you have a regal 3.8 block according to
www.gnttype.org. The question is, did someone just swap the intake? That very block used the 8445 heads, as did most 3.8's of the 83-87 cars. The only real way to tell if it is a turbo block is to drop the pan, and determine if the crank has the rolled fillets. If it does not have the rolled fillets, it is just a N/A, non-turbo that someone swapped out. You should do yourself the favor and tear down that block for good measure!! My bro and I purchased an 84 GN that supposedly had a rebuilt motor...Rod knock when it got home, and seized up that day when loading off the trailer. We did nto pay much for the car, so it was no big deal, but it still sucked to find out the motor is shot. We went out and found another 84 GN with a motor that supposedly had 25,000 miles off a factory rebuild. We pulled the heads to find major scoring in the cylinders, several large pieces missing from the tops of the pistons, and water in the oil pan. To say the least, we were pretty pissed, and got half our money backa nd kept the car.
The positive side is, the company who replaced the motor gladly accepted to work on it, as it was their handywork originally, and offered us a great deal on the price for the total rebuild. My advice is simple: Take the heads off, check the cylinders, check the pistons, check the bearings, check the crank...tear it all down and make sure you are not in the same hole my bro and I are in.
I have made it a point to check out a car before I buy it by doing some simple things...A compression test if the motor is still in the car. Cost nuttin, and can tell you a million things about a motor.
Ask for full documentation if they state the motor is turbo, or rebuilt. If they cannot tell you who rebuilt it, or cannot provide recipts, I would say 50% of the time they lost it and beat on the car, or they did not rebuild it, but cleaned it up or someone else rebuilt it when they bought it and beat on it. lol. I know it sounds pesimistic, but if you sink 1000+ in a motor, I think you would keep your recipts for future reference, ins purposes, and so on.
My heads are in the shop now,a nd I have the initial drop off recipt, and I have the deposit slip, and I have the final cost estimate...That is just for the heads!!!
long and short of it, I may sound like a crazy record keeper or sumthin, but I know I am not the only one who wants to keep all documents related to my car, so that I can stand behind my car, and I can prove that I am not B.S'n just to sell.
Piece of mind i guess.
Call the seller up and ask if it was rebuilt, or what he remembers what the motor has done since it was made! A little research will pay off or tie up loose ends!
John
