I WAS WONDERING IS IT POSSIBLE TO SWAP A SUPERCHARGED 3800 SERIES MOTOR IN MY 1980 BUICK REGAL?IVE ACTUALLY SEEN IT DONE BY SUMBODY LAST YEAR ON A WEBSITE I WAS WONDERING HOW HARD WOULD IT BE TO CONVERT IT TO A RWD TRANSMISSION AND WHAT TYPE OF MOTOR MOUNTS WOULD I HAVE TO USE!?DO ANYBODY HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE ON THIS?
Swapping a supercharged 3800 buick 3.8 in a 1980 regal!
- Thread starter bang8x
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You're life would be much easier if you swapped in a good V8. I've seen Turbo V6 swaps, but the FWD 3800SC might be more trouble to swap than it's worth. Starter is on the wrong side, the wiring and accessory routing would be an adventure.
I know GM used the 3800 in RWD F-bodies, and there used to be aftermarket supercharger kits for those, but if you are going to go to all that effort, I'd put in an LT1 or LS1 V8. They get good mileage, sound better, and make more power. Easiest way to do it would be to buy a wrecked Camaro or Firebird and swap everything.
I know GM used the 3800 in RWD F-bodies, and there used to be aftermarket supercharger kits for those, but if you are going to go to all that effort, I'd put in an LT1 or LS1 V8. They get good mileage, sound better, and make more power. Easiest way to do it would be to buy a wrecked Camaro or Firebird and swap everything.
bang8x said:
There used to be a website devoted to the same swap that had been done in a G-body Cutlass, but that site went away with AOL Hometown.
The 3800SC has the GM metric bellhousing bolt pattern. You can use the 700R4 from an S-10 with the 2.8 V6 or if you want an electronic trans get a 4L60E from a fourth gen F-body that used the 3800. S-10 and F-body bellhousings can be used if you want a manual trans. Of course, you need the electronics to operate the EFI, but the Fiero swap guys have this pretty much figured out by now.
The single biggest problem with this swap is that the throttle body on the back of the supercharger is over the bellhousing and requires a hole in the firewall to clear. People who have done this often build an airbox there and turn it into a cowl induction system. Alternately you can use a fabricated elbow to move the throttle body.
I say go for it. It's NOT another belly button SBC swap...
One more piece of information. The starter on the FWD 3800SC Series II and the starter on the RWD fourth gen F-body with the 3800 Series II are IN THE SAME PLACE. Yes, they are on the driver's side, which is opposite of the old 231 location, but if you are using a Camaro RWD bellhousing with a 3800SC, the starter fits just fine.
want to be unique keep it buick and go with a small block buick or a big block buick otherwise might as well leap for the power and go with an ls series engine or something of that nature. those 3.8 supercharged engines are great engines and do have good power but for the money which will end up being pretty much the same you might as well opt for two more cylinders.
Not only power but fuel efficiency and something unique. Those SC 3800 motors can put out very good power, pulley swap, tuning, and better exhaust will go along way.
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