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History lesson 3800 v6 owners
- Thread starter jphanna
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jphanna
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Wikipedia, the best source of information on the net, because you can edit anything to make it your opinion
Wiki is only one of the sources of this fact. (not opinion). it has been noted in many other book references over the years and i used wiki as a reference on thisd occassion so it is easy for you to check out the history in a one stop shop.
if you can prove me wrong by using any other means, i will stop posting on this forum. how much time do you want?
Calaber
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I have a sneaking suspicion that the entire Wikipedia entry could be incorrect. The Buick alloy V8 was only used in the states for a few years before the patents to it were sold to Rover, who introduced it as a 3.5 litre alloy V8 in the mid to late 60's in a model which was quite common in Australia. It was updated but remained at 3.5 litres and came out in the Rover 3500, which had a terrible reputation for quality, in the early 70's. The Buick version of the motor was used successfully by Repco and Brabham around 1965 in F1.
That motor was adopted by British Leyland and increased in capacity to 4.4 litres and came out in the P76 in Australia. This was the only 4.4 litre version of the engine released.
I don't think the Buick V6 had any relation to that engine. I seem to remember that Buick had a cast iron V6 around 1964 nicknamed the Iron Duke and that is the engine the Holden 3.8 was based on. According to the book "Project VN", put out at the time of the VN's release, the engine dated from a 1962 design for a V6, (which fits with the 1964 release).
I think it's highly unlikely that an early 60's alloy V8 design would be so modified that it ended up as a cast iron V6 a couple of years later.
That motor was adopted by British Leyland and increased in capacity to 4.4 litres and came out in the P76 in Australia. This was the only 4.4 litre version of the engine released.
I don't think the Buick V6 had any relation to that engine. I seem to remember that Buick had a cast iron V6 around 1964 nicknamed the Iron Duke and that is the engine the Holden 3.8 was based on. According to the book "Project VN", put out at the time of the VN's release, the engine dated from a 1962 design for a V6, (which fits with the 1964 release).
I think it's highly unlikely that an early 60's alloy V8 design would be so modified that it ended up as a cast iron V6 a couple of years later.
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there have been many block revisions since way back when, so the ecotec is still a descendant. we took the motor from the yanks, who were using it in a FWD setup, hence the crappy position of things like the thermostat in the VN s1 and the L67.
the yank L36 that the ecotec was built from, has been used in camaros and firebirds in a RWD setup wtih a front mounted throttle body. its one manifold im surprised no one has imported and played with yet.
http://www.zorly.com/images_camaro/gen4_gallery/3800 Series II 3.8L V6 (L36).jpg for big resolution pic
thats not a bad idea, however would require more then just he manifold, looks like oyu would need to get the enite accesories brackets also. modify the cooling system and alter the TB to work properly. do you know what sort of power this makes in factory form?
jphanna
New Member
Absolutely correct about brithish leyland using the motor initially as 3.5, but the iron duke was used in 70's and 80's gm cars. it was also a L4 as well as a V6 (from a quick scan on 'IRON DUKE'). Maybe when GM renamed it the iron duke in the 70's? take a close look at the making of the V6 from the 60's, and its roots in the V8 are unmistakeable.
It is one of the most interesting engine history stories i know and especially with Jack Brabham using the stock V8 block to win the F1 crown with. My first interest in this engine began in the early 90's when i read an article that suggested that the Buick fireball V8 was based on a disguarded BMW 507 (failed sports car from 1950's) that had a 3.2 PUSHROD V8. i have tried and tried to dig up confirmations on this fact or speculation for over 10 years and have failed. look at the bore and stoke of the 2 motors and its not much in it.
STEALTHY™
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I never said your information is wrong. I said it has the opportunity to be wrong, because anyone (just like cobez just showed) can go and edit it to say whatever they want!
A certain member here always edited wiki, and guess what, he always seemed to have 'proof' of what his opinion was
jphanna
New Member
I never said your information is wrong. I said it has the opportunity to be wrong, because anyone (just like cobez just showed) can go and edit it to say whatever they want!
A certain member here always edited wiki, and guess what, he always seemed to have 'proof' of what his opinion was
its cool mate.
this motor interests me more than the small block chev, although the chev was a piece of work as well. dont make it your life objective, but if you have a few spare minutes, do a bit of surfing (not wika, of course) and you will find out its not just any motor. it has a bit of pedigree. why do you think its performance kicked ford off number 1 during the late 80's.....