Best engine builder for 3.8T?

G

GoldHawg

Active Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2007
Hi,
I'm a newbie to the turbo buick scene; will likely get my Dad's 87 GN this summer. Its been sitting for several years in a garage, w/lots of upgrades needed/planned. Will likely try to get the existing engine running, but it has 110k miles and has been sitting a while, so I am considering having it rebuilt. I have a couple of LT1 engines, and Chad Golen is almost universally acknowledged as the go to guy for LT1 engines. Is there a similar great source of 3.8L turbo motors? Whats the best bang for the buck in replacement engines?

Thx!!
 
I use Chad for all my engines. He just built me a motor for my 86. 109 block, Cat stroker crank, K1 rods, Diamond Pistons, Total Seal rings, RJC block girdle, ARP studs, etc.

He does have the proper torque plates for our engines.

He has built about a dozen LT1's for me, great guy to deal with.

I wasn't sure at first about having him do my buick motor, but he gave me a great deal since my shop has purchased so many LT1's from him. So far no problems.
 
Zimmerman Racing in Arizona if you have your car and motor with you when your in New Mexico
 
Your best bet is to buy a complete short block and put your upper half on it. It would be much cheaper then building one yourself, and once you transfered over your upper half, list your short block forsale and recoupe some more money. Its amazing how much money you will save going this route. you could buy a decent short between $2000 to $3000, sell your short for $1500 to $1900, and basically upgrade to something better/stronger for a fraction of the cost. Look around, there are lots of guys listing their shortblocks. Its definately one of the best ways to upgrade without spending lots of money. Look around your area or put a post in the wanted section of this board stating what your looking for and how much you want to spend. good luck.
 
RPE engines in CT. 860-953-1342. Bobby builds a lot of kick a$$ Buick engines.
 
Golen's built my Olds 403 for my old 79 T/A. Self destructed in less than 2k miles. Opened it up and everything was set up wrong, wrong wrong. He wouldn't honor his "warrentee" since he didn't open the engine himself even though I took dozens of pictures showing things like wrong oil gallery plugs tapered and hammered into the galleries and pistons hung too tight, hardened valve seats that were never installed (that I paid for), etc. The engine builder that redid it was amazed at the poor work. He might know Chevy's but some monkey put my engine together and it wasn't cheap either. Wouldn't trust him with my Buick thats for damn sure.
Pronto-/403 failure - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Oh, I also had someone install and break-in the engine that used to work for Golen. Golen said if he did the break-in there would no issues with honoring the warrentee because the break in proceedure would be done right.
 
Goldhawg

Goldhawg are you going to be move/stationed here in NM soon. TTypeWhite had a good/wise idea said purchase a short block and bolt up your topend to it and then sell your short block to recoup some cost. Since you will be living in NM one of the Best if not the Best in the Southwest is Nick at AZGN just next door to NM and only 600 miles away from Albuquerque usually has a 109 shortblock built up. He'd be the guy to go to if your stationed here. There are no Buick V6 builders here in NM. When our motor gives up the ghost that's who we will be callin'( Who you gonna call?;)
 
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