Hi people, got submerged into a conversation the other day about Capris and the like and then got discussing about the engines.

Now, I know the majority of owners on the site seem to have Cossies and RS Turbos, but which is the better unit? I've heard the Essex 3.0 is more torquey and therefore better on an everyday basis, is this true?

I personally aren't a believer in the "no substitute for ccs" belief, but on this occasion is it true, or is the Cologne 2.8 a more popular choice all things considered?

 

Essex and Cologne are as bad as one another really. The Essex always had more of a tuning scene behind it but in turn you'll probably find more Cologne owners these days.

 

I always thought the Cologne was slightly more tuneable than the Essex - and more reliable?

 

Depends on who you talk to really.

The Essex got a lot of attention back when it was a production engine and the tuning knowledge available for them is still good. Plenty of parts available out there too.

The Cologne never seemed to get as much attention since it offered little in the way of benefits over the Cologne when it was a carbed lump. The MFi versions were pretty restricted and it was only really the turbo conversions that were popular. You rarely see much in the way of normally aspirated tuning parts come up for the Cologne.

The thing is that now both these engines have been surpassed by the Cosworth V6 so tuning them can be uneconomical.

 

Has your '4i (v.nice seen it on a thread somewhere) got a bored out Essex then, cos you're siggy says 3.1?

 

It's a Cologne. 3.1 conversion was done by Specialised Engines which is done by a slight overbore and a stroked crank. Also has Stage-2 heads.

It's an improvement over standard but an expensive way of getting power out of them compared to the turbo conversions.

 

Spot on car tho m8. Bet it sounds the nuts!

 

Yeah it does sound good, that's about it really, doesn't go particulary fast or rev very well but it does sound quite good.

 

I still want one...

 

Here is a sound sample

http://lowandwide.net/gallery2/d/1271-2/RCRecovered.wmv

 

The sound is still enough to bring a tear to my eye, even though theyre uneconomical and unreliable and slow. Brill.

Got any clips of yours???

 

LOL that is mine.

Being whooped my mate in his Astra.

I wouldn't say they are unreliable though. They are a tough old engine built to last, the MFi system is a bit heathrobinson though.

I used to rag my XR4x4 turbo around at 9psi on standard compression and it never had any serious probs.

 

Oops sorry I was thinkin that as well .

That Astra looks like a tough little bastard tho. I have to brace myself here - I've never praised a Vauxhall. But it looks smart.

Of course I'd take yours anyday. I wouldn't say whooped, it was pretty close. Where are the video clips on your site I've just been on it?

 

There's only that video really which is in the Mk1 Astra gallery.

Yeah above 100mph you can slog the old Cologne quite a bit. They are a bargain car at the moment.

 

Probably one of my all time favourite cars. Rare as rocking horse faeces too.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-CAPRI-BRO...QQcmdZViewItem

 

In fact, there's 3 Brooklands for sale at the same time on ebay at the moment two minters and one in need of TLC.

 

Yeah the Brooklands gets a lot of respect. Lot more expensive than a normal 280 or 2.8 Special though.

 

Yeah but there's only around 300 left so they're value will increase even more I guess.

 

the 2.9 is probably the best to work on, but you can still bolt in the 24V and make more power than you would spending shedloads on the 12V to make it go faster

turboing them has always been popular and then they go like the proverbial shit off a shovel, but they drink fuel too

 

I take it you have one. What are you getting mpg wise?

 

My 2.8 single turbo used more fuel cruising than an Aston Martin DB9.

 

OMG! You're jokin me - that's bout 12mpg or around that int it?

 

I don't know the figures.

Friend of mine was testing one for a few days and then had to borrow my 4B turbo, he was totally shocked by the fuel consumption.

They are pretty terrible for fuel really.

 

Bet its worth every penny though? How long have you had it?

 

I had the single turbo back in about 2002 through to 2004



Was a total waste of money

 

Well Fords, like women, skint you of a lot of cash I'm afraid...

 

Hi Robrs, there is a lot you can do with the cologne V6 but not many people have spent the time and money to do it, I have a 3500cc "stroked" cologne with 4 bolt mains, American spec " 6 port " cologne heads, a dual plane Offenhauser manifold, 3 branch exhaust manifolds and a 4 barrel Holley carb, this lot makes a huge difference to performance with over 250bhp at the flywheel , I raced this in a " 4i " for 2 years back in the early '90's.

Andy

 

I want to go carb on mine but sadly the European Offenhauser manifolds seem to be very rare and the Ford ones aren't up to much (apparently).

 

Hi MWF, I seem to remember that the inlet ports are in a slightly different position on the US spec heads.

Andy

 

Yeah hence why Offenhauser sold a European version of the Cologne inlet manifold besides the US spec one. These seem to only exist in Germany for some reason

Would love to find one and have a Holley instead of the K-jet setup.

 

3.0 essex on triples given the option

 

thread resurrection alert!!!!

never got better than around 14 mpg, but the times i was getting 1 mpg were also the best

 

really dojj 10 year thread bump

 

I've been looking for pictures of my estate

Unfortunately it was from a time before digital cameras and so not a lot has survived from 1997-2003

 

Are the American heads the 'Arizona' ones?

Power engineering did the Ultimax 3.7 stroker as well iirc.

That was after supplies of the FTD Sprintex charger dried up.

I had a chance meeting with a guy in a supercharged XR4i at the local 24 hour station on the A5 in Shrewsbury. I was filling up my XR4i when he pulled in and I could tell straight away it sounded supercharged. As he was filling his car we had a chat and he showed me the engine - it was one of the PE conversions. He said it was an effortless car to drive fast.
Occasionally see an XR4x4 pop up with the charged engine conversion

 

I doubt he will reply seeing as he has not been on here for 4 years lol, thats the problem with people bumping very very old threads

 

Fished in

 

I had an essex v6 in a boat,bullet proof,the thing was ragged flat out for hours.
drunk some fuel though

 

Yes the 3.1 was in the Mk1 Capri.