my car

[78sportcoupeLTD]

my dad recently bought me a 1978 regal sport coupe........but its different........ok it has the 3.8 liter turbo...w/ the hood and all....but the interior is from the limited.....it has no consol the gear selector is on the column....and it has factory t-tops....i have the original sticker for it.....i have looked all over but i havnt found one like it.....is this a rare car?.........its in decent shape....its all black....no landau top.....paint is faded in sum places.....interior is ok....seats a little worn.....16" ss creager wheels.....after market dual exhaust.......and a k and n...........do u think it was a good deal for $3000.

 

[Ttype83]

I sent $4000 for my 83 with 52k miles on it. pat, (I think) turboRich and myself have limited interiors aswell. Most people don't think that our cars are not worth a lot due to the SFI cars being so much faster. FC227 (Fred) should be changing that, he's running in the high 12's to low 13's

Jim

 

[78sportcoupeLTD]

well i was trying to decide if i wanted to keep it....i mean could it ever have the power potential of an intercooled .....and fuel injected grand national.......?......i really like it soo far tho....

 

[buick83-T]

78sportcoupeLTD well i was trying to decide if i wanted to keep it....i mean could it ever have the power potential of an intercooled .....and fuel injected grand national.......?......

Many people have made the carbed cars run as well as a stock 86-87 intercooled cars.... they have the potenial though to run better than that...already been proven that they can do 12's

 

[78sportcoupeLTD]

but how much money would it be to get it to run as fast as a stock GN?

 

[fc227]

I got it to run in the high 12's low 13’s. I got Set of head's from UnboostedV6 (Greg) 8445 (there was a barter deal there) but find a set of head 1979 or up because these heads are the tall ports, I had them ported and valve job. Cost approximately $600.00.

The engine I assembled but the machine shop cost was around $1800.00, this include everything, forge pistons, cam, etc. They measured every thing, So I just bolted it together, but I did double check clearances.

The hogged out turbo cost my around $700.00

I also installed an 8.5" rear which cost around $650. I did run low 13's on an auburn 7 5/8" carrier with 3.42 gears. However, I was always concerned about it.

I guess all total it was probably around $4000.00 total, But it took me 4 years to do this the way I wanted it done.

How long until you get your license?

 

[turbofish38]

You have a nice car there. Even though they made,I think over 30,000? turbo Regals in 78 there aren't very many surviviors left. The big disadvantage you have is the 78 engines are a one year deal. They have the low port heads as compared to the high port 79 and newers. I think to make the power you are after you need to upgrade to the 79 heads and intake manifold.

Eric Fisher

 

[78sportcoupeLTD]

well when i got the car the motor was bad....it had metal all in it...just little flakes....(ill get to that later).....it ran but had a loud clunking noise.....and the turbo was getting no boost.....soo we found a NA motor from an 82 regal only 50000 miles...put all my turbo stuff on it and yeah....it runs great...but oil leaks all out the back of the turbo....soo this weekend i pulled it off....and the compressor wheel or the turbine whell is all mangled....i dont kno which one it is.......its the one on the right side of the center peice of the turbo...sorry im new to all this and i dont kno all the parts.....but yeah soo that explains the metal pieces in the other motor......soo ne ways it has an 82 motor in it....will i c a power difference w/ that motor compared to the original one?....does ne one kno where i can buy parts for this turbo.....?.........or have ne suggestions of what to do?...thanks..........and by the way i get my license on may 28 2004

 

[b4black]

The '82 NA will have the high port heads and be plenty strong for now.

The next step would be to get some high port intake and exhaust manifolds. Either a 79 (cast) or 80 (aluminum) intake and 79/80 (cast) or 83/85 (tube) exhaust manifolds. I owuld get the 80 intake and 79/80 exhaust.

 

[turbofish38]

If it will help you I do have an intake from a 83 carb-turbo that can be had really cheap. This is just the bare manifold, no plenum or mounting brackets. I also have some misc. items(dist.,Q-jet) from an 83 Riviera that would work on a Regal. But these are all for an ECM controled car so they probally wont help unless you wire it for the ECM. If interested e-mail me at turbofish38@hotmail.com

Thanks,Eric Fisher

 

[78sportcoupeLTD]

turbo fish ......how much r u looking to get for the intake....?

 

[turbofish38]

How about $20.00 plus shipping. Thanks Eric

 

[78sportcoupeLTD]

and ur sure it will work?....i mean u said its just bare...and i have all the stuff to connect my turbo to a 78 intake...but can i connect it to an 83?.........is it in good shape?.........thank u........i would like to purchase it but....i need to ask me dad first.....

 

[78sportcoupeLTD]

im sorry that i have soo many questions ....but...i need to kno if this is gonna work...i found a turbo from sum carbed 3.8...will that bolt to the 83 intake....and will all that bolt to an 82 motor ..inside of a 1978 regal.......?......will i NEED ne other parts?....thank u

 

[Ttype83]

Have you swaped out the turbo stuff??? I only ask because your sig says dual exhuast/cats... if you spit the exhuast off the down pipe your cat should be installed before the spit and you would need only one. This will help with flow.

The 83 intake will bolt to a 82 with no problems. Did you keep the 78 block? you will want the crank if you go for a rebuild.
Want you could do is just replace/rebuild the center section. Use your 78 block and start the build up on that. This way you can drive your car while you build the engine the way you want it JMHO.

Jim

 

[78sportcoupeLTD]

can u explain what u wer talkin about w/ the exhaust...i have no idea what u said...sorry...im new to this....but yeah the guy who installed the 82 motor still has it....i dont kno is i could get it back but maybe....and about the turbo stuff...it should be sent shortly...and yeah...i dont kno what year its form...all i kno is that its from a carbed turbo and its a real good deal....is there ne thing else i can get to get some more power while im doin all this stuff?......thanks everyone

 

[b4black]

All the turbos, intakes, heads and exhaust manifolds interchange, so they will bolt up. But some things change year to year.

Read these pages. They should help you understand.
http://home.flash.net/~rjgeorge/evolution.htm
http://home.flash.net/~rjgeorge/tnotes.htm
http://home.flash.net/~rjgeorge/intakes.htm

Carb/Turbo Buick V6's can be divided into two groups. Pre-ECM and ECM (computer controlled). Your '78 is pre-ECM.

 

[78sportcoupeLTD]

essentially what i have is an 82 motor w/ a 78 turbo system..soo the 83 intake will hook right up no problem....and the turbo will go right on too.....even if sum of the stuff is pre -emc and sum is emc?