1980 buick regal sport coupe / 78 3.8 turbo build

[charlief1]

The Q-jet has several different variations to the line. The original one is the M4 carb. The later 3 are the 4M, 4ME and E4ME carbs. The one you want is specific for the carbed turbo cars, whether it's a 301 TTA or a Buick turbo V6 engine. If you look at the stickys there's a post about the carb turbo design carbs that should help you understand the differences.

 

[cowboydan]

the one i need isn't the one i have, and i can't change that. either i find the correct carb (not so easy) or look harder at this carb for mods. at this point, i have yet to tune a carb on a car, so the more reading i'm doing, the more confused i'm getting. if all it is is boost reference to continue running after the throttle snaps shut, seems simple. but i know it's not.

 

[charlief1]

If you look at the stickys there's one about the carb design. If you've got a 4M or 4ME now get a base plate off and E4ME and you can drill the base plate for the power valve circuit. You just drive a tube into the new hole and you've got the right baseplate for the carb.

 

[cowboydan]

im good at finding stuff, around here though, any carb car is getting scarce. i'll talk to a buddy of mine, but he is a jeep guy. i'll bet though Charlie, i have the answer in my shop. i just haven't found it yet. i have read through all the stickies, but i havn't read about how to identify by what ever code they use. looking at all those pictures isn't helping, the hilighted parts are good, but you must forgive my ignorance. i can't pinpoint exactly why i cant use the carb i have, it looks like i could just plug and drill this base, carbs are just one of those things i never had to work on. no amount of reading is helping my understanding. the only reason i'm even entertaining the idea of a carb is because of the vin and the cool factor. i stand a better chance of getting this thing running with efi. i grew up with efi. i bet i could drill the pots and have a 4.3sfi system installed on the 78 turbo intake and running in an afternoon. a carb on the other hand....... guess we'll see when push comes to shove. if it comes to me in my sleep, awsome, if not, i don't care how it runs as long as runs.

 

[1984buickboy]

Nice car, I would try to put it back to the original turbo setup. Or if possible find a 84-87 donor car with good drivetrain and do the swap. Love the rims do you want to sell them?

 

[cowboydan]

Nice car, I would try to put it back to the original turbo setup. Or if possible find a 84-87 donor car with good drivetrain and do the swap. Love the rims do you want to sell them?

thanks, my wife would kill me if i bring another car home. but that really isn't a bad idea.... thanks for that nudge, now i'm dead. really dead. oh and the wheels aren't mine. they are my bros', he will never sell them. he had them on his 71 cutlass. as for what will happen with this engine....it's all still in the air.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

well, i know what its like shipping to canada.............. but I gots a complete turbo carb if you need it.

 

[cowboydan]

i wonder what the shipping would be....lol but i am interested. do you have a bonet for the intake tube? i'm missing that lil piece too

 

[dr_frankenstein]

yea I have that piece as well. do you want to look into shipping?

 

[1984buickboy]

To bad on the wheels, but i could probably help locate the original setup though. i would try EBAY but you would pay a little bit. I gave $700.00 for the setup for my 1981 t-type. Other than that there is a place in arizona that has a ton of these cars. Look under buick GN on EBAY they are selling a photo of cars in their junk yard. I have bought parts from them and they have 78-87 turbo and non turbo cars laying around. Good luck on the build it may take some time but will be well worth it.

 

[cowboydan]

yea I have that piece as well. do you want to look into shipping?

yes. but i just splurged on new water heater. then the old gas mower bit me... i needed a bandaid. so i had to replace that as well. it never ends eh. i'm not whining, just sayin.... that !@#$%^& hurt the wallet, and my thumb!!!!!!!!!!! sorry, no blade action just the severe beating an unsespecting thumb.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

yes. but i just splurged on new water heater. then the old gas mower bit me... i needed a bandaid. so i had to replace that as well. it never ends eh. i'm not whining, just sayin.... that !@#$%^& hurt the wallet, and my thumb!!!!!!!!!!! sorry, no blade action just the severe beating an unsespecting thumb.

dont feel bad, I just about cut the tip of my finger off last night.

god bless super glue

and P.S.
grinders with cut off blades are dangerous.

