Cheers for the input guys. While I see everyones interest in keeping things non-commonwhore, I need to weigh up the benefits of a torquey engine setup, already setup for rwd, with readily available parts at pretty much any wrecking yard in Australia. That said it's looking more and more like I won't go down the road of an alloytec. I'm also looking at 1/2gr-fe and 1mz so we will see how that goes.

Ecu wise, alloytec unfortunately don't have the same microprocessor as the ls series engine, they are Bosch instead of Delphi so can't be tuned or altered in the same way as ls engines from what I've read so far. Would be interested to know if someone has cracked more than just the vats in them tho!