Jacksonville '82 Volvo turbo-brick project...assistance most definitely needed

I've been told nostalgia is an expensive and powerful force...I now believe that.  I've recently acquired a 1982 Volvo242GLT that I'm completely tearing down and attempting to eventually rebuilt as a restomod.  The idea for this came from my late mother who was obsessed with Volvo240 wagons, and admittedly I've always had a soft spot for them as well.  Even though I've built a number of cars from the frame up over the last 15 years ,this is my first Swedish car, first Kjet car and first car with more rust than the entire city of Pittsburgh.  In short, I could use some help if anyone in the Jacksonville/St.Mary's, GA area is interested...or can just lend some advice via facetime/phone on B21FTs and Kjet.  I've poured through TurboBricks forums but seem to walk away with more questions than answers.  What is giving me the most trouble is simply discerning how the funky Volvo is plumbed and wired...that's it.  Feel free to take a look for yourself on IG @charlotte_the_brick

Thanks for taking the time to read this far.

Don't know how much help I'll be but I'm down to come up and see.

I say LS swap.. I used to have a 240 wagon but I don't remember squat about anything Volvo specific.  I'm actually fairly serious here.. there are tons of these that are LS swapped and it would make a great driver that way.

Can't help with kjet, but if you do LS swap it I can help. Either way I wish you luck, and hope to see progress.

I would personally hate to see a factory turbo 240 get bastardized with an LS.  It's very uncommon for people to mess around with the K-jet stuff anymore if not a completely lost art, but a B230FT swap with Microsquirt and a strong transmission can be a riot.  I would recommend sticking around turbobricks.  They're still a great resource and amazing group of people.

In reply to Stampie :

Absolutely, if there's a day that works well for you just shoot me a text 860-510-3237.  I live in Yulee right off 95

In reply to V6Buicks : 

I love the idea of keeping the swedish roots alive as much as possible, but if an engine swap ends up being the path to take (almost guaranteed at this point), I'm looking for simplicity, which may mean looking outside Volvo.  My progress so far has been to remove as little as possible, or replace immediately, to prevent this from being a total frame-up rebuild, mostly to preserve the wiring in place.  However, if I did entertain microsquirt and a B230FT swap + trans, in your opinion am I honestly just better gutting the entire thing and doing a proper build?  Thanks for your help

In reply to McTurkn :

Text sent.

I tried to join the Swedish Volvo Club asking for advise about my bastardized Volvo 1800e but they wouldn't even talk to me. I then tried the Norwegian Volvo Club and they where wonderful and enjoyed talking to and helping me out. I would ask my questions in English and also Google translated in Swedish or Norwegian. Eventually, the Norwegians informed me that they all spoke English and that Google Translate didn't work very well. Good luck on you project.

McTurkn said:

In reply to V6Buicks : 

I love the idea of keeping the swedish roots alive as much as possible, but if an engine swap ends up being the path to take (almost guaranteed at this point), I'm looking for simplicity, which may mean looking outside Volvo.  My progress so far has been to remove as little as possible, or replace immediately, to prevent this from being a total frame-up rebuild, mostly to preserve the wiring in place.  However, if I did entertain microsquirt and a B230FT swap + trans, in your opinion am I honestly just better gutting the entire thing and doing a proper build?  Thanks for your help

 

There is nothing simpler than a B230 in a 240. I would megasquirt the B21 but it isn't much harder to drop in the B230 if you want. 

What is currently wrong with the 240? What are you planning to fix by tearing it apart completely?

Yeah, what is the state of the car currently? Does it run? If it doesn't, what have you tested for so far (spark, fuel pressure, etc...)

Not sure what you are looking for from the herd.

You mention rust. What do you call a lot of rust what all does this car need fixed? In my mind that might be a game stopper or at least the first order of business.

What are the goals for the finished car? Daily driver or "Drive to show" resto mod?  

What kind of performance do you want to see out of the car? 

So the rust is mostly along the rocker panels, but does not extend into the frame.  The body work is somethin I can handle, however understanding the wiring is something that gives me nightmares.  It looks as though the harness, in various areas, has been replaced for one reason or another (likely wire and sheathing wearing out I assume), so trying to make sense of it has been really challenging.  Furthermore, I do not know how to wire a car to EFI from Kjet/carb, so any insight on that is hugely appreciated.

So what is wrong with it specifically?   Does it run?   Does it run OK?   What have you done mechanically to this point and what is the next thing to do?

If it doesn't run and the current wiring is messed up I would find a junkyard B230 and full wiring harness to swap in. 89+ for LH2.4 engine management and wiring harnesses that should have intact insulation. Of course if yours is a manual then you would need to find the correct flywheel for the LH2.4 and they aren't super common anymore. 

If it was mine I would work with what I have to get it running and driving then go from there. It would be helpful to know the current issues you are experiencing and pictures of specific problems. 

I still need to come up. Maybe this weekend?  I'll text you. 

If you can find a Bentley manual for this car, it should have a great explanation of how the K-Jet works and various troubleshooting scenarios.  There is a specific fuel pressure tester for diagnosing K-Jet issues that is indispensible.

There was a good guide for troubleshooting K-Jet on vwvortex that I used to use years ago. I can try to dig it up if you're interested.