There are couple local salvage yards here with some sc 3800 engines. This one place has an engine(I want to say from a 97 buick regal) that is sc with 97k miles but they give a 6 month warranty on all their engines. It is priced at about $500.

I was curious as to how long one of these engines will last? There is a salvage yard about 200 miles from me that has only 34k on it and is from a grand prix gtp..I believe it is a 2001 model, the one with the sfi. Downside...it is 200 miles away and I would have to either have it shipped or rent a truck and go get it and I think they only offer 90 days warranty. It is about $800.

I'd get the lower mileage one.

I would pay a little more and get one with less miles. Chance are will will not have a problem with either motor, but the chances go up with age and miles. Does the 34K engine come with the wire harness and accesories? For $800 I would think that it would be a good price with harness and accesories..

the $800 is just the engine. All the salvage yards I have called don't sell them in sets, or at least that is not how they are listed. Hell, I can get an engine locally, but there doesn't seem to be anyone locally who sells the transmission, so I would have to go somewhere else for that. That is another upside to going to the one 200 miles away, they also have some transmissions available. I haven't checked about the ecm, but that is listed seperately I know, so even if they have an ecm that is not included in the price.

Hell, if the engine, tranny and ecm all came for $800 I wouldn't even bother wasting time posting about it, I would be already driving there to pick it up.

A stock power 3800sc that has been treated right should last 200,000+ miles. The transmission CAN last that long but they are more sensitive to maintenaince and abuse. For both of them the more power the engine is making the less they are going to last and if the transmission has dealt with 300hp+ its life will be short.

It seems that if you use the 3800SC as built, it is pretty reliable. However, up the boost, go racing and it can blow. We have seen a few forum members blow these engines and perhaps they can chime in and tell you why.

Look for a running car with it. There not that expensive since usually there in a low resale car like a Buick. I sold a Lumina Minivan that was new outside and inside, loaded with everything, ran like new with 3800 and 4 spd auto for $1,000. These days its not unusual at all to be running good with 200K. Buying that way, you know what you got when you start, and you have everything you need on hand.

They blow if you go mod crazy or run to small of a pulley. I see people quick to slap a 3.25 on with just 1.9 rockers, no mods or not enough supporting mods, thats a huge no as KR will be your new friend and evil against you and your pistons.

they can last 250-300k easy, long as the oils changed etc. not beat the crap out of. The motor has been around for ages since the 60's various versions and what not. I've been lurking/posting on clubgp.com for quite some time and have seen many guys over there with 150k and their cars still running strong

I went with a low mileaged one to save me troubles 19k from a bonnie. I'm sure some people will disagree with how long they last, but from my experience and my old beater 85 buick with a 3800 that thing would not die and I tried killing it!

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3800sc Fiero Weeeeeeen... oh excuse me.

I owned a 3800 that made its way into 2 vehicles and it was pulled out of the last one running with over 275,000 miles on it. The only thing that went wrong with it was the magnet in the timing gear for the cam sensor basically wore out (lost its magnatism) so it started throwing cam sensor codes.

As with any engine, these will offer years and hundreds of thousands of miles of trouble free service if you maintain them. Unfortuneately, the 3800 Series II engines have a design flaw concerning the factory-installed gaskets. GM has revised the intake manifold gaskets several times to help prevent a oil and coolant leak issue the earlier versions had. The problem can occur in as young of an engine as one that only has 1000 miles on it and I have seen some not leak for 80,000 miles; it depends on how the engine is cared for. I blame 50% of this issue on gasket design and manufacturing process and 50% on GM's use of Dex-cool which has been shown to EAT PAINT!

If you buy one of these engines I strongly suggest you replace the lower intake manifold gaskets with the latest versions from GM, as well as perform the RTV "fix" (re-seal) GM recommends on the oil pan (if you have an engine with a stamped-steel pan), and replace the valve cover gaskets if they have becomed deformed due to heat BEFORE you install the engine. Not only will this prevent future headaches down the road, but it will also allow you to peek inside the engine to see how it has been treated over its life.

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power corrupts. absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Custom Computer Tuning | Engine Conversions | Turbocharging | www.gmtuners.com

Hi, From personal experience, Spend the $$$ and time and go with the lower mileage engine, make sure it hasn`t set out in the wheather and so on, also if your doing a 3800SC conversion try to get the engine,trans,fuseblock,PCM, harness, moduals, ect, ect, all from the same donor car , if you mix and match your asking for problems . I have had 3800`s pull into my shop with close to 300K on them, and they still run pretty much the same as they did when new, I agree with Darth , change out your intake, vavle cover, oil pan gaskets, Mine where leaking/seeping at below 30K Also you may want to install new water pump, it doesn`t take long from them setting to get that casucating or how ever you spell that , and Roger brought up a good point "have everything you need on hand". Look around on the forums and internet you should be able to find a reptuable place/person to sell you a low mileage set-up for a fair price, if you skimp on price now, you will pay for it later. Nothing like spending a few months of your life on a great conversion, only to find out , you need to start over or sadly sell it off as a unfinshed lost interest project car. Hope it all works out for you .. Good Luck