FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Looking at doing a V6 conversion in my HR wagon which will then become my daily driver. Just looking for feedback from people running V6's in their early holdens. Are they happy, worth the effort, maybe should have gone V8 instead etc.

Looking forward to peoples posts.

Cheers
Sam

V6 or V8, same amount of work for either; same mods required for both :)
Best part is the reliability of modern injection systems for a daily driver.

Ours has a V6 Chev and we're very happy with it.  Quite economical on the fuel for country driving (which we like to do a lot of).  We averaged 26.5mpg on the trip to Orange with the best being 31.2mpg and the worst 24.7mpg.

As sgo notes, it's pretty well the same amount of work for a V6 or V8 so it's really up to you.  :)

Unless it's a Mitsi V6  ::)  :P

Dunno about mpg as Kath said, but we averaged 8.2 litres/100kms over the weekend plus some around town driving with the ecotec v6.

406.........................................

427 Ci

I was the first person to put a v6 ecotec into a EH Holden and it was fantastic,fuel ecconomy,power and reliability compared to then red motor was exceptional

In The process of doing a V6 Ecotech mod nowinto my FC Sedan.  Still A Long way to go and this is my first attempt at any such project.  Check out my oldholden shed to see pics and latest updates.

Lots of work and lots of trial and error so far but plan is to have the FC as a daily driver also.

The only thing to consider for the conversion is some states have power to weight issues which have recently come into effect.  Might be worth looking into before you commit to a decision.

Jase.

hi grimbo have you thought about installing a nissan motor  can highly recommend                                        cheers browny

Hey Browny, Can you fill me in on the nissan swap and whats needed.
Cheers Jason

Look at pedro,s build

I reckon the nissan swaps awesome lighter faster and has holden on the rocker cover.

I would never go back im not a fan of V6s each to their own but.

easier conversion and more info on the swap but with a V6.

jason my fc has had a v8 chassis kit fitted hr front end  el falcon lsd diff disc brakes all round .commodore rack and pinion steering with diahatsu charade steering column  nissan gts rb20det motor with nissan 5 speed very happy with power and reliability of the nissan motor  cheers browny                                                                                                                                     

Cheers Browny
How did you do the wiring on it as thats always the bit that scares people off.

 jason . conversion was done by kyles conversions in awaba nsw check out his web site

Thanks for the feedback guys and girls. Just trying to find out peoples personal experiences with their conversion. I was trying to find out whether people have found it worth the effort and cost involved to gain such things as drivability, economy, better power etc.

grimbo i think it is worth the effort but it comes done to preference original or modified i just enjoy the original look with the modern power cheers browny

grimbo did you win the kit you were bidding on ? that would make the V6 fairly easy to do
never done V6 conversion but the way i look at it is you pretty much need the kit to do V6 because of the sump etc but donor is cheap or free, where if you do V8 especially injected V8 somebody that can do a bit of fabrication/welding could pretty much do it themselves (no kit involved) so you save some there but the donor car will be $1,000 - $1,500, a mate did an early carbed V8 HR only had to do a rack conversion and make/modify pipes, motor/gearbox went onto stock engine mounts and gearbox crossmember

after having a few V6 and V8 commodores fuel consumption is about the same on open road driving inj V8 a bit heavier than V6 in traffic, both would go like a rocket in an early holden, my mates EH ute with inj 5L 4 speed auto and 9" with 3.5 gears gets about 9 -10 litres per 100kms  open road and goes like a bullet

grimbo no nissan motors don't matter how many times they cast holden on parts of it it's still japanese and that's just wrong ;) ;D

But with a nissan engine you wont need a oil drip tray in the shed.
I am asking for trouble arent I ;D

You trying to offend someone again Ratbox :P :P :P ;D ;D ;D
                     Pedro

Hi Grimbo,

Id reckon a V6 would be good as a daily simply because a V8 drinks fuel.

They're good mileage figures ratbox, my T700, 3.25 injected got 10L/100km on the highway at best.  Better than a 202 on highway, but worse around town.

I spotted a cheap VL last week and was tempted to squirrel it away for a conversion. Jap engines are just so much more efficient. I'm even tempted to use an Isuzu 2.6L 4 banger!

Cheers

Ed

don't know how to do the multi quote thing :-[
fchoon, bit of oil never hurt anybody ;) :D
pedro, i just wouldn't fell right if i wasn't ;) ;D
Ed, i've also thought about how well they go but it's just wrong and a 4 cylinder is just wronger ;) ;D remember coming up one of the hills on heathcote rd and being zipped passed by a tarago full of islanders and thought i wonder what that engine would go like in a car that loaded is about 600 kilos lighter :o ;D

Ed I have contemplated an sr20 conversion as well.

I bought a new workshop ute a colorado v6 petrol 22,s chip exhaust the whole lot to replace my  92  4cyl rodeo 650thou on the clock and i reckon it still has more power and more torque and pulls a better burnout even with that many K,S on it gave it to my apprentice and its still going i miss the old girl.

absaloute  puss bucket i remember towing a HQ ute with it i got 240KMS out of a tank.

My new sr5 turbo diesel makes more torque and power than the V6.
4 Cylinders may be wrong but there are many running sub 10 second quarters
check out the latest zoom mag a CA18 making 750HP at the wheels thats 1.8 litres of buz box in a KE corrolla
Even worse than this is holden bringing out a HQ from factory with a rotary in it now thats just really really wrong.