FAQs about 700/900 Series.

Can an air bag be added to a 1985 740 GLE?

Does the 780 have a B27 engine?

> The 780 came with two engines, either the 2.7 liter V-6 (could
>be 2.8 liters, I'am not quite shure, it was the RVP engine co-developed
>by Puegot and Renault), any pre-85's could have also come with the
>B23FT, and the 85 and on could have had the B230FT. The tubo's came
>usually with the turbo boost kit included in the package. I wouldn't
>feel disapointed in finding no 8 cylinder engine under the hood.
>The B23/230 FT engine can really move that car allong, especially
>with the Turbo boost kit. It is much lighter than an V-8, so that
>should help improve over all performance. Aslo, you milage should
>be better, especially in city driving.

No 780 has B27s, all have B28s or B230ET/FTs. A very few has B28ET which was a B28 with two turbos. Even the smaller V6 B25ET was found in a few 780. The B25 turbo are more common in some other cars.

I'm not sure if Volvo has sold any V6 turbos outside Volvo. I think it's only one 780 V6 turbo owned outside Volvo here in Gothenburg.

The V6 turbos was cancelled because heat problems with turbos. The 780 was cancelled before the new inline 6-cyl was ready. A Turbo-version with 250 hp was ready later, but isn't sold in any Volvos yet. The 5-cyl Turbo is on market in this summer. Maybe also the 960 get the 6-cyl turbo..

Dear bricksters,

The 780 was introduced in 1987 with a shortened 760 platform and the 2.8 liter PRV V-6 engine. It was priced in the low $40,000 range (!); I remember falling in love with one in the showroom with a sticker of $42,500. In 1988 it got the multilink rear suspension introduced on the 760's that year. In mid-1988 it became available with the B230FT 4-cylinder turbo engine. This is the same engine that was in 740 and 760 Turbos, with the addition of the Turbo+ kit which raised peak boost pressure. I seem to recall it boosted horsepower from 162 to 188 and torque from 187 to 205 lb/ft, but I'm not entirely sure. I never saw any magazine test of the turbo-4 model, but I'd imagine it was comparable to the less powerful but lighter 740 Turbo.

As usual, all disclaimers apply :-) Hope this clears stuff up.

- Happy Motoring,

Antoun
(Who is still hunting for an 88 744T :-(

co@mednt2.sunet.se writes...

{ No 780 has B27s, all have B28s or B230ET/FTs. A very few has B28ET
{ which was a B28 with two turbos. Even the smaller V6 B25ET was found

Shiiiii.... !!! a 2.8 litre with twin turbos??? WOW :)..

I could deal with this... :)

{ in a few 780. The B25 turbo are more common in some other cars.
{ The V6 turbos was cancelled because heat problems with turbos. The 780
{ was cancelled before the new inline 6-cyl was ready. A Turbo-version with
{ 250 hp was ready later, but isn't sold in any Volvos yet. The 5-cyl
{ Turbo is on market in this summer. Maybe also the 960 get the 6-cyl
{ turbo..

I have not been able to find out any info on the 960 Turbos. I talked to a dealer in the UK and he said that there used to be a 960 turbo which had a 4 cyl engine in it but they have discontinued it due to lack of interest...what with the 6 cyl engine being so powerful and the 940Turbo and all.

Where do I find these articles?

Thank you for any help.

Brian.

Tedium and drudgery are good for the soul. :- Boober Fraggle

Forwarded message:

>From walowitz@acsu.buffalo.edu Wed Apr 21 02:25:32 1993
From: walowitz@acsu.buffalo.edu (New Yorker in Exile)
Subject: Re: 780
To: nessa@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Vanessa M. Cook)
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 93 2:25:37 EDT
Cc: walowitz@acsu.buffalo.edu (me)

In-Reply-To: <9304210311.AA05903@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>; from "Vanessa M. Cook" at Apr 20, 93 10:11 pm

on the 6 cyl turbo.... ..

