Nittany Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 http://www.northstarguru.com/1783176.html I looked into this company a few months ago to address Northstar issues in my daily driver ('98 Cadillac STS 165000mi) . . . looks like they've done at least one Reatta conversion. I think I'm going to let them practice on a few more while I save up my $9000! Nittany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 and stripes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nittany Posted September 10, 2007 Author Share Posted September 10, 2007 And Stripes! More pic's of the bodywork . . . http://www.northstarguru.com/1975839.html Insert the standard Legalese here: I am not affiliated in any way with this company, I have never done business with them, I don't know if they are any good or not, I am not responsible if you choose to do business with them and they screw it up, etc., etc . . . just came across an interesting website and sharing it for informational purposes only!Nittany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 I like it! Stripes and all. Thanks for the link.$9000 - WOW. How about a kit for us Do-It-Yourself guys? Maybe something I could afford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Durahansolo Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 I'm about $8999 short but i really like that conversion though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
style Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 i can get a 03 northstar engine complete for 1200.00 anyone wanta help me put it in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonlabree Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 It'll take a whole lot more than just buying the engine to get it into your Reatta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Holy hell, I wouldn't mind the body kit.I'm curious as to how they're controlling it, but I figured it would fit. Consider that the '93 Northstar Allante was also an E-body car.However, ladies and gentleman, don't get your hopes up. It's old news on Bonneville Club that a stock 3800 Series II S/C versus a Northstar, in a similar car, will be about a second faster in the quarter mile. 240 hp versus 295? Thing is, the 3800 provides tons of low-mid range torque, while the Northstar is mostly top end. They said the N* will get the edge at above 90 mph though.And...there's tons of aftermarket mods for the L67, but not the N*. You're pretty much stuck at 300, but nevertheless, it's a unique feat of engineering to get the V8 to work in there.And did I mention, I want the body kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don B. Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 I'm pretty unimpressed.Body kit looks nice, but a vague picture ofan engine bay with an unrecognized engine cover.Sorry, they need to show more of the conversion that is a $500 JC Whitney body kit.Yea, I have a lot of questions.When you have a V6 there are a few less wirescompared to a V8. Then the computer compatibility,2003 tech in an '89 body, hard to believe.Please don't forget my favorite subject, the trans.If it is so fast where are the time slips a video at the track? Fast, put nitrous on anything is fast, but it doesn't last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> that is a $500 JC Whitney body kit.</div></div>Could you please point out the JC Whitney kit that was used. I can't find it on their website.Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don B. Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 I just use JC Whitney as an example.If the have a kit, I don't know.I did buy an airdam, louvers and spoiler from them{not for a Reatta}.Note: If you look at my avitar that is a supercharged 3800 motor in the Reatta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTakas Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 (edited) ----- Edited January 2, 2019 by DTakas (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TommyH Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 How about just dropping a Chevy 350 in there. I think its the engine with the most sftermarket parts avalable. plus they are cool and easy to find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Hard to find a front wheel drive transmission to mate up to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TommyH Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 take one fomr like an early 80s eldo or toro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TommyH Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Or better yet.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TommyH Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 REAR WHEEL DRIVE!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TommyH Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 I would pay big $$$ to see that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Use an LS5 (5.3L in like an Impala SS). Small block V8 and it fits FWD, and bolts to to a 4t65 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greg Ross Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Four or five years ago there were photos posted from a Reatta Get-to-gether that included a NorthStar powered Reatta. I recall from the info that was quoted, they said the NorthStar engine being aluminum block and heads weighed only 10 pounds more then the cast iron 3.8 L. I think that weight consideration is important.I did some asking around about the NorthStar at the time. Mechanics who were working on them at GM Dealerships said GM gave up on Dealer rebuilds of these engines. If the replacement was under warranty GM shipped in a "Long Block" Crate Engine. Problem is torquing the heads and bearing caps on an aluminum block. Ther're very very fussy on sequence and torque values. Presume this was where dealers were having trouble.Integrating an entirely different ECM would be the bigger issue in the Reatta. Probably simpler to gut the dash, throw away the BCM and the whole vehicle wiring harness and go all analog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jcc3inc Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 In reading Greg's comments above, I have copied some of the info from the rebuilders website which is:"These engines are not produced in an assembly line, but they are very carefully remanufactured with a lot of attention to detail as they are a lot more sophisticated than any other American built engine. To correct and prevent the most common couse of failure in these engines, which is pulled threads that cause blown head gaskets, a procedure recommneded by Cadillac is followed, which consists in drilling and tapping the old threaded holes and installing new solid alloy inserts, which renders a much stronger engine than the original assembly that was built at the GM factory"Looks like the alum block was indeed problematic!Regards,Jack C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reattaron Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 I've been told by a couple of reliable mechanics, that these Northstar eng. like oil after 80,000 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 I've heard of oil consumption issues, but its mostly cuz the top end gets carboned up and the rings don't seal. Fixed with a cleaning procedure at the dealer. This happens because Northstars are made to be DRIVEN, and respectfully, how are most Cadillacs driven...