My phantom blue coupe is at the point of engine choices. Body, suspension & Interior is all done. I have at my disposal a Mildly worked VG30DE, and a standard CA18DET. Do we know the weight difference of these two when mated to their respective 5 speed boxes? I'm leaning towards the VG just to be a little different, but at what cost? is it too heavy to allow decent handling, and problematic to fit? The CA has been done to death, but it works..... help please.

> is it too heavy to allow decent handling

No. You can get better handling with a lighter engine, but a VG30DE with carefully tuned suspension will handle better than a stock 1200. Just fitting wider low profile tires will do it.

> and problematic to fit?

Yes. It is a tight fit.

VG30DE makes 222 HP stock, a lot more than the CA18DET -- with stock reliability. But since your VG is modified, it undoubtedly will not be as reliable as the stock CA18DET.

what for? off road only? no engineer will pass a vg30de
Ca18det is done 2 death simply cause it ticks all the boxes
Light, powerful, compact, engineer-able, cheap & supported

The vg30de is one of the heaviest alloy headed v6s ever

The vg20e is a better choice way more compact and lighter
than VG30DE or vg30e as it has smaller size to accomodate
smaller bore and stroke requirements and can be engineered
in some states with boost.

There was a vg20e with 3 x 40mm downdraft idas in a kit car
based on a ferrari of some kind sitting on 260z base model.
I used to see at a paint shop that did my Manx buggy in the
early 90s and it was very fast, sounded amazing and sported
awesome pipes, cams, solid lifters, custom crank pulley for
dry sump, custom lighter mains ladder brace & knifed crank.
Owner said it weighed just on 145kg and revved to 9000rpm.
It was different and would consider it though would make
less hp in NA than a CA18det but 180hp NA would be easy and
sound awesome not to mention there was a turbo version.

This one has wider strut tower separation than the pic below it






http://www.f31club.com/about.html

turbo vg30 from $60 engine 11 seconds first time out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orP1E-OKI9k

there is/was a ute in W.A. registered with a V6.

it was a VG30, that had been stamped as a VG20.

there was also a coupe with a VG30 5 speed and 9" diff for a while too.

Both of the above VG powered 1200's were twin cam, NOT quad cam versions.

lots of room for good exhaust system LOL
Lead pointed arrow anyone :)

383 - like in my engine swap

Dang it! Don't give me any ideas. I'm done swapping motors!!

thats a good point about the engineering. I'll check with the transport department and see what they say.

if you want something easy and different go L series with KA24e head very easy conversion just needs Z20 timing gear and one oil drain hole filled on head or tapped and boost it.

Well, thats not a bad idea either as I do have an L20 at home too. I dont want to have to start opening engines up at this point though, and I'd have to track down a 5 speed too.