Cost Of Conversion

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

Have done. Oh, no I haven't. Not done plugs yet. But I have some.

 

I also need to find an air filter!

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

The rest I see as part of annual service!

[the matt 13 2 Cars]

Outsider looking in:

 

I've bought my Pug to do this conversion on at some point. The cost and simplicity of this conversion is making it a no-brainer for me really. When I look back at how much I have spent (both time and money) in doing a Vauxhall engine conversion into a clapped out Mini I just wonder why on earth I bothered.

 

I'm planning to budget £1k for the conversion on the 205. I'm thinking of doing it in two stages:

Engine bought, cambelt, tensioners, clutch and general service, plonk it in.

Then once it's been in a while it'll have a set of Jenveys slapped on it.

 

I've got a few mates that have converted their 205s and I just need to drive one to make me 100% on it being worth it. The cheapest way is undoubtedly to buy a 306 or Xsara and strip it, sell the parts and end up with an engine/ECU etc for a couple of hundred quid. Seems too good to be true. But I know people that have taken that route to the conversion and are very happy with the result.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

Personally I think plucking the figure £500 out of the air is a massive estimate. Its all very subjective to each conversion and each person as the majority of parts we use are 2nd hand and prices vary dramatically. For instance I think I paid about £600 for my engine, manifold (ready converted), loom and a few other items so that blows £500 out the water straight away!

 

I never added up how much it costs as its not why I work on cars, I do it for the pleasure and a hobby. At a guess I imagine I spent about £1500, probably more just for the 6' conversion. Let alone the rest of the rebuild and paint

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

I think the OP is getting at the fact that it can be done for £500 rather than that's all it should cost you. My engine was £450 on it's own so mine cost way more than £500 for the complete conversion.

[chris-gti 14]

The way i see it, it all boils down to budget and ability. If you are confident in doing all the work yourself, you can convert the loom yourself and you don't go to town on the pretty bits then i would say £500 is about right.

 

As i said, my budget is £600, but i know 6 months after the conversion i'll be spending more on hoses, paint, servicing, cams, pulleys maybe a supercharger.... the sky is the limit but for a basic '6 conversion I think £500 is easily do-able and to a good standard if you are capable of putting the work in.

 

If money was no object mine would be running into the £3,000 plus scale simply on rebuilding, tuning and pretty bits and it would look better for it and go better for it, but the quality of the conversion will still be the same.

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

If you intend doing cams, I'd do the work first!

[chris-gti 14]

I don't really know what route i'll be going down with it, depends on finances so it could be months away, it could be years. it's only a few hours just to drop the engine if need be, and i have a second engine to build up at some point.

[mikeygulley 19 1 Cars]

I also paid ~ £500 for the engine alone then there was getting the loom and mani done! It has cost me a pretty penny but to me it was well worth it!! This was 2 years ago mind, I have just pulled the motor out and redone the engine bay and spending yet more money!! Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!

 

A full respray is the next thing on the list after I ballsed it up trying to do it myself!! hahahahahaha!!

 

My wife left me recently so making these decisions has become VERY easy!!