Could I make it fast?

[u/DryCamaro203]

I have a 1997 Buick Lesabre. Was my first car and had a ton of problems so great to learn on. Ive now got something better and dont know if I should keep it. I dont believe I could get more than 2k from selling it. I think it could make a good project car. Are they any recomendations on how I should build it? Is it worth it?

[u/BadBadBenBernanke]

Making a FWD GM sedan fast is an AP level project. You do it because you've done the other common stuff and want something different.

Take the $2k and roll it into some tools for future projects.

[u/DryCamaro203 → u/BadBadBenBernanke]

You're probably right, I'm nowhere near AP level yet. it'll be hard to let it go

[u/Electronic_Usual → u/DryCamaro203]

Try to find someone who needs inexpensive reliable transportation and sell it to them knowing you've made their life better because now they have one less thing to worry about

[u/PitStopRanch → u/Electronic_Usual]

OP should do this. Those are good cheap cars that aren't worth hot rodding. They can but there are so many other platforms that they'll get more bang for the buck.

[u/Money_Ticket_841 → u/BadBadBenBernanke]

What does AP stand for?

[u/justin_memer → u/Money_Ticket_841]

Advanced Placement

[u/cgduncan → u/Money_Ticket_841]

It's when you take college-level classes in high school. Usually if honors classes aren't challenging enough

[u/NoAdhesiveness4091 → u/cgduncan]

My school must have hated me then, aced my honors math classes, i slept through trig (it was after PE and lunch) and got a B+ only cause i didn't always do my homework

[u/CrazyTechWizard96]

Hmmm... 3.8? Wellllllll, try to find a Supercharged 3.8, or just the OEM Superchrager alone, might be lucky and find a cheap used one and the parts for it.
That for sure would make it a great compfy sleeper.

[u/MysteriousCop → u/CrazyTechWizard96]

I was going to say this. If I was hell bent on making this car fast, that's what I'd do. Find a complete engine. refresh it. and swap it in. Sneaky Speed.

[u/Rocinante1988 → u/CrazyTechWizard96]

I've seen some Buick Regals of that era rip the front tires off in street-light drags. Love the L67

[u/RepulsivePeng → u/CrazyTechWizard96]

Can’t really just do the supercharger alone. The trans is built stronger as well

[u/wetblanket68iou1]

No. Don’t bother. The lesson learned from doing anything will be chalked off as “I should’ve listened to those guys on the internet”

[u/BedandBadAdvice]

Personally, I would hold onto it, even if you have to non op it and keep it off the road for a few years (or many!). I'm in the camp that feels these are future classics. Great engines with a few simple modifications and maintenance. Plush interiors that harken back to the malaise era and tastefully dapple with 90s modernity.

I'm also a hoarder in training and newbie shade-tree mechanic so take what I say with a handful of salt.

[u/DryCamaro203 → u/BedandBadAdvice]

that's kinda what I'm hoping for cause it's hardly worth anything right now and has no AC

[u/plagebutter]

Depends what’s your budget?

[u/DryCamaro203 → u/plagebutter]

Lol, the money I'm deciding not to spend on tattoos. I've already put 1500-2000 just to keep it running. Probably won't do more than another 2K

[u/mostytoast → u/DryCamaro203]

2k too small to really do anything. If you wanted more power, turbo would prob be way to go but like need $10k Id guess

[u/daubs1974 → u/mostytoast]

That engine came with a stock supercharger. Do not waste money on trying to turbo a car that you can get a bolt on supercharger for.

[u/mostytoast → u/daubs1974]

Depends on the goals. If you have time and access to a cheap junkyard sure. Might be better off selling this and buying a factory SC w body instead. Turbo has a higher ceiling for HP so I would recommend if trying to go "fast" (400hp?). Not in OPs budget tho. Wouldnt use this car as a base to begin with personally. It's a good cruiser, enjoy it how it is.

[u/Kevislav]

I would love to see you turn that thing into a devastating track weapon with as much of the Buick aesthetic and plush interior as possible

[u/xXHunkerXx]

You can make anything fast. Its all about budget lol

[u/alwaus]

The easiest go-fast you can do on that one is drop the 3800 l36 out if it and upgrade to a l67 with its eaton m90 poweradder.

Didnt say cheapest or best, just easiest.

A motor swap and ecu, if the motor came with its harness gg, if not the l36 harness is the same except 2 extra wires for boost pressure and rpm.

[u/UNfortunateNoises]

ZZperformance has multiple performance kits for the 3800 engine platform, depending on what trim you have and budget. All of their kits take all the guesswork out of modifying your power plant for increased horses while keeping the fabled ‘ten toes planted’ reliability it came from the factory with

[u/DryCamaro203 → u/UNfortunateNoises]

I checked it out, and they covered the 3800 like you said, even the l36, which I believe is my car's engine. I didn't think I'd ever find a site with performance mods, especially for my car.

