lose the 231 it will never do what you want it to........ as said before the buick 350 is a direct bolt in.... just my opinion scott
One more vote to drop in a Buick 350! Down the road if you are hungry for power bolt on a twin turbocharger kit like I did and then swap to a 2.56 gear and enjoy the low RPM power and fuel mileage of turbochargers!
I'm in Binghamton, NY.....pretty good hike. Price of gas being what it is, a twin turbo SII 3800 would make killer power and still knock down very good mileage. I forget the guys name, but there is a similar Firebird with a TT 3800 on youtube running in the 8's in the 1/4. I think he was dynoed at over 800hp to the rear tires.:bglasses: The Series II 3800 block is so much more improved over the Series I and the earlier 231". If you had any interest, PM or email your number and I'll give a call. Sounds like a fun project either way.
You do make a good point! I smoke Mustangs with my 3800 pound 4 door 99 Buick park Ave. with the Supercharged 3.8 II. It is very reliable, I have driven it 25,000 miles in the past year and not had one issue with it. I average 34 MPG at 80 MPH.
Are mounts the same or at least close from the early 3.8 and the newer one? The supercharged route has intrigued me
I know the S/C 3.8 in the FWD cars wouldn't directly fit in a Firebird/Camaro ( I think they sit to far back in the firewall and the S/C sits too high up) but I always wondered why they didn't go that route with the last gen of those, or why they didn't go the 3.8 Turbo route like a GN. Considering how aerodynamic those cars were add a turbo or SC'd 3.8 coupled with a 6-sp would have made a fun car. :laugh:
With a little brain surgery that should fit. I think the super charger motors will not bolt up to the trans...not sure if they have provisions for block/side engine mounts. Buick 350 with 200R4 or a 455 with a 200R4 will knock back the mileage you are looking for or close...455/TH400 with 2.71 gears would drag 4800+ lb. Electra 225's down the freeway at 70+ and knock back 20 mpg. If you had a stone stock 350 of 455 it would have no issue what so ever, what can be a Q-jet for mileage...uh, nothing? No, fuel injection does not make for automatically better mileage, just better manners (uh, starts really easy when its really cold). If you are concerned with better mileage, most of the X-body cars I have had and parted out had 2.41, 2.23, and 2.71 rear gear ratios, only one had the 3.08. They were all of the 7.5" 10 bolts. I swapped a 8.5" 10 bolt out of a '72 Nova into my '78 Skylark that is 455 Stage 1 with an M20 Munice and a 3.42 posi from a Suburban.... Hmmm, wonder if any other car would offer a bolt in fuel injection baffled tank or a drop in 'fuelie' pump/sender?
Indeed. As wikipedia says it: Though the pre-3800 RWD V6 uses the BOP bellhousing pattern that it inherited from its V8 ancestor, an oddity of both the FWD and RWD 3800 V6 is that although it is a 90 V6, it uses the GM 60 V6 bell housing.
Possibly. I think the slushboxes had integrated (non-removable) bellhousings, so you'd be stuck with that transmission. The manuals had T-5s with a reasonably standardized (I think Muncie-style) bellhousing<->transmission bolt pattern and a bellhousing made for a hydraulic clutch. I used such a T-5 with an older BOP bellhousing on my car. [UJS Links Img] confused4.gif
Hard to argue with experience - I'll change my vote to a Buick 350! :beer Simple, with Gobs of Torque.
One word of warning if you go with the Buick 350,it will bolt right in,using the V6 mounts and brackets,I would use the 350 brackets and motor mounts,a lot stronger and longer lasting..BrunoD.
Yes the T5 will bolt to an old school bellhousing, Ive done it a time or two and have a couple lying around. What I was asking was if the 3800-V6 has the 60deg-V6 bellhousing, couldnt you use an S-10 700R4 to convert a 3800 to RWD. But on this project, I would go 350-SBB:TU:
My 3.8L did have a habit of eating motor mounts...... (all that torque! :laugh I didn't know the 350 ones were different. You definitely can't hurt the frame mounts if stock 350 motor mounts bolt to them, but otherwise it may be something to swap over too down the road if you find you are having motor mount life issues with a 350.
The FWD 3800 has the starter on the wrong side. You can make it work, but you have to cut the bellhousing a small amount to clear.
Some of the mid 80's F-body and S-10 2.8l v6 bellhousings had a dual starter pattern. That would work, as would the 93-02 v6 trannies.
