How/Why did you end up with a 60Degree V6?

[Canyonero]

I'm really impressed with the things you guys have done with this engine. Gets me wondering, who bought a car or truck with this engine on purpose, and who ended up with one by chance?

Myself: The first car I drove in High School was my folk's 1989 Isuzu Trooper with the 2.6L 4-cyl. It was the no-frills base model, but I loved it. So when it came time to get my own car I looked for my own Trooper. Ended up getting a 1990 Isuzu Trooper LS. All the bells and whistles you could get in a 1st gen Trooper, and the 2.8L V6. So it was more or less incidental that I ended up with a 60-Degree. Didn't know or care much about it. I thought more of the 4-cyl at the time, the V6 only had five more horsepower and got worse gas mileage, but it grew on me. Then some years later, armed with the basic knowledge from the year of auto-shop I took back in High School, I got stupid and ordered a 3.4L engine for it. And here we are. I now have a Trooper powered by a 3.4L SFI engine.

Now that I've learned quite a bit about the engine, I'm looking for a car with a 60 Degree V6 to compliment my favorite old truck.

[SappySE107]

I totalled my first car, an 85 le baron convertible and was looking for another. My friend had an 87 grand am 3.0 so I knew I wanted either a grand am or grand prix, or an 88 monte SS. Ended up driving a 91 grand prix 3.1 auto and it was a lot better than the le baron.

I was mostly into the audio but I did buy a chip (junk) and gut the cat (horrible) and removed the mufflers (loud) and tried the IAT resistor (junk) and it never ended really. 1999 was when I really started learning about engines and design/theory. Before 60DegreeV6, it was a yahoo club and an aol website. The days that I didn't do anything but read forums and try stuff on my car.

Was a hobby, now its a career. Its really just an excuse to spend more money on 60V6 stuff:P

[bszopi]

My first car was a 73 Chevelle, that after a year we replaced the 305 SBC with a 400 SBC. After a few years (while I was in the Navy), it started having some mechanical issues and then an engine fire. I just didn't have the time to work on it all the time, so I ended up getting a Beretta for the time being, and my dad kept the Chevelle. That was in 1995. I still have the Beretta and the Chevelle is long gone. I started messing around with it in 98 because I had some buddies that were into the imports. Then in late 99, early 2000 I came across the same yahoo club that Ben was involved in. Been around since then...

[85_305]

Well.. once upon a time I had a buddy. He had a '90 GP SE, 3.1, 5spd, 8way adjustable seats, rear buckets, and some 245/55/16's on it. It was a sweet car. Even had exhaust work and some chip or new ecu in it (never did find out which kind). One day, we were drunk and started talking about that car. I had a 3800 Buick at the time, and I thought that shit was FAST. It had some nasty top-end to it. But buddy had a 3800 Delta 88 which had some wicked top-end to it. Then this dude with an old ass 3.1 starts bragging how fast his shit was, yet all my buddies would agree with him. I didn't believe that shit. He told me he'd sell it to me for 500$. All 240k miles of it. I'm like alright man, I'm buying it!!
So, sure as shit, the next day I'm up there test driving it, then eventually driving it home! I sat in it, ajdusted the 8-way seats, and thought, "damn, this thing feels really badass!". I loved it. I then started the motor, "DAMN.. that exhaust sounds good!". Then I gave it some gas; "DAAAAMN.. thats the most crisp throttle response I've ever felt!!". I loved it. It was quick, sounded sexy (that Pontiac 3.1 gurgle), and seemed to get great gas mileage. 500$? I'll take it!!
And so it began. That thing would RIP UP those 245's like non-other! This thing would smoke hemi rams (whooptie doo), 3800 cars, newer 3100's, any honda, anything you could throw at it. I loved it.
I didn't realize how much i loved the car, or how rare it was, and sold it. Back to the guy I bought it from.
My next 60* was a '92 GP SE. It was an auto, with plain-jane seats, but it has some nasty tint, a nice cold air intake, and a GORGEOUS exhaust that gives me hard-ons just thinking about it (in fact, I have the exhaust on my myspace videos). It was quick, but not as much as the '90. I was gonna mod the hell out of it, but I then found a Boneville SSEI fully loaded. SNATCH! Picked that baby up. Had some fun, but didn't want such a big car.
Found a '94 Sunbird. 5spd, 3.1, and 240k miles. Got some nice wheels for it, did some Energy suspension upgrades, and some Koni HD racing struts all the way around, plus minor exhaust work. LOVE this car! Beast the shit out of new accords with ease (or anything else for that matter), gets phenominal gas mileage, and w/ the red paint in mint condition and the factory wing and aftermarket wheels, it looks fantastic.
Now, I may be getting a TGP. I hope this deal goes thru!

