just got thinking about this, buick grand national 3.8 liter engine in our bonne. would it work.

if you go with hthe carbeurated older engine you would not need a computer, more parts available, any ides on this???

What carbureted older engine? They all had an ECM. Even the first year. They were all fuel injected.

And if you do, you want the 88 or newer with the better turbo and the intercooler. Why you'd go that route instead of just adding a turbo to what you have, I don't know. Alot depends on your budget I suppose. That'll determine if you go after such a drastic spendy change or not.

well i found an 85 buick grand national turbo complete engine all assecories for about 800 bucks, turbo for our cars run like 3000 bucks

or would it be possible to take the turbo, exhaust manifold, and down pipe off then try to custom fit it to our engines? how would the pcm react, would you have to reprogram it?

85 is the slowest of the GN'*. And the least efficient (or smaller, I don't recall) turbo. Nobody wants an 85.

Your PCM would have to be custom tuned from the ground up. You have the bastardized hybrid 94/95 OBD1/OBD2 PCM.

None of the piping will 'bolt up'. None of the manifolds will bolt up. The only components you could use are the air-air intercooler which the 85 GN never even got, and the turbo itself. By the time you're done, you'll be in 3k and have a headache.

haha thats what i thought (the headache part). thanks

If you had the Series 1, the manifolds might bolt up better with slight mods. But it'* still RWD vs. FWD.

This is an interesting comment, and makes me wonder. I have the opportunity to get an complete 86 GN (albiet very rusty) and this might be something worth trying if I go through with it. I always thought they were completely different.

Deck height is identical. Valve lift too. Same preferred springs, same pushrods, same lifters, same PORT spacing (critical). I don't know if the exhaust studs are in the same location.

Look at a GN motor. You'll see the same odd valve stagger as the S1. That'* the giveaway.

When I selected my 105 springs last winter, I found out two weeks later that the GN guys go to the same exact spring. And it'* not pure coinciedence. The 95 and newer L36 and S2 L67 are too much changed. But the S1 is truly a direct descendant. Even the spring install height is exactly the same.

1.72" on the nose.

Interesting, eh? I've been keeping it a secret all this time because there'* so much benefit to it and I don't want anyone getting a leg up on me.

And on the serious side, there'* actually zero benefit to it at all. Automotive technology improves every year. But you can't put GN power on a 4T60E or 4T65E trans without a serious investment, so it'* all of no consequence or advantage, really.

The actual Grand National did, but the earlier T-Type and Limited T, as well the LeSabre Turbo, both had carbed engines, and could be had with a choice of two and four barrels.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Regal

A lot of clone GNs and GNX'* are made with these earlier cars, and the lazier builder'* keep the older top end.

so the series 2 would not work at all? or are the exhasut ports the same location as the GN