I recently attended our annual Grand Prix meet in Branson, MO that I partially sponsor in which we hold events and such to raise funds for the Victory Junction Gang. It was three day fun filled event. It was not quite as big of a turn out this year with gas prices and such but we did have people come in from all over.
I picked up a 3800 block, crank and heads so I can start an engine build up. I decided that the oil analysis was showing the engine I pulled out of my Grand Prix as too good of a motor to tear into. Wear was exceptionally low and other than the small coolant leak I had developed some time ago and fixed, it never showed any issues. So I decided I would leave it as it is and keep it as a spare for now if I should ever need one.
Anyway, I wanted to show a few pictures from the event. We had the nations top 4T65E transmission builder there (The transmission that puts power to the ground for the Grand Prix line) and he has a late model Buick Cutlas that he transplanted a Grand Prix 3800 supercharged engine into and made it rear wheel drive. I can only say the thing is extremely impressive. One of the events we had was a track day where we had a 1/4 mile track to ourselves for a few hours and I got to see some very impressive runs, among them, the Cutlas.
Here is the 3800 power cutlas on the line:
Here is the Cutlas in boost. Such a burn out it was, the car shifted into second gear:
Here's the aftermath:
He was running mid 12's in that car with drag radials.
Here is another impressive Grand Prix, though this was not at the track. This particular GP was running high 12's. The best pass he made at the track was 12.92 at 107mph I believe it was. Here, he pulls out of the parking lot of the hotel we stayed at and gave us a demo of what a little boost can do:
One of the things that happened at the meet was that I became somewhat disappointed in the GTO. We had a member that recently traded in his GP for a GTO and so brought that to the event. Though its the LS1, I was really disappointed in its performance. The owner is an experienced track driver and got smacked around quite a bit by a WS6 Trans Am and SEVERAL Grand Prix's:
The GTO is in the left lane and the Grand Prix in the right. 13.98 to a 13.04. The Grand Prix is the same one above that did the burn out from the parking lot. A couple runs later he ran his 12.92. The best I saw the GTO do was a 13.8. The WS6 was completely stock, and the Grand Prix in this run has a Gen V supercharger (+20hp), a computer tune, Pacesetter Headers and exhaust and I believe 1.9 roller rockers.
I did a search, so shocked I was, on what the best time was for this particular GTO by some of the automotive magazines. The best I found completely stock was a 13.6, most were in the 13.8 range. So the driver was indeed pushing the GTO for all it was worth.
Here is an 04+ GP. He had SLP headers, roller rockers and a computer tune, running drag radials.
This guy turned in the fast time of all, beating even the Cutlas. He turned in a 12.70 at I believe 108mph.
Overall there were some very impressive cars there for being V6's. There were a couple of the newer V8 Grand Prixs but I dont recall what they were running. Both of them that I saw were bone stock and I'll have to look back through some pictures to see if I caught any of their times.
It was a great time to be sure. I think we raised somewhere between $1500 and $2000 for the Victory Junction Gang and had a blast doing it.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
It most definitely was. I wish I had been able to get my own Grand Prix back together before the meet but there is always next year.
The more I see this engine used in all the vehicles it has been and transplanted into all the vehicles it has (Ive even seen one put into an Isuzu Amigo) I really question GM's wisdom in dropping the engine from their line last year.
Though they made some 20 million of them, so they will be around for a long time, but how many V6's out there can contend and spank V8's and still get 30+ mpg? In this day and age in which there is greater and greater demand for fuel efficient vehicles without sacrificing power, the GM 3800 platform seemed to fill the bill and yet they gave it the axe. Go figure.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
