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Swapping engines

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dbz09

New member
I recently visited my old boss on a trip back home and he had a present for me around the side of the shop. It was a 97 Regal GS that was hit in the front but motor is completely untouched. The Regal was totaled out by insurance and the owners only want 500 bucks for the whole car. We are wanting to put the supercharged 3.8 in my 2000 Grand Prix GT but I need some info on how the computer swap will work. Placing the Regals PCM into the Grand Prix makes sense but will it cause problems since they aren't the same vehicle? Also I am under the impression that the tranny's are different as well. Is it just the gearing and ratios that are different or is the GS tranny built better to hold the power of the supercharged motor?
 


Start researching "top-swaps" this is essentially removing the LIM & S/C and putting on a N/A engine.

I for one, have never done one... but there are several ppl who have.
 
Welcome to the site! Here's some info on the "top-swap".
1) - Top Swapped 3800 V6 (GT Only) – Don’t cry you non-supercharged guys, there is still hope on how to lay a smack down on a factory supercharged car and that lies within your block. Yup, Compression Ratio. Higher Compression means a few things for you who go the top swap route. One, you will make more power on the same sized pulley as the factory L67 powered car. Two, High Comp. loves boost. It is easier to blow motors with too much boost and high compression but when tuned correctly is a very lethal combination that will beat most cammed and intercooled L67 cars. Here is the thread I would more than advise reading on the Top Swap (There is also a lot of great info in this thread too): http://www.grandprixforums.net/f17/t...lots-7763.html (Top Swap Info and Faqs, Also lots of 3800 Info) . This isn’t the easiest thing to do, nor is the hardest, you do have to tear the block down to the heads. Cost: $700+
Click to expand...

Also I am under the impression that the tranny's are different as well. Is it just the gearing and ratios that are different or is the GS tranny built better to hold the power of the supercharged motor?
Click to expand...
The GS has 2.93 gears, the GT has 3.29 gears. The GS has a HD transmission that is marginally stonger along with heavy duty halfshafts.
 
well here's what my thought process is..... my gt has 220k+ on it and the regal gs has a little shy of 110K on it. i got my gt with 120 on it from an old lady who drove it back and forth from visiting family, then i have ran the piss out of it. The regal gs that is wrecked was also owned by an older couple who more than likely haven't ran the crap out of it and should be in great condition. by doing this swap i was hoping to buy some more time before i buy my dream car, a V8 Grand Prix GXP. I wanted to just do the engine swap and leave my gt tranny in there since it was replaced about 65k ago and has the higher final gear ratio but i'm getting advice that if i go through with the swap it would be easier and better to do a complete motor and tranny swap. I would like to do some minor mod's like a new pulley and pcm but nothing major because i do plan on buying a new gp in a year or so. essentially I am hoping to part out what's good on the GS to pay for installation of the motor/tranny (which my former boss and I will be doing so it should be much) as well as the initial purchase of the car. Thanks for the thread responses!!!
 
Reprogram the PCM. Simple for some, quick and easy.

BTW..if the interior is gray and the cupholder isn't broken, please pm me. I've always got a Regal with a broken cupholder. :th_scratchhead:
 
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