3800 guys in here! I need advice

[Wolfman]

I'm picking up a 1986 Fiero GT tonight and planning on swapping motors. School me up on the supercharged 3800s and why I should go with one instead of an LSx

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[1quick]

it would fit better than an lsx, do you plan to leave the motor mostly stock

 

[SleeperLS]

3800's are a easier swap. Solid motors. I would just turbo the stock one and have one fast ass car.

 

[Wolfman]

it would fit better than an lsx, do you plan to leave the motor mostly stock

With an LSx, I'd shoot for mid-400s at the wheels. With the 3800, I have no idea because I don't know what they can do with mods. How reliable are they?

 

[Wolfman]

3800's are a easier swap. Solid motors. I would just turbo the stock one and have one fast ass car.

I've read that its an easier swap because it'll bolt up to the stock 4 speed. I think I want to go with a stronger manual trans though.

 

[1quick]

a stock short block 3800 can handle more power than probably any trans option in that car, but if mid 400's is your goal you will want to turbo the 3800 ranther than leave it supercharged, the bottom end is 6bolt mains in the 3800 so they hold up well to pretty good power levels but 350-400whp is really pushing it on a blower set up you can however do that on low boost with a turbo

 

[SleeperLS]

Right on. If you are willing to do a bit more work to it, ls swaps are never bad and would make that car rip pretty damn fast with a mild set up.

 

[SleeperLS]

I still wouldnt mind picking up a datsun 280zx and 3800 swap it with a turbo. The motors are just solid IMO. Only part of my car that i never had one issue with was the motor.

 

[Wolfman]

a stock short block 3800 can handle more power than probably any trans option in that car, but if mid 400's is your goal you will want to turbo the 3800 ranther than leave it supercharged, the bottom end is 6bolt mains in the 3800 so they hold up well to pretty good power levels but 350-400whp is really pushing it on a blower set up you can however do that on low boost with a turbo

Ok. I'll look into that a bit more then. I didn't realize they were tough motors. Which Series should I look at?

Looks like a lot of guys are running the G6 six-speed.

Right on. If you are willing to do a bit more work to it, ls swaps are never bad and would make that car rip pretty damn fast with a mild set up.

Yeah, I have a good bit of LSx experience. I would use the same setup my vette had before I turbo'd it. Speed Inc SI5 cam with some nice heads and a FAST intake.

 

[SleeperLS]

What kind of power are you wanting from it? You want a fun street car or more of a race car?

 

[Wolfman]

What kind of power are you wanting from it? You want a fun street car or more of a race car?

fun street car. Mid-400s to the wheels

 

[SleeperLS]

Also, the good news about 3800 turbo set ups is that with an appropriate sized turbo there is no lag and it would be a bit more of a sleeper. Ls motors sound nasty with a cam.

 

[SleeperLS]

1quick knows the set ups to easily get mid 400whp. That is pretty reliable for the motors too. Stock motor with some valve springs and rockers with about 10-15 psi will do it nicely if i am not mistaken. But i cant say a NA ls motor would be any less fun.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

that thing would be a fun street car with just a 350hp sc 3800...since it'll pump out 350+ ftlbs of tq, much of that in the midrange

3800 and keep current trans till you get things sorted, by then the g6 swap stuff would be easier to find

 

[Wolfman]

1quick knows the set ups to easily get mid 400whp. That is pretty reliable for the motors too. Stock motor with some valve springs and rockers with about 10-15 psi will do it nicely if i am not mistaken. But i cant say a NA ls motor would be any less fun.

Hopefully he can chime in then. I don't know how to tag people in threads lol

 

[SleeperLS]

[MENTION=917]1quick[/MENTION]. School us

 

[1quick]

you could just change the valve springs and put a double roller timing chain on a stock l26/l36 (any 97-newer n/a 3800) l36 would be slightly stronger but either will work fine for 400whp and build a turbo kit with a smaller turbo and it will easily make 400whp, im not sure on if the off the shelf hot side parts work with the fiero or not, the log headers and crossover might work i dont know what way the motor faces in the car on those, with the turbo set up though as long as you have enough fuel system and the right size turbo you can just keep turning them up when you get bored with your power level

 

[1quick]

the first turbo motor i put together was a 2007 N/A 3800 with 14k miles on it I got for 350 bucks from a junk yard, i left the heads on it with stock gaskets and head bolts threw on 130# valve springs a double roller timeing chain and put a st5 turbo cam in it, the rest of the motor aside from the custom upper intake i had was stock (the stock intake flows better than the one i had) and at that time i just had 80lb injectors and a aromotive 340 intank fuel pump and e85 for fuel system mods, I had a garret to4e t67 and it made 519whp on 17psi

 

[Wolfman]

Well, sounds like thats the way to go for a cost effective, fun car! Thanks!

Now I need to find a 3800 lol

 

[jdredd]

My buddy Tyler with his MP112 3800 setup. Not exactly sure why he went with the MP112
over turbo but did.. Intercooler and a cam.. and on those tiny stock sized tires still
ran i think 11.1's...

If it was mine, i'd gone turbo

 

[Wolfman]

Thats pretty fuckin' sick!

 

[SleeperLS]

The good news is that motors are cheap and easy to find and to work on. I have a set of 1.8 Yella terra rockers still that i would let go for a cheap price since this is a neat project car.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

ktravers stock as fuck bonnie would do 400 trans destroying ponies at the twist of a wrist

 

[RICH17]

I seen a turbo 3800 at Nationals running tens on a stock motor. Had an auto I think tho.

Car was a pile of shit but it was fast

 

[Jfrost]

I'm getting close to finishing an L67 swap with the 4spd manual into an 87 Fiero GT, originally started with an 86 GT. If you go down this same path feel free to ask questions specific to the swap as there a lot of little things you encounter doing it. I have a thread in the members build section too, links in my signature.