I found your writing fascinating on the 780. and its 6 cyl turbos.

A book i have on turbo cars in general indicates that Volvo surprised the world with its decision to turbocharge the 4 instead of the six. I don't think it was such a shock, except in US, where engines are "supposed to be big."

Anyway, I read in a US car mag. that volvo has been experimenting with twin turbo 960's and even has shown a few in Europe, though without word on producing them. Further , I've read that a turbo will come to the 800 series soon. However, whether this turbo will go with the 850 or the forthcoming 840 (what I7ve heard as the REAL replacement of the 240) remains to be seen. (I think it'll bethe four, as usual, and to avoid further competition with the 960 with what would be an AUDI S4-like850 turbo.)

Also, the first year taht the 900 was offered, volvo didnt sell any six cylinder (760 was then gone). to make up for this, they offered what was in the US called the 940SE-- a 940 TURBO with a suspension and all features more like the soon to be sold 960. Perhaps in the UK it was called a 960 turbo (which volvo never planned to sell beyond that year(. Also, in Europe, i believe the second number has less meaning than here (eg there u can buy a 960 with a two liter engine.

just my thoughts...

jay

>Shiiiii.... !!! a 2.8 litre with twin turbos??? WOW :)..
>I could deal with this... :)

I think the 2.5 litre V6 turbo is available in some Peugeot-models. PRV is still working on their old V6 even after Volvo cancelled PRV. I think Volvo has now sold their part of PRV to Renault now (before, Volvo owns a half part of PRV, and Peugeot & Renault the other half part).

I don't know if Renault plans to use any PRVs in future models. Renault has already choosed Volvos new engines for some new Renault-models.

>I have not been able to find out any info on the 960 Turbos. I talked to a
>dealer in the UK and he said that there used to be a 960 turbo which had a
>4 cyl engine in it but they have discontinued it due to lack of interest...
>what with the 6 cyl engine being so powerful and the 940Turbo and all.
>Where do I find these articles?

History of the 7xx.

1983 - 760gle introduced, b28f (v6) or d24t (turbodiesel)

1984 - same

1984.5 - 760gle turbo (b23f) introduced

1985 - wagon's introduced

760gle - v6 sedan

turbodiesel (d24t) sedan or wagon

turbo (b230ft) sedan or wagon

740gle - turbo (b230ft) sedan or wagon

b230f sedan or wagon

turbodiesel (d24t) sedan or wagon

1986 - turbodiesel 760 series dropped(?), turbodiesel 740 series soldiers on

(rear end badge changes "font")

b28f v6 superceeded by b280f

780 series bertone coupe debuts

1987 - turbodiesel 740 series dropped. revised turbocharger on b230ft.

1988 - 760 series sedan gain new front end, independent rear suspension

1989 - 740gl (low line) introduced (b230f steel rims, cloth, etc.)

1989.5 - 740gle 16v (b2304f) introduced (airbag, alloys, ABS)

1990 - status quo

740/760 series sedans get new taillamps

1991 - last year for 780 Bertone Coupe (turbo 4 cylinder only)

no v6 sedans available

940 series debuts (940gle, 940gle 16v,940turbo, 940se)

all feature 760 front styling w/ new rear stylind

940se has IRS

1992 - last year for 740 series

16v motor dropped in US (avail. Canada)

960 debuts (b3024f)

1993 - front end style reverts to 740 style on 940/940t, 760 style on 960

Is anyone familiar with the 16v engines?

> Does anyone on the net familiar with the 16v engines, and had
> experience with them? I've wondered how they are.

We have a 1990, 745 GLE (16v), with manual transmission. The 16v has lots of power - not as much as the turbo, but it's very nicely behaved. The car has almost 60k miles, and is seeping oil at the seals - I've been duelling with the dealer over this. The 3 year warantee expires on Aug. 30, so something will have to happen soon. Some front oil seals have been replaced, but there's still leaks at all gaskets. (My 1985 Saab with 150k miles is mostly dry.)