Project Bucket-List (Volvo Content)

So a funny thing happened today.

1992 Volvo 4 door for sale. Rust free some electrical issues. $800 firm.

I am not really wanting or looking for another project, but the three Petes who work on the Molvo all kind of want to go to the challenge and this offered a diversion to feed that dream, So we went for a drive.

Was warned about the window being down as part of the electrical issues. Not terribly ugly in that way that Volvo can pull off a square box. I like the wheels

Guess this explains the low rust quota

Some interesting wire art. The pushbutton is the starter. Did I mention that it runs?  Sounds funny but it runs well.

So after a bit of berkeleyery we popped the hood to see what mayhem might lurk. All berkeleying kinds of it as it turns out!

More of that electrical issue stuff. These crispy wires feed the fans. But it gets worse!

I don't think this was installed in Gothenburg. Helps explain the sound not being very Volvo-ish.

Far as I can tell, the car was converted by a place called "Converse" in Texas. 

Pete

yes! a nohome challenge effort!

youre gonna kick ass at the concourse.

I can’t wait to meet you whenever you show up

Awesome!

Bumpity! 

For inspirational purposes.  Paul Newman's V8 Volvo.   Supposedly a Converse conversion.

outstanding!

Have you had a chance to sand on it at all yet?

Converse Engineering was up in Maine. He sold kits to mount the 5.0l into 2/7/9 series Volvos but I’m pretty sure he hasn’t been in business for years. 

I think you can still find the installation manual around on the internet, I seem to remember looking it over before. I’ll say for sure that the wiring job is not the way it’s supposed to be done. 

In reply to orthoxstice :

Electrical challenges are the bulk of the issues with this car; that is why it was so cheap.  There was smoke at one point.

The bulk of electrical issues seem to be Volvo related though, so Volvo factory wiring manual on the way. Be nice if any of the windows worked

Sick!

Who doesn't love chasing electrical faults on a mildly berkeleyed diy harness?  Ge some test wires with alligator clips, fresh batteries in the multimeter,  and attain zen like oneness with the logic of it all.  As with most things, beer helps. 

So is there a salt spray test facility somewhere down in Texas?  Maybe the engine was from a boat, that sank, long ago.

Awesome find.  Good luck with it.

In reply to BrianC72gt :

Gonna guess sitting outside for 2 years did not help with that.  That window was down that far also for the duration.

Factory electrical manual on the way.

Whoever did the swap must of at least been trying to comply with emissions inspection. This thing has all the emissions controls including evap recovery. The ford harness is very unhacked. 

Just in case, the first thing that goes in the spares kit is an hei distributor and a 650 holley carb!

Pete

In reply to NOHOME :

In many US states if the engine came from a newer car and retained the emissions controls it could be accepted. 

On the plus side, it shouldn't be too hard for you to find a cheap and rusty - but at least not electrically abused - 740 without too much trouble and swap over the electrical bits.  In a way, that could be your Challenge plan:

1. Strip interior cruddy out

2. Enter Challenge with no interior for weight savings (and sell off some of the parts to recoup costs for other mods).

3. Post Challenge - reinstall fresh interior from a donor, cost-be-damned.

In reply to Ian F :

If this thing is going to carry three people to the challenge, it is going in comfort. So full interior.

New rack

Find  a workable radiator

Fix electron distribution system.  The power window wiring for this thing is crazy complicated and such that if the PS rear switch fails, ALL the windows and sunroof stop working. Or at least that is what it looks like. 

Suspension design will fall under the "any suspension will work if you don't let it" theory of suspension tunning. 

Remove and clean the interior.

At just over $600 USD for the car I think I can afford the above in the $2000 budget. If pressed, there is a shopping bag full of fuses and spare light bulbs that I can sell to recover the cost of the car. Seriously, there has to be over 100 fuses and 50 bulbs. ( might be a hint of what is wrong in there somewhere?)

May or may not paint the scuzy hail dented roof panel. Depends on if I ever recover from sanding the Molvo.

I'm excited to watch the scope creep. And to meet you of course. 

Team 3-PETE rules!

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

Not much worried about scope creep with the 760. Reliable and have fun are the only requirements for year one.

Mission creep on the other hand is a problem because one of the Pete’s wants to take the Molvo as a chase car.

Pete

Molvo would be great for exhibition class!

Officially known as the S-CAR-GO

Snuck into the shop while the Molvo is off for a paint spa. I will give the S-CAR-GO a month of squatting in order to get it road-worthy , safetied, plated and insured. Then it takes second fiddle to the Molvo assembly party.

Funny how the view in the shop is the same but different. 

Interior is going to need some love, but with a bunch of elbow grease should clean up. The seats and carpet are going to have to come out for a proper job.

And what is it with me and berkeleyed up roof panels eh? I have no intentions of painting the car, but this needs to be dealt with.

It drove on and off the trailer and into the shop on its own steam, so that is a start.

Pete

Well it isn't a glass roof so that is awesome. I too am building a Volvo for the next challenge but it is a wagon and will be Volvo powered. I'm assuming you know enough about these cars but my advise would be to weld some steel onto the rear subframe and install some him jointed rear arms with some 240 spec front inserts with some  schedule 40 pipe spacers on top and some eBay accord coil selves and some 240 spec rear shocks. I used them on my 2j powered 965 with the eBay springs up front and 250lb springs in the rear with Koni yellows all the way around and the Car is perfect. I hope to see it at some point.

In reply to ErikTheSwede :

The funny  thing is I know literally nothing about Volvos. Seriously, I knew neither the year nor the model #  when I hauled it home.  All I knew is that it was kind of a cool looking car with a V8 conversion that looked to be done nicely and the guy was willing to take $800 for it. Combine that with the fact that all my friends are sick and tired of hearing me prattle on about this Challenge event in FL every year and it was put up or shut up time. That it does not seem to have any rust holes was the deal clincher for me. 

Something tells me I am about to learn  more about Volvo 760s than I ever thought I would.

Pete

I just realized it is a 760. My advise would be to ditch the independent rear suspension and get the subframe and rear end out of a 740. The differential is strong in The car that you have but the suspension is awful at anything lower than stock and the bushings are probably already worn out and are expensive and a lot of work to replace. The factory solid axle rear of of the 740 and 940 is based on a Dana 30 but they can handle a lot of power for their size. I have been putting over 400hp through mine with no problems. You can also find any of the schematics you need at volvowiringdiagrams.com

In reply to ErikTheSwede :

Got the factory wiring manual already.

The goal this year is to get it running well enough so that we can drive it to the challenge  from London Ontario and hopefully back home. safe and reliable are the priorities for this year so we are going over the entire brake and suspension stuff with a fine tooth comb.  I still have the Molvo to finish this winter so time is also going to be a factor.

Badass deal!