3800 series 2 "bulletproof" eh?

[FoSHO99]

Under the proper maintenance and level of fluids, these engines can take 600-700whp no problem in stock form and it has been proven, (only thing not stock would be valve springs, timing chain and cam to get that hp). The biggest part is scanning and tuning to know what exactly your car is doing. These engines' worst fear is knock, second most fear is the dumbasses behind the pedals.

[BillBoost37]

I doubt a bad head gasket was the first symptom. Sounds like you are NA, therefore under the high load your pressure in the cooling system was a healthy 16psi and your UIM blew, filled the LIM with a half gallon of coolant and then the coolant went into the cylinders. At this point one or two tried to hydrolock at high rpm. That doesn't work well. This destroyed a bunch of things and it made a mess.

Once you have the plastic UIM off the car, the issue shouldn't be possible again. Instead you'll have a bunch of different possibilities.

[TheManiac]

I just read this thread and I LOVE how the OP makes it sounds like the praise of the 3800 is false because he has had problems with his.

Seriously, this thread is a waste. There is admitting to improper maintanance on the car, strike 1. Miss your fluid changes, faulty maintanance can ruin hope of the car being a great car. And some people don't take into account, buying a car you know the last owner did not maintain, you stand good odds of paying for there sins.

Second, the OP admits to beating the crap out of the car and driving it hard. Any car, even a Corvette, has it's limits. If you push it too hard and beat the crap out of it, yeah, it's not going to live up to it's potential. Strike two....

Personally, I'm not sure what would chaulk up to a 3rd strike, but I'm sure it's there.

Now, I drive a '94 Grand Am with a 3100 v6 since '03 as a daily driver. I bought it at 86K and it now has 202K on it. I admit, I drive the car hard on the freeway every day to and from work, and the worst problem it gave me was a blown head gasket at 180K. It has not been without wrench work, but when you look at the miles I've put on it, the car has done outstanding for me. The drive train still runs like new, it's on the original transmission. I'm convinced the body is going to rust away before the drive train craps out.

[izup69]

I beat the crap out of my car every day and its my dd. I have went through 3 tranys and I know 1 of them was my fault bc I was beating the **** out of it but the other 2 where just junk anyway. One went out 15k miles after it was installed. Thats what you get for a gm rebuild lol. Luckily they were all under warranty. Sounds like the previous owners lack of maintenance doomed the car. I run full synthetic royal purple in my car. Great stuff. Like they are all saying its not the 3800's fault for dropping dead.

[WOTFTW]

My gtp is at 182k, full of ghetto rigs, zip ties and I'm currently running it without a s/c belt. I still manage to run the pizz out of it. Givin I do very well keeping up with basic maintence, I'm driving it like it is til it dies. Been waiting about a year and a half now and the end is nowhere in sight for me lol. Rebuilt tranny has about 15k(Will be reused in another L67 rebuild) on it now. No service engine, smooth idle and that's with just about all original gaskets etc. that I know of. Been a family car and there was a period of about 2 years with sh**ty maintenance from my cousin. Then another couple years with it sitting still not moving.

This block is a freak. This was what motivated me to start a rebuild on another just like it with a little more punch to it.