Does anyone know what engine came in these cars? Was it the 3.8L V6 or the 3800 V-6? What are the differences in these engines? I have an '88 Olds Regency with the 3800 engine – runs incredibly well. Wondering if the Buick has the same engine???
From the Wikipedia article on the Buick Electra:
“Although the overall design remained unchanged from 1985 to 1990, the Electra did undergo some noticeable changes. The first significant change came in 1987 when the Electra lineup lost the four-lamp “quad” headlights used in 1985?86 models in favor of composite one-piece headlights. In 1988 the Electra Park Avenue received what would later go on to become GM’s flagship engine, the 3800 V-6. The original 3.8 L V-6 was still offered in some Electra models through the 1988 model year and was designated by the VIN code 3, while Electras with the 3800 V-6 were designated by the VIN code C. In 1989 and 1990, GM added a new trim level to the Electra’s existing Limited, Park Avenue, and T-Type variants; the Park Avenue Ultra. The Ultra was essentially an upgrade to the Electra Park Avenue line and featured standard leather trim interior, a padded vinyl top, and a variety of otherwise minor changes. The Park Avenue Ultra did not gain much notoriety, however, until the following generation of Park Avenue, where the “Ultra” badge offered significantly more features.”
Oldsfan, you might check out Wikipedia, there’s an amazing amount of info on just about every car out there.
The 3.8 was put in the Parks and Rivieras as well as the Olds 88’s etc. as early as 86. The 3.8 and 3800 are the same engine (3.8 liter vs 3800 cc-same size). There were modest upgrades such as the coil packs and ignition system but essentially same reliable bullet proof engine. I’ve had three (86 Riv, 86 Park, 89 Riv) and all have done well.
Do anyone know where I can find thermostat housing for a 1985 buick electra park ave 3800, the one that have the 2 hoses that goes to the throttle body… please help A.S.A.P.
Try Rockauto.com. About $12 plus shipping if that’s the right one, but why didn’t you start a new question instead of digging up a 7 year old one??
http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=6892464&cc=1216202&jsn=415
Didn’t one of the 3.8L engines have sequential fuel injection that slightly increased the horse power as compared to the non sequential 3/3 port injection.
I liked the simple, venerable, 3.8L V-6 GM engines so much that I’ve bought 3 of them (used) over the last 10 years. They all came with very nice cars wrapped around them that we use for daily drivers.
I’ve never been disappointed… very, very, reliable. They are all still on the road.
Do you have a salvage yard near you that you can walk into with your old part or a picture of it on a cell phone? It should be fairly easy to find at a yard that has older cars.
CSA
The 3800 Buick engine was world class in my opinion. With nothing beyond normal maintenance and a timing chain replacement they often clocked well over 300,000 miles.