marty_t3

Anyone ever turned an S12 Silvia turbo into a track car?

I'm pretty keen on the idea of getting one again and stipping it down and rebuilding it just to play around with. Anyone know if a S13 CA18DET engine\gearbox and will fit.

clarence

Y not get a S13 instead? Or go for a post 92 JDM S13 which has the SR20DET as standard.

marty_t3

I've had an S13 200sx and an S12 silvia before, thats whats got me thinking about it.

A few reasons i'd rather go for the S12

1) S12 is cheaper to buy
2) S12 is lighter
3) S12 is easier to work on
4) no point in paying for luxuries in the S13 that i'm just gonna throw out when the car is stripped
5) easier to modify an S12 cheaply (stock 135bhp with an easily achieveable 200bhp)
6) nobody will recognise an S12 (they're pretty scarce these days)
7) I'd get more personal satisfaction turning a nasty looking stock 135bhp S12 into a 200+bhp drift machine
8) S13 parts can be used to upgrade the S12
9) cheaper to insure (well, marginally)
10) i won't feel guilty when i prang an S12 cuz it's ugly anyway
11) I can paint it with Dulux paint and a paintbrush and not ruin it's looks

It's more for me to have fun with a DIY project than the end performance of the car.

Jez 200

Sounds like a good idea! You'll need the LSD aswell as i don't think the s12 had one? The CA18 motor fits in...there are a few out there already...SE nissan in Essex have also done it.
Get on to the bb at SXOC and do a search..might be some stuff there.

Jez

scooby_xt_turbo

having owned two s12 silvias, i can only thing good things for these cars. cheap to run, cheap to fix, cheap to tune, nice to look at, i would definately buy one for the third time given the chance.

ed_the_duck

mates got one of them and it canes my uk classic (standard).....and guess what....he just bought a scoob so it will be up for sale!

Jess_i

Marty, see ed_the_ducks previous message, i am the one with the scooby burner that will be up for sale very soon. You've got mail.

marty_t3

Jess,
Got your mail, that's a very nice spec. I'd love to take it off your hands but i'm really looking for something to work on myself rather than one thats already been done for me.

It's really just an idea i'm toying with at the moment. Either sell the scoob and go for a 300ZX, or, keep the scoob standard and get a Silvia to 'play' with.

Jess_i

Marty, shame i'd love to see the silvia on the track or in the hands of another S12 enthusiast, the cars in its 'twilight' years now but still gives many of todays cars a good run for their money. Often raises a eyebrows from people who've just be left standing by it!!

Forget the 300ZX keep the scoob and get an old silvia to tinker with!

marty_t3

Jess,

It's really the idea of modding one that i'm keen on. The standard car is half decent without an intercooler, with a tiny turbo, running naff all boost. Plenty of tuning potential in them (as you've demonstrated with your car).

A couple of questions you may be able to help me with though... How strong are the blocks in the CA18ETs? I assume it's the same block the CA18DET uses. I think it runs a slightly higher compression ratio than the 16valve version IIRC.

clarence

I think u'll find the CA18ET to be exactly the same as the CA18DET.
Both belongs to the CA engine family, both are 1.8 & both have injection+turbo.

Jess_i

Marty, not too sure if there is any difference in the engines but have been told they will hold out upto 350 bhp, after that apparently the crank no longer wants to be part of the engine!

Jez 200

Pretty sure the ca18et is an 8valve as opposed to the ca18det's 16 valve. Most modded S12's have had a CA18DET engine swap as they are much much stronger in std. form.I ran 300hp on my std. ca18det engine with no probs. i 've since had it re-built to handle higher power

Jez

marty_t3

I ran my S13 at about 235ish bhp for a while before the big ends decided they'd had enough. From what i've heard it the bottom ends that are the weak point on all the CA18s. I know a few other folk who've melted the big ends, and even the dealer i took the car to to have it repaired said the same, when referring to the bottom end, his words were "soft as s***t"

clarence

Sorry, CA18ET is SOHC 8v, CA18DET is DOHC 16v. I think the blocks are more or less the same.

marty_t3

It's all in the name... CA18DET

CA (engine series)
18 (engine size)
D Double overhead cams
E electronic engine management
T turbo

ie

VG30DETT from a 300ZX

VG series engine
30 3.0 litre
D Double overhead cam (4 cams in this case cuz it's a V)
E electronic management
TT twin turbo

carl

Is this an S12 Silvia?

Jez 200

Yes it is !

Oh, and the bottom end's on CA18DET's are made weak by infrequent and/or lack of servicing causing the big-end's to wear prematurely and cause damage to the crank.

Jez

[Edited by Jez 200 - 1/14/2003 9:34:15 PM]

[Edited by Jez 200 - 1/14/2003 9:34:38 PM]

carl

I thought the S12 was supposed to be lighter than the S13? I looked it up on an Australian site and found:
S12: 1170kg
S13: 1120kg