Andy,

Built my 2B on a F plate 1.6 LX Sierra. If you are buying it from a trusted source then the odometer reading you can trust. However mine read 53k but looking at the cylinder bore wear when I stripped it indicated it was more 153k

 

As everyone has mentioned the 1.6 brakes are a little smaller so there is less tendancy to have the rear brake bias problems that the 2.0l boys have.

 

You have said whether it is a pinto or a CVH engine? Can't remember if RHSC are offerig kits for the CVH type engine or not. You can tell the difference cause the pinto exhaust exits on the drivers side of the car. Would be worth looking at cause it might make a difference when it comes to the build.

 

From a performane point of view the 1.6 is good as anything off the line, but when it comes to stretching it's legs is lacks a little. This is especially true in the 40-60 type speeds. It just lacks a little grunt to do it as quickly as you would like. It was in standard form though so running with a pair of DCOEs on and a bit of tuning you might be alright. My justificatoin for going 2.0 was that by the time a spent money on tuning the 1.6 I could have got an instant boost by dropping in a 2.0.

 

I ran mine for about a year to get use to the handling, ride etc then dropped a 2.0 in as a straight swap. By using the 1.6 donor you have very little in the way of electricery to play with so it makes the swap less complex.

 

I think I read somewhere (could be Dave Andrew's site) that the prefered donor car is the 1.6 because it is such a simple beast and providing you don't want fuel injetion (although I think the Sierra loom is all wired up for it you just need a different engine loom) engine swaps etc are easy. I can say they are cause I have done one and I am by no means a car mechanic.

 

Buy yourself the Haynes manual, depending on your budget then price up how much replacement parts (from a good motor factors) and refurbish the parts which are expensive to replace and buy new the ones which aren't. It is a mistake I made first off. Started to strip and clean up bits etc enquired how muh they would be, realised how cheap they were and bought them. Saved me a good few days work and I know they are new.

 

Gone on a bit and covered some of the points that everyone else has covered, but I hope it is of use to you.

 

Andy

Cheers Andy,

 

It all makes perfect sense.

 

I went to my local meeting today and met a great bunch of people, and some great looking cars, learn't a lot and was offered a ride in a 2B, scared the pants of me and now i'm hooked !!!

( Won a prize in the raffle too )