Thinking of buying a n/a calais 5 speed since its half the price of a turbo calais and high chance that it hasn't been thrashed. I just want to ask you vlt fanatics with enough cash spent on the car gradually will a converted n/a vl be able perform like a normal vlt with a good installation and tune and further more can it be capable of runing 10's on straight gas if I get that fitted iswell.... I mean surely there has to be some known vlt tuners out there when building a tuff rb30 engine started with a n/a rb30 and then bolted on the go fast goodies. Anyone know of such a car that started its life with a n/a rb30 engine and then became a ball tearer. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO post on any of these things.

I say if your buying it, acquire either a) a RB30ET and drop that in or b) Get your hands on another rb30 block and have it rebuilt so it's a tough bottom end and have a little head work done and start bolting turbo gear onto that. Another thing you have to remember is if your buying an N/A then your going to get an N/A gearbox and non-LSD with it. So even though the calais turbo's seem more dear, they include a bit more gear for the price. Jason.

Once stripped down they are the same block, so it is just a matter of building it with tuff parts from there. But as above u won't have the vlt gearbox or lsd diff. But if u going for 10's ur going to need a better box and diff anyway. So a little from column A and a little from column B.

save your money and buy it already built! too much of a head root to build it yourself

Thanks guys great comments for a newbe like me. I might just start with the basics and get it converted first so that its up and running I dont care if it can only handle 10 psi max as long as it has the turbo in it. After visiting this site http://home.iprimus.com.au/chris_white82/ what if I had everything that this guy did to his n/a vl, and I wanted to get more serious apart from the diff,brakes and gearbox what would be the next step for me engine wise. And after those engine mods can a fit a straight gas and run 10's given that I started with a n/a engine and not a turbo engine ????

dude, you're going to have to build the engine no matter what, so either use the standard pistons and go twin cam or rebuild it with lower compression pistons.

dude if u wanna run 10s just keep the compression low and run high boost. simple. build a though bottom end and wind up the boost you'll be fine. n/a and turbo block are the same. just use different pistions so turbo have lower compression. turbo oil pumps also flow better. u can always convert it to turbo. if u wanna get serious with it build a new bottom end and then go crazy with the bolt ons.

Quote: Originally Posted by PRO STREETER save your money and buy it already built! too much of a head root to build it yourself I second that Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

exactly as above, there arnt many, if any, 10 sec vlt's going around with stock TURBO bottom end let alone n/a bottom end. you say that you dont care, as long as the thing has a turbo... that what we all think at the start mate, you will soon after relise you want more and more. just save some dough and do it properly the first time round rather than driving a time bomb.

^^^^^as he said^^^^^ If you know where you want to end up then just save up the money and buy a complete weapon turn key. Doing without the -I built it from the ground up- ego points will save you between a 1/3 and 1/2 of the build price. Anyone who has built a reliable 10sec weapon knows it costs big money so the savings can be $10K - $15K. My 2 cents worth from experience of doing it from the ground up...

my engine package with ignition, bolt ons, fuel set up cost me more money than it would to buy me a complete running proven 10 second streeter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! though my engine isnt too bad if i could do it again, id buy it done then spend the rest on condoms for all those bitches your gonna have jumping in your car!! rather than the 1's ull have to be paying for their fuel cause theyll always be driving you around cause your car will be at the shop getting worked on all the time!!! ANYONE WHOS BUILT A CAR... TELL ME IM WRONG!!???? Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

yeh but some people, even though it is way more expensive would rather the satisfaction of building there own weapon, not buying someone elses work.

actually man i reckon you're wrong - if you do ALL the work yourself. i mean, i have totally built everything on my car so far, it's never been inside a workshop apart from wheel alignments after changing shocks etc. i have bought second hand parts where it didn't matter (engine management, diff etc) and built my own engine fully with custom manifolds (although i did buy the plenum for cheap). labour is the killer! it will never do a 10 as it's manual, but with 300rwkw as the target power once tuned, it could have probably done it with an auto and slicks. i reckon i've spent less than 8 grand getting it to where it is now. doubt i'd be able to sell it for much more than that though.

^^^^ the above comment, u could buy something done have enough money left over to make it your own, as the comment above, my drive line has cost me more than 15k so u look at that plus then car wheels diff interior brakes blah blah blah it all adds up! then it also depends are ugoing to do the work or is a shop cause that's even more money

i sorta carnt see why yous seem to think it works out more expensive to do it yourself then send it to a workshop or buy one done? Isnt that why guys build themselves partly to save $$$ stocky seemed to beat me to it there lol!!

guys r dreamers.. no way.. machining, balancing, cleaning, porting, making dump pipes, cooler piping etc etc.. even if you do it yourself, your still up for a few k to do the above.. not including rims, interior, stereo, suspension, gearbox.. are u going to build your own gearbox.. or buy 1 to hold 500kw for 6k.... dunno.. only my opinion..

there's a level above which you really need the expertise of a professional, you just need to find that level and stick below it, like i have done. 500kw is just silly, and would obviously require extensive, professional work to the engine. when i've got the thing tuned i'll show you guys how to build a 300rwkw car for under 10k, providing you do absolutely everything yourself.

I third that! There's nothing like the satisfaction of building everything yourself. And when it blows up, u've got no1 else to blame.... Buying a built car can be risky, cos u have to trust that what u are told is true. Plus u can easy get a stocker rego'd in your name and go from there. Depends if your handy with a spanner, or got access to the right tools.

take it from me, i no what its like to buy someone elses "freshly rebuilt, ****load of work done" claim. And it aint good

I suppose twinvl and stockymystock have the time and the tools to do this yes but not everyone does, i would like uguys prefer to do anything my self, but i just don't havethe time and tools, and have built my car to about 80% no i'm have sent it to a shope to finish of the wiring and little things i just don't have the time or knowledge to do properly