Engine "decoration"

[ncgirl05]

I have a question about the way the engine looks. In my blue '89, the top of the engine has "3800" engraved in the gray area. The claret '89 I bought recently does not have the "3800" engraved in it, it's just gray. I assume the engine in this car was replaced. Now I was just looking at the Reatta's on eBay and I see a '90 Maui click here and it's engine (last photo) does not have the 3800 engraved in it.....

My question is - did all years have the 3800 engraved on top of the engine, or just the '88 and '89?

[cal55]

I have a 90 and it has the 3800 on the cover in red.

Joe

[ncgirl05]

It's not the cover over the engine I am talking about - it's the actual engine. I'm attaching a couple of photos...

This is with the 3800 engraved...

[ncgirl05]

..and this is one without the 3800....

[manikmekanik]

The engine with the 3800 molded into the intake casting is a 1988 version.

Some 1988 cars were re-badged as 1989 cars, due to late model-year production, from what I've heard.

I've run into folks who thought they had a 1989, and it was actually produced in late 1988.

Does your blue Reatta have 6 switches under the CRT, for trunk, fog, glove box, etc. ? Or does it have a remote-operated glove box? These are features which define a 1988 Reatta, if not, then you have a very early 1989, with a late 1988 engine, or it has been replaced with an earlier engine.

My '91 drop-top has a black intake cover, only one i've seen, maybe because it's a unique car, 1 of 7 built, only 4 remain, only one registered & on the road. I'd like to see it's sisters, and check thiers out.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

What Manik said.

'91s had the L27 with "Tuned Port Injection" in the plastic cover

[Guest EDBS0]

neither of my 89s have the 3800 on the top.

Nice engine bay, can your coolant be due for a change? It might be a bit dirty?

[ncgirl05]

I was too lazy to make photos of my own cars - I saved a couple of pics off of eBay instead <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

[ncgirl05]

...oh, and thanks for the info Manik! My blue '89 has all the acoutrements of an '89 so it must have been early production as you indicated. This also means that the engine in my claret car is probably original to the car, which is nice to know.

As to the order in which the cars were produced, I was going by the last 4 digits of the VIN - I thought the lower the number the earlier it was made, but the claret is 2XXX and the blue is 5XXX, so I guess my theory was incorrect..

[Guest tomt]

Interesting. My 89 has a sticker on the driver door panel that is stampet 3/89. Am I right in assuming that this should be the month of production?

[charlie1]

I believe that is the date the car was assembled. Motor could be a left over from the previous year.

Charlie

[Roadster90]

Chas1 has a good answer. Also, as a dealer I bought many GM vehicles for resale, and I remember seeing the "stamped 3800" on other models such as LeSabre, Park, Ninety Eight, etc. I am not sure of the year models, but I was a buy here-pay here dealer, and I generally bought vehicles 10 or better years old. I left the business in '98.... which would make those models pre '88

[padgett]

From what I have seen, the 3800 was cast into the plenium only in 1988 (I have two that way), 1989-up the top of the plenium was smooth and the "3800" is in the plastic cover.

Now the rule in production cars is "never say never" but you might want to check the engine number or "something" may have happened that required changing the plenium out.

One thing to check: the 88 did not have the brace that makes it haard to change the serpentine belt. Is that there ? Transmission also used different halfshafts in 1988 than 89.

[Vincent Vega]

The intake is from a 1988 engine. Does the plastic cover say 3800 also? 1988 plastic intake covers only have 'Fuel Injection' printed on them. If cover says 'Fuel Injection' <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">and</span></span> and 3800 it's from post 1988. Are your valve covers plastic or cast aluminum? Early 88's have cast aluminum valve covers.