Yes but the 3800 shares most of its parts with it front wheel drive brothers. Replacment engines are common and cheap here in the US. The 3800 is one of the most common GM motors out there. Any GM 3800 95-08 is a direct bolt in long block for a 96. The cast iron 3.4 was on in the Camaro. The Front wheel drvie version went is a diffent direction and they share very few part. If you want a used motor your looking at a 17 year old motor. The 3800 has more HP and get better mileage then the 3.4

To me there is no choise to make. I would rather buy a 3800 with a blown motor then a running 3.4.

 

I already have a 97 with the 3.8litre engine.
Has good gas milage and parts are very easy to find.
I would suggest the 3.8 over the 3.4 by a longrun.

Those cars you are looking at are starting to have a lot of millage at 250,000km.
You might have a lot of things to fix on them.

 

3.8 any day over the 3.4.

 

I went today and informed that the car has no keys to open it's doors and not the ignition key.
no catalytic inverter in the back. so sure the check engine light is going to be on
what is the solution for the missing keys?

 

I'm not sure but if you buy the car you should be able to have a GM dealership make a key for you using the vin number (serial number) from the car. But you have to be the owner. Call a GM dealer in your area and
ask them.
Good luck.

 

If you cannot test drive or even start the cars then they are worth what the body parts that can be sold for. Getting the keys sorted out could be a pain if you do not have access to a GM dealer or if someone has replaced the original ignition. There is a work around for the chip but it is a pain without the original key. Honestly I would not pay more than I could sell the front clip for. Then, Maybe you get lucky. But imagine buying the car paying to have it towed getting it home spending $100 bucks getting the keys sorted out only to hear a bad knock in the motor when you do get it started. You spend the 2K replacing the motor and when you put it into gear the transmission won’t go. Another 2K you are on the road only to find out the rear is shot. Once that fixed you find it needs brake work and so on. I have seen this happen on cars that were not stored correctly. At the end of the day if you cannot test drive it is worth the some of its known good parts.

The golden rule of buying a used car is if the owner can not prove it works assume the worst. Heck it could be a flood car for all you know and you really don't want a flood car for anything but parts.

I don’t know what parts sell for where you are but I would not give more than $400 for it which is only about 40% more then what it is worth for scrap. You should just leave this car for the junk yard or someone that plans on a complete rebuild.

 

we don't have GM dealer in my country, but we have lock smith he might find key that cope with doors and make 2 copies of them, and the ignition I have to replace the whole unit.
but really I think Its hard to enter such auction since I cant know if there is any problem with the engine or with the transmission and it has more than 280,000 KM.

 

tomorrow I will go to the lock smith and show him my z28 1994 keys and ask him if he can find me keys for such ( american car) he might tried it with other GM cars, and find a suitable key to open the doors and and make copy for me and I provide it as donation for stupid auction or the one who buys it.
the ignition key I guess I will change the whole unit and bypass it.
and ya after all this I guess I will not risk if it's price is high as u said guys. I swear all what I do is just that I fell happy when an american muscle be in good shape in my country its more than a car, its a legacy. I will pay for it 10K $
no more beside I know a clean Z28 with Recaro seats plus Clarion sound system for 2K $ and body kit called shine sun I guess and 20 inch rims. for 13K $
hope me the best .
I will pay for it maximum 7K $.

 

There is a resistor on the key. That resistor ties into the security system. If you have the wrong resistor the car will crank but it will not start. The work around has you measuring the resistance in the key and installing a resistor inline equal to that resistance.

You can replace the Key cylinder but that has no effect on on the resistor. You need to figure out what resistor the system is looking for.

A young guy hot for a car with limited knowledge and a auction car that can not even be properly inspected or driven. Ya, what could possibly go wrong?

A clean V8 for 13k vs a pot luck V6 for 7k. That is a not brainer, 13K all day long. Around here a V8 will sell for allmost twice what the V6 sells for and that is with the cars in about the same condition.

 

Ok Gorn I will take that in consideration, unless you can get that thing DIRT CHEAP, id pass.....

beside I guess u can put any value of resistor when u do the bypass and reset the PCM I guess. and the car identify the new resisting value.

thx.