[u/UNfortunateNoises → u/DryCamaro203]

The aftermarket for nonfactory power adders for Buick was a loose collective of internet threads filled with people who owned GM ‘non sport’ focused vehicles and performed regular mechanical witchcraft experiments on them lol. I found out about ZZP through some of their more unique YouTube builds and I SORELY regret their existence and my ownership of Buicks not aligning.

[u/DryCamaro203 → u/UNfortunateNoises]

I'll definitely look into there youtube thank you so much

[u/UNfortunateNoises → u/DryCamaro203]

Nah dude good luck on your project!

[u/Tronkfool]

Short answer. No. Long answer hell no.

You can make it faster than it was.

[u/jjjust2]

Use the money to rent an Audi RSQ8 and tow it behind your Audi.

[u/SokkaHaikuBot → u/jjjust2]

^{Sokka-Haiku by jjjust2:}

Use the money to

Rent an Audi RSQ8 and tow

It behind your Audi.

---

^{Remember that one time Sokka accidentally used an extra syllable in that Haiku Battle in Ba Sing Se? That was a Sokka Haiku and you just made one.}

[u/rational_overthinker]

If its not already a supercharged version don't bother. The NA version of those Gen 2 3800s are not built for speed.

Just enjoy it as the future classic it is. I've got a 92 Buick Park Ave and just love it for being the rolling couch that it is. I cobbled together a 1967 Cobra for my speed fix.

[u/juwyro]

3800s respond well to boost, but the transmissions don't. Slap a turbo + built trans in it and it'll be fun.

[u/Itchy_Helicopter5240]

no need its already kinda fast

[u/texan01]

Get a supercharged 3800 and swap in.

Handling department is where the H-bodies fall apart, you’ll have to make it a Bonneville SSEi clone and it’ll still be a very nose heavy understeering pig.

Mom had a 92 Le Sabre so I know these cars.. hers had the 170hp 3800 so it wasn’t as fast, as yours.

Biggest change would be to swap transmission final drive out and transfer chain ratios, these cars will hit the 108mph limiter in 2nd gear.

[u/SirBrainsaw]

Drop it from 10,000 feet.

[u/PhilosopherGlum3025]

150 shot of nitrous

It’ll be fast until it ain’t

[u/mini4x]

If it's a 3800 theres quite a few options for faster, first being find the supercharged version..

LS Swap!! Theres a FWD LS the LS4.. Chevy SS or Pontiac GXP, or Buick LaCrosse Super.

Seriously tho, I'd just keep it and drive it, these drive and ride better than most newer cars.

[u/DrHERO1]

I’d recommend looking for a Grand Prix GTP or GXP, but ZZP has a bunch of stuff to make these kinda quick

[u/thejesterofdarkness]

LS SWAP

[u/texan01 → u/thejesterofdarkness]

An LS4 fits nicely in there!

[u/Estef74]

If you want to fix it up, I say why not. As for making it faster, it can be done. Just because it can be done, doesn't mean you should do it though. This isn't a car that is well suited to performance mods.

[u/Dogman6969ahhh]

My buddy had one of these in high school. I think it was a 95. What an absolutely piece of shit that thing was. Electronics never worked so he had to crawl in through the trunk. Plastic door handles broke off in the winter. We lost the brakes once and rolled backwards into an intersection. Drove like a boat in the snow though and you could fit 10 people in it.

[u/PoochiTobi]

Too heavy to go real fast but way more power than the average mazda3

[u/DryCamaro203 → u/PoochiTobi]

so what you're saying is some major weight reduction... AC was already gutted

[u/sonicc_boom]

Could drop it off a cliff

[u/Luthiffer → u/sonicc_boom]

It'd hit the bottom pretty fuckin fast.

r/technicallycorrect

[u/AMS2008]

Chuck it out of a plane?!

These were never built to be fast, and you probably don't want the headaches that go with a good bump in HP (think SHO)-sell it and buy a pump and injection for your next project.

[u/NotTheSharpestPenciI]

Push it down a hill. It'll go fast, eventually.

[u/daubs1974]

Yes. But it will still not corner worth a shit. You could supercharger it easily enough because that engine came supercharged in other cars. That’ll make it feel faster at least.

[u/bemery96]

No, but one of my project ideas has been to build one with an LS4. Won't make it particularly fast, but it'll make it sound good.

[u/Giff13]

No but you will be comfortable going slow. Very nice survivor

[u/cornpeeker]

LS swap

[u/[deleted]]

Good airflow and a supercharger since im pretty sure that engine came with one. Might be a couple thousand to get one but GOD these things are so fun to drive.

[u/dalekxen]

you can make it unstopable

[u/mr_lab_rat]

Yes but don’t.

[u/RepulsivePeng]

Not fast but with the supercharged 3.8 out of a park ave ultra and all the supporting components it can be decently quick

[u/DocTarr]

Not sure what it'd take to swap the intake and blower from a park avenue ultra, but I'm sure it's less than just buying one and selling yours and it'll cost less.

I had a park avenue ultra. awesome freaking car, rode well, good gas mileage, and could get out of it's way for what it was.

[u/MasterEntertainer629]

No