Date: Thu, 06 Feb 92 11:21:04 MST
From: tom <AUTJW@asuvm.inre.asu.edu>
Subject: V8 volvos and swedish steel
To: volvo-net@me.rochester.edu
Okay, Volvo's may be bricks, we all know they are safe, they are not the fastest, but that can change.
I am currently in the middle of a lenghty correspondance with Del Rey motorspor ts about a number of things including v-8 conversions and swedish rally parts. As most people with volvo's know (if they thought about it) the engine compartments can fit almost any engine you can find. The ford 5.0 v8 swapps, the buick v6's and v8's will swap, the 307 and 302's will swap. It is all a question of how much weight you are willing to gain. The buick 215 (3.5l) all aluminum v8 is not that much heavier than the b20/b21 engines and is probably equal to or less than the b27 (god have mercy on it's cams). There are also a number of choices for the volvo motors. The b20e in my brothers 71 1800 propels the car to a 16.5 quarter mile (with tungsten tires, at Sears Point in the middle of Summer). Of course, it has carillo rods, forged 50 over pistons and the ipd street torque cam. That ain't bad for a four cylinder. The group a 240 cars had 340 hp out of the b21, crank the boost down alittle and mellow the cam and a 280+ street engine would propel a 3000lb car pretty good. My 142e with a 2130cc b20 +tricks would be real nice if the ports were better and the rear end wasn't a 3.91 (The 142 with the 4.30 died, and yes the ratio makes all the difference). There are not many cars that can say they get 135hp from 2 liters stock BTW does anybody have a ported b20e head with oversized valves for sale?
***tom wetherell*** driver and mechanic for de shuper svedish rally beasht
Date: Thu, 06 Feb 92 13:45:46 MST
From: tom <AUTJW@asuvm.inre.asu.edu>
Subject: more on v8's and Sweedish Perf Parts
To: volvo-net@me.rochester.edu
The first time I saw a v8 in a volvo was when I dragged my 142 at Sears Point two+ years ago. It was a 307 (Chevy???) in a 264, it was bone stock with an auto magic tranny, moderate slicks in the rear. It was pulling consistent 15.5s qtrs. Not astounding, but it had airconditioning and the stock 3.?? rear end ratio. So what would you expect. As far as the 215 aluminum v8, if I convert i want to keep the displacement low because i commute from California to Arizona (I go to school at Arizona state univ.) so mileage is a definate concern of mine. Also when you stroke a block you drop your redline, I prefer the oversquare piston diameter to stroke...
As for the inquiry for b21ft cams, I am waiting for a letter from Del Rey motor sports who mentioned that they have good connections in sweden for rally parts, Also, it is not that hard to have custom cams made, companies such as calcams make custom cams from billets, you tell them the specs/profile/use etc. and they will make it. No gaurentees, of course that the power will be where you want it, a friend of mine with a 123gt has a custom race cam (too radical for street 514lift 280+ duration) that was made this way, and is about to have another made on a steel billet, this one for his street motor. I have never had an overhead cam made so i am not sure if they can be made like this. Ipd sells b21 cams so you might check with them, i do not know if they will work in the ft, probably. You might also check with your local volvo parts buddy. One last idea, in an issue of rolling a while back, there was a guy in maine who made a drag car out of a b234 (doch, 4valve per cyl) I don't know if he was running stock cams or not, check the issue and write him (he owned a volvo dealership...
When del rey msports writes me back i will post the good stuff...
***Tom***
Date: Thu, 6 May 93 08:16:26 EDT
From: Tim Takahashi <tim@me.rochester.edu>
To: Dave Munroe <dmunroe@hpvclmun.vcd.hp.com>, swedishbricks@me.rochester.edu
Subject: Re: V-8 transplant
On May 5, 8:17pm, Dave Munroe wrote:
} Subject: V-8 transplant
} > we came across a beat-up 83 760gle that was having its French soul
} > transplanted with a Chevy 305.
} Anyone ever tried the Ford 302 from Converse Carversions? What's the
} performance like?
Yeah. I drove one at Christmastime last year. Basically, the motor is an excessively tight fit which compromises servicability of the front suspension. It makes the car noseheavy. This particular car with a 30k mile 1988 Mustang 302 and 4-speed auto transmission was neither smooth in shifting, nor outrageously powerful (on par with a stock turbo, maybe).
Ross' kit does not solve problems of speedometer or tachometer recalibration either.
tim
I just ran through the FAQs for V8 Volvo conversions and caught one that frowned on the Ross Converse Ford kit. I must protest! My 78 265 runs beautifully with the Ford, and I've had very few problems. While it is true that the motor sits quite close to the firewall, there is nothing signifigant that is obstructed. Pulling the intake takes a bit of knuckle scraping, but that's about it. As for suspension interference, there is NONE. There is plenty of room, and I have had both front corners off to modify the struts (shorter springs). Not only are there no clearance problems, but the car handles fine and runs low 15s in the quarter. I also ran it once at an Alfa Club time trial at Seattle International and put many to shame. Granted, the stock brakes are not up to the task, but they can be improved.
