Got my new car today

HoneyBadger

HoneyBadger

I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
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Feb 16, 2009
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A short track somewhere
1996 Buick Regal, V6 3800 engine. The thing is a tank, not some cheap plastic piece of ****. It's a very nice ride. :)

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The 3800 is a great engine, but you should check a few things for maximum performance if the intake plenum isn't made of metal.

Any coolant drips from around the intake plenum, escpecially from under the EGR port (small pipe from exhaust to just after throttle body assembly). Another sign is waxy goo building up in the radiator overflow.

Coolant swelling from around intake gasket and heads. If your spark plugs burn out quick, you have a coolant leak inside the intake valley. This will cause Cat failure, ignition coil burnout and poor performance.

I had the 2000 Bonneville with the 3800 and beat the hell out of it for years and the thing never complained one bit and got 28 MPG highway to the very end.
 
I had a '96 Le Sabre with the 3800 and could not kill that car. Bought it from my lawyer. He bought it new, then it went to his wife, then off to college with his kid. Then I bought it, wife used it when her car died, then my son had it for close to a year, then daughter had it over a year and like a bad penny it came back to me. Sold it for what I had paid.

I think the '96 was a series one 3800 and didn't have the coolant leak problem. It was the series two that did and it cost me a engine in my wife's '98. The 4.3 also had problems with Dexcool eating intake gaskets leading to bearing failure.*&^%#$@ Dexcool will eat bearings. DAMHIKT

It any case use good ol' yaller Prestone and you'll be fine.
 
FenderBumper said:
The 3800 is a great engine, but you should check a few things for maximum performance if the intake plenum isn't made of metal.

Any coolant drips from around the intake plenum, escpecially from under the EGR port (small pipe from exhaust to just after throttle body assembly). Another sign is waxy goo building up in the radiator overflow.

Coolant swelling from around intake gasket and heads. If your spark plugs burn out quick, you have a coolant leak inside the intake valley. This will cause Cat failure, ignition coil burnout and poor performance.

I had the 2000 Bonneville with the 3800 and beat the hell out of it for years and the thing never complained one bit and got 28 MPG highway to the very end.
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Yeah, I've been told it gets better mileage than my Corolla did. I was told 28MPG but a mechanic told me since this has more HP and more acceleration than the Corolla, I won't have to be aggressive getting to the gas or anything and that will save mileage. So far, I've been able to ease the car driving down the St Charles Parkway. I've only touched the gas pedal lightly and it accelerates to 50 quicker than the Corolla did. It's very comfortable. I like this car.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Yeah, I've been told it gets better mileage than my Corolla did. I was told 28MPG but a mechanic told me since this has more HP and more acceleration than the Corolla, I won't have to be aggressive getting to the gas or anything and that will save mileage. So far, I've been able to ease the car driving down the St Charles Parkway. I've only touched the gas pedal lightly and it accelerates to 50 quicker than the Corolla did. It's very comfortable. I like this car.
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The engine has lots of torque, so the overdrive gear is very aggressive and kicks in when cruising around 40mph. Cruising 80 mph at 2,000 RPM's saves tons of gas.
 
I think you will like your Buick Andy. I know I love mine.
 
Andy, when I was your age, I bought a 72 Porche 914. It was a nice little mid engine play thing and was quick, but not anything special. However, because of the tag "Porche" on the front, side and rear, CUNA cancelled my policy. I had to find a company that would insure me, for a heft price I might add and found one. At least I had one thing to add to the good, I was married, but still only 24. Then after a month paying that other insurance company those rediculous fees, CUNA wrote me a letter telling me they were re-instating me at the lower price. Still once I switched to a Chevy Vega, the insurance went down again. On a side note, I always loved the Regal. Had an 88 Century with that 3800 engine and loved it. Now I have a Buick and a Dodge.
 
buckaroo said:
Andy, when I was your age, I bought a 72 Porche 914. It was a nice little mid engine play thing and was quick, but not anything special. However, because of the tag "Porche" on the front, side and rear, CUNA cancelled my policy. I had to find a company that would insure me, for a heft price I might add and found one. At least I had one thing to add to the good, I was married, but still only 24. Then after a month paying that other insurance company those rediculous fees, CUNA wrote me a letter telling me they were re-instating me at the lower price. Still once I switched to a Chevy Vega, the insurance went down again. On a side note, I always loved the Regal. Had an 88 Century with that 3800 engine and loved it. Now I have a Buick and a Dodge.
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Trust me, I love this car. It's smooth, VERY easy to drive and very comfortable. I can ease this thing around. It could use some new brake pads but I don't ever have to be aggressive on the brakes since I stay off the main highway anyways. There's a road that goes from the county line past Waldorf and La Plata and out to 301 past all the shopping centers and that road runs right by my neighborhood so I take that everywhere. No lights, no traffic, a smooth easy drive. :)
 
buckaroo said:
Still once I switched to a Chevy Vega, the insurance went down again.
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speaking of cars that people these days won't recognize, this has been the NHRA Division 4 bracket finals champion 2 years in a row. Last year with Jeromy Hefler driving, this year with his brother, Jeff.

One of the local guys is getting a henry J together to drag race- he also has 2 gremlins, one for drag racing and one for daily driving. His fourth car is a stand-out too but I forget what it is.

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Magnethead said:
speaking of cars that people these days won't recognize, this has been the NHRA Division 4 bracket finals champion 2 years in a row. Last year with Jeromy Hefler driving, this year with his brother, Jeff.

One of the local guys is getting a henry J together to drag race- he also has 2 gremlins, one for drag racing and one for daily driving. His fourth car is a stand-out too but I forget what it is.

1046-10823.jpg
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Why, that's a 'Vette ;)

Andy, that car looks in nice condition for the year...what's the mileage?
 
Andy, you are in the beginning stages of your "new" car and I just got a notice in the mail today that I've got one more payment left for my little hot rod. Hmmmm, the wife is already thinking of what she can do with the extra money. :(
 
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