15 replies to this topic

[cheapracer]

I am not familiar with the Pontiac "Transport Sport" but theres 1 sitting here in a wrecking yard with the motor and box sitting on the deck. I can see on the net that they came with a 3.4 or 3.8 V6 and this one has carby (all holdens are injected) and a manual 5 speed attached.

I was just looking at Wiki and it would be the first gen 90 - 96 model - man is it ugly.

I would like to establish the differences between it and a Holden Commodore engine/trans, obviously same genes but what subtle differences in way of swapping? I can take some shots of it if required.

When I first came here I would have liked to have developed a special around the Holden V6 Engine but it's very difficult to import an engine (near impossible) into China and this may be an oportunity for me.

[McGuire]

The 3.4 and 3.8 are totally different engines, the 3.4 being a 60 degree V6. (also 2.8/3.1) I wouldn't think there would be a carbureted engine of any type in a Transport. All domestic GM product was fuel-injected well before 1990. Could be come sort of export/offshore model, could be a field retrofit, or could it be you are looking at throttle-body injection?

[cheapracer]

Thanks for that, sure could be a throttle body injection if they had one (nothing on the inlet manifold). It looks like a narrow V so you may be on target. I'll try for some engine numbers - I would think it would be a personal import.

I thought yourself or Ph11 would know ;)

[imaginesix]

Originally posted by McGuire
The 3.4 and 3.8 are totally different engines, the 3.4 being a 60 degree V6. (also 2.8/3.1) I wouldn't think there would be a carbureted engine of any type in a Transport. All domestic GM product was fuel-injected well before 1990. Could be come sort of export/offshore model, could be a field retrofit, or could it be you are looking at throttle-body injection?

None of them came with a manual tranny either so this thing's undergone at least a sex change fo' shur.

[McGuire]

Originally posted by imaginesix
None of them came with a manual tranny either so this thing's undergone at least a sex change fo' shur.

I'm not as sure about that part of it. I know they built some for export and that the U-body supported the Getrag manual box... and for Europe they would do a stick if they possibly could in order to make the numbers. So I would expect there to be some sticks out there, or at least it would not amaze me.

But carbureted doesn't seem possible as there was no such thing by 1990. Without ever seeing the thing I would guess it is a 3.1 or 3.4 TBI with a stick.

[ray b]

as many Fiero swapers use the 3800 supercharged motor
BUT nobody has found a FWD stick trans using that motor in stock form

and the 60 deg 3100 or 3400 motors are all multi point fuel injection

the older iron headed 3.4 are made in a crate motor for carbs
but those are used in mini pickup trucks to replace the 2.8 original motors

if anyone knows of a FWD car or van that uses the 3800 with a stick
other then the F-body or Holden RWD cars the Fiero swapers would love to know about it

[Fat Boy]

Didn't the Citation X-11 come with the 2.8L and a manual? That would be been before 1990, but maybe there's some of the cross-breeding. It was front wheel drive and would probably have been carburated. I'd peg the time frame on that to be about 1985, though.

At the time, the Transport didn't really seem hideous. Pontiac had come up with some concept car that were real swoopy, like the Wildcat, that seemed a little 'futuristic'. I certainly don't remember having the same feelings about the Transport that I did with, say, the Aztec.

[McGuire]

Originally posted by ray b
and the 60 deg 3100 or 3400 motors are all multi point fuel injection

No, the LG6 (Vin code D) was a 3.1 liter V6 with TBI.

Used in U-bodies from '90 to '96. Lumina APV, Pontiac Trans Sport (aha!) and the Olds version of the dustbuster/art deco toaster minivan, whatever it was called...Sillhouette.

[McGuire]

Originally posted by ray b
as many Fiero swapers use the 3800 supercharged motor
BUT nobody has found a FWD stick trans using that motor in stock form

Never say never, but I do not believe the transverse 3800 (blown or NA) was ever used with a manual transaxle. Can't recall one anyway. No reason you can't do your own but you will need a flywheel for starters.

The most plentiful source of Getrag 5-speed manual transaxles would probably be the Chevrolet Lumina Z34 and Olds/Pontiac variants. They built a relative shitload of those. Many used the LQ1 V6, a rubber-band DOHC conversion of the 3.4L 60 degree V6. An engine of limited applicability, you might use one to prop a door open except it is not that well-balanced and will keep falling over.

