1981 cutlass 3.8 v6 rebuild?? or swap??
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So you guys are saying the Buick 350 is the engine to swap. Lol My 79 in the picture was my first car. Lemme tell ya a frigging dog! Then I looked for performance parts Zero! Not even chrome plated crap nothing. 0-60 was around 15 /20 seconds. Plus got 8mpg this being a 9000 mile car my grandfather gave me. I dunno gearing? It had the TH400 trans maybe weight? Buick was 4800 lbs... Clearly going crate 350 Chevrolet and a new crate th350 trans would be better....Not trying to be a peckerwood but I had that motor and lost every stoplight challenge by 5/6 car length. Unless I was doing 45 then bam 85. But ??? Unless your talking pre73 stuff
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Oh side note never give the full-size gm to your sons! All I ever did in that car was smoke dope and nail ugly chicks . I'm 5'7' and the front bench was a perfect bed lol. Until my dad told me he did the same in 79 as I in 99 then it was gross. Off topic but eh still miss my 8-tracks!
Chevy 350, th350, posi unit and better gears, new springs and shocks, 98+ Blazer spindle and brake upgrade. Should be within your budget and would make a nice car.
If you have a car with a 3.8, a Buick 350 will literally swap right in. Don't gotta change anything. These, with mild upgrades can be pretty stout little engines. The are stronger and lighter than smallblock chebbys. Just the aftermarket hasn't embraced them as much. TA Performance is pretty much your only option for better than stock upgrades. For around 3k, including the motor, and trans I got (trans was junk btw, but only paid 75$), you can get it bored 0.030 over, hotter cam, I suggest if you were to go with a flattappet get a comp 268H kit. Lifters, chain, cam, springs, etc. Flat top or shallow dish pistons, basic valve job (or port if you know a guy who knows how to port Buick heads. Chevy tricks wont do well on buick heads), some headers a GOOD rebuild Q-Jet (everyday performance I recommend), and you have a pretty stout ~300-350horse smallblock with big block torque. Sure Chevy's are super cheap and everywhere, but I see them as over used and boring. Also, a Buick 350 has the same bore as a 3.8, 3.800 inches, but with a 3.85 stroke. You bore it .030 over, you get a nearly square engine. Just my two cents.
And those power figures are with a SMOG block from 73-80. With a 70 block (best ones IMHO, 68 and 69 used a different oiling system), the stage 1 was rated at 315hp stock. The GS 350 Skylarks from 1970-71 have been known to knock down the 1/4 in 14.5 seconds.
What is the hang up with buying motor mounts? He said he had a $6500 budget. "Keep it Buick!", oh wait its an Olds. There are alot of choices out there for these cars which makes them great. The trans would need replaced anyway behind a V8, and the rear would need beefed up to make the most of the upgraded power. Hard to go wrong with a 350 chevy.
It's just the easiest swap. You can reuse everything. Everything from the front of the buick 3.8, timing cover, pulleys, water pump, fuel pump, etc will swap over to a Buick 350 and vice versa. With a Chevy, you have to reroute wiring, fuel lines, probably A/C lines, get new motor mounts, new brackets, etc. There is also the option of an Olds 350 or 403 if he wants to keep it oldsmobile. I'm just tired of people shoving chevy's in everything. It's boring. You don't see a Buick Olds or Pontiac G Body without a SBC hardly at all anymore. He can do whatever he wants, it's his car. I'm just giving an option that would be the least labor intensive as far as the actual swap itself goes. And the rear would be fine, hell with those low gear it probably has would balance out only having a three speed transmission. IF he could get his hands on a Monte SS rear end.. or an S10 carrier I believe fits in the housing with little trouble. Or, if his budget is 6500 like you said, he could just get a new rear or a Ford 9 Inch, 12 Bolt, the list goes on.
Yeah I get what your saying with re-using the accessories. Bolt on and go. Some take out engines come with accessories like LS motors I see for sale all the time. I didn't get them with mine but I'm only running an alternator so it didn't matter. And once mine is done, I defy anyone to take a ride in mine and call it boring.
My humble opinion the only reason I said Chevy is they offer a package 300hp$$ 400hp$$$ 20,000hp$$$$$$$$ with a warranty. Need parts dist cap....oil pump....its on every shelf coast to coast. Try finding a timing case for a Buick 350. Lol took us to Washington state to have one shipped. Plus if you get the cheap package 350 you bolt on goodies down the road proven goodies. Ones you don't need a eBay lawyer to get. 6500.00 gets you a modern day drive train. With in 10 business days. No machinist no custom fab work. Turn key 20mpg cruiser. Or go get a 413 and unicorns and wish upon a powerglide your project is done before gas runs out. Lol nod to my uncles 85 cutlass 455 yeah 12,000.00 and 15 years later still needs some wireing. Lol sorry
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