Brock Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 Hello all! It has been a minute since I've been on here, longer yet since I've really done anything to the Reatta. The stock engine developed some very unhealthy noises and it sat for a bit while I accumulated parts and money and knowledge. Now I have probably half the parts, not nearly enough money, and goodness-knows not enough knowledge. Press on regardless. Here we go! S/C Series II 3800 and 6sp manual going in. Going to need some encouragement and possibly some badgering to keep on track! Ha! I have an almost complete S2 S/C 3800 with an extra helping of internals and bolt-ons from ZZP. And I have a 6sp manual and shifter from a Pontiac G6 GXP. Goals: get it in there and working with stock electronics... Yup. STOCK electronics. Why? So the dash still works. It's a good portion of the charm of this car to me. I have found products and people willing and able to help. I still would love everyone's input from here. You all are a wealth of knowledge. I've read the factory service manuals cover to cover a few times and my default fact-check is still here. Current status: almost complete motor (yay!). One more big-ticket item to buy- the intercooler. have the trans, no idea what bits I have to stack to get one to power the other, but I'll figure it out. As of this morning there is an empty hole where the engine and trans were in the Reatta. Fair bit of cleaning to do and some figuring. No clue where a clutch master is going to sit. There's not much space on that firewall. Engine mounts are another concern, but I'll mock up the trans to get those sorted. New coilovers going in up front. New spring and aftermarket struts going in back. Yay fabrication! If I have anything machined or CNC manufactured I will upload all files so anyone can have these parts made. Progress will be rather slow, but I'd like to have it running and driving by the end of the summer. Can't work on it indoors as the "garage" you'll likely see behind my car is a 150 yr old wood floored barn that is not up to carrying the weight of a car. I will upload pics and stories as often as I can. Please ask questions and badger me for updates. I'm doing this because I like it, but if there were anyone else in the world that would get a kick out of it they would be here. Thank you in advance! -Brock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Walker Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 Nice write up of your plans. Sounds like you're going to make a hot rod with S/C and 6 spd manual. Will be interested in monitoring your progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 This is the guy to talk to. He is over on the AACA Reatta forum but he has done a couple with a stick shift. Very knowledgeable guy https://forums.aaca.org/topic/246614-finally-done-series-iii-and-f40-six-speed-swap/#comment-1303506 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 20 Topic Author Share Posted May 20 12 minutes ago, 2seater said: This is the guy to talk to. He is over on the AACA Reatta forum but he has done a couple with a stick shift. Very knowledgeable guy https://forums.aaca.org/topic/246614-finally-done-series-iii-and-f40-six-speed-swap/#comment-1303506 Thanks 2seater! Here I was thinking I was the only one. And he did it in Hawaii! I'm only three hours from where they were made. So much that I had been thinking on is solved... You rock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 10 hours ago, Brock said: One more big-ticket item to buy- the intercooler. I've not done the swap you are planning but I'm curious about how an intercooler will be connected to a supercharged 3800 engine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 20 Topic Author Share Posted May 20 23 minutes ago, Ronnie said: I've not done the swap you are planning but I'm curious about how an intercooler will be connected to a supercharged 3800 engine? Super slick setup. It bolts between the supercharger and the intake. I've quite a few other parts from these folks and have been to their shop. Great group of folks! https://zzperformance.com/collections/3800/products/stage-2-intercooler-system?_pos=5&_fid=fb0469f1f&_ss=c&zCountry=US 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 (edited) I have had little to no contact with ZZP other than many years ago when I was looking at massaging the LN3 in my Reatta. Their response was "why?". At the time I thought that rather rude but since that time I understand that the Series 2 is a better platform to hot rod, so, I get it. My tuning help has been Ryan at GM Tuners aka Sinister Performance. I found that all input is helpful. Much of the adjusting for deleting missing components, like the transmission gear indicators, just involves turning off the various items in the chip. The operating system to make the engine run have remained pretty similar all the way up until the 3800 was discontinued, so making it run with the Reatta dash intact is pretty straightforward. A guy called Betsy Blue (I think) did a five speed on the LN3 or L27 many moons ago. I have run out of the energy, as well as the time, to do any major modifications, plus I am too lazy to work a third pedal, but I say, go for it. I still may add my half turbo to my Series 1 supercharger, since I have pretty much all the parts, but ...