Well, the same motor used in the DeLorean, and the Volvo, and the Renault, and the Peugeot...

I have pretty much decided to put a 2.8 litre Volvo V6 into my Supa Sport short wheelbase buggy, just for sh!ts and giggles... The buggy is already stripped down, cut apart, and receiving it's modifications including electrically adjustable suspension and digital aluminium dash... Now I'm thinking more "oomph" too.

What do ya'll reckon? Am I nuts? Or am I thinking straight for once?

Bloody buggy drivers.....

are you allowed a motor that big?

personally, I'd go something turbo, the options for high hp mods are far better.

there are many better options you should look at (being a volvo mech from my apprenticeship days) my advice, keep looking

Parts prices...:alien:jesus:cry:repuke

just save up an drop in a porsche donk, no substitute

This is a buggy that is going to spend a lot of time in the sand and mud, as well as being a daily driver, that's why I'm thinkiing the reliable old Volvo/Renault/Peugeot V6 would do the job nicely... The other thing is, I have a recently rebuilt V6 available to me for around $150, including all the wiring etc...

why not do it, this way you'll be different and when it works you can say "HA I TOLD YOU SO" and if it doesnt work....just sneak back into the garage

Yeh hook in!!! After all buggy owning does meen wrecking as many different vehicals as possible to get what you want :P

well look at buggy brad i think it is....i dunno its too early atm but he's got the mega manx ill bet a stack of people told him that it wasnt worth it and that it couldnt/shouldnt be done. Look how sweet that turned out :cool

One of the Eurekas in WA has a Volvo motor & I think the owner had some probs with the weight. His web site is here http://www.purvis.cjb.net/ 

jenny has anyone told you how helpful you are ?

ive noticed that you knew a stack about the cooling issues and now this its great to have knowledge thats accessable like this it gives us all a chance to seriously learn something new everyday

Well it would be a change from all the Subi conversions that are going on.....

Thanks pyr0,
I'm just trying to learn, so I've been reading & surfing the net a lot. But like any info you get off the net - you need to confirm it with someone who has some knowledge in that area.
I like the forums because you get a whole range of opinions from people who have different experiences.

these motors are NOT reliable, as they suffer from severe corrosion problems same as the wasserboxer, but to the point that they get perforations in the block! they go well enough but they are a troublesome basket case unless you find a good clean block, pair of heads and rebuild it yourself so you know it's good.

I'd agree, they are not that reliable.

You said you want it to be a daily driver, but an engine that big would be illegal.

There are heaps better engines out there than that one.

A friend is currently building a SWB buggy with a 2.5L KLZE V6 (same as mine) in a buggy. It is the limit of what you will get away with legally. And a much much better V6 than the one you have mentioned.

plenty of lightweight motor options. Mazda KL such as Wes used, SR20 including turbo variants, Honda V6, which is availbale in 2.0L and 2.5L (All alloy, and rotyates the "correct" way apparently - honda 4 cyl motors go the other way), the obligatory subarus (*snrrk - Ptui!* ) and a number of others, all cheap compared to rebuilding a PRV V6. (FYI PRV stands for Peugeot, Renault and Volvo, the 3 companies that joined up to create and design this motor).

OK. Just to clarify here... I don't have a wizz bang super duper KLZE or Honda available to me for around $150, but I can get my hands on a 60,000 km old proffesionally rebuilt PRV V6 for only $150. This is why I'm thinking of going with that donk, and I have a liking for them anyways...

The main reasons for upgrading at all are (a), I want more basic grunt in my buggy now, and (b), I have just bought a nice V6 sonata that is going to eat my own buggy for breakfast. I can't stomach my buggy being below my Sonata on the automotive food chain.

The other thing is, the sedan I will be getting the motor out of also has the same auto box I have sitting here, so I can pair them up behind two Kombi 2 litre motors for another project I'm going to start on shortly (that'll keep you all guessing, and the 2 motors and 2 trannies are for the one project vehicle).

so what will you do about the small issue of it being illegal?

That's a minor technicality... There are so many different ways to skin a cat. Or Queensland transport...

Anyone can illegally modify a car.

Doing it properly and legally is where the skill is. There'll be no point having insurance of any kind, and I hope you have a lot of money if you accidentally hit someone else.

have you noticed how second hand v6 volvos are worth about 1/2 the price of the same car with 4 cyl
delorean was heavily subsidised by irish government and still
went broke
peugot 604 had the world recall record apparently
how does $600 water pump sound or $1000 fuel distributer rebuild
makes a second hand subaru look nice hey?

Is that really Wes? Or one of his friends that has the same half blind short sighted attitude.

I never suggested I'd do anything that wasn't above board. Playing by the rules does not mean giving up as soon as you find out the rules don't allow strictly what you were contemplating, but rather means changing your tactics and making the modification fit into the other rules in play...

I'm putting application into Qld Transport this coming week concerning the 2.7 litre modification and we'll see what they say about approving it. I mean, what's going to happen if they say "no"? It's not like I'm going to be charged and imprisoned for thinking out loud and asking their permission. The "3 times the curb weight" equasion is so you don't need to bother them about such a trivial modification and makes use of the "Authorised Engineer" sceme. If what you want to do doesn't fit into that approval process, you then need to contact Qld Transport and ask them.

if you fit it anyway one of two thingw ill happen, it'll get defected until you return it to stock, or you'll get away with it right up until you bump another car in traffic (or they bump you) and the assessor takes one look at the illegal mod and voids all of your insurance. This includes if you nail a pedestrian. Your choice of course.

Besides the PRV being junk, you can't argue with the price, except you can get an SR20DE for under $300 which'd probably go just as well.

Dunno about QLD but in NSW an engineer wont approve the conversion unless it complies with the RTA guidelines.

How about you knockers and "Mr Negatives" read what I've said in follow ups.

I WILL NOT BE MAKING ANY MODIFICATIONS WITHOUT APPROVAL UNDER BLUE PLATE SCEME OR OFFICIAL APPROVAL FROM QUEENSLAND TRANSPORT.

That's fine, but what I think Wes and I are saying is that even under the blue plate scheme they won't let you fit a motor larger than their arbitrary capacity/weight ratio. Let us know how you go, lots of others will be excited to hear if you succeed in changing their minds on this!

BTW, you asked about opinions on this project, don't take the answers the wrong way! :P

I think you just need to calm down and take the positive critisism that you asked for in the first place.

You can either comply with the weight multiplier rules, or you can build an ICV. Of course building an ICV means meeting current emissions rules, which you won't do with a PRV V6.

But if you don't think we don't know what we're talking about then feel free to send an application to QT. As you said, it can't hurt.

Yeah OK, you guys are right in a number of repects, especially that it never hurts to try. Us guys that are always trying to do the impossible are the ones that force the Transport Department into making their rules, or changing them.

You are definately right that it won't pass under the blue plate system, as that is limited by the 3times rule. For vehicles that fall outside this category, there is individual approval through direct application to the Transport Department.

I'm also building a dune buggy for my kids. It's a 2 cylinder Subaru Sherpa powered small rail type. I've discovered that it can possibly be registered under yet another scheme for industrial and farming vehicles that don't meet the requirements for normal vehicles. All I need as far as parts go now for this one are rims (12x6 and 12x8) and rear hubs. It will be kept on my parents property so the kids can have a blast.

Anyway, I'll see what Queensland Transport have to say this coming week... Rules are only there to make things more challenging...