My favorite Fiero conversion is Cadillac Northstar V8, mainly because it looks so impossible.

To get to the bottom of this thing Cheapracer found and if it is really OE, you would need the GM fleet catalogs for all the markets in the year it was built. I would be very hesitant about saying it can't be this or it can't be that. It's in frickin' China for Pete's sake. It's not even supposed to be there.

[McGuire]

Originally posted by Fat Boy
Didn't the Citation X-11 come with the 2.8L and a manual? That would be been before 1990, but maybe there's some of the cross-breeding. It was front wheel drive and would probably have been carburated. I'd peg the time frame on that to be about 1985, though.

Yes, and they built a ton of them. John Heinricy's first race car was a Citation X-11 he ran in SSB or C, if you can remember that.

The Citation was built on GM's first compact transverse FWD platform, the X body. In the original plan a major portion of production was going to be stick, manual steering rack, manual brakes. But same old story, the car quickly veered up-market as dealers and consumers contented the hell out of them. But the cars were out there, they built them.

The X-car was the most heavily recalled car in GM history. The V6 cars could not turn left; the float bowl couldn't handle it. The manual steering rack cars would tear the rack mounts out of the firewall. Around Detroit at the time it was said that the GM X-car was the safest car in America. Why? Because wherever they went there was a tow truck in front of them.

[cheapracer]

You will have to excuse me Guys, as I said I don't know squat about this particular model and I was looking at the motor and box more than the van next to it.

I didn't realise it was front wheel drive, I presume of course that any big van is RWD, the motor and box is of longitudal type (sorry Ray B), not transverse, so it may just be coincidental that this motor and box was sitting next to it unless they run a weird drive back to the front wheels - you know side driveshaft back to the diff under the engine type thing??

I'll get some pictures tomorrow and I had better get an engine number to pin it down - I know it has iron heads.

I remember reading R&T's first test about Citations and the amazing G-Force they got out of it (over 1G), they were mighty impressed. Then a few issues later than ran a test of one straight off the showroom floor and couln't get near the original Chev supplied test car (0.8G from memory)! Chev had to do some quick explaining about why the car had buffed tyres and other little tricks!

[ray b]

Originally posted by ray b
and the 60 deg 3100 or 3400 motors are all multi point fuel injection

Originally posted by McGuire


No, the LG6 (Vin code D) was a 3.1 liter V6 with TBI.

Used in U-bodies from '90 to '96. Lumina APV, Pontiac Trans Sport (aha!) and the Olds version of the dustbuster/art deco toaster minivan, whatever it was called...Sillhouette.

we count the LG6 (Vin code D) as a 3.1 not a 3100
the 2.8 , 3.1 ,and 3.4 are all iron heads with a distributer

the newer 2800 , 3100 and 3400 use alloy heads that are different and will not eazy swap
on to the older iron headed motors while it can be done it is a real pain to do
while the blocks are somewhat the same the pistons are different as are many other bits
in short a total rebuild is about the only way to use the alloy heads on the older motor
and crank fired el-tricks means the car must be rewired for a new CPU ect too


the guys swaping the 3800 supercharged motors
use a stock fiero getrag with a cut down F-car flywheel
but as no GM car came with that combo
the californicators are stuck by their states CARB rules
that want a stock engine trans combo swaped as a unit
so they would love to find a 3800 stick combo "SOMEWHERE"

[cheapracer]

In case you don't know Ray B, either Smokey or Grumpy did a "horsepower on a budget" for the V6 in question in one of their HP books, may be of interest to you.

Off to get pics now.

[McGuire]

Hey, where are our pictures? You know how much we like pictures.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by McGuire
Hey, where are our pictures? You know how much we like pictures.

Must have run out of film...

You know how these tourists are.

[cheapracer]

LOL!

Sorry I did get them then immediately I finished I was informed I had to fly to Xi'an (you would all know of the Terracotter Warriors there, the 6000 clay soldier statues) - before I thought I knew what boring was but now I know what boring is.

Try tomorrow.