I keep having perverse thoughts that.....

If by "chip" you mean replace the management, pistons and turbo, you're right :)

-- Chet

HF Integrale 16v - Gettin there!1992 Renault 19 16v - Williams 2.0 with a turbo, oh yes!

5 turbo was pushrod. 1.7 turbo is a bit more normal ;) 1.8 8v NA version of the same engine makes 110bhp in the clio rsi and lagunas. 137bhp with 16v's

-- Chet

HF Integrale 16v - Gettin there!1992 Renault 19 16v - Williams 2.0 with a turbo, oh yes!

They make perfect sense as a commuting vehicle, as something to get you to and from work, and in their own unique way, they're also fun, too! :)

Not the last word in entertainment, however one can drive the Smart at

9/10th within the speed limit and the law, it's a mid-rear configuration and even with the advanced electronics to keep it on the road, one can encourage some oversteery laughs.

Other merits are that they're stupidly economical on petrol and insurance, they have automatic transmission (if you tick this option) which is useful if you have any heavy traffic on your commute, you get ABS for wet greasy roads, and optional air conditioning (again if you tick this box). Parking is a doddle. They're limited to 86 mph too, and although one might think that they'd not need the limiter, they hit it with a bit of a bang.

As far as space goes, there's enough for the shopping, but to be fair if you're into trips to Ikea then there are very few small cars that can handle the usual flat packed furniture, so you're at no real disadvantage with having the Smart. Anyway with what you save in running costs, you can easily hire a van every weekend! :)

So, no, I don't think you're being daft. I'd certainly have one without any issues whatsoever if we needed two vehicles.

No, just different priorities! We could discuss the PSA Group's low pressure 2.0 turbo, eh? :)

Maybe, or use a unichip alongside the standard LH 2.2 bosch system that is the same as Saab used for injection(only the NA used the nasty fenix system) with an 8.5:1 compression ratio it should be able to handle a little more boost, and if you wanted, it wouldn't be the first time that a Saab APC system had been wired to a Volvo.

In article , snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.modifications...

I do the M62 stretch between Warrington and Manchester everyday.

it can vary between 80-90 on a clear day, to 40 minutes all 3 lanes stationary, then 8 miles of first gear.

I suppose the limiter can always be disabled/altered with a little electricery too should being over the motorway limit in a shoebox not prove scary enough.

Know it reasonably well! :)

Yes, it can be fiddled with - but to be fair there's probably no real need (surely?). You'd only gain maybe 10 mph.

>

Yes, we could - however, I quite like that engine !

406 is a much improved drive with the extra low-down torque - I guess because it's a fat lard-ass. Still a waste of time compared to the V6 though :)

Agreed - that's why I'm a big fan of Turbo power.

It just seems a little odd that they'd go to all the trouble of Turboing the engine, to end up with LESS power than the competition's NA lumps !

Well it's 15bhp down on the 1.9 MI16 lump, even with 100cc more capacity !

:)

Except that it would pop if you tried :)

I seem to remember it being fairly trivial to get a nice 30bhp increase from the 1.9 8v (205 GTi) lump - head work (bigger valves and the like) and cams alone wasn't it ?

But really, it is :)

Probably, but it'd be fun whilst it lasted!

Didnt think it was that easy as Peugeot already did a pretty good job themselves. Unless you did something like stick a turbo. nitrous on it.

Why do you insist on air con then?

Yeah, given the choice of two engines, one turbocharged, one normally aspirated, with the same peak power output, I'd choose the N/A one all day long if it was reliable. Still, I like having something reasonably economical, so a TDI seems a good choice.

Having said that, I keep reading about these cars (supercharged Mercs and the like) with 600bhp+++, and I'd love one of them. Supercharged would be nice - ok you get the supercharger whine, but all that extra grunt all the time.......mmmmmm......

Peter

Take an old engine, stick a turbo on it and it saves desiging a new one. Maybe that was the idea behind it.

[snip]

Me too.

Yup.

Well, perhaps - except for fuel consumption, and nose led handling...

I've had a go in the higher output V6 and it handled very very well for such a big fwd car, I havent had a go in the smaller lumps so I cant compare...

Precisely because it's all about power :)

Aircon, and all the other heavy modern equipment that comes in today's cars, would be a pain in the ass in a car that didn't make a reasonable amount of power !

To phrase it another way : The more power you have, the more heavy power-sapping comfort/safety items you can have, with no ill effects (other than fuel consumption, obviously :)

You forget - I drive a 620 TI :)

pug 406 V6 is a lovely lovely car, a perfect replacement for a Ti

Except that it's not as quick, it's not got a proper way of putting the FWD power onto the road, it's a chunk heavier, and it's got no blower. It's also very bland - I happen to like the sleek look of the TI.

Each to their own, though :)