Great... Another new guy from NH!

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to drop in and say hello. I'm in the process of grabbing a 97 Riviera and was told this was the place to come to learn up on it and meet some cool guys. Hope to meet up with some of you at some point when the weather gets a bit better.

I'm a pretty big deal over in the B/D body world (lol), but I am a complete newb when it comes to these cars. I've always loved the GTP's and SSEi's and have always wanted one. Now I've got this Riv that kinda fell in my lap and love it already. I have always loved the interior in them, with that wrap around dash, and love the sexy lines of the big coupe. So I'm hoping to learn the tricks to make it go fast and handle. I'm sure I'll have some bugs to shake out of it because it's been sitting for a couple years, but after that, I'm onnit!!!!

First mod, I plan to at least swap out the mufflers so I can hear it running... Then what? I was thinking a smaller pulley and bigger Y-pipe and no cat and a program, but I need to see what's proven before I do anything. I've been searching the archives and will keep doing so, but I'm sure I'm going to ask a few newbie questions, so I beg your forgiveness ahead of time... How tough is it to get these little guys into the 13's?

I'm also helping my stepfather install a 3800 series II SC in his 88 Fiero Formula 5spd. Scored a wrecked 98 GTP dirt cheap for the donor. That's gonna be a fun car, too!

Oh, and I know this thread would be useless without pics, so here's a terrible cell phone pic to keep the angry mob with torches at bay...

hey welcome Bill what`s going on!Nice ride .

A big deal is a bit of a stretch
welcome to the site Crovo.

Aside from giving it a good tune up, there's a few cheap basics that can go a long way.
gut the airbox (free)
180 t-stat (10 bucks) when you're doing the coolant.
I'd order a strut tower brace (STB) from monster parts online before they're gone for good.. It's discontinued but he can still find a few ($40). There's a thread about it with the p/n.

Welcome! Always nice to see another New Englander here.

Is that car lowered? Looks great. Like those rims.

If I were you, I'd try to get a cheap set of headers and leave the catback exhaust as-is. It's really not that restrictive. The headers will give you more growl. Once you've got the exhaust side taken care of, you can snag a tuner and then start dropping pulley sizes. One of the biggest areas where people overlook is keeping an eye on the tune. You can net a bit of power and save yourself the headache of blowing a motor by making sure you aren't getting any detonation.

I'm sure what I said above has already been said before but it's always worth saying again.

Welcome to the site mang!

You sure were directed to the right place! Welcome, and the black wheels look pretty good with the dark green paint!

Hey Jason, what's up? I didn't know you were here!

And hey guys! Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm sure you'll all be tired of me soon enough. Go ahead and ask J, he'll tell ya! LOL!

So first newbie question... Are those $200 ebay stainless headers junk?

I've used them. They are a copy of the slp 3800 headers only they are uncoated 321SS vs coated 304SS. There's a thread on them in the series 2 performance subsection. The welds are very sloppy on them. I had to grind off the slag on the insides to make it decent. The main problem people have encountered -myself included- is sealing the crossover pipe. This doesn't seem to be an issue with the real SLPs.

Figure you'll need to spend about $90 on parts to complete the install, and you'll have to find a way to mate it to your exhaust. If I were to to it again, I'd just buy a set of used SLPs. The stainless ones probably perform just as well, but you can see that QC is non-existant. They WILL allow you to drop a pulley size safely.

If you're looking to change your exhaust and do headers, check out the for sale section. I have a set of real SLPs and a custom single exhaust for sale. Delivery can probably be arranged through one of the wagon guys.

The roadmaster looks cool two,welcome.

toomanytoyz wrote:

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to drop in and say hello. I'm in the process of grabbing a 97 Riviera and was told this was the place to come to learn up on it and meet some cool guys....

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome.... to Riviera Cabaret......

Quote :

First mod, I plan to at least swap out the mufflers so I can hear it running... Then what?

I really don't think I'm representing less than the majority when I say: NOOOO!!!!!!