🙃 I should say, his car was Betsy Blue and I think his name was Greg? Edited May 20 by 2seater 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 21 Topic Author Share Posted May 21 Every day something small, right? Today I ordered all the bushings for the front subframe, in accordance with the prophesies... Er I mean the helpful how-to's. Used the dorman part numbers from the writeup there, local parts house has them coming, will be here tomorrow. Just in time for them to sit while I work on the subframe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 9 hours ago, Brock said: Every day something small, right? Today I ordered all the bushings for the front subframe, in accordance with the prophesies... Er I mean the helpful how-to's. Used the dorman part numbers from the writeup there, local parts house has them coming, will be here tomorrow. Just in time for them to sit while I work on the subframe. One thing I have learned from decades of experimenting is to spend the least amount of money possible while doing the initial fitup. If I can mock something up rather than purchase a costly part, I do that. The intercooler is an example. It isn't needed to get the engine in and running, but you do want to allow for the space required to add it later if desired. Even a completely stock Series 2 S/C will add at least 50% to the power available plus the manual trans will give a seat of the pants feel of added performance, although usually not actually true. A complete parts car with the desired drivetrain is a nice thing to have for all the small stuff and unplanned bits. I just realized your car has already had the brake system replaced with a standard vacuum booster type. That may or may not be a help? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 21 Topic Author Share Posted May 21 4 hours ago, 2seater said: One thing I have learned from decades of experimenting is to spend the least amount of money possible while doing the initial fitup. If I can mock something up rather than purchase a costly part, I do that. I just realized your car has already had the brake system replaced with a standard vacuum booster type. That may or may not be a help? Wise words, my friend. Thank you. Yes! Vacuum boost and Olds Aurora brakes. They stop nice. Also fewer wires to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 26 Topic Author Share Posted May 26 Subframe is out. Yay. Got it cleared of all it's extra stuff so I can measure where to mount the new trans. Even plopped the new trans it it's hole. It's a ways away from where it has to be in these pics, so don't worry. Man, there are a ton of rubber bushings in this thing. I got all six subframe bushings waiting to be installed. Now I have to order control arm bushings and sway bar bushings and sway bar end link bushings and bushing-bushings for the bushing that bushings. Oof. No wonder these cars are so quiet going down the road! Next step is to get the trans located and find a mock-up Series II 3800 block. Hopefully tomorrow. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted June 3 Topic Author Share Posted June 3 Rear Subframe is out now also. Want to refresh all the rubber, paint it up, swap in a lowering spring I bought years ago from a place in Ontario and some aftermarket struts that were custom machined slightly incorrectly for me... Fun! Man did I make a mess! Problems - Bushings. All mine are toast. All of them. Holy-o-mackerel. None are available. The Cadillac mounts that were the go-to swap for the rear mounts have been discontinued. Going to spend some time paging through catalogs to find the bushings. I'll post what I find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 I wish I had the energy for a project like yours, whew! As you are finding, lots of parts have been discontinued, adding another layer to the fun of the whole endevour. 🥴 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted June 3 Topic Author Share Posted June 3 6 hours ago, 2seater said: I wish I had the energy for a project like yours, whew! As you are finding, lots of parts have been discontinued, adding another layer to the fun of the whole endevour. 🥴 I think that makes my car the fun onion. So much fun it makes you cry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted June 4 Topic Author Share Posted June 4 Okey dokey, once the layered fun-onion let me stop crying I did manage to compose myself and find a few of the bushings. I am still looking for a few, but I think it's a bit quixotic. Turns out the grassroots racing community has been machining their bushings out of delrin with reasonable success for quite a while. I think this is a viable option for any pivoting bush, but not so bueno for mounting points. For mounting bushings a company called Alumilite makes a two-part castable polyurethane in a few durometers. I think it's time to make some molds. This little suspension segue is going to take some time, and next week I'll be out of the country, so weekly update may not happen. I'll try, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 I know nothing about the process but I have wondered if 3D printing is viable for some of those items? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ship Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 This might not be right on topic, but I know of a few '95-'99 Riviera owners that found a subframe bushing solution using modified hockey pucks. Again, not sure if this is related to what you're facing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted June 4 Topic Author Share Posted June 4 11 hours ago, 2seater said: I know nothing about the process but I have wondered if 3D printing is viable for some of those items? I plan on printing a mold for the casting. The 3d printing that I am capable of wouldn't do well in that scenario, but some of the urethane / DLP stuff might be. That would be cool. I'll have to check on it. 11 hours ago, ship said: This might not be right on topic, but I know of a few '95-'99 Riviera owners that found a subframe bushing solution using modified hockey pucks. Again, not sure if this is related to what you're facing. Oh yeah! Used them for body lifts on trucks back in high school. Didn't even think of that. Thanks, ship! It's the perfect rubber for that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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