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Anyone owned a redtop?


Ben™
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There there, there is still time. I don't care what anyone says, they're fun, and when you're sat in one, it feels pretty rapid!

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I bought a red top yesterday on a whim. Mrs M not too pleased because it'll need washing on it's own otherwise everything will turn pink.

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Was thinking the same thing... I work in the tuning industry and I don't even have as many customers with 400/500/600bhp from an engine that'll never achieve this power without 50k throwing at it.

However I have got a mate running 870bhp from an X10XEV engine. (You know, the 3 cylinder 1.0 12v)

50k would probably build 5 400+bhp LET motors with change to spare. Working in the tuning industry, you would know that ;) (even Specky's 9 second Tigra doesn't have that much in it, and that has over 700bhp from a LET now)

As for the people whinging they have no friends with fast cars... take VAG blinkers off > leave house and keyboard behind > socialise > hey presto! Most people I know with big power cars I met through the drag racing scene, all genuinely good guys too.

Edited by LiamD
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The thing with these "red top" or 20XE engines is that most of them have now done well over 100k and not been looked after. They'll be down on power but going from their 1.2's it'll seam quick.

I had a 1.6 16v Corsa with 125.2bhp. It only weighed 840kg so worked out at 150 bhp/ton. So whenever I had a play with these "well rapid innit" Corsa's they always ended up assuming that I also had a "wiked bad" (rolling the tongue) Rrreeeddd Top.

They handle really bad (by bad I mean rubbish). So bad that compared to my Arosa with Eibach spring on, the Arosa would be quicker round the corners. You would have to spend a lot on cash on the handling if you are wanting 300+ bhp.

Those who say it's front end heavy, with the right set up it's not.

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I'm sorry but whatever 'setup' you're running, a red top in a corsa or a nova will be front end heavy, the suspension doesn't change the weight of the engine. It will make the car corner abit easier but it will always feel heavy on the front end.

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What's the difference weight wise netwen the various corsa engines and the 2 litre , can't see it being that massive a difference??

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There is quite a difference tbh. The little ecotecs are tiny, plus power is obviously a big factor with regards the handling, I'm not sure on the novas but I know on the older corsas you were supposed to strengthen the seam welds otherwise after abit of stick the original ones crack up.

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This is dragons den **** here. It is laughable how tiny the 3 pot ecotecs are like.

Steve is right though, most xe lumps are tired nowadays, and a redtop corsa is nowt flash, a decent Clio 172 will destroy one (we tested this ourselves) and you can get one of those for just over a grand now.

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Well a standard redtop will only be around 150bhp anyways, so it makes sense that a 172 Clio would beat it! And I don't have any weight figures anymore Scotty my friend, the days of me having engines littering my garage are long gone....

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Well I'd guestimate that a xe with box would be about 150kg, what's the guestimates on the 1.6 engine as that's the biggest in the standard corsa or nova range.

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Well a standard redtop will only be around 150bhp anyways, so it makes sense that a 172 Clio would beat it! And I don't have any weight figures anymore Scotty my friend, the days of me having engines littering my garage are long gone....

never seen a Clio 172 on the rolling road? Standard they only ever make 150-160 at the fly plus a ph1 or a ph2 trophy weighs 1030kgs dry. A full fat 182 weighs over 1100kgs!

Not sure on the weight of a Corsa, I imagine about 900kgs?

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Well a standard redtop will only be around 150bhp anyways,

NO NO NO just no!

This is my point. From the factory they had 156bhp.... 20 some years ago! Those that have been fully stripped and rebuilt will be back upto that figure (if left standard), but the rest of them won't be. I was in one that he thought was quick (just about pulled away from my corsa when it had 114.4bhp). He had it on the rollers and got 126bhp!

As for the weights (it was a few years ago), I think the X16XE weighed 125kg and the 20XE weighed 175kg.

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NO NO NO just no!

This is my point. From the factory they had 156bhp.... 20 some years ago! Those that have been fully stripped and rebuilt will be back upto that figure (if left standard), but the rest of them won't be. I was in one that he thought was quick (just about pulled away from my corsa when it had 114.4bhp). He had it on the rollers and got 126bhp!

As for the weights (it was a few years ago), I think the X16XE weighed 125kg and the 20XE weighed 175kg.

You still got that stripped corsa steve ??

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The one I had had done 112,000 miles and rolling roaded it carried 161bhp. And it wasn't fiddled with it at the time. Not all redtops have been ragged silly so you can't really say across the board they're all under power. I reckon the extra 50kgs would make quite a difference on such a small car.

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