Hey all,
Currently restoring a 1000 Ute (Old pics in Project Builds) and started thinking how am I going to get the most horsies out of this thing? I'm not all that knowledgeable yet in mechanical things, as this car is being used to build up my knowledge of cars etc.

SA req's say the max I can put in is a A14, so thats the motor. I'm looking at spending around 3k. What would you guys suggest if you were to try get as much power from this motor with that budget.

GX heads seem to be all the rage from what I can see. Can these be put onto the A14 block? I've also have been suggested to think about putting in an EFI as opposed to carby, to increase performance. Smart? Stupid?

All suggestions are GREATLY appreciated, I feel like I'm currently thumbling around in the dark.

Keep it mild for a daily is the best recommendation. Displacement (more is better!), mild head and cam, maybe a set of sidies or if you have the $$, go EFI.

There are a few fantastic A series builders around, bige on here is just one of them.

But first thing would be to decide what you want out of it, big HP/pig to drive, mild HP/fun to drive?

I would lean towards larger HP, as surely with a limited budget the max HP won't cause too much disturbance to the driving experience.

Out of curiosity, what problems do you forsee with a higher HP driving experience?

Bit of an open ended question really as the cash you have for the motor may also be needed to upgrade the diff to a size that will tolerate the bigger A14.

Speaking from experience the big port heads are just not much use on a street engine, in the larger capacity engines the head performance characteristics may be improved slightly but generally if you go for huge ports you end up with very average low rpm power.

It is difficult to obtain a GX head in stock condition, which is what you'd want really as a starting point. The GX heads have big ports but smaller valves and the H89/H75 heads have smaller ports and bigger valves. The H89/75 heads are much easier to find and they used to be quite cheap too.

3K isn't too much to play with especially when you consider carbs and manifold would cost around $1200.00 (depending if you went for carbs) efi would cost even more if you're using DCOE throttle bodies. Cheapest EFI would be motorcycle induction, but computer etc would be quite pricey.

It's a bit difficult to see how much you could get out of 3k as we don't know your builder but here are some tips that I insist you ought to consider:

Look for a H89 or H75 head. GX heads are pricey and hard to find in good condition (the one en ebay has been welded up).

Look for the lighter A14 crankshaft, it'll save you having to lighten yours.

Get the entire rotating assembly balanced from head to toe.

If possible get all your con-rods at the same weight.

Get some decent flat-top pistons.

Don't go overboard with the cam, huge lift and big duration isn't good for street.

Electronic ignition is a must have and a really worthwhile investment, put this high up on your list.

If going carbs save yourself some cash and look at the cheaper dellorto and mikuni brands, they are just as good as weber if not better.

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The general issue is higher HP A-Series engines mean higher revs which means you sacrifice the bottom end power to make it happen up top. So they become quite a handful to drive in cities and suburbs as you are forever using your gears to have the right rev range (power-on) to suit the drive, hill, corner, decent etc.

The next issue with big HP is big torque, this will need you to upgrade both gearbox and diff as the slightest bit of punishment will see them split. If you drive like a granny then stick with the stock diff and gearbox but that sorta defeats the purpose of you having built the engine.

So I guess the trick is to make a powerful street engine, which is where you should start looking at forced induction, or manifold design and specific cam profiles. (But even turbo engines can be a bit of drama).

Personally, I would build something more like this.

LOADS of info there Cylons8! Thanks for all of that.

Well considering my lack of experience and the information you've provided it does look like it isn't the best idea to HP it up.

Lagwagon does indeed look great, I'll have to try see what info I an glean from that thread for ideas.

Power street engine does sound a lot smarter. I've taken note of all your suggestions, a bit stuck on the Carby vs. EFI part. I know these questions are way too open ended, but how much difference in price would a carby vs. EFI setup be?

Essentially guys the build like mentioned is a daily driver, but I'd like a little bit under the hood because sadly the only other vehicle I've had was a '97 civic :(

as Chris suggests balancing etc is well worth it, mild cam, extractors, 1.75ish inch exhaust, bit of polishing and porting on the head, electronic distributor, lighten the flywheel a bit, and a weber 32/36 downdraught carb would probably spend your $3k if its all shiny new and rebuilt and be a nice compromise between drivability and fun. If you can get 90 to 95 horsepower in your little ute you'll be laughing

Yeah look cjproperty I'm being a little over the top about the drive-ability. So seeing your budget you'd probably be fine.

A heavily worked engine is good fun, but I can say if I need to buzz to the bottle shop or to the shops I tend to take the family car as it's a less demanding drive.

The only thing I would suggest from here on is if you do put a worked A14 in you may need to look for a 60series 4 speed or 5 speed to handle the extra power. You would almost certainly need to upgrade the diff as well, you can change for a bigger diff altogether or upgrade the centre and hope that the axles don't give way. So keep those in mind in your costings.

Also remember extractors for a 1000 are extremely hard to come buy so you would most likely have to get a custom made setup. I can't imagine a set costing less than $700 unless you have some good connections, so that's another thing to consider with costs.

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Carby setup is free (comes with the A14). EFI is about $2500.

Ok so I've given up on the EFI track, Carby does indeed look like the better option.

With respect to upgrading diff, custom extractors I should be ok, I've factored in around 4k for odds and ends for the car, and if it goes over budget, oh well ;)

I'll see if I can disseminate all this info in time for when I need to put the engine in.