Heres the whole converstion post from that hot air sticky, I'm leaning towards yes, you would have to get a chip, unless you get lucky and find an dead turbo regal in the yard and get the ecm from that one.
87 ECM Conversion Guide
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Basically you need an 1227148 ecm, a maf and a chip, thats it.
Here is a list of all the cars that used this ecm. FWD 3.8 EFI ECM can be used with a RWD 3.8 Turbo application. It does not have to come out of a TR. It will have 1227148 on a paper tag on the back of the ecm. When your at the junk yard just look at the vin number and it will tell you if the car is the right one. First the 8th character is the engine code and it must be a "3" or a "B" depending on the model of the car. Next look at the 10th character it will be a letter this is the year and you want a "G". All the cars you will be looking for will be 86's on that list and the "G" means 1986. The ecm's are behind the glove box and are fun to get to. I doubt you will find a TR in the junk yard.
You will also need a 86/87 MAF from a Turbo Regal or you can get an LS1 or LT1 maf and a Translator from FULL THROTTLE SPEED - Store Front Page or TurboTweak Home. I have read that the 84/85 mafs do not work very well with the 86/87 ecm.
The other thing the 86/87's have that we don't is a manifold air temperature sensor (MAT). If you want to you can add it, this measures the air temp at the air filter outlet. It will require you to add some wiring and a sensor and Caspers Electronics, Inc. does sell a kit for this. Or you can do the easy thing like I did and just have your chip programmed not to use this sensor because it is really not needed if you are using Eric's version 5.6 chips. If it were anything important Eric would not disable it. This way you don't have to run any new wires and the ecm won't throw any fault codes. His older version 5.5 chips used the MAT sensor for changing your timing and fueling in the programming mode. His new 5.6 chips use the gas pedal for programming.
Then order your chip as per the spec's on your car from TurboTweak Home. The newer ecm will plug in to your existing wiring harness with no modifications. I am still using my 84 ESC and ignition coil module too. The other things needed would be an adjustable fuel pressure regulator, a new fuel pump and hot wire kit because the new chip requires 43 psi of static fuel pressure. Stay away from the fuel pumps on E Bay and get one from one of the reputable sponsors on this board.
ECM pn# 1227148 Here is a listing of all that use it:
1989 PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS AM V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI T Engine VIN = 7
1989 PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS AM GTA SE V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI T Engine VIN = 7
1987 BUICK REGAL GRAND NATIONAL V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI T Engine VIN = 7
1987 BUICK REGAL LIMITED V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI T Engine VIN = 7
1986 BUICK CENTURY CUSTOM V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
1986 BUICK CENTURY ESTATE WAGON V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
1986 BUICK CENTURY LIMITED V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
1986 BUICK CENTURY T-TYPE V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
1986 BUICK CENTURY V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = B
1986 BUICK ELECTRA PARK AVENUE V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = B
1986 BUICK ELECTRA T-TYPE V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = B
1986 BUICK ELECTRA V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = B
1986 BUICK LESABRE CUSTOM V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
1986 BUICK LESABRE LIMITED V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
1986 BUICK LESABRE V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = B
1986 BUICK REGAL GRAND NATIONAL V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI T Engine VIN = 7
1986 BUICK REGAL T-TYPE V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI T Engine VIN = 7
1986 OLDSMOBILE 98 REGENCY V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = B
1986 OLDSMOBILE 98 REGENCY BROUGHAM V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = B
1986 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS CIERA S V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
1986 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS CIERA V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
1986 OLDSMOBILE DELTA 88 ROYALE V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
1986 OLDSMOBILE DELTA 88 ROYALE BROUGHAM V6 3.8L 231cid GAS FI N Engine VIN = 3
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This doesn't really solve all your problems though, The problem you decribed at the begining of this thread could involve the ignition board or the wiring from the ignition board to the ecm, or it could be the ecm. I would check the signal wire form the ignition board to the ecm, I'd check it for continuity and then with the motor running for voltage, see if its broken or even sending a signal to the ecm, that should narrow it down for you.
