what can a 3.8 do?
- Thread starter Peter
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if you put it in a 1000lbs car it might be good. seriously thought, if it's in good shape, doesn't have a leaking intake gasket (unlikely unless just fixed) and is backed up by good gears, they cam be decent. we just had a 96 camaro with the 3.8 at my shop and one of the other mechanics mentioned that there was a shootout between a 3.8l s2 v6 camaro and a 4.6l v8 mustang. the camaro won! acceleration and top speed. would i bother? HELL NO
Yeah, you got the same setup as me, i assume non-posi as well? Based what people are saying on this form, as long as everything is in operating condition throw a posi unit and better gears and it will wake it up a bit. Posi obviously wouldnt make it any faster, but if your gonna have the rearend taken apart you might as well.
Other wise yes the car is to heavy for how much horses it puts out. My friends were all amazed at how slow it was when i showed them my car, I guess theres a stigma with old cars that just because they are old, look badass and RWD, that they have to be fast.
Other wise yes the car is to heavy for how much horses it puts out. My friends were all amazed at how slow it was when i showed them my car, I guess theres a stigma with old cars that just because they are old, look badass and RWD, that they have to be fast.
The 3.8 struggled to poop out 110 HP. Yep, 110 HP. Your off the lot new Toyota Corolla will knock the snot out of a stock 3.8 G body every time. I know, I have both versions the 3.8 Buick and 3.8 Chevy engines. (Well, I think the Chevy 229 put out 115 HP big deal.)
Still, for cars of their weight the 3.8's in good condition have adequate performance for driving around. They are not drag racers, no G body ever was in stock form, not even early ones with 350's struggling to fart out 150 HP. Driving around town normally and on the highway, I'm not holding up traffic or anything, and the engines perform so smoothly I hardly notice I'm even driving, they put me to sleep. They are not exciting, but many RWD 3.8's are still out there running. Stock for stock, part for part, the Buick 3.8 was one of the strongest blocks GM offered up in a car. They were used in Indy racing, turbocharged, supercharged, delivered many pizzas, and have endured for three decades in both RWD and FWD forms.
Acceleration: 0-60 in 20 minutes
Top speed: Buries the 85 MPH speedo in my G bodies LOL!
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Still, for cars of their weight the 3.8's in good condition have adequate performance for driving around. They are not drag racers, no G body ever was in stock form, not even early ones with 350's struggling to fart out 150 HP. Driving around town normally and on the highway, I'm not holding up traffic or anything, and the engines perform so smoothly I hardly notice I'm even driving, they put me to sleep. They are not exciting, but many RWD 3.8's are still out there running. Stock for stock, part for part, the Buick 3.8 was one of the strongest blocks GM offered up in a car. They were used in Indy racing, turbocharged, supercharged, delivered many pizzas, and have endured for three decades in both RWD and FWD forms.
Acceleration: 0-60 in 20 minutes
Top speed: Buries the 85 MPH speedo in my G bodies LOL!
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I think I would rather shoot myself in the head than ever deliver another pizza in a 3.8 V6 g body! ( And I did it for 150k miles!!!) Seriously, it is a truly awful engine for anything more than steady state highway driving. Delivering pizza? 14 mpg. Highway driving to New York from Florida? 29-30mpg. It's geared for highway fuel economy and is useless for any other purpose. With a lot of money and effort, you could have a good performing engine out of it, but for the same money and less effort, you can have a 350 Chevy that would be killer.
I was just being a joker 😀
The 3.8 G bodies get a lot of people involved in the hobby. The thing usually at the very least runs until something else can be found to put in.
You are right that going with Chevy SB power is the biggest bang for the buck next step up.
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The 3.8 G bodies get a lot of people involved in the hobby. The thing usually at the very least runs until something else can be found to put in.
You are right that going with Chevy SB power is the biggest bang for the buck next step up.
-UT-
Yeah, I did my research before I jumped in on my swap. I looked for a complete turbo Regal setup from a 86 or 87 initially but it was cost prohibitive. The V6 is lame without the forced induction or 1,500 lbs less weight to haul around. It will go forever if it does not loose oil pressure first. To stop mine from doing so, I ran straight 40 weight with a little gear oil in it to compensate for the low oil pressure. This is due to the typical Buick killer- a worn oil pump body. Aluminum with steel gears is not a recipe for longevity!
As to performance, mine went 0-60 in somewhere between 20 and 23 seconds, depending on the day we tested it. Yeah. Not exactly great for merging into traffic in one of the more congested metropolitan areas in the country. I developed a trick though: Downshift into 1st gear and floor it until it won't accelerate any more, then shift. I did this for years and the engine was surprisingly not dead when I pulled it! I hated it and drove it as such...lol
As to performance, mine went 0-60 in somewhere between 20 and 23 seconds, depending on the day we tested it. Yeah. Not exactly great for merging into traffic in one of the more congested metropolitan areas in the country. I developed a trick though: Downshift into 1st gear and floor it until it won't accelerate any more, then shift. I did this for years and the engine was surprisingly not dead when I pulled it! I hated it and drove it as such...lol
one thing to watch out for when comparing HP numbers--they changed standards and methods. the 3.8 was tested at 110hp 20yrs ago true. the same engine today tests at twice that. thats why the 'vettes were only rated at something like 230hp with a big block. the real number was more like 350-400hp i think. todays rating system is much more accurate.
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