A friend of mine's Grandfather is selling me his 89 RS...he tells me he's dropping a new 3.8L Motor in there...yet I'm not so sure what a 3.8 is capable of. Can anyone enlighten me??

 

It depends on what 3.8 his is talking about. Since he said "new" I would guess he meant the new Camaro 3.8L engines. Its a good idea if you slap on a supercharger.

 

any estimate on the total HP, before and after adding a supercharger?

 

200 stock and around 300 I would say with the blower. Keep in mind its a roots style.

 

(Before SC) Enough
(After SC) MORE!!
Seriously, you only care about torque.
The stock 3.4 I have under my 1985 hood has 200 Foot Lb of Torque.
That's quite a punch in the seat of the pants!
If he swaps in a 3.8 (buick engine) he has quite a mission ahead.
Go look see on the progress and let us know how he is doing. That engine type only was in the 3rd Gen engine bay, once, the 1989 Trans Am TA.

 

you have to be alot more specific. if its from a 4th-gen, then about 200 hp and 230(?) torque. with a supercharger your lookin anywhere form 250-350 hp. if its form something else, say a TTA , then hold on to your ***.

 

I already cleared that up guys and plus you dont only want to worry about torque. Alot of your races on the street if you are that kinda racer (which I am) will happen on highways and such. 60mph+ you could give a **** less about torque.

 

Having owned a 1968 Firebird w/400 & TH400 tranny
I LOVED THE TORQUE I FELT AT 60MPH!!!
All the way up to 115 MPH!
Seriously, it'll do fine. Just make sure it is computer compatible with your car to have the most fun in your ride. Anything else, will come second (meaning-if it don't run right, you can always chrome it and go for the looks!)

 

Are you sure that he didn't mean a new 2.8? Swapping in a 3.8 is a PITA. You might want to double check.