Pontiac 3800 Series? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Scorps · 05-08-2004, 12:31 PM

I'm think of getting a 93 or 95..not sure of the year for the car Grand Am, the owner has dropped this thing big time, and it was a engine raise and the a new engine which is the 3800 Series..I need to know if this engine is junk or not...I have heard it is junk but I need another ones in put!

And the guy only wants 400 bucks for the thing.....I was 1500 when this guy bought it but doesn't want it because his mom bought him a 04' Civic.

Hell this thing runs and has no rust....better then that Daytona I bought!

merkerguitars · 05-08-2004, 12:36 PM

They are really really good cars...I used to own a 89 buick lesabre and I got up to 30mpg with it and it was quick (topped it out at about 125mph The only ones that I have been rumored junk are the ones with the plastic intake manifolds..which are on the late 90's cars. Also my friends dad has one with about 260,000 miles on it and still runs like a dream.

mighty mouse · 05-08-2004, 01:48 PM

I have had a good experience so far with my parent's 92 Bonne. Decently quick for a huge 4 door car. Best of all it gets 40mpg on the highway, about 20 in town. It has 90,000 miles on it and has not needed anything but regular maintenance and an alternator. If the car is put together well and the engine taken care of it shoud be a nice car.

WarWagon · 05-08-2004, 04:50 PM

Nothing wrong with the 3800 motors, they get their bad rap from the former use of a plastic intake manifold which always cracked.

MSD · 05-08-2004, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WarWagon
Nothing wrong with the 3800 motors, they get their bad rap from the former use of a plastic intake manifold which always cracked.

and completely destroyed the top end.

Gotta love that, I have the 3100, and it gets less than half the economy of the 3800

irseg · 05-08-2004, 08:17 PM

Did they ever come up with an updated design for the plastic intake? That was so stupid of GM to ruin the reputation of an otherwise excellent engine to save a few cents.

Scorps · 05-09-2004, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by WarWagon
Nothing wrong with the 3800 motors, they get their bad rap from the former use of a plastic intake manifold which always cracked.

damn nice...If it does have a plastic intake I will take the money to have a aluminum/cast iron one put on!

This engine is got like a 6 or 5 spd tranny...so I have heard, just need to get this guys number so I can go take a look at it this weekend

DEI37 · 05-09-2004, 06:39 PM

Something sounds off about this. The Grand Am never had the 3800 V6. If it is a V6, then it won't have a manual transmission, either. GA's powered by V6's had either a 3 or 4 speed automatic. The Quad4's had a five speed manual as an option. Get some pictures of this thing. I'm curious as to what is going on with this vehicle.

Jackebear · 05-10-2004, 02:11 AM

Sounds like he put a 3.8L in to the Grand Am. If so...nice. Either way that 3.8L engine is one of the best, most reliable engines ever made. During the 90's, most, if not all the big 4 door Pontiacs and Oldmosbiles had them. In that time, I had a Pontiace Bonneville and Oldmobile Delta 98. Great cars that gave me over 300,000km each.

Scorps · 05-10-2004, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DEI37
Something sounds off about this. The Grand Am never had the 3800 V6. If it is a V6, then it won't have a manual transmission, either. GA's powered by V6's had either a 3 or 4 speed automatic. The Quad4's had a five speed manual as an option. Get some pictures of this thing. I'm curious as to what is going on with this vehicle.

This thing is modded to the nuts.

It is dropped like 2 inch's or more, and he did swap the engine..there was a 3100 Series in it last time I saw it, but I have heard from friends of his that he dropped a 3800 in it, with I believe a 6 spd trany...man this car will move if I can get it

merkerguitars · 05-10-2004, 08:25 AM

gm did make a 3.3L engine that looks exactly identical to a 3800 series engine......and I know for a fact, that engine did come in the grand am's

Scorps · 05-10-2004, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by merkerguitars
gm did make a 3.3L engine that looks exactly identical to a 3800 series engine......and I know for a fact, that engine did come in the grand am's

that might have been in the car before but I heard they dropped a 3800 series in it!

merkerguitars · 05-10-2004, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pain Train
that might have been in the car before but I heard they dropped a 3800 series in it!

Well if thats the case the swap would be relatively easy...just swap computers and engine....so I wouldn't expect it to be to much of a hash job.

