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A friend owns a GN repair shop, and I was talking to him about replacing the valve seals on my 87. He told me he had a built up V6 turbo, sitting in his shop, and I should install it in my 87. He also told me he has done about 6 of these. Has anyone here done this swap, if so any problems. He showed me time slips from a 90 Vette he done, it was running mid 11's. I'm not a racer , just a cruiser. Purists stay out, Jim.
There was a video one time of a guy auto-crossing a C4 with a GN engine. It was sick. The engine is lighter, and is positioned more towards the center of the car allowing a better weight distribution. The car was really quick. I'd say do it.
Yes, I remember those cars - don't know if any of them were available from GM Canada? Seem to remember there was some discussion at the time(1988/99) of Chev/Corvette installing some of the GN turbo motors in a Special Edition C4 Vette? Don't believe anything ever came of it, tho?!
As far as the engines go, stock for stock, the LC2 (turbo 3.8 L V6) runs on premium gas and gets worse gas mileage than the vette. Just another thing to think about. I had a friend who owned one and he complained that it barely got 20 mpg on the highway.
Those little buick v6 turbo motors make good power with not a lot of work. The cars they are in are not very light either, and go in the 10 and 11,s with minimal work. I say go for it.
From: Charlotte NC, behind someone going 10 under the speed limit
From experience of currently owning both an 86 GN and an 88 C4, I wouldn't do the swap. The turbo lag would drive a C4 owner nuts, and yes it would get worse mileage. I can't pull down 20 mpg with mine, and it's mostly stock. Not to say that I don't enjoy the car, it just kind of belongs in a Buick.
The GN motor isn't as kind to the driver as a TPI motor, you have to kind of time the throttle just right, too much at the wrong time and it'll respond slower, it's finicky like that.