Starfire motor

[TimS]

Hi All,
Just wondering if anyone is using a Holden Starfire engine in an 88" land rover.

What do you think of its performance/driveability in the car?
Will it bolt up using a holden 6 adaptor?

Reason I am asking is I have 2x 2a 88" cars I am combining to make one good car. One has a stanard 2.25LR motor, and the other a holden 161. Both these engines need some work.

I am using the car with 2.25LR motor(lots of oil leaks and low on compression) around our farm. I was thinking of refurbisihng the LR motor but want to keep the car in use while I do this. Could fit the 161, but don't want butcher the chassis for a temporary install.

I was wondering(hoping) if I could use a stafire motor(fairly cheap) using the adaptor from the 161.

Cheers
TimS

[Slunnie]

I haven't done the engine conversion, but I have driven the starfire 4 cylinder.

It is the slowest thing I've ever driven in my life.

[BathurstTom]

I haven't done the engine conversion, but I have driven the starfire 4 cylinder.

It is the slowest thing I've ever driven in my life.

Agree. They are a holden six cylinder motor with two cylinders removed. Other than lacking power, economy and reliability, they are fine.

[gromit]

I was selling a Starfire motor from a Corona a while back and got comments about the lack of power.
The Corona drove well and power wasn't an issue, less than a Holden 6 but not as bad as people make out

mick88 has a Starfire motor in a shorty.
SWB 2A with a difference (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-ii-and-iia/226447-swb-2a-difference.html)

Colin

[p38arover]

In 1988-89, we had a Toyota Corona with the Misfire engine. It was gutless. We tried driving up Mt Ousley with the aircon dunning and we just kep loding speed. Once we turned the aircon off, the car was able to continue without losing more speed.

Just a hint, before fitting the engine, remove the support bracket from the starter motor. With it on, you cannot remove the starter when the engine is fitted - at least not without disassembling the starter in situ. Ask me how I know.

[Tins]

I haven't done the engine conversion, but I have driven the starfire 4 cylinder.

It is the slowest thing I've ever driven in my life.

Slower than a Nissan Sunny??

[TimS]

I was selling a Starfire motor from a Corona a while back and got comments about the lack of power.
The Corona drove well and power wasn't an issue, less that a Holden 6 but not as bad as people make out

mick88 has a Starfire motor in a shorty.
SWB 2A with a difference (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-ii-and-iia/226447-swb-2a-difference.html)

Colin

Thanks for that link, that explained a lot.
Gives me some confidence that it might be an easy install(I already have a holden 6 adapter). Performance doesn't really bother me as I intend to use it as a temporary motor while I refresh the LR 2.25. Will only be used around our farm.

Once the LR motor is back in it will go for rego.

Cheers

[Slunnie]

Slower than a Nissan Sunny??

Sunny as in like the 120Y? If so, the Starfire is significantly slower!

[Tins]

Sunny as in like the 120Y? If so, the Starfire is significantly slower!

The Sunny that replaced the 120Y. Like the Corona, you had to turn the AC off to climb hills. 120Y was quick in comparison. Sunny was hampered here by being pushed upmarket, with more weight, while being strangled by the rudimentary emission controls at the time, even with the increase in displacement to 1.4.

I had a bit to do with both back in the day. The Starfire engined XT130 Corona had less HP than a Morris Marina, which is no mean feat. The stock 18R engined imported Corona variants were much better, ditto.

[V8Ian]

18R and its many variants were bulletproof.

[grey_ghost]

Mick88 on here has put a Starfire engine in an 88” (2a from memory). I have driven it and it was very smooth and quite. Power was fine.

Cheers,
GG.

[gromit]

Thanks for that link, that explained a lot.
Gives me some confidence that it might be an easy install(I already have a holden 6 adapter). Performance doesn't really bother me as I intend to use it as a temporary motor while I refresh the LR 2.25. Will only be used around our farm.

Once the LR motor is back in it will go for rego.

Cheers

Best of luck finding a decent Starfire motor. The one I was selling went to re-power another Corona.

99,000Km on the motor, 'little old lady' 1st owner looking at the general condition of the vehicle.
No aircon, drove well with plenty of power but unfortunately the car was written off.