If you haven't had prior experience with the Buick 231/3.8L/3800, you should know that there is virtually NO way to make this engine sound 'good' with opening up the exhaust! Besides every other modification made to these engines to make them docile and smooth, the one thing that not even GOD can correct is the fact that a V6 firing at 90-degrees, instead of 60 or 120-degrees, can NOT sound good out of the tail pipes! Most of us who have modded our engines for more power have not seeked more "sound"... They'll never sound like a V8.
I was thinking a smaller pulley and bigger Y-pipe and no cat and a program, but I need to see what's proven before I do anything.[/quote]

There are all sorts of threads here for the kind of mods you're talking about - Just for example, look at my Signature ... and I'm just a moderate modder.

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[Now, why the hell is my Sig file not showing up, the one time that I'm actually referencing it?!?]

I'm with Eldo, which is why I just recommended swapping out the exhaust manis for headers. You'll still get more sound but the car won't sound like a raspy farting bitch. lol

The Speed Daddy headers are what you referenced above, I think. As Jason said, they are SLP knockoffs but you get what you pay for. I'm willing to try a set just because the price can't be beat, but there will probably be a few leaks to patch and crappy welds that will need to be cleaned up. I have SLP headers on my Regal and although the downpipe leaks a little, they are probably the best one you can get for 3800 cars.

As for catback exhaust systems on these cars, I will say this: I have Dynomax Ultraflos, an 18" Magnaflow resonator and Carsound cat on the Regal with the headers and it sounds pretty good. For what its worth, the idle and mid range produces a very low deep tone and anything above is muffled quite a bit so all that is heard is the blower. Anyone who's heard it actually compliments it. That's saying a lot for the awful exhaust note this motor produces.

Yeah, I've been convinced to keep it quiet. That's the main reason I haven't owned a turbo Regal, too! Cuz I just can't stand the way they sound! Boo!

So maybe I'll end up with a pair of turbo mufflers and headers. I'm cheap, and can deal with crappy welds, so I think I am going to grab those eBay headers, too. I will probably start there, along with new plugs and general tune-up and a scan and go from there.

I just scored a set of Bullitt wheels and tires for 300 bucks, too! Can't wait til spring for those!

Welcome to the site

That's a helluva deal on Bullits. Congrats.

I'd also suggest possibly dropping to a 180* stat. Maybe not just yet with it being cold as hell up your way but definitely in the future. For plugs I'd go with AL605 or 104.

Hey, welcome! Glad you finally checked us out over here!

I have those SLP knockoff stainless headers from XSAutoChrome. They aren't awful, given the price, but the welds are very sloppy, and they don't come with clamps of gaskets. They are also a bitch to seal up.

We should meet up somewhere and go for a spin when the weather is better! I'll show you what the car's potential is.

-Derek

Welcome! If your looking for a 13 second riv buy mine! lol But really, thats a nice color, I really like that.

Has anyone adapter the 6 speed manual out of the G6 to one of these yet?

And Deek, thanks for the offer... May take ya up on that! Maybe then you can take the T56 Impala for a spin.

I dont know if anybody has done the G6 swap but ive been toying with the idea of possibly a gehtrag or however you spell it swap. I know they work in the fieros with the 3800 swap so why wouldnt it work in the riv

Well, the riv is certainly a lot heavier!

My stepfather has the 5spd in his Fiero Formula... That's gonna be a fun car when we get it going!

What does he have done to the fiero?

Fastbuick95 wrote:

What does he have done to the fiero?

We're swapping in a 3800SC out of a 98 GTP.

Got any plans for the motor? or just doing a the basics to it?

Yeah, get it running and see how it does.

Thats cool man. I have a friend who has a turbocharged 3800 fiero up here in flint. That car is stupid fast. He pulls the front wheels about 8 inches on the street. Ive toyed around with the idea of swapping my motor into a fiero, would probably be a good for a mid 11 car.

Fastbuick95 wrote:

I dont know if anybody has done the G6 swap but ive been toying with the idea of possibly a gehtrag or however you spell it swap. I know they work in the fieros with the 3800 swap so why wouldnt it work in the riv

Fieros weigh half as much as a Riv. It's possible, but probably wouldn't hold up over time, especially with a modded engine.