 

[cowboydan]

grinders and me...... not the best of friends. it is the most avoided tool in my shop.

To bad on the wheels, but i could probably help locate the original setup though. i would try EBAY but you would pay a little bit. I gave $700.00 for the setup for my 1981 t-type. Other than that there is a place in arizona that has a ton of these cars. Look under buick GN on EBAY they are selling a photo of cars in their junk yard. I have bought parts from them and they have 78-87 turbo and non turbo cars laying around. Good luck on the build it may take some time but will be well worth it.

Arizona?? i think i saw that yard on a show. i bet they are the same. can't think of the name..... desert car kings, thats the show.

 

[1984buickboy]

speedway automotive 2300 w. broadway, dept. G Phoexnix, Arizona 85041 (602) 276-0090. No it is not Desert Car Kings but love the show.

 

[b4black]

This post might not make sense. I thought I was replying to the latest post, but it most have been something in the middle.

I don't think there is concern over the '78 short blocks. It's the heads that change from 78 to 79. They went from low port to high port. And the manifolds matched them of course, so if you went to the 1979-87 style heads, you would have some issues there to deal with.

Crossover pipe was shaped like a U, the up-pipe is about 18" long with a bellow in the middle and the down-pipe looks like a big question mark.

I would get a book called V-6 performance by Pat Ganahl. Lot's of good info on the early motors (pre-1983).

 

[cowboydan]

sorry it's been a while. i had some unexpected delays in my project. mainly money. i'm from the have not family.... untill 10 days from now. got some more bad news though. it looks like this build will not be in this forum. right now there is no forum that this car could belong to. i'm not so worried about the whole being buick and a pre nash. it may be a vin approved turbo sport coupe. but it means little being buick sitting derelect. i recomend a buick redo. basically i'm gonna do what buick should have done after the nash in 87. stay tuned. a bunch of ya are gonna be mad. and mad for many reasons. too bad though, it's the car i have, so it's the car that's going under the knife. and when i'm done, you should see nothing but the badest 1980 regal on earth and not because it's fast. quick i'll say, but not the fastest. 10 days and counting

 

[cowboydan]

it's been a while yes i know, but it's like this, i don't like talking too much about my ideas. biggest reason is the why questions i get. i've been buisy with my buick ideas. i don't like carbs. i don't like automatics, and i don't like rwd.... by it's self. i drive a van that is awd, i know what i'm missing. my son got hit by a car a month ago so my dreams almost went up in smoke. he survived and wants to continue this project named ??? the heart if the title ??? is why i havn't been around. i took research to heart and now that i have a plan it seems as though it's kik off time. here is my formula to answer ??? 1980 buick regal, 3.8, super charged, 5speed, awd. now the 3.8 is the long term plan cause i don't want to bite off more than can chew at one time. it starts with a 1998 4dr blazer 4wd. then once i swap the bodies, i will be left with a 4wd regal. then the regal gets lowered, folowed by astro awd system. at this point it will be automatic. but with overdrive and powered by a 4300. it sounds so easy. i know it's not. but awd is cool enough for me. buick should have done this before they dropoped the g body. i'll run the 4300 beauase it's there. but when i get on to the 5spdconversion, the drive line will already be there. they make a conversion for the buick to jeep tranny. it's a 2 piece, and they have an adaptor for my tcase. the frame is alot more narrow on the blazer . so hiding the frame won't be a piece of cake, but worth it. i think i'll keep posting here though cause after all, what else would you do with a 1980 turbo coupe when it's not a GN? worst case is tht i get to go wheeling. my old bronco got pulled out of a mud hole by a guy with a trans am on 44" boggers once so i now i'll fit in somewhere! i already bougt the blazer. i just have to get the 500 bucks from? i sold my old f150. i have found a guy who can get me a seal kit for the t roof. and the blazer donates it's interior. thanks for all the input.