This page will show the steps I took to put in my new motor.
Quick links to my pages
Home page
My Modifications
What She looked like when I got her
American Custom Coachworks History
How the car was made into a convertible
1980 Hot Rod Article
Other X-Body Convertibles
Skylark Literature
Why rebuild this car?
Parts that I'm looking for
My new motor is a GM 3.8L V6. This replaces my 2.8L.
A little rough comparison of performance specs:
Old / New
Horse Power: 115 / 150
Torque: 150 / 200
I hope to have this in time for the Buick Club of America National meet in 2008 in Flint MI. BCA
I'm really only missing one thing to really start the swap now an A-Body Engine Cradle with control arms. The 80, 81 X-Body Cradle will not work due to the exhaust routing, but the 82-96 A-Body cradle is an almost direct bolt in. (you have to bump in a section of the tunnel)
My plan is to use the stock TH125 Trans, and use the stock wheel hubs. This will let me use the new Axles I have. It should also allow me to keep the insturment cluster and not have to swap in an A-Body. The only signal from the Trans that the 86 ECM uses is the Park/Neutral switch and the speed sensor. I already have the P/N and I could just skip the speed sensor because the 86 ECM only uses that to conbtrol the Torque Converter. However there is an in-line speed sensor that I can get from a late 80's early 90's cavalier that will work. The bigest advantage with the 86 ECM and motor for this swap is that it's pretty much self contained. The engine pretty much just talks to itself. Unlike a 3800 swap that requires significant mods to the programming to work. Plus because the 3.8 was a stock option on 84-88 Ciera's and Century's and the engine compartments are nearly identicle this swap should be much easier.
This is what I've purchased so far:
86 3.8 ECM, Ignition Module
82 Skylark Steering Rack (should still fit my column, the newer A-Body's don't)
86 Century 3.8 Starter
86 Century 3.8 Flexplate
86 Century ECM
I've also yanked the mounting brackets and harness from an 88 Ciera with the 3.8 heres some pictures from the donar car
