thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

Well i came to the point of if i want some serious ------- hp go with the buick 3.8 and turbocharging it. I have seen the buicks push more then 1000 hp and i would ------- drool if i had that much hp in my fiero. Since i recently bought a bike i can really go in and take my time taking everything apart and doing it the way i want to. I am seriously considering this ,since i already invested so much time in her, i figure why not make it really worth my while ;D

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

Is the buick 3.8 a bolt in deal or what? Those engines can handle some serious power in stock configuration.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

The 3.8 will bolt in since ,the size isn't much more then my 2.8. I have seen a fiero with the supercharged version run mid 10's easily ,besides they are very good engines.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

How much does a Fiero weigh? More or less than a CRX?
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Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

they weigh around 2600 or 2700 lbs

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

Are you talking about the V6 GN engine?

I saw somewhere in one of my hot rod magazines a company that is selling new blocks that are designed using the original blue prints for GN engines, however they're designed to be more resilient to high horsepower applications. I think for the cast block itself, ran around $3000 or so, I can look it up again if this was the motor you're talking about.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

I love the power delivery of the GN 3.8's.......no power...no power....2500rpm-SLAM..tire smoking torque.. :)

Your Fiero would be a monster....to keep in a straight line ;)

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

it would cost a good bit to get done but i balanced out the price and it would just about be the same if i was to fix up the 2.8. I figure i spend the same amt on a 3.8 but still have a vast future for improvements if i wanted to. As for my 2.8 i can only do so much so that itself is something i don't like , i like alot of options ;) and the buick 3.8 will give them to me.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

Great idea, but use the supercharged 3.8 out of the Park Avenue or the Bonneville, its set up for front wheel drive (rearwheel drive on your Fiero) and is smaller and lighter than the Grand National motor. They are totaly different engines and will not interchange. The only problem I have run into on this swap is finding a trans axle that will take the power, the Fiero GT trans will handle it OK but all the other GM stick shift tranys are for four cylinders or weak six cylinders, and the 3.8 never came with a stick shift, so you have to make a flywheel for it. The 2.8 flywheel won't work, the bolt patern is different, you may be able to use the 3.8 Camaro flywheel.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

If you are going to do the swap get the 3.8 turbo motor because the non turbo motor runs very hot and has ---- for oil pressure and power. I am looking into doing a 3.8 tubo in a mgb

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

I've seen fieros with small block chevs so I'm sure this is easy to do. Try a site called listbyengine.com They have lots of engine transplant projects to look at.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

i was checking with some the guys who have 350's in their fieros which are pushing like 450 hp. Believe it or not but one of the guys snapped like 4 trans and he took one from a beretta and no probs. The 3.8 supercharged is a 3800 ,i have seen these both super and turbocharged and the result is impressive.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

another thought for the trans:

i did a shitload of research when i was going to put a 3.4 DOHC in mine. found out that the gearsets are interchangeable between the isuzu/fiero trans's and the gearboxes in actual isuzu cars- the only difference is that the gears used in GM boxes were tempered differently and weaker because of it.

the other plus is that there is a wider selection of gear ratios. final drives as low as 4.11, and as high as 3.23.

i did some math on the gear ratios in the 4.11 imark gearbox (with the 3.4DOHC in the fiero) and the ratios in the stock fiero getrag 5 spd (with the same engine) and the isuzu trans put down a MINIMUM of 20% more torque in every gear because of the lower gears...

my philosophy was to more efficiently use the power the engine was already making before adding more..

isuzu boxes aren't too hard to come by in yards either..

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

i was just thinking of the isuzu trans to :). As for the lower gears pontiac made a sports edition trans on the 4 banger fieros that had a 4.11 gearing ,my brother just bought one a while back but hasn't used it ;D. Thanks for all the useful info though guys i greatly appreciate it.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

How about the Cadallac northstar V8, 300 HP stock and I have seen them in Fiero kit cars a lot. They also come with a stick shift tranys now, I have seen it on the commercials for the STS. Pick up a copy of Kit Car magazine, there are suppliers for all kinds of Fiero high performance stuff it there, the Fiero is the donor of choice for most of the kit cars out there right now. I have pictures from the kit car nationals in Carlisle PA of three Lamborghini Diablos parked side by side, two kits and one real Diablo, one kit had a Northstar, one had a small block, all three looked the same. If I can find the pics I will post them.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

those northstar engines are pretty good. those bonneviles or whatgever are pretty fast with them :) and they're huge cars

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

---- i would wet my pants if i could go with a northstar .........but they cost so damn much, Just the kit to install them is like 3g's. I seen those engines go for a good price as well , i would love to have one though in my fiero. As for the Kit Car magazine i have a few of them i use for references but the makers are costly ,just cause they use them for lambo and ferrari kits. Its a bitch to find good priced stuff for fieros as well since they don't make them anymore :'(. I have seen a good bit of stuff for them though ,as this being my second fiero ;D.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

dude, i'm tellin ya.. either the 3800IISC with an isuzu trans or custom drop in a turbo 4G63 engine much like this one http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...9/fc8ac019.jpg

imagine, shave 150lbs off the back of the car, add a 16g turbo and bigger injectors... i think you could outrun a northstar pretty easily with half the cylinders..

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

Thats a good point, power to weight ratio would be unbeatable. Doing a cross manufacturer swap is a lot of work and you wind up with a frankenstien monster that you are stuck with for the rest of your life because no one will buy it, just ask the guy I know with the RX7 tt rotory motor in his MGB. At least the 3.8 and the northstar are still GM.

Re:thinking of doing a 3.8 buick swap
 

If i would ever drop another engine besides a GM i would drop a skyliner engine in her ;D. Like custom said it is alot of freakin work to do something like that. I just love the sound of american muscle 8). Im just trying to keep it as simple ,cost / time effective and upgradable for the future if need be. But that is a trick setup though ib that fastback fiero.