GnatGoSplat Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 The GM Gen III V8's are the best engines ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutlassdude96 Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 i agree about the small block Chevy 350; i have had 2 of them and they both ran great after 200,000 miles despite crap gas mileage (shitty CCC Q-jetts). one was an '85 LM1 (from a 9C1 Impala) and had 240,000 miles when i sold it with my old Malibu. the other was an '88 LM1, also from a 9C1 Caprice. the LO5? (TBI) and the later iron headed LT1 9C1 Impala/Caprice SS were great also. i guess i like those police car engines..... i have never owned any Buick V6 engines, but i can say the 3.8L Chevrolet V6 that came originally with my Malibu was a crap engine - i later swapped in my '85 Impala 9C1 drivetrain (with it's 700R4 which never had any problems). the think the Chevy 60' V6 is great despite it's generation. my '91 MPFI 3.1 has 211,000 miles and still runs very strong. i have yet to see what my '90 LG5 TGP engine runs but it ended up in the salvage yard with a bad turbo and the owner abondoned it, so i'm hoping the engine still runs strong :? the Turbo STE insturment cluster that i got the engine from read 111,000 miles. i pretty much don't like any engine made before '88 or so. it HAS to be port fuel injected and computer controlled with abilty to modify the chip. all hail the TPI L98. joshua that 3.8 (231) in your Malibu was a Buick engine and it was crap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 I agree, the LS1/LS6 and newer Vortec Series (which is based on the LS1/LS6 if I'm not mistaken) are the best 8-cylinder OHV engines GM has ever made overall. Outstanding performance, surprisingly good fuel economy, easy maintenance and unquestionable reliability. You simply can't go wrong with these new engines... Now I just hope that the new "global" 3.6L DOHC 24-Valve V-6 will be as good. The GM Gen III V8's are the best engines ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 that 3.8 (231) in your Malibu was a Buick engine and it was crap nope sorry there were two different 3.8's offered. mine was the 229ci Chevy V6 which was basically a SBC 305 minus two cylinders. joshua Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89oldscutlass Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 If im not mistaken the 2.8s in the s10 is different design from the fwd 2.8. I know they wont bolt to our trannys. The cutlass cierra fwd came with the carb 2.8 with distributors as well as some of the early 80s buick fwd. V6 wise I think the 3800 is the best fwd V6 and the 4.3 is the best rwd V6 GM has made. For the V8s small block wise hmm well you got to build you a good one from the parts from a bunch of them,350 block,327 double hump heads with 202 valves,400 crank etc etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89oldscutlass Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 Why is everyone so hard on the 305 its not a engine for racing but there good little engine for a every day driver mines got 156k on it and yes im in the process of building a 383 stroker for the Monte but my little 305 still runs good and I really cant complain about it other then the lack of hp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 it's big problem is the small bores and small valves (hard to breathe). it's not a bad engine, but considering there are so many other SBC's to choose from, well, the 305 would be the last on my list. besides, for the most part they were low HP smog engines. joshua Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 I don't think there's anything wrong with the 5.0L HO V-8 in the late model Iroc-Zs and GTAs. I don't know much about any other 305cid V-8 you might be referring to. Why is everyone so hard on the 305 its not a engine for racing but there good little engine for a every day driver mines got 156k on it and yes im in the process of building a 383 stroker for the Monte but my little 305 still runs good and I really cant complain about it other then the lack of hp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 there were two late 80's HO 305 engines - the CCC Q-jet L69 and i think that engine actually had bigger valves than the regular 305 LG4. the LB9 TPI 305 was the best 305 IMO for obvious reasons (a baby TPI L98). i think that was the last HO 305 made, i think the last 305 of all was the TBI L03 Caprice engine in the early '90s but i could be wrong. oh yeah, the 305 wouldn't be the worst on my list of SBC engines; i would reserve 'the worst' for the 265, 267, and 262 versions of the SBC. joshua Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomshado Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 if I had to pick some good engines, I'd say the 2.0L 4 cyl is a good engine for a poor college student, or an 85 year old woman. The 3.1 in my 89 olds was a bit testy, but it ran to 210xxx miles with negligable care and work, I have a 3100 in my 94 cutty, and its goddammed fantastic, smooth, powerful, efficient, a true winner all around. 68 olds 455, sweet, not a racer in the cutlass convertable (frame too big) but its sweet for picking up bar skanks. New 350 vortec, sweet, L67 in the olds intrigue, thats a nice marriage. (Come to think of it, there are a lot of Olds in my family.) As for the 3.3, its reliable, but not a fun drive. Shitty engines: 1500cc, carburated inline four (came in an 88 Nova) It was a lawn mower with go kart wheels. L36, laundry list of problems. Seen a 99 intrigue in 4 times for, ignition, exhaust, water ump, and alternator. Whatever they threw into the 97+ sunfires. Ewww. Thats just wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbit_69 Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 what about the 3.5???? The "Short Star" ??? i wanted to drop one of those in my Lumina... think it would fit ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolt_Crank Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 the 1993 5.7L (350) in our Chevy Suburban is my fav. engine, we get 25MPG on the highway with that baby, and it's bone stock, with like 110km/s on it, purrs like a kitten (though, idles low, and my dad refuses to let me fix it... he's out of town though, so I'll probably do that sometime tomorrow, but yeah.... it keeps up pretty decently to a Z, and for some reason, when I drive the Sub, I can out manuvre at late 70s T/A, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 The L67 is the Supercharged 3800 Series II, I don't think that engine ever came into