Red Motors and superchargers

[Squirralien]

I have a few questions,

1, the 138 red motor, can I use this and bore to 186 and have it the same spec as a 186 red or is this block different and not recommended to bore so far, I think it might be the same block just smaller bore or stroke ? so bored to 186 would have the same wall thickness's as a standard bore 186 ????
The only reason I would want to do this is if it made it easier to get the car through inspection in S.A. being a 138 block still, if it is primarily the same block I will ring and find out about the inspection and the 138 grey and 138 red requirements

2, Basically I want to put a hot 186 motor in the fb close to XU-1 spec with an auto, Stall converter and would like a super charger so any thoughts or criticisms would be great.

3, If I was going to go to a super charger have you got any suggestions for a suitable set up, We don't want to spend 10k, It will not be a drag car just a street cruiser and would just like a bit better performance, the super charger may be a later addition once the car is on the road.

Thank you in advance for any information and maybe name calling Im not up with the do's and don't's at this stage but im working on it.

[FB MAD]

Not exactly sure on the rebore maximum that a 138 red will take but I can say that I doubt it very much that you would get it to 186 otherwise every man and his dog would be doing it.

I guess it may be possible with wet sleeving to go to 186 but I don't think engineering wise that the engine would have any strength left in it by doing that and it would probably cost an arm and leg to do it if it was at all possible ( which I don't think it is )as I've never heard of it being attempted.

I do know that a 149 will go to 161 as i have a 149 with 40 thou oversize 161 pistons in it giving 167 cubes if thats any help.

138 GREYS will, in some engines only, go to 149 ( 120 thou oversize pistons from memory?? ) so I'd take a GUESS that a 138 red might be able to go to approx 149 cubes but if that's the case you may as well get a 149 and take it out to 161.

Be very carefull in choosing a cam spec as radical as an XU-1 spec cam.Might sound nice but a shopping trolley car it does not make.From memory the LC XU-1's were around 40/80 and the later XU-1 LJ cams were around 45/90 ish area.

You can't just wack a race spec cam in a lightly modified engine either, just won't work.An engine has to be modified to suit all the components and they all have to be chosen so that they compliment each other to acheive the desired outcomes of what the driver wants his car to do.

Bigger cams don't mean better.

Fit an XU-1 cam by all means but take it from a bloke that has driven an XU-1 spec Torana, they are a pig of a thing around town, and are really spec'ed for the racetrack.

If it were me, I'd be choosing a cam around a 30/70 ( maybe 35/75 cam at the most) Yella Terra "Bathurst" head ( the high combustion kidney shaped 138,149,161 head type ), roller rockers,tuned length extractors ( as opposed to some extractors that look like extractors and do nothing else for performance ), re-graphed distributor, performance pistons,"starfire" type rods/bolts/nuts etc etc etc and multiple carbys or if you want to supercharge somehow then I recommend a Weber carb on top of a supercharger (if you can find a supercharger).

There's a start, other blokes have other ideas I'm sure.

[Blacky]

Sounds like you are asking for trouble , the mods required to legally fit a red are'nt extensive , do it properly the first time then you dont have to do it again.

[Squirralien]

thanks for the feedback,
I am at the moment rebuilding a Torana, its a 2 door and Im building it all to XU-1 specs and a friend has just completed his XU-1 thats where the idea for the motor came to mind,
the reason I wondered about the 138 to a 186 is I want a 186 but would have been nice to have 138 on the side of the block,,
The supercharger idea just came from hearing a bit about them and thought it would be nice if I could supercharge it.
The car will only be a cruiser for going on cruises or show n shines club events all that sort of thing so I want it to sound really nice and thought it was a better option to the extreme V8 conversion in work and money,,
the plan is to build an attention getter but as a cruiser absolutely never a drag racer.
We would prefer the V8 conversion but the way I would like to do it and my wallet just do not size up, so the hot 6 cyl red was the answer,