Buick 3800 to rwd swap

[rwdswap]

I'm a Newbie looking for info/advice on swapping a fwd buick 3800 into a rwd application. Here's the story:
I have a complete buick to part out that was free. (And gets 33 mpg)
I have the appropriate 60 deg bolt pattern 700r4 trans. (From an S10 or Camaro I believe)
I'm putting it in either a 48 dodge sedan or 53 dodge truck so I will be fabbing all the usual stuff (motor mounts, radiator support, exhaust, etc.)
Having the air intake pointing backwards does not bother me, rerouting radiator hoses etc. doesn't bother me.

To start, I'm wondering if anyone has already done it and has advice. The buick flexplate and the 700r4 torque converter do not have the same bolt pattern so I'm wondering if there is an off the shelf combination of the two that works? And wondering if there is a trans. throttle cable that mates to both the trans and the 3800 (either stock or aftermarket) or advice on how to mount the original cable to the 3800 throttle body.

I saw a few posts by member "redfrk" who may have done something similar, so if you're out there, I'm open to any advice. And anyone else who has constructive advice for me (other than I should just get a rwd V8 for the swap)
Thanks.

[Grimm]

redrfk used the 3800 from a camaro along with the electronic trans. That's really your best and probably only choice for getting something to mate up with your 3800.

Also, is it a 3800 or a 3800 SeriesII?

*edit*
Oh and welcome! I'm gonna go ahead and move your thread into the conversions section since this is mostly tech.

[rwdswap]

Thanks Grimm,
I have a Series I 3800 from a '94 buick. Can you help me out on the 3800 bolt patterns. I have an early turbo buick from a 79 regal that has the old rwd BOP bolt pattern. My fwd 3800 has the 60 deg bolt pattern from the 2.8's etc that were in S10's and Camaros (which is were I got my 700r4 trans.) When the Camaros got the 3800 I thought they recast those blocks for rwd with a different transmission bolt pattern. Am I confused? Do the 3800 Camaros still have a 60 deg bolt pattern for the trans?

[Grimm]

I'm thinking more of the Series II than the series I, so I'm not sure. You aren't going to make much power out of a Series I anyway.

Umm, I can tell you that both FWD and RWD 3800II blocks are exactly the same and they don't use a 60* transmission. I would think that would be similar for the Series I as well. I have heard of the 60* trans mounting up correctly for the Series I though.

[RedFrk]

Series 1 and 2 both use the 60 degree bell housing bolt pattern. The problem you will probably run into is the starter. Series 2 have it on the driver side, im not sure about series 1s. S10 and camaro 700R4s have the starter on the passenger side, but from my research, you may be able to use a lower tranny cover from a 95-98 3800 4L60E to make the starter mount on the driver side or make your own cover.

I have no clue what you would do for flywheel/torque converter. I only ever looked into series 2s. I dont know how close everything is for series 1s. I dont know if the flywheel is the same size or if the bolt pattern to bolt on the crank is the same as series 2. Im sure everything can be done. I might do something like this in a jeep one day for the next project. My brother has a 3300 laying around from his 89 olds.

I used a complete drivetrain from a 96 camaro to swap into my s10, I just had to worry about making it fit.

[rwdswap]

Thanks guys,
I'm sure I'll dive headlong into this project before I have all the answers and end up fabricating or paying to have something customized that would have been available off the shelf. It makes sense that the newer 3800's would still have the 60* bolt patterns, no reason to cast two different blocks for fwd and rwd apps. and have to change the trans when they started putting the 3800 in the camaro.

You're right, I won't make power out of a series I. I posted on another forum, that it's not always about power. The 3.8 (231) turbo is in my Austin Healey and it lights the tires all day and beats Mustangs, Camaros, etc. I've done the reckless years and at 39 may be prematurely conservative but this one is about fuel mileage, dependability, and availability of parts. I have the straight 6 flatheads for both Dodges and one is already rebuilt but I really want to make one a daily driver in every sense of the word. I drove my 56 chev station wagon all 4 years at college and all the way to the day I got married as my daily driver and still have it. One of the hot rod mags did a feature on aftermarket fuel injection for a 350 and got 25 mpg in a 56 chev, and that got me thinking, so with a free buick I thought I'd try it.

Any further thoughts on what roadblocks I have in front of me turning the 3800 around? Or any ideas of other forums/websites to find someone who has tried? The 700r4 does not have the same starter clearance issues as the manual bellhousings. Below the last engine bolts, it slants back at about 45 deg and leaves plenty of room for the starter hood - yes I will have to fab a new dust cover but that's just a little sheet metal and a mig welder. From what I've read it sounds like there may be some major differences in crankshafts and balancing between series I and series II that the later flexplates/trq convs may not help me but I need to look into it and spend some time at the salvage yard measuring things up.

Thanks again, I appreciate the feedback.