1993 Vauxhall Corsa LS X18XE1 swap

I don't know anything about Vauxhall engine codes but that looks like it'll be a lot more entertaining than it was originally. Love it!

Hope is, sould make for a fun wee back road blaster.

The engine is an 1800, but it's based on the "small block" GM engines. Make about 115bhp, so should give it a little bit more shove.

Then I tackled the L/H tub.




It wasn't as bad. Just. Shouldn't be surprised, as there was three layers of metal making that area. Perfect rot trap.




Ah well! So spent a little bit more effort on this side. Looks more original

Small patch was done on the outer wheel arch too.

Whooo!

More rust repair shots. Lower windscreen scuttle this time. Only found out about this due to the seam blowing out and cracking the perfectly good original windscreen.


Got the 'Screen cut out and found this once the outer layer was peeled away.





Kept chopping until good steel was found.



Repaired with a section cut from a donor. This made the job a LOT easier. 



Ground down and prep'd for the outer section to go on.



Done. 

Thanks  . 

Glad folk are enjoying the work so far.

This should be the metalwork side caught up now. Happily surprised to see the back panel this good. Three patches and it's all good to go.




Next post will cover the X18XE1 swap. Just need to find the photos I took a few years ago again.

Quick rundown of the X18XE1 swap.

Took the engine, good chunk of loom and any other odds things I might need from the donor. Ran the Vectra for 12k and only the coil pack gave bother. Actually liked it a lot. Just the rot had killed it. 




This is where it gets fun/interesting. Didn't need PAS or A/C or the heavier pot flywheel. Easily dealt with using parts from other Vauxhalls. A flat flywheel was pinched from a 1.2 16V Corsa C (exact same as early "Smallblock" ones), drivebelt set up you see was converted to loose the extra stuff I didn't need.

Thought I was gonna need the drivebelt set up from an SRi 16V Corsa B, as they didn't have power steering too. Then found MK4,MK5 Astra and 1.8 Vectra C's used the same set up, ideal! Easy score at a scrappies. Had to buy an new tensioner, but at tenner posted I wasn't fussed.



Then the whole lot drops in re-using the original engine mounts from the 1.2 8v. Top rad hose from a 16v Corsa B, 1.2 lower hose and re-used the 1.2 rad. Only headache I had making it fit was the heater matrix hoses. That wasn't difficult to make some, with some trimming of the hard pipes off the matrix to keep the rubber hoses away from the inlet manifold. 

Exhaust was dead easy, a new stock MK4 Astra (with an X18XE1) downpipe with cat. This fits the engine and is near bang on length to meet the centre section. A Sleeve clamp finished the job.

Relocated the header tank to the pass. side turret and used a Corsa C one. Just to neaten things up.

Driveshafts were stock 1.2 ones, gearbox is an F17 C374 from a very late Tigra A. Front brakes are the standard issue 256mm's from any big engined Vauxhall.




Another snag was the fuel system. The XE1 runs a deadhead system. The fuel pressure reg lives in the tank on the Vectra. No problem, ebay EFI bypass job, a few AN fittings and some E safe fuel hose. All done! Wasn't a fan of how it was done on the guides. This makes it neater. Mounted it on the old heater tank bracket.




Lastly, wiring. Re-used the starter and charging loom off the 1.2. Then got Hamish at Gremlin motorsport to make a patch loom with the immobilizer ring added in. I had a go at doing the loom myself. But couldn't get power to the fuel pump. So gave up. Until I discovered it was the same with the new patch loom. Yeah I forgot to re-connect a fuel pump wire, after ripping out an old alarm system oops! .

Think 115bhp in a much lighter shell should make for a fun wee chuggaboom.

I missed this first time around but really enjoyed catching up. What a tidy engine swap and all in house Vauxhall too! should be great fun when you get it all set up

Will you be needing an independent engineers report, for Swansea & insurance purposes?

Should be very 'point n squirt' 👍

OVIMOR

Finally finished the sill section.



Quite pleased with that.

There is other areas to weld, not on the same scale though. Like the typical crack in the B post pre-97 Corsa suffer with and tidy up the new crossmember I welded in a couple of years ago.

Scary to think this pile will almost be ready for bodywork!