the Olds Intrigue, but the naturally aspirated 3800 Series II did. Funny, you mention the L36 for having problems, that's probably GMs most bulletproof V-6 engine of the mid-90s to present. New 350 vortec, sweet, L67 in the olds intrigue, thats a nice marriage. L36, laundry list of problems. Seen a 99 intrigue in 4 times for, ignition, exhaust, water ump, and alternator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 Funny, you mention the L36 for having problems, that's probably GMs most bulletproof V-6 engine of the mid-90s to present. New 350 vortec, sweet, L67 in the olds intrigue, thats a nice marriage. L36, laundry list of problems. Seen a 99 intrigue in 4 times for, ignition, exhaust, water ump, and alternator. The problems that he listed are all peripheral. If peripheral problems like water pumps, ignition, and alternators makes for a bad engine, then that makes my 2.8 and 3.1's the worst engines EVER. IMO, I don't count peripheral problems, although my Gen III V8 has never even had a peripheral problem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomshado Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 L67 could be ordered for the intrigue for the first year and a half of production, or that is the best of my knowledge on the matter. And peripheral problems aside, Gen 2 engines are amazing. Although, come to think of it, my 89 went through three alternators in about 16 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox340 Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 L67 could be ordered for the intrigue for the first year and a half of production, or that is the best of my knowledge on the matter. Umm... no. You're maybe confused with the L36. The Supercharged 3.8L Series II [L67] motor was never available in the Intrigue. - Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbtk2 Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 L67 could be ordered for the intrigue for the first year and a half of production, or that is the best of my knowledge on the matter. The L67 is the Supercharged 3800. I think you are confusing the L36 (the naturally aspirated Series II 3800) for the L67. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutlassdude96 Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 98 Intrigue 3.8, 99 3.8 GX, GL models, 3.5 GX, GL, GLS models Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 i beat a '00 Intrigue 3.5 DOHC by a nose with my n/a 3.1 MPFI V6 up to 50mph @ 205,000 miles. it probably would have past me at around 55mph, but still - i wasn't impressed with that engine - i thought that car would waste me. joshua Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 Yeah, when I mention "best" engines, I mean strictly the engine itself. To me, the qualifications for an excellent engine are: -High Reliability -Easy Maintenance -Decent Fuel Economy -High HP/Torque Output My first W-Body had a 3.1 MPFI and it had many peripheral problems. I think the only part of the engine that died out was a fuel injector or two. The problems that he listed are all peripheral. If peripheral problems like water pumps, ignition, and alternators makes for a bad engine, then that makes my 2.8 and 3.1's the worst engines EVER. IMO, I don't count peripheral problems, although my Gen III V8 has never even had a peripheral problem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 I agree. As far as I know, and according to MSN Car Point, the Intrigue first came with the L36 or 3800 Series II, then eventually came with the 3.5L Shortstar. I have no idea what the RPO for the 3.5L Shortstar is, but I'm almost 100% certain that the Intrigue never came with the L67 or Supercharged 3800 Series II. L67 could be ordered for the intrigue for the first year and a half of production, or that is the best of my knowledge on the matter. Umm... no. You're maybe confused with the L36. The Supercharged 3.8L Series II [L67] motor was never available in the Intrigue. - Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gimp19 Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 I like my 5.7L 350 LT1 of course I've hear 300,000miles is the average life of those engines and mines only go 60,000. Other then that I like the GN 3.8 and the classic big and small block Chevies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hippie Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 Yeah, when I mention "best" engines, I mean strictly the engine itself. To me, the qualifications for an excellent engine are: -High Reliability -Easy Maintenance -Decent Fuel Economy -High HP/Torque Output Given those criteria then the 1967 Pontiac Premium Fuel 400cid 2 Bbl. (10.75 to 1) was one of the best. I had one in a 4 Dr. Catalina, 21 honest MPG's in a 4200 Lb. barge with bias ply snow tires, AC on MAX, cruisin' at 65 MPH. It would bury the 120MPH speedo in a little over a 1/4 mile and light the right rear tire from a 10 mph roll. The only problem they had was that Pontiac installed a nylon top timing gear. Mine had had the steel replacement gear installed early in it's life. At around 106,000 miles I hit an embankment with it and totalled the body. A friend of my fiance's Dad bought it, pulled the motor and stuck a new cam, lifters and timing set in it, slapped a '65 Tri Power set up on it and dropped it into his '65 GTO Conv. I last saw him about 7 years later and the old 400 was still goin strong and had about 175,000 on it. I never touched that motor in the 2 years I had it, the only time I ever opened the hood was to give one of my friends a jump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted August 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 How long does the 3.8L Series I last? Because I saw about 3 cars with 250k-300k km at the junkyard and I started them up and they ran perfectly. How does the 3.8L Series II last? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbtk2 Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 How long does the 3.8L Series I last? Because I saw about 3 cars with 250k-300k km at the junkyard and I started them up and they ran perfectly. How does the 3.8L Series II last? They last for freaking ever. We have had a few Series I 3800's until right around 200,000 miles, and they still run VERY VERY VERY VERY good with that many miles, but we usually get rid of cars at about that many miles because everything other than the engine on the car is worn out by then. (Suspension, Interior, Exhaust, etc...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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