Project Polar Express

Post by **PrecisionBoost** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:13 am

Well.... there is no turning back now..... I am the proud owner of a brand new M32 gearbox from an Astra VXR.

Retail is about 4000 GBP but I managed to steal it for significantly less than that... hopefully it's worth the money.

Here are some pics.....

For Reference here is a picture of the D20 from the nubira

Here is a picture of my F28 (not a good one.... will take better pics later)

Post by **Efratech** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 11:43 am

your totally nuts!!!!

Post by **PrecisionBoost** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:49 am

Efrain A. wrote:your totally nuts!!!!

why do you say that?

GsiTurbo · Post by **GsiTurbo** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:53 am

<evil laugh>This car is going to be insane Chris

exist3nce · Post by **exist3nce** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 10:05 am

very nice!

Post by **Efratech** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 12:00 pm

PrecisionBoost wrote:
Efrain A. wrote:your totally nuts!!!!
why do you say that?

because the car will be madddddd

Post by **PrecisionBoost** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:00 pm

Well.... I was searching around on ebay for Opel parts and I came accross this deal....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 82104&rd=1

$449 USD (when the Canadian dollar is trading nearly 1:1) was too good of a deal for me to pass up.... so I had to buy them.

Beats buying six sets at over $800 a set.

Now I have C20LET rods, Pauter rods, two sets of forged pistons, two sets of high strength piston pins.... just need to pick up some rings and I will be ready to go.

Post by **Efratech** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:06 pm

pauterrrrrrr yummy

gse_turbo · Post by **gse_turbo** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:08 pm

just to make things perfectly clear... I'M VERY JEALOUS!

garrett

gse_turbo · Post by **gse_turbo** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:20 pm

PrecisionBoost wrote:Well.... I was searching around on ebay for Opel parts and I came accross this deal....

Now I have C20LET rods, Pauter rods, two sets of forged pistons, two sets of high strength piston pins.... just need to pick up some rings and I will be ready to go.

be carefull on those rods. they didn't give an engine code, it might be a typo but the 2.0 rods should be 143mm not 187mm.

garrett

Post by **PrecisionBoost** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:52 pm

I compared the specs given to my personal measurements and measurements from the Arrow Precision Rods (UKO) and everything seemed decent.

Specs as stated are:

Center to Center length 5.628"= 142.95mm

Big end weight (grams) 426

Overall weight (grams) 573

Torque Specifications 50 ft/lbs

Small end diameter .8274" = 21.0mm

Big end diameter 2.0467" = 52.0mm

Big end width 1.033" = 26.2mm

Small end width .869" = 22.07mm

Material: E4340 C'MOLY STEEL

I know that there have been a few rare occurances of Pauter rods in the UK and Europe so I have to think that perhaps this person (who appears to be Polish) may have had them made by Pauter and then sold them into Europe/UK

For the price I got them for I just couldn't pass them up.

gse_turbo · Post by **gse_turbo** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:45 pm

looks like everything will be perfect. then i read the 187mm it raised an eyebrow it must have been measured from end to end.

garrett

Post by **PrecisionBoost** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:12 pm

While helping with the C20GET/Swift I had my white Lemans in the shop as well, I've disassembled most of the wiring harnes and started to drain fluids.

Here is what I've removed over the weekend:

5kg ( 11lbs) --> various engine bay components ( fluid resevoirs, spark plug wires, coil pack )
7kg (15.4 lbs) --> radiator and fan (no fluids)
1.25kg ( 2.8lbs) --> heater fan
16.5kg ( 36.4 lbs) --> Battery

gse_turbo · Post by **gse_turbo** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:34 pm

so let me get this strait, this car is going to be a drag only? are you planning to use block filler in your water jackets?

garrett

p.s. let me know if you plan to use block fill, i have quite a bit from Moroso that is just taking up space, cover shipping and it's yours.

Post by **PrecisionBoost** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:57 pm

For now it's being setup for drag racing..... but after our local track is finished I will be spending most of the time on the paved roadcourse.

If it was for "drag only" then I would have put an automatic tranny in the car (upgraded TH125C or a race prepared 4T65 )

I originally planned to use a block filler in my 2.2L turbo engine but I'm not so sure I will need it at this point.

I'm going to have to make the power at high RPM to keep the torque low enough that the manual gearbox will survive.

Ideally I'm thinking 400lb ft and 800hp @ 10,500 RPM

I'm pretty sure the M32 will handle that and the F28 should be ok since it was completely rebuilt and then prepared by SBD.... but it's hard to say for sure.

I looked at a number of other FWD gearboxes and very few have ratings over 400 lbft of torque.

At first the chassis will see my C20GET.... which I'd like to run up into the 18psi area... so it should make decent power to start.

Eventually I will get on the T22SED buildup..... I allready have most of the components I need to make a super strong bottom end.

I use to have a source for a 2.3L billet crank in Germany but I can't find the web address

so I might have to get one made.