hotrodding the 231 (3.8 liter) Buick v6

My neighbor has a cherry '82 El Camino, all stock and 100% original, except for the addition of some slammin custom wheels. According to the sticker on the radiator support, the engine is a 3.8 liter... which I'm pretty sure is the 231 buick v6. The car is used as a daily driver for his wife. The factory 2 barrel carb is giving them alot of problems. Its some weird 2 barrel that I've never seen and he says he can't even get a rebuild kit for it. I've found that edelbrock makes a performer intake manifold for this engine. This car is old enough where it will never need to take emissions again. We want to swap on a small 2 or 4 barrel carb with the performer intake and get rid of all the 80's era emissions crap.

Questions: Is this the right engine I'm thinking it is? Did they use the buick 231 (3.8 liter) v6 in the early 80's el caminos? Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Is the edelbrock performer a good intake for this engine?

If I change the intake should I consider a cam swap too? I don't really want to go to headers, but we're looking to get a better carb and also make more power/torque

What is a good size carb for this engine? I'm thinking a 390cfm holley 4 barrel with vac. secondaries. My neighbor would prefer an edelbrock, but I think even the smallest edelbrock (500cfm) might be too big.

It has factory A/C, which works good. If we go to an aftermarket carb, is there a provision for the a/c stuff?

I appreciate any ideas and thoughts on this project.


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the 231 motor had the oil filter on the passenger side front of the motor. it pointed diagonal toward the front corner. i had a 231 in a skylark, the edelbrock intake with a 390 holley worked nice, but i also did a cam up grade with headers and a full duel exhaust. it ran great for a 6 poper in a little car till I tore the frame out of it. maybe to good.

I'm thinking that vintage G-body would have come with a chev 90 degree V6, the 229 inch, works out to 3.8 L also.

Isn't the distributor on the front on the Buick?

There's still a Performer, headers and other go-fast parts for it either way. The 390 Holley sounds like the way to go. Carter used to make a 400 but where have those gone to?

yes the distributor is in the front on the buick