My 265(3300lbs) weighs less than a Mustang GT, and has better weight distribution (49/51) to boot. That's because the motor sits lower and farther back than in the Mustang.
Plus, I'd rather look like a geek in a Volvo wagon than a Cro-mag high-school kid in a hot rod. I highly recommend the kit. There's just no way to approach the available torque with a 4-banger. I spent 10 years flailing around in a 140 at 6500 RPM (my ears still ring)!
Things I recommend:
A three row alloy radiator (only needed if you drive like me)
Carbon metallic brake pads
5-Speed (the Ford auto won't stay in OD at full throttle, which
is really frustrating when your maxed out in third gear(115 mph)
How could anyone not want a V-8?!
Greg Stasko
greg@vertere.com
Date: Wed, 5 May 93 21:39:46 EDT
From: Tim Takahashi <tim@me.rochester.edu>
To: mshafer@acsu.buffalo.edu (Michael D Shafer), swedishbricks@me.rochester.edu
Subject: V-8 in 760GLE
On May 5, 1:39pm, Michael D Shafer wrote:
} 3.) I noticed that most exotics have different size tires
} on the front than rear. What benefit does this have
} and is it good for Volvos?
Ya know, at the WNY Volvo outing in Buffalo last weekend, we came across a beat-up 83 760gle that was having its French soul transplanted with a Chevy 305. While there is certainly enough room to put a 305 under the hood of a 7xx series, the 3-speed TH-400 tranny is not happy with the 3.54:1 rear end ratio. The fellow doing the conversion was planning to put 235/60r15's on the back end - he is the parts manager and he claims they fit, but still 235/60 back and 205/60 front.
Wow a 760gle funny car! Wait till that makes it to a club event!
I think the Delorean (of v6 fame) was the only production car to use different diameter rims front and rear. 195/60r14 front. 215/60r15 rear.
tim
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1993 22:20:33 -0600 (MDT)
From: "Joe Rosse, College of Business, Univ. of Colorado at Boulder, USA, (303) 492-6254" <ROSSE_J@gold.colorado.edu>
Subject: Volvo 184 spotted
To: SWEDISHBRICKS@me.rochester.edu
Phibers-
Saw something new today--a 1971 Volvo 184. Naturally, this logo intrigued me, so I sped up a bit to see what it was. A short conversation at the next stoplight revealed that the fellow had put a Ford 302 V-8 in his 71, which he said "fit, barely." I can't say that it looked real special--being all primer gray-but it sure sounded nice with its dual exhausts. He said he'd owned 12 Volvos before this one.
Joe
P.S. Lawrence--he turned off Broadway just south of NCAR (i.e., halfway between the King Soopers and Greenbriar), so he must live in your neck of the woods. I wish I'd had an opportunity to talk with him a bit more, and maybe peek under the hood.
From: walowitz@acsu.buffalo.edu (New Yorker in Exile)
Subject: v8 in volvo
To: swedishbricks@me.rochester.edu
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 93 1:55:55 EDT
that mesage about the 302 in the 144 reminded me about someone i know vaguely...
actually, a mechanic friend of mine has pictures of the red 244 (79 or 80) of a friend of his. it has a ford 5 L from a mustang in it.
my friend says that that , with a new clutch, really make the car move. he also says that the fit and link to the transmission was quite smooth, surprisingly so...
:) kinda interesting, though the lack of purity sits oddly with me...
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 11:18:00 +0000
From: "Charles (C.E.) Swepston" <swepston@bnr.ca>
To: swedishbricks@me.rochester.edu
Subject: Re: engine swaps
John is right... Build the B20 up. You can obtain 150 streetable ponys while getting 20+ mpg. Engine swaps are fine but a friend of mine spent tons of money building up a 3.8 buick v-6 and dropped it in a 164. After cutting frame members, running the headers out over the wheels, he was left with a car that was not too much faster than a very good running 164. Another friend of mine took the torque grind route for the a 75 B20F. He put the big bore kit in did some and did some head work and used the ipd torque grind cam. The car is very torquey.
I remember when I took a trip to Oregon a few years back. It was when Scott Hart had the white and yellow 145 wagon. He had the big bore kit, Torque grind cam, head work, D- jetronic FI and the car was unreal. We headed for the coast with 5 people in the car, towing a trailer that contained two dirt bikes and a 3-wheeler with all the gear and fuel cans. That car was pulling the hills in OD.... It had the 4:30 rear in it which helps a little bit but we still got 23 MPG on the trip. He used to get as high as 29 mpg and it was fast too. It is what gave me the MAJOR bug.
Find someone that has modified their car and drive it... You will be hooked.
Chuck
swepston@bnr.ca