[gpse3400]

When I was like 15 I was standing on a street corner when a '89 Z24 with a standard shift drove by me just casually running though the gears...I've been more hooked on the sound than anything. I love the sound of GPs with the twin pipe exhaust from '88 to '93. Pretty much all GM V6s have that boaty sound at low speed but the 60 degree does it right and I like the design. Simple and effective. Lightweight and smooth running. My first car was an '89 Olds International 2.8 Auto in '97. I have been hooked ever since. I have tried to get myself out of it but to no avail.

It doesnt matter how much power they have, They are all to be loved.

[Superdave]

Back in the 80's i remember riding around with my parents and seeing the Z24's when they were new.. always liked the style.. When i was in high school a buddy bought a '90 Beretta GT auto, he let me drive it a few times and i was pretty impressed with the torque so i started looking for something similar, rekindled my love for the Z24 back in 98 or so when i bought my first Z24 (1989 2.8 auto) drove it for a few years and then wrecked it.. then picked up my 1991 Z 5 speed in 2001 as a replacement.. daily drove it till 2006 when i did the first engine swap, blew the 3400 a few months later.. then built a 3500 for it and it's been a garage queen since.


as for the sound of the '660.. almost better than sex, espicially above 6K RPM

[geoffinbc]

My S-10 had the 2.8L in it. I really didn't know the history of the motor like I do now. But I knew it was reliable. After looking at a bunch of trucks with 4.3L's and 2.8L's I found the 2.8L to be smoother and there was way more 5 speed 2.8L trucks. The T5 5 speed was also a MUCh nicer trans than the NV 3500 behind the 4.3L. There was no chance I was getting an auto so narrowing down my search to one truck it had a 2.8L and a T5 so i was sold. When I went looking for a 4X4 I first started looking at 4X4 S-10 Blazers with a 2.8L simply because they had the 2.8L that I loved and were much easier to work on than the 4.3L because they are a narrower motor. But then I didn't like the S-10 T-case and front axle so I started looking at Troopers and found a few with the 2.8L so I was sold again. LOL now I have 2 trucks both with Iron head 660's and TBI injection, neither have ever let me down.

[Canyonero]

So when are you going to put a 3.4L in that Trooper?

I've also gotten a couple of my friends hooked on 2.8L via Troopers. The blue one is getting a 3.4L w/ TBI. The white one was fine until it ate coolant, now it's going to get my old 2.8L.

[Azrael]

I knew next to nothing about cars when I bought my Grand Am. The fact that it had the 3100 rather than the more common 2.3L was pure chance. My dad used to have an 88 Grand Prix with a 2.8L and I always liked the way that engine sounded. I was quite happy to find the 3100 made a similar sound.

[n_c_mail]

My first car was a 1994 Saturn SL2 that was basically my learning car. Almost everything i know about engines i learned on that car. It had a 1.9L straight 4 and a 5 speed. I wrapped it around a telephone pole last winter in an ice storm. I was looking for another Saturn or atleast a GM car. My buddy i worked with offed me his Beretta Z26 for $200 it needed a bit of TLC and body work but i decided to get it. I had alot of trouble with the engine at first (mostly just figuring it out). It was the first pushrod engine i had ever worked on and let me tell ya i have learned alot about it and grew to love the car and definitely the 60 degree.

