Grand National with a Turbo 4.3 L Ecotec V6

Jeff and Dan Jost enjoy building hot rods with a lot of power at their company Jost Boosted Performance. So when the factory turbocharged 3.8 L V6 (LC2) in their Buick Grand National suffered a catastrophic failure, there was nothing holding them back from rebuilding the car the way they wanted.

The team started by removing the factory frame. After close inspection they discovered stress cracks and opted to replace it with another factory frame. All the joints on the “new” frame were ground and re-welded. They also replaced the rusty body mounts and reinforced it with round tubing.

The restored frame received a full RideTech coilover suspension package including their StrongARM tubular control arms in front while the rear uses a set of Metcos billet control arms. Stopping was improved thanks to Corvette C6 Z06 six-piston brakes in front and four-piston brakes in back.

When it came to replacing the factory V6, the team originally chose a Buick SIII 3800 V6 built by Intense Racing. The engine featured Diamond forged and ceramic coated pistons, ZZP 4340 forged rods, and a BorgWarner EFR-9180 twin-scroll turbocharger.

They mated the 3800 V6 to a 4L80E four-speed automatic with a Circle D custom torque converter and Detriot Truetrac LSD with Moser 30 Spline axles.

Unfortunately after completing the project, the 3800 V6 suffered a broken main cap and failed main bearing. The team chose to replace it with a more modern and lighter motor. They opted for a 4.3 L LV3 V6 (Gen 5 Ecotec3) from a 2016 Chevy Silverado.

The Ecotec V6 was converted from direct injection to port injection. They also shortened a Moroso LT1 V8 oil pan and Holley LT1 V8 Hi-Ram intake to work with the V6. Eventually the EFR-9180 turbocharger from the previous engine will find its way onto the V6. View more photos of the engine build in their FB album.

Source: Jost Boosted Performance FB page