The end of the 3800 for GM

[HurstGN]

:sad5: 9:55 am, August 22, 2008 marks the end of an era. This day, the last 3800 engine was produced at the GM Powertain Flint North plant in Flint Michigan. There are some pictures of the local Buick club visiting the plant to witness the last engine made...the cars they brought, and the last engine itself. The warehouse is the final production run stacked and stored till these motors are called into service. http://www.buickclub.org/buicktown/3800_tribute1.htm

There are 2 local news stories about the engine and the plant here http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?secti ... id=6345195

This engine was first built in 1988, and scheduled for retirement in 1999. It was such a reliable engine for GM that it's production run got extended 9 years. It's final downfall was the fact it is old technology and cannot keep up with tightening pollution standards. The GM Powertrain Flint North plant produced 36,241,516 engines.

[RJolly87]

Wow, it is like seeing a good friend pass away. :(

I will do everything I can to keep mine running as long as possible. May we as a club strive to keep the memory of the 3800 alive, showing all that doubt it that they really don't know what they are missing.

And why don't they just refit the plant that is there now? Why build a whole new one?

[olblueeyesbonne]

Too bad Travis wasn't there with his 97 SSEi -he'd have taken the highest mileage award I'm sure.
But yeah, a sad day indeed.
We are now all running a out-of-production engine, rather than just an 'out-of-date' engine, if I'm saying that right.
One thing is for sure though "ONE OF THE 10 BEST ENGINES EVER BUILT", but probably one of the three best built Iron block/Pushrod engines ever.

[wjcollier07]

316k? thats weak sauce! I personally know someone who has a lot more miles than that on his 89 LE. *dang* shame he wasn't there. Or...was that only for the employees I guess? Oh well, shame the Bonneville on the list is only at 181

Thank you Cliff Studaker and all the hard workers at the North Flint Powertrain Plant 36 assembly for building the finest V6 in existence.

[BlackHawk99]

316k? thats weak sauce! I personally know someone who has a lot more miles than that on his 89 LE. *dang* shame he wasn't there. Or...was that only for the employees I guess? Oh well, shame the Bonneville on the list is only at 181

That was just the record for the employees.

There are plenty of people around these parts (Flint; Grand Blanc is a 'burb of Flint) with nearly 400,000. I see them at the auction all the time. Everytime it's an L27. Haven't seen a super high mileage L67 yet. Highest L36 I've seen is 282K.

Since they're built here, the 3800 is extremely common...and that much more common to see with higher mileage.

[agrazela]

Think of it this way, with the obsolenscence of the 3800, we now all drive bona fide, throwback, "musclecars"

Now that GM is going full-tilt into OHC, I hope they can manage to get ahead of the curve on ICE development, instead of playing technology "catch up" while spending all their time and energy fighting inevitably tightening CAFE standards--as they have for the last 30+ years.

I don't mourn the passing of the pushrod, at least for daily drivers. With all that is required to make OHV somewhat the equal of OHC in terms of efficiency (e.g., split-crank or collapsible lifter DOD, cam-in-cam VVT, etc.), IMO the OHV engine would become at least as complex, probably less reliable, and actually harder to work on.

I wonder if the ICE will live long enough to see the elimination of the cam altogether (reliable solenoid-activated valve timing / DOD). Think of the modding possibilities there

[Ol' Timer]

We are now all running a out-of-production engine, rather than just an 'out-of-date' engine

We're also running an out-of-production car as well. And I'm running and out-of-production car Company!!!

But not to worry. The parts for these engines should be around for a long time. They must have produced enough excess to cover the LaCrosse models for 2009 and then some. It's a sad day indeed.

[clm2112]

Don't mourn it's passing just yet. GM may have stopped production, but that doesn't mean it can't come back again in a different form, and a different supplier. The 60degree V6 was written off many times, yet keeps coming back just due to demand.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Oh well. All good things must end. And it had a good long run.

Now time to keep the cars running so at least some 3800's stay around.

[92BonneSE]

*dang*, I would of been there if I heard about it.

[Bonneville92V688]

Did anyone else get a tear in their eye when they saw this pic?



Goodbye, old friend. You will surely be missed by all your loyal fans.

[radomirthegreat]

That's ridiculously sad. I'd really like to keep my 3800 going forever, but what would be really cool is if places like Jegs and such would offer 3800 crate engines.

[LeSabreUltra]

I have a feeling the 3800 will always be around in some form, seeing as how they were so mass produced. Eventually people will be wanting to fix up that old Bonneville/LeSabre/88 etc that they remember when they were younger. And that means someone's gotta supply the motors and parts. Why would anyone want anything other than the solid old 3800?

Speaking of high mileage 3800s, I'm curious to see how a properly "fixed" L36 (aluminum gaskets, APN upper, no Dex-Kill) would fair in mileage. I bet it would be up there with an L27, if it's never had a coolant leak.
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[Allmachtige]

This is pretty sad actually. One of the best motors ever made.

Something I hope future generations will look back on as I do with the 350.

[wjcollier07]

Speaking of high mileage 3800s, I'm curious to see how a properly "fixed" L36 (aluminum gaskets, APN upper, no Dex-Kill) would fair in mileage. I bet it would be up there with an L27, if it's never had a coolant leak.
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It'd probably be a higher average for sure, but the main construction and lower end of the engine doesn't compare to an LN3 or L27. Those SOBs were built like a brick house.

[mkaake]

I was wondering if there would be a post about this - I was there for the last engine, and have my name scribbled on the #5 injector boss - though it was hard to write terribly clearly on that particular surface...

Anyway, over 36 million engines passed through that factory during the time the 3800 was made, and it was nice being a part of it's end - what was amazing was all of the high-ups at GM who came to visit, because of how many of them had worked at FEN way back when with the 3800.

RIP

[Jrs3800]

I have said this many times...

The Chevy is to the V8 world what the Buick 3.8 and 3800 are to the V6 world...

Even tho production has ceased, the 3800 will live on for a very very very long time...

Just look at all of the Chevy V8's out there... They are still going and parts are plenty...

The Chevy V8 and the Buick V6 are a couple of engines that will not die...

[TUFFBONNEVILLE]

if it wasnt for the stupid pollution standards
all the best engines would be still in production

[Ol' Timer]

if it wasnt for the stupid pollution standards
all the best engines would be still in production

How much lower could the 3800 go?

It was already rated as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV)
Then there is Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (SULEV)
And finally Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV)

Is the 3900 that much better?

[Jrs3800]

if it wasnt for the stupid pollution standards
all the best engines would be still in production

How much lower could the 3800 go?

It was already rated as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV)
Then there is Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (SULEV)
And finally Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV)

Is the 3900 that much better?

I don't think the 3900 is that much better... And it uses more fuel... But It must be a pretty clean engine..

When the first 3800 Series II Came out I think emissions were .0002 Grams per mile once the Cat was warm... And that was in 1995