[94gagt]

my 94 grand am gt(3.1) was my birth day present when i turned 17.. only i had to pay for the whole thing.. ended up paying 2600 for it and have "invested" another 4 to make it work right.. i love this car though a dont thike ill ever get rid of it

[geoffinbc]

So when are you going to put a 3.4L in that Trooper?

Never! I have a 3.1L Crank in the shed. I am going to bore the stock 2.8L out and install the crank with some new pistons and make myself a 3.2L.

[merlot566jka]

well it started with my first car. my neighbor worked at the gm plant and was selling his daughters first car, an 88 z24 auto. i didnt want it. once i drove it for a bit, it became everything i wanted. i was obsessed. 2 years worth of messing with it i blew it up with a 125 shot of dry nitrous. i went to a brand new alero, 4cyl 5 speed. got arrested, moved out of the parents house, got a 95 z28...sold it months later, went into the navy, bought a tiburon....sold it 4 months later and bought a vette. my wife then bought a vette (both 94 6spds) and then my brother got a 95 6spd. he had left florida on his way to visit me in virginia and totaled his vette at over 150 mph. he was in a coma, and i was devistated. i remember the entire time we were growing up all he talked about was fieros. so i bought the first decent one i came across for $5000 and hoped one day my brother would get to see it and maybe it would be all ok. well he came out of his coma giving me the finger and i new it was all ok. i then did everything in my power to make the fiero the way he would have it and i planned to give it to him, but he refused and was reluctant to ever drive a sports car again, he bought a blazer. so there i was, totaled my vette, sold my wifes and had a loan out for $5000 for a fiero. what was i doing? 6 engines later and im happy to say ive always loved the 60degree v6 and wouldnt trade it for anything (cept for $5000!!).

the sound was addictive when i was 16, its worse now. esp when the intake is about 3 inches from your head!!

[Alxsmt]

well i first got hooked on berettas (back when i was 15), my first one was a 2.0, it was way too slow.. then i began to learn about the different models out there and engines. i finally bought a beretta with a 2.8 5spd just so i could swap a 3400 into it (after doing a lot of reading on it) and it has just progressed from there. im 20 now

[pocket-rocket]

I got my first 60v6 in 99 when I bought the 91. I was like, "Yeah! Finally got a car that was made in the same "time period we live in" What I meant was, it was a 91 in 99, and not an 89. Then Y2k rolled around 2 months later. When I saw the car on my uncles lot, I was like, wow, thats a cool looking car. Then I looked in the window and saw the dash and thought, Yuck, its a Lumina. We originally saw it shopping for cars for my wife. A month or two later, I blew a rod in my Prelude, so now the car shopping was for me. That same car sat on the lot, so out of curiosity, the next day I took it for a spin. While looking at it while Bob was getting me a plate, I noticed it had the Bose stereo, so that wasn't bad in my sight. Then I saw how the license plate went in and thought that was pretty cool. Then I started it, and thought it didn't sound bad, but thought it was going to be a slouch compared to my old 80 Cutty Calais that had an Olds 307. I took it down the road thinking it rode nice, then when I got out of ear shot of my uncles lot, I let it rip, and all hell broke loose. That thing sang so beautifully at 6K rpms, I fell in love. It stayed stock for a long time, until while in Tulsa OK for a truck driving job, I ran across GM forums while showing people what my car looked like since we got on the car subject. I have no idea how long I was on GMF (just missed the first 60v6 meet by a few weeks ), but not to long, I hooked up with Ben, and it's been down hill since. I have never moved away from this site on purpose, but every time I look out the window and see my cars, I am reminded of the fun times I've had with and in them, and the awesome people I have met because of them. Then again, the 91 kind of reminds me of the not so fun time where after I told the cop I just got done working on the car, he replied with "117 MPH worth of work!?!" I thought for sure, I was going to jail, and Ben was walking back to Warsaw, lol.