DEI37 · 05-10-2004, 03:10 PM

Yeah, that's true. If it was a '95, it was a 3100, but yes, the 3300 was in the GA. Problem is, GM doesn't have a speed manual front wheel drive transmission. They've got five speeds, yeah, and I'd bet that's what he used. Either way, get you some pics, and post them on this board! AT ONCE!!!

silent_jay · 05-10-2004, 06:10 PM

PT you just won't learn your lesson, the car may be "modded to the nuts" but for 400 bucks I highly doubt it's a good job, I mean it's 400 bucks don't expect much from it, I rank it right along side of the Daytona sorry dude.

RaDiAn · 05-11-2004, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mighty mouse
Best of all it gets 40mpg on the highway, about 20 in town.

Is 40 mpg possible? I wish mine did this...........

Scorps · 05-11-2004, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by silent_jay
PT you just won't learn your lesson, the car may be "modded to the nuts" but for 400 bucks I highly doubt it's a good job, I mean it's 400 bucks don't expect much from it, I rank it right along side of the Daytona sorry dude.

The thing is his mom bought him a brand new 04' Civic so he just wants to get rid of this car....

irseg · 05-11-2004, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pain Train
The thing is his mom bought him a brand new 04' Civic so he just wants to get rid of this car....

Well if it's worth more than $400, why isn't he trying to get more out of it? I can understand pricing it low to sell it quick, but $400 is awfully cheap.

I bet the real story is that it's an unsafe hack job that doesn't run right, and his mom bought him a car on the condition that he'd stop messing with the Grand Am and get rid of it right away.

james t kirk · 05-11-2004, 04:44 PM

I have a 97 3800 with a plastic intake manifold.

It cracked, flooded the crankcase with coolant while on the Highway and destroyed the engine.

Thanks alot GM. I had no idea of this problem till it happened to me.

As far as I am aware, there is no aluminum replacement out there.

I ended up suing GM over this in small claims court. Received a confidential settlement which helped cover the costs.

But still, I would never recommend the 96 and up 3800 to anyone. It will bite you in the butt.

I heard they changed the design in 2004 but I could be wrong.

TransAm-LT1 · 05-11-2004, 08:16 PM

Being a Pontiac Fanatic (Trans-Am and turbo-1999 grandamse) I dont think it's got what he's saying is under that hood. Non of the V6 Pontiacs have manual transmission, there all 4-speed automatics. Now the 4 cyclinder Grandams have 5 speed manual transmission options. My old daily drive was a 95 grandam se, 3100 sfi and has 200,000 miles on the odometer so there reliable, but who ever owns this car really doesnt know what's going on with it. And any one with a torch can drop a car 2 inches.

irseg · 05-11-2004, 08:38 PM

PT, I'm thinking you might be best off buying a new Honda or something and being done with it. I'm not so sure of these buddies of yours and their super cheap cars that they are so eager to offload on you.

silent_jay · 05-12-2004, 06:21 AM

sounds like they keep fishing, and he keeps biting

Scorps · 05-12-2004, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by irseg
PT, I'm thinking you might be best off buying a new Honda or something and being done with it. I'm not so sure of these buddies of yours and their super cheap cars that they are so eager to offload on you.

I'm not getting it, just hope I can find a 4 door with a 3800. I talked to a buddy of the guy that lowered it first..and he said all he did was replace struts all the time...and he said the original owner drove the piss out of it....why do I always want to buy peaces of shit?

My buddies uncle works at a dealership and has a 96 Ford escort for $3500, now that a deal!

05-08-2004, 12:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
Scorps Lost!! Location: Kingston, Ontario	Pontiac 3800 Series? I'm think of getting a 93 or 95..not sure of the year for the car Grand Am, the owner has dropped this thing big time, and it was a engine raise and the a new engine which is the 3800 Series..I need to know if this engine is junk or not...I have heard it is junk but I need another ones in put! And the guy only wants 400 bucks for the thing.....I was 1500 when this guy bought it but doesn't want it because his mom bought him a 04' Civic. Hell this thing runs and has no rust....better then that Daytona I bought!

