Best Car Engines of All Time: GM

Since you liked the Worst Car Engines of All Time: GM Edition, I've created the Best Car Engines of All Time. Also, for those who are new to the channel, check out some car reviews from the channel. We will return to car reviews once the weather warms up in the midwest. Thx!

ROAD TEST VIDEOS
1970 Caprice:

1972 Imperial:

[andrewinaustintx]

The Buick 3800 was the standard power plant preferred by our local taxi cab companies for at least a decade.

[stevenlatham]

Man, I cannot tell you how many 3800’s I’ve worked on with 300k plus miles, I’ve even seen a few with over 400k miles. Where I live, the death of those cars is usually rust and not mechanical failure.
I could talk all day about this video. It’s excellent.

[MrVideovibes]

You're one of the most knowledgeable and interesting persons to listen to on the subject of classic era automobiles.
Fascinating stuff.

[aikane]

I have a Buick with this engine (the 3800). It's awesome!! Very reliable, smooth and easy to service

[msbae]

The Chevy 4.3 V6 definitely deserves to be on this list. The one I had in my 2001 Chevy S-10 went through FAR more abuse than even the engineers would have thought possible.

[kennethreiver]

I recommended the 3800 engine for my son a few years ago for an interim car when he needed a cheap commuter car .We found a rust free 90 Le Sabre . He put over 20k on it in a year and a half . We still have it, I am retired and now I am driving it . I love it .

[johanbrand]

This is heartwarming, as the owner of a GM 3800 in a South African exclusive Opel Rekord 380i, I can testify of the excellence of this motor.

[jamesmcintire]

One of the smoothest driving cars I’ve ever driven was a mid-2000’s era Buick Lesabre with the 3800 motor. What a nice car that was! I honestly think the only reason GM discontinued that engine is because it was lasting too long. You could buy one and keep it for many years

[nasedo]

I always thought the 3800 was the best engine I ever worked on in my 28 years as a Certified Master Auto Technician. It had plenty of power and got 30 mpg highway in big Buicks like the Park Avenue and LeSabre.

[hangonsnoop]

The bottom end of the earlier LS engines is incredibly strong. Hot rodders have made fantastic amounts of power without touching the bottom end.

[SoonerDan]

As a 2005 Tahoe owner I agree with you, the GMT800 are the best trucks GM ever built my 5.3 (LM7) with 220K still runs like it's brand new. The non DOD LS engines are hard to beat.

[Kathy-xysr]

I had good luck and service from GM in-line sixes as well. Purchased a brand new 1980 Chevrolet C-10 pickup with a 250 cube six to drive across country, had a new job waiting in western Montana. That little feller ran real well, unless there was a vacuum leak. And, it got great mileage on the open road! It had an ingenious 2 barrel carburetor that had a tiny primary and if I could keep in on that you were sipping fuel! Thank Adam, great subject and talk!

[quicksilver]

FYI: Among the other upgrades over the years on the BUICK v6, the 3800 series II and III also have stainless steel freeze plugs!

[sethallison]

I worked at a Buick dealer in the 2000’s. There were a few dudes who sent their kids through college just doing intake manifold gasket replacement jobs. There were maybe 2-3 guys that just did intake gaskets ALL DAY every day for years. That being said once you fix that issue the engines are indestructible. If you’re handy, get a 2000’s Buick or Pontiac with a 3800 that’s overheating for a few hundred bucks. Guarantee it’s those gaskets. Fix it yourself and have a good cheap car.

[billnasburg]

I have a lot of knowledge on the 60s and 70s GMs M. Your knowledge is far greater than mine and I just love your reviews and you bring out a lot of details that I was well aware of. Love your reviews on the 66 Catalina as I have owned a 68 Catalina, 68 Bonneville, a 69 Grand Prix, a 66 Cadillac Coupe deVille, 73 Coup deVille, 73 Eldorado, 70 Olds Tornado GT. Ya. I like those older GMs, nowdays I drive Hondas and Toyotas. My farm pickup is a 90 Chevy k1500 and it is excellent. I am looking to update with a 2000 or newer. Only when I find one cheap enough

[jxhern]

Too bad the 3800’s were mostly hooked up to weak and uninspiring automatic transmissions. Looking forward to your GM division ranking video. I grew up around mostly chevys and enjoy learning about GMs other division cars/motors👍🏽

[motoringlifestyles]

I had 3800s in an 89 Le Sabre and 95 regal gran sport. It was the reason I bought the 95. Great power and torquey. You could beat them endlessly and they never missed a beat. I was so hard on both of them. In both cars nothing ever had to be done to the engines. I own an old bullet proof Porsche 911 today and the 3800 is still tops in my book. Miss those.

[stevegordon]

I had a 66 Impala Super Sport with a 396. Had lots of power but being in a northern climate, it was always a bear to start in the winter. Love the 3800 engines. My kids both had 98 Buick Lesabres. Had to change the upper intake manifold on both but other than that they were fantastic engines and last forever. I also had a 96 Buick Park Avenue Ultra that had the supercharged 3800. That thing would scream, get great gas mileage and was a pleasure to drive.

[dentalnovember]

That Buick 3800 really was a great engine. It got great fuel economy as well. My dad drove a Buick as he is an older man who knew what was reliable and not imported. He just turned 94 and he misses driving.

[TheNate]

My High School auto shop had us work on GM 3800s, we took them apart down to the block and put them back together! They didnt run, but we did see/touch just about every part!