Colin

[V8Ian]

I'm not saying the Starfire's gutless, but Simon's still trying to get home. [bigrolf]

[Tins]

18R and its many variants were bulletproof.

Well, they were certainly unstressed. They were similar to the M, 4M I6 engines of the time.

[Slunnie]

I'm not saying the Starfire's gutless, but Simon's still trying to get home. [bigrolf]

:Rolling::Rolling::Rolling:

and that's with the AC in hill mode! :lol2:

[gromit]

VIDEO: TURTLE THE VAUXHALL VICTOR BURNOUT CAR AT SUMMERNATS 29 (https://www.streetmachine.com.au/events/summernats/video-turtle-the-vauxhall-victor-burnout-car-at-summernats-29)

[V8Ian]

Well, they were certainly unstressed. They were similar to the M, 4M I6 engines of the time.
The M, and concequent 2 and 4 versions, were built under licence from Mercedes. Remove the mufflers and the heritage audibly obvious.

[Saitch]

In the '70s, a late, great mate of mine got his Toyota Starfire powered Torana hatchback up Big Red for a photo shoot![bigsmile]

[Tins]

The M, and concequent 2 and 4 versions, were built under licence from Mercedes. Remove the mufflers and the heritage audibly obvious.

Yes, and they were almost a direct swap. But the xM was probably more reliable than the Benz. The MSxx Crowns they were fitted to were built like tanks. Drove like tanks too.

[Tins]

In the '70s, a late, great mate of mine got his Toyota Starfire powered Torana hatchback up Big Red for a photo shoot![bigsmile]

Been me I would have left it there....

[Slunnie]

In the '70s, a late, great mate of mine got his Toyota Starfire powered Torana hatchback up Big Red for a photo shoot![bigsmile]

With 136Nm it was never going to get bogged.

[V8Ian]

Been me I would have left it there....
It's a bloody long walk home, no matter where you live. :o

[mick88]

Tim S
I have one in a shorty and it goes well.
I have the XT130 version which was used in the Toyota Corona's, the main difference being it has
an Aisin two barrel carburettor instead of the Rochester which was used on the Holden's.
The motor bolts straight up to an adapter plate for a Holden six cylinder engine.
There is a thread on here in the Series Holden Conversion section about it.

Cheers, Mick.

[TimS]

Tim S
I have one in a shorty and it goes well.
I have the XT130 version which was used in the Toyota Corona's, the main difference being it has
an Aisin two barrel carburettor instead of the Rochester which was used on the Holden's.
The motor bolts straight up to an adapter plate for a Holden six cylinder engine.
There is a thread on here in the Series Holden Conversion section about it.

Cheers, Mick.

Hi Mick,
That sounds encouraging(for what I want to do).
You sent me a PM, but I can't reply to it (apparently I need to have done more posts before it will allow me to send PMs). Could you PM me your email add. pls and I reply to you directly.
Thanks Tim

[Lionelgee]

Tim S
I have one in a shorty and it goes well.
I have the XT130 version which was used in the Toyota Corona's, the main difference being it has
an Aisin two barrel carburettor instead of the Rochester which was used on the Holden's.
The motor bolts straight up to an adapter plate for a Holden six cylinder engine.
There is a thread on here in the Series Holden Conversion section about it.

Cheers, Mick.

Hello Tim and Mick,

I would follow up on Mick's offhand comment about that, 'there is a thread on here...'. Mick underrates the contribution he made by writing a very detailed and insightful thread about working on his Starfire motor and the 2A Shorty. The link to the thread is SWB 2A with a difference (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-ii-and-iia/226447-swb-2a-difference.html)

It is very much worth your while to check Mick's thread out.

Kind regards
Lionel

[TimS]

Hello Tim and Mick,

I would follow up on Mick's offhand comment about that, 'there is a thread on here...'. Mick underrates the contribution he made by writing a very detailed and insightful thread about working on his Starfire motor and the 2A Shorty. The link to the thread is SWB 2A with a difference (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-ii-and-iia/226447-swb-2a-difference.html)

It is very much worth your while to check Mick's thread out.

Kind regards
Lionel

Yes I did read that thread of Mick's.
Very informative indeed.

Makes me think that this engine(for short term install) will work well. Especially when I already have a holden six adapter.

Cheers
Tim