Bolt on mod number 1 for the VE HSV

Well here is the results of what started off as a minor mod.
I ended up having to take the whole front off. Also a small piece of radiator surrounded needed to be sawn off as the VE has a solid little "roll" cage around the E38 EU which is located under the fusebox on the left in the picture below. This got in the way.

Ive also made note of where you need to remove bolts and clips to get the front off. The main bits are at the outer edges, you can only get to them by removing the black clips inside the front of the guards. You then use a straight handled 10mm socket to unscrew them from underneath. The long part under the headlights, just pulls forward and unclips. With 2 bolts and 2 more clips located in the middle top of the bumper by the bonnet catch.

Actually I pulled the bonnet catch apart too because I thought Id broken it. I think it just needed to be moved up a little. It worked fine.

Anyway, I got the Russo OTRCAI installed. Im missing the 2 wire IAT sensor, so just temporarily cabletied the old MAF into the inner guard and ran 2 wires to the IAT circuit on it. Hopefully the IAT sensor from Chris at Russo arrives before too long and I can get it sitting in the intake, just in front of the throttle body.

I cant say Ive noticed more power, I think the old one was pretty good anyway. The idea is colder air rather than more air. I was logging 99kpa at WOT with the old intake so I dont think it was too restrictive. Mind you the heads and cam are stock so they probably didnt want much more than that either.

Im working on a difilippo exhaust, which hopefully will be on its way very soon. Though I have a short throw shifter waiting for me to fit, so that will probably be next.

A stroker is also on the way.. Which if you had read all my previous posts, you would know that that event was a near certainty.

A bit later on...

Well its done, I now own build number 1 of the HSV VXR8 UK spec R8 Clubsport.
Im glad I had the first off the production line, though I didnt find out until I was checking things out in more detail after the purchase.

Interestingly it seems to have been the press hack and the gearbox was very sad, noisy, loose and hard to shift into some gears. Anyway a few visits to Picadors near Southampton and a new gearbox was fitted. Its Nickel silver the same as below.

As was suggested below the plan is for more power, but in an efficient manner. Given superchargers can eat 150bhp just through mechanical losses due to the pump, let alone increased intake temps etc I decided to stay Naturally Aspirated. The BSFC (fuel used per bhp) is around 30% more than a naturally aspirated engine. Sure total output is increased, but you sure pay for it.

Therefore I have started collecting the required components. Of course efilive will work fine and Ive sucked out the tune and done some logging and minor bits and pieces. But its basically the stock tune at present. Which actually works quite well. Id suggest guys with earlier LS2 maps check out the spark timing for the E Series R8 as it seems pretty good to me, roughly around 2* additional timing across the range.

Anyway the list of mods will be something like this;

• GMM Rip Shifter (In hand)
• Russo OTRCAI (In hand)
• DiFilippo 1-7/8 into dual 3" stainless exhaust + 700cfm cats (In progress)
• Darton 427 Sleeved LS2 block with LS7 top end (In progress)
• LS7 Clutch, or possibly twin disk Ram clutch or equiv (Still researching)

Expected output will be around 650fwhp or say 520rwhp.. but who knows as yet.

Pics of the Russo being fitted will probably be next up.