cooler
Mocal Oil Catch Tank
Jenvey Tapered Throttle Bodies
Jenvey Throttle linkage
SBD Inlet Manifold
SBD Ultra small 55amp 3.2kg Alternator & Mount kit
Nissan Pulsar GTI-R Plenum
PWR Charge Cooling system
Aquamist Water Injection
Magnecor Ignition Leads
SBD Carbon Spark Plug Cover
Viper Induction system
MSD Ignition control
MSD Blaster 2 Ignition coil
SBD 70deg thermostat
Fuel Lab Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator
Bosch 600cc Injectors
Apexi AVC-R Boost Control
Bosch 044 Fuel Pump
Bullet Fuel Filter
Autronic SMC Fully Programmable Management
Billet Lightened Flywheel
Helix Paddle Clutch
Tilton Hydraulic Clutch Assembly
Westfield V8 Radiator
Peter G Stainless exhaust manifold
Full Stainless Steel exhaust (96dB)
RedTop Gel Battery
Varley Battery cover
Borg Warner T5 Gearbox
3.92 LSD
2 x Husky Radiators
Yellow Silicone Hoses
AH Fabrication Foam Filled Fuel Tank
 
That Tigra would be even better if the intercooler had some proper ducting and a bit more thought went into that airfilter positioning.
 
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