BUICK 3800: The best engine EVER!
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: ON/NY
I'm sure I could find plenty of online evidence but I do have non-scientific first hand evidence:
The last of the 90s Devilles I saw on the road were not Northstar powered. I used to always notice that back when there were lots of them on the road years ago.
The old 200hp 4.9 pushrod (pre-Northstar) Mike mentioned was a very solid and reliable motor, but yes outclassed by the DOHC competition by the early/mid 90s which is why the Northstar was developed.
How many miles did your parents' Caddy have on it when they got rid of it?
The last of the 90s Devilles I saw on the road were not Northstar powered. I used to always notice that back when there were lots of them on the road years ago.
The old 200hp 4.9 pushrod (pre-Northstar) Mike mentioned was a very solid and reliable motor, but yes outclassed by the DOHC competition by the early/mid 90s which is why the Northstar was developed.
How many miles did your parents' Caddy have on it when they got rid of it?
Maybe up in Canada's cold climate the Northstar was more dependable. In hotter climates it overheated and blew headgaskets. My former boss at that time had a Caddy with the Northstar that blew the headgasket with only 40k.
The late 80's GM 3.8L motors are excellent engines...but the most remarkable thing about them was how dramatic the improvement from the prior series.
I had an 81 Buick Regal that was the slowest, worst MPG, oil burning piece of ****...I joked they took an OPEC nation off line when it got crushed. Between the poor fuel economy & endless oil I added to it.
Then with the fuel injection & other improvements in the mid 80's the 3.8L became a responsive, excellent fuel economy, reliable motor.
Really night and day difference.
I had an 81 Buick Regal that was the slowest, worst MPG, oil burning piece of ****...I joked they took an OPEC nation off line when it got crushed. Between the poor fuel economy & endless oil I added to it.
Then with the fuel injection & other improvements in the mid 80's the 3.8L became a responsive, excellent fuel economy, reliable motor.
Really night and day difference.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
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From: Maryland
Possible. There also will be cars that never had the issue, but its an extremely widespread issue.
Lexus Test Driver
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From: Long Island
the only 3800 powered vehicle i actually really want is a 1987 grand national / GNX, that's probably the only time it actually made a decent output and was pushing around something that actually looked good
Lexus Champion
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From: Knoxville, TN
I was just talking about its legacy and how it held its own in the day.
And come on, I can name quite a few 3800 powered cars that looked good in their day.
CL Community Team
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From: IL
My Optometrist is the original owner of an '87 Grand national with less than 40k miles, and that thing is awesome. In GNX form, you're talking about a nearly 35-year-old, super comfortable 3800-lb family car that can run a 12.7 second quarter mile in stock trim.
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Moderator
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From: GA
Most annoying thing about that car was the intermittent false-alarm CEL. I got those about once a year and the mechanic would always say there was no actual issue.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Long Island
fair enough 90s GM can make it easy to forget there were some good looking ones back in the day in the 60s and 70s, which also just goes to show how antiquated the engine was by the end of its production run lol
Lexus Test Driver
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From: Long Island
it's such a cool device... just thinking about all that glorious 80s turbo lag gets me all giddy
Lexus Champion
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From: Knoxville, TN
Lexus Fanatic
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Did you check the gas cap? Simply not having it on tight enough (or a worn rubber seal on it) can set off the CEL. That's because there are sensors that detect gas-fumes getting past the cap into the air.
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From: GA
It's been a while. It's possible I wasn't putting the gas cap on right, but it seemed like clockwork, every year I would get a CEL. The mechanic would clear it, and it wouldn't return until the following year. The car only had 60,000 miles when I finally traded it in (inherited from grandmother who barely drove it).
