My SS is acting up so I am looking at buying another car. It is a 97 v6 with 65,000 miles. I am aware of the squeaks and rattles that plague our cars, but are there any quirks/major problems that stand out for the v6 (like the opti-crap on my SS)
Thanks.

 

The 3800 V6 is a very good engine. Plug wires seem to be the thing that dies on them first (just normal maintenance stuff).

 

The 3.8's are good engines and last a long time.

 

My buddy has a 95 or 96 V-6 camaro...And he loves that thing....Still runs at good as it did back when it was new....Yea its got its little things but come on he babys this car...it got over 90k miles still runs strong....hits 110 MPH no problum

 

I have a 97 V6 to commute to work in (see sig) and that thing never breaks. I call it my work truck. I have hauled a short block in it, and today I picked up a 2 piece Snap On tool box and enough tools to fill the box, it was literally sitting on the bump stops. When I hauled the short block from here to Lubbock I just pulled out the passenger seat, installed a cardboard "bedliner", and set the shortblock on the floor board where the passenger seat was. I hauled the block for the current engine in my 94 to and from the machine shop and all kinds of other stuff. The car has 130,00 miles on it and it never gives me any trouble, plus I get around 26 MPG on the highway. The only bad thing about it is pulling up to red lights next to Z28s and Mustangs wishing I was in one of my other cars.

 

dont 97 have 3.4 ? i thought 3.8 started in 98

 

93-95.5 is the 3.4L

95.5-02 was the 3.8L

99+ 3.8L with tubular manfiolds(shorty header like, much easier to change plugs/wires)



Only problem I have read about the 3.4L is the rear main seal. It happens but not nearly as much as the opti-spark. I woudln't even say its common, but if I heard about it on a 3.8L I wouldn't be surprised.

There are people running up to 200k on these motors, boosting and juicing them to over 100k.

hell guy recently was running a 225 shot poorly setup, and it still didn't blow the motor.


BUT remember it is an f-body... so power windows, sqeuks rattles and everything else...


honestly I think the v6 is a good Daily driver for f-body guys, I'd say 85% of the parts are interchangeable if you had a few small problems with things.

 

WOW! I guess i was way off then. I thought the v6 changed when the v8 did

 

I know of several 3.8's with over 500,000miles on them. Not a single issue. I had a 88 park avenue with a 3.8 in it. Best car I ever had. I did some mods and was able to hang with stock LS1's. The 3.8 holds a whole lot of awards.

 

yea, the v6 isnt anything fast (at all) but they do run great....

i have a z28 and a v6... well had a z.. swapping it all over next week totaled my z

cory