Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

[flatside]

I want a Saab 2.3 turbo in a Mk2 astra.
Glenyglen's is/was for sale, but at the moment I just can't afford it, (and it's only 2.0 turbo).
It's in bits so some assembly required.
Plus inevitably there will be the odd bit that has remove itself from the face of the planet. (no offense to Glenyglen, this always happens, even with the most OCD labeling and storage)

So then I find a whole Saab 9000CSE, just round the corner, it's cheap, complete, has a bit of tax and test, pretty sure I could haggle for cash!

A mate of mine said he'd help/do the work with/for me. (he knows really really his stuff, and had astra's back in the day)

Problem is, it's an auto.
A quick search online suggests converting it isn't much more than bolting it to a manual gear box on, and bypassing the starter inhibit switch.
They also point out I'd need...
-Manual pedal box, with a clutch pedal (which my astra already has)
-Manual gear box (my astra has an F16CR, will it handle 200+BHP?)
-Clutch hydraulics - from any age 9000 (or not if I stick with my existing gearbox)
-Gear linkage (or not if I stick with my existing gearbox)
-Hook up reverse light switch - 2 white wires with 2 pin plug, tucked behind battery (or not if I stick with my existing gearbox)
-Near side manual drive shaft (or not if I stick with my existing gearbox)
-Off side manual drive shaft carrier bearing bracket/companion flange, one with "M" cast into it, not an "A" - otherwise it will destroy the intermediate shaft and possibly the diff (or not if I stick with my existing gearbox)
-Rear engine mount (which I'd have to fabricate anyway? Or do they mean gearbox mount?)
-Manual flywheel - must be 2.3 turbo (£35 +£7.95 postage http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saab-9000-...item45fa03ef91)
-Clutch kit - must be 2.3 turbo (£173.99 +£9.99 postage http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-in-1-Clu...item2ea93c3c5c)

What should I do? Bearing in mind I'm pretty skint at the moment, and I make this best part of a grand in the real world.
Should I go mad and do this? (£1,000ish, possibly a little less)
Buy Glenyglen's and put it together? (£1,000 + £? transport + £? in replacement/service parts)
Leave mine alone and try to accept that most of my mates cars are way faster than mine? (£0)

[dongaz]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

you only live once option 3 is not a option if its what you want you have to go for it, id go for option 2 as most of the work is done but then again option 1 your starting a fresh and you will know every bit of the motor and if you hit any snags you can retrace your steps.

so my reply isn't really much help sorry. but i would go for it or you will be always thinking about it like you have been for a long time now.

[BenH]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

What should I do? Bearing in mind I'm pretty skint at the moment, and I make this best part of a grand in the real world.

Leave mine alone and try to accept that most of my mates cars are way faster than mine? (£0)

I think you have answered your own question there.

[flatside]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

I want my astra to have the Saab B234 turbo, it would be properly quick, and some guy up the road with a V6'ed VW heap is embarrassingly quicker than me at just now.
So are most of my mates, even the 2CV isn't that much slower. (OK it is, but you get the idea).
I'd quite like to go scoobie bating too. At organised events obviously, run what u brung's, track day's...
I might even beat my personal lap record at a certain circuit (don't ask!).

I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment, but I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment, but I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment, but I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment, but I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment, but I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment, but I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment, but I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment, but I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment , but I want, but I know it's not sensible at the moment,

[dongaz]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

i know where your coming from im constantly battling with the ideas of sticking a LET in mine or TBs or just leave standard but deep down i know one day il buy a calibra turbo for its good bits, which will probably be more hassle than its worth but its the turbo power, and most of all just to say iv got a turbo'd GTE which is pretty sad i don't do track days im no boy racer and my 16v is quick enough so why do i want more power? feck knows. i just like the idea of a LET GTE

[7unner172]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

if it was me..i would leave your gte the way it is

if you are skint then a conversion will be a right old mission

when you come to need bits you did not buget for and your skint and have to wait till next pay day ect

[flatside]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

It's not a GTE, that's why so many things leave it for dead.
I've had a few GTE's in the past (some good, some not), so I know exactly what I'm missing, and it's not enough!
I want more than a stock GTE will give me, and the B234 engine gives me 200BHP out of the box. Over 400BHP with reliability is available for real world money (although I'm not planning to take it anything like that far).
Realistically, 250 - 275BHP in my Astra would be enough for me, at least for the foreseeable future.
I know all too well that projects can get expensive, my pimped out range rover - just don't ask! (the budget went out of the window, pretty much on day 1, and it's still no where near the road!) £1,000 is a realistic budget (I think) based on having been involved with other swaps and such. I may not be a god with a spanner (hence involvement of the friend who pretty much is), but I'm not a complete beginner either. Admittedly how much I can negotiate off the donor vehicle's asking price is unknown.