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-a-n-i-e-l Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 Just to add a little note if any one is seriously thinking about this. I would not do it on an 88/9 you must loose the diagnostics and all engine information from the crt. The other functions work just fine. The engine is controlled by a piggy-back ECM. I want to do this swap but I am thinking of doing it in a 90/1 (perferably in a convertable) but it will have to wait until I get back to the DC area because I have a busy 6-7 months whrn I get back state side. As for these not being reliable or long life engines, I would imagine GM has put a bit of thought into the new versions of the Northstar. If they all craped out at 80-100,000 mile I think some one would have complained by now. Exspecialy with the longer warrenties that GM is now offering. Last but not least any one on the east coast want to donate a 90/1 and cost of parts to me? You can keep the car I just want to do the swap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar0521 Posted September 27, 2007 Share Posted September 27, 2007 Hey guys.. well the body kit we had to fabricate. The front bumper was purchased on e-bay. It was intended for a mustang. It LOOKED like it would work, but after we got it we realized we had to widen it about 8 inches. We actually fastened it directly to the stock aluminum inner bumper, then covered the screws. The engine is actually a mixture of parts. Although it is mostly a '03 Northstar, the crank is a '99, and the management system is a '95. We found the OBD1 much easier to crack. The trans.. would you believe the stock 4T60 holds up nice? We put an adjustable line pressure modulator on there which works great and seems to do the trick.Hey sorry I haven't put more engine pics up yet! I can e-mail a few if someone wanted..Thanks for the comments guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted September 27, 2007 Share Posted September 27, 2007 May I ask what you're using for instrumentation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don B. Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: F14CRAZY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've heard of oil consumption issues, but its mostly cuz the top end gets carboned up and the rings don't seal. Fixed with a cleaning procedure at the dealer. This happens because Northstars are made to be DRIVEN, and respectfully, how are most Cadillacs driven...?</div></div> Oh, this is the Reatta forum.For a moment I thought I was on the Chevy Vega Forum.I got confused with this alloy block issue.Sorry, my bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Aw it's ok Don. All you gots to do is NAIL IT once in a while (me and Mario's term, instead of saying "put the hammer down", and usually said as "NAIL IT YO!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TommyH Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: F14CRAZY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Aw it's ok Don. All you gots to do is NAIL IT once in a while (me and Mario's term, instead of saying "put the hammer down", and usually said as "NAIL IT YO!"</div></div> now THAT, is special........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar0521 Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 275ft/lbs of torque, 300 hp. '03 GTP brakes and suspension. '03 Nstar, 4T60. Anyone with a SC V6 wanna race for pinks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonlabree Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 Sure, get your self a 88 89 90 or a 91 and we will talk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 What suspension components from the GTP were you able to use? It would be nice to stiffen up the roll/sway bars a little, and even with new Sensatracs the front end will float a tiny bit sometimes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar0521 Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 We used 99 Cadillac control arms, GTP wheel hubs and brakes (with vented rotors), KYB struts, and polly bushings. I think any w-body stuff would work. It's nice to get rid of the cast iron wheel hubs and external wheel speed sensors. The newer hubs are aluminum and have wheel speed sensors right in the bearings, you just have to splice them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 What model of '99 Caddy control arms did you use? Do they bolt up to the Reatta subframe? What are the bushings prescribed for? Is the handling better with the Caddy control arms?Are you using Reatta, Grand Prix, or Caddy struts? Mounts?I think we ought to meet up at a track sometime when I get this whipped together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar0521 Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 When we dropped the subframe, we realized basically nothing could be reused, including the cradle. We used a 97 Seville Cradle and control arms. The cradle bolts right in. The Caddie control arms have a little different geometry than stock. Not sure if they are an 'improvement', but we needed to use them since we used the Caddie cradle. The only thing is the sway bars are different between the Caddie and the Reatta. We welded on a bracket for the pin and bushing style sway bar onto the control arm. I can e-mail pics. Since I used the w-body hubs, I needed to use w-body struts as well. I think just about any brand would work. I used KYB's for a 99 GTP for instance. The brakes are bigger also on the GTP. These are all GM factory parts, that greatly and easily upgrade the Reatta. Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Very, very interesting that the Seville cradle bolted in. It's nice that GM doesn't totally re-engineer things if they don't have to. Now, I wonder if a 3800 would bolt into the Seville cradle...For reference, do you know if the stock Reatta CV shafts fir the GTP hubs? I'm assuming you're using CV shafts used with the 4T80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar0521 Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Believe it or not I am using a 4T60, with the stock Reatta axles! They fit right into the GTP hubs, and HOLD! Yeah GM is nice that way.. there are all sorts of things compatible between models. The reason I used a Caddie cradle is so the motor mounts would be 2/3rds done. I wouldn't see any advantage to changing the cradle, and then converting it to a 3800 tho.So, you goona build a bad ass 3800 SC Reatta!? I say go for it.. or is it running already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: northstar0521</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So, you goona build a bad ass 3800 SC Reatta!? I say go for it.. or is it running already? </div></div>I'm building a serious threat to your N*... I'm shooting to have it on the road by March, at the latest. See my thread on the build up.My bad, I forgot you opted to keep the 4T60. I guess I got mixed up because one of the crazy Bonneville dudes is mating a 3800 to a 4T80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar0521 Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Sounds like you've got yourself something bad in the works! I'm glad to see someone else do something crazy with these cars. They've got killer potential! You'll have to keep me updated on your project! That way we can arrange the race. info@northstarguru.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 My L67/F40 thrad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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