05-08-2004, 12:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	They are really really good cars...I used to own a 89 buick lesabre and I got up to 30mpg with it and it was quick (topped it out at about 125mph The only ones that I have been rumored junk are the ones with the plastic intake manifolds..which are on the late 90's cars. Also my friends dad has one with about 260,000 miles on it and still runs like a dream. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

05-09-2004, 06:39 PM	#8 (permalink)
DEI37 Go faster! Location: Wisconsin	Something sounds off about this. The Grand Am never had the 3800 V6. If it is a V6, then it won't have a manual transmission, either. GA's powered by V6's had either a 3 or 4 speed automatic. The Quad4's had a five speed manual as an option. Get some pictures of this thing. I'm curious as to what is going on with this vehicle. __________________ Generally speaking, if you were to get what you really deserve, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

05-10-2004, 02:11 AM	#9 (permalink)
Jackebear Insane	Sounds like he put a 3.8L in to the Grand Am. If so...nice. Either way that 3.8L engine is one of the best, most reliable engines ever made. During the 90's, most, if not all the big 4 door Pontiacs and Oldmosbiles had them. In that time, I had a Pontiace Bonneville and Oldmobile Delta 98. Great cars that gave me over 300,000km each. __________________ Life's jounney is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn-out shouting, "Holy sh*t! What a ride!" - unknown

05-10-2004, 08:25 AM	#11 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	gm did make a 3.3L engine that looks exactly identical to a 3800 series engine......and I know for a fact, that engine did come in the grand am's __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

05-08-2004, 01:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
mighty mouse Crazy	I have had a good experience so far with my parent's 92 Bonne. Decently quick for a huge 4 door car. Best of all it gets 40mpg on the highway, about 20 in town. It has 90,000 miles on it and has not needed anything but regular maintenance and an alternator. If the car is put together well and the engine taken care of it shoud be a nice car.

05-08-2004, 04:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
WarWagon Loser	Nothing wrong with the 3800 motors, they get their bad rap from the former use of a plastic intake manifold which always cracked.

05-08-2004, 08:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
irseg Junkie Location: Florida	Did they ever come up with an updated design for the plastic intake? That was so stupid of GM to ruin the reputation of an otherwise excellent engine to save a few cents.

05-10-2004, 03:10 PM	#14 (permalink)
DEI37 Go faster! Location: Wisconsin	Yeah, that's true. If it was a '95, it was a 3100, but yes, the 3300 was in the GA. Problem is, GM doesn't have a speed manual front wheel drive transmission. They've got five speeds, yeah, and I'd bet that's what he used. Either way, get you some pics, and post them on this board! AT ONCE!!! __________________ Generally speaking, if you were to get what you really deserve, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

05-10-2004, 06:10 PM	#15 (permalink)
silent_jay Her Jay Location: Ontario for now....	PT you just won't learn your lesson, the car may be "modded to the nuts" but for 400 bucks I highly doubt it's a good job, I mean it's 400 bucks don't expect much from it, I rank it right along side of the Daytona sorry dude. __________________ Absence makes the heart grow fonder

05-11-2004, 04:44 PM	#19 (permalink)
james t kirk Junkie Location: Toronto	I have a 97 3800 with a plastic intake manifold. It cracked, flooded the crankcase with coolant while on the Highway and destroyed the engine. Thanks alot GM. I had no idea of this problem till it happened to me. As far as I am aware, there is no aluminum replacement out there. I ended up suing GM over this in small claims court. Received a confidential settlement which helped cover the costs. But still, I would never recommend the 96 and up 3800 to anyone. It will bite you in the butt. I heard they changed the design in 2004 but I could be wrong.

05-11-2004, 08:16 PM	#20 (permalink)
TransAm-LT1 Upright Location: Edmond. OK	Being a Pontiac Fanatic (Trans-Am and turbo-1999 grandamse) I dont think it's got what he's saying is under that hood. Non of the V6 Pontiacs have manual transmission, there all 4-speed automatics. Now the 4 cyclinder Grandams have 5 speed manual transmission options. My old daily drive was a 95 grandam se, 3100 sfi and has 200,000 miles on the odometer so there reliable, but who ever owns this car really doesnt know what's going on with it. And any one with a torch can drop a car 2 inches.

05-11-2004, 08:38 PM	#21 (permalink)
irseg Junkie Location: Florida	PT, I'm thinking you might be best off buying a new Honda or something and being done with it. I'm not so sure of these buddies of yours and their super cheap cars that they are so eager to offload on you.

05-12-2004, 06:21 AM	#22 (permalink)
silent_jay Her Jay Location: Ontario for now....	sounds like they keep fishing, and he keeps biting __________________ Absence makes the heart grow fonder