85 Regal 3.8 build up help

[Rob85]

What's up Gbody....so I'd like to get a lil more hp from my coupe but nothing too extreme like some of you...to start I'd like to look at my options for transmission....I think it has a th200 and am considering a 350 would there be a significant change ,I've heard people say no........from there depending on trans would I need to change gears....the way it is now it cruises like an old lady and I'm lookin to get out of that a lil bit at a time...thanks guys

 

[axisg]

honestly the 3.8 is no powerful beast until you put some turbo to it. I personally would drive the car as-is and save the $$ you would have spent towards a V8 swap.

 

[DoubleV]

350 transmission is a waste of time and will actually make your car slower even though you may not actually notice it. What you need is a 2004r and steeper rear gears. It will give you a significant boost in performance and still allow you to cruise like an old lady on the highway. It would by far be the better way to go instead of putting money into that 3.8 boat anchor.

 

[B1tchin'-Buick]

350 transmission is a waste of time and will actually make your car slower even though you may not actually notice it. What you need is a 2004r and steeper rear gears. It will give you a significant boost in performance and still allow you to cruise like an old lady on the highway. It would by far be the better way to go instead of putting money into that 3.8 boat anchor.

X'2.

I have a TH-350 Trans in my 3.8 and she still is a slug. Especially now that I'm about to pull the 3.8.

And please don't think about "Turbo-ing" it. By the time you buy everything, do a bunch of fabrication work, money, time, ect... ect... ect.. It's just easier to do a swap. I posted a link for you to help in your choices....

http://www.beforeblack.net/conversion.htm

<Mike>

 

[ronbz455]

Thats funny you guys say that the 3.8 has no potensial but if you want to keep it and don't care about the idle quality A guy is running stock class at the NHRA points meet which I will be at If the GS is running in INDY He runs 11.80 in the 1/4 mile and that's fast for a v6 with a stock carb and I bet it's a Quadrajet. I havn't talked to the guy but the anouncer said that is faster than alot of V8 cars! Buicks are powerful and you have to know how to make them unleash the power! When I told a Buick racer I bought a Regal he said does it have a V6 in it and I said no the 307 Olds and he said oh damm. So if you want to keep that engine start doing home work! Or put a Buick 455 in it and hold on!

 

[Fox80]

Thats funny you guys say that the 3.8 has no potensial but if you want to keep it and don't care about the idle quality A guy is running stock class at the NHRA points meet which I will be at If the GS is running in INDY He runs 11.80 in the 1/4 mile and that's fast for a v6 with a stock carb and I bet it's a Quadrajet. I havn't talked to the guy but the anouncer said that is faster than alot of V8 cars! Buicks are powerful and you have to know how to make them unleash the power! When I told a Buick racer I bought a Regal he said does it have a V6 in it and I said no the 307 Olds and he said oh damm. So if you want to keep that engine start doing home work! Or put a Buick 455 in it and hold on!

Takes some research and brains along with quality machine work to get power out of little motors, anybody remember when the Busch series ran V6? motors? A friend of mine runs a Buick V6 in open mods and runs very well, he competes against aluminum headed 400+ci SBC now granted this is a 15.6-1 comp custom made heads hand built intake but that thing runs like you wouldn't believe, the noise is probably the most annoying thing I have ever heard but its cool to see someone do things out of the box

 

[lilbowtie]

Have some headers if interested.

 

[gdouaire]

What you need is a 2004r and steeper rear gears. It will give you a significant boost in performance and still allow you to cruise like an old lady on the highway.

A 3.42 and a TH200-4R. That's what I'm doing to my 3.8 short term ( other mods further down the line). I had done this with a 307 in the past and that was a very potent mod.

 

[klaird]

LilBow, am interested if you can tell me what brand and if they will fit in a stock engine bay with no mods.

Have some headers if interested.

 

[klaird]

Rob85, it would make sense to upgrade the rear to larger gear ratio. Regardless of whether you decide to stay v6 (like I am doing) or upgrade to larger engine, the rear upgrades will be necessary either way.