...i know one day il buy a calibra turbo for its good bits...
...i just like the idea of a LET GTE

LET GTE, sounds good, but don't leave it too long, Calibra Turbos are just beginning to get rare.

[7unner172]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

well if you think you can do it on budget gie it a go

my let cost me 3x that lol

[neilb1798]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

you will be surprised how much you will throw at this leave standard are get a 2.0 16v in it

[tonka666]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

It might be do-able for a grand but i would buy a complete donor with a good healthy engine this is the way i normally go about engine swaps and is generally less painfull on the wallet than buying an engine on its own! The 2.3 is less reliable than the 2.0 litre and both are just as tunable. I doubt the f16 would take the torque form the turbo engine for long. So you will need an f20 but pref f23 or 28 and a decent clutch its not a straightforward bolt in job like the vaux lumps either with people having probs due to the height of the engine. An xe would be a better comprimise on your budget imho.

[DarrenH]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

what ever you end up with theres ALWAYS a quicker car than yours. theres always someone willing to drive harder and faster (or more reckless) than you are willing to do. in that sense there is no winning or superiority from a saab engine in an astra. forget the bloke up the road in his vw

i think an astra is a fairly good car to get some ridiculous power to weight out of with a turbo engine, for thrills its a good idea. but pretty useless in terms of being quick with some corners thrown in. dance round the corner, make up the pace on the straights. bit boring. it would take 3 times your budget to tame 300lbs of torque, i just think personally you will be banging your head against a wall in a couple of years. (metaphorically i mean, i dont mean crash it)

second hand car market is rock bottom at the minute, you could easily pick up a car that better than yours with no alterations, and more suitable to what you are aiming.

[Davey J]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

It's not a GTE, that's why so many things leave it for dead..

Having a quick MK2 isn't the be all and end all. I really wouldn't be so worried about it. If I could have back say 30% of what I've spent over the years on trying to keep up in a MK2 I'd have enough to go out and buy a pretty mint Civic Type R which is quicker out of the box than my standard valvers were/are.

If I had my time with these over again I'd find the best condition 16v example I could for the money that wasn't modified and just enjoy it. Trying to bring a 25yr old car up-to-date is nothing but a massive pain in the back side and one that costs a fortune.................................and the sad thing is there will ALWAYS be someone quicker. It's a waste of life trying to stay ahead in my experience.

*EDIT* Re: The engines. The 234 is taller than the 204 so you might get clearance issues with the bonnet. If you chase larger power the 2.0 is considered a better choice partly due to rod angles. If you do go for it, try and find one on an auto box....................... :-) If you do get the whole lot in and reliable for a grand I'd say very fair play indeed. It's a heavy lump so remember to spec suspension inserts to suit.

[flatside]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

I'll give it a miss then.

[Davey J]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

Honestly, apart from the odd blat in my turbo'd GTEs and maybe one or two in Darren H's red one when I owned it, I've had more fun in the week I had Jamie Arkle's 1.4 small block MK2! The novelty of the pov spec was way more fun than driving the GTEs hard anywhere. I have bad roads my way so that does have a bearing on how I feel about it.

Age plays a part but a lot of the fun of these things can be taken away with the constant maintenance. You need to have a fairly robust wallet to keep on top of maintenance, body work AND then tune the things. Either buy a hot version in good nick or enjoy having a slowish mk2 for other reasons. That's what I'd be telling myself to be honest.

[tonka666]

Re: Mk2 Astra 2.3 Saab turbo conversion?

I agree small engine cars with decent handling can be more fun than big power motors. My 1.3 is'nt exactly quick but i have sorted the suspension on it and made sure the engine is running as well as it can and i can keep up with quicker cars through the bends. The fun comes from knowing your are getting the very most out of it and that bloke in the audi tdi infront is upset because he has a 24 year old astra behind that keeps catching him up. My Standard 16v gte had no probs keeping up with a mates turbo nova in the real world, i could get the power down quicker and more aggressivley where he would be spinning the wheels up to 4th gear. Yes the nova's ability to do the quarter faster than a 300 bhp scooby was entertaining at the pod, but that was really all it was good for.