What car? Rally on a budget. Part: 240

Thank you all for your input last time around. I'm now less than a week away from my move so, I can't friggin' sleep.

After weighing in your opinions and talking at length with my co-driver (who is only 6'-6", I was mistaken) we have decided on a Volvo 240.

There are a handful of 240's available on CL right now for the sub $1000 we can allocate right now. Most are automatic 4 doors, with 1 manual 4 door, 1 auto coupe and several automatic wagons.

We are drawn instinctively towards the wagons for both the WTF factor and the additional traction.

Three of the cars have bad motors, one is the auto coupe for $700, one a manual sedan for $980 and one is a solid auto sedan for just $250. the running ones range $900-1700

So the questions are: Is the additional traction of the wagon enough to offset the weight of a wagon? Is the $250 sedan a good enough deal to make it worth throwing a motor in (or buying as a parts car?) Is it worth swapping a motor just to get a coupe when I can get a running sedan for around the same price? is the manual sedan worth $1000 even though it needs a motor?

I'm in entirely uncharted territory here, so I value your input.

Kind've like this one, but it's not close.

http://bellingham.craigslist.org/cto/5037478313.html

Engine swaps are really easy, especially for the earlier Bosch CIS engines (B20, B21, B23). The later "low-friction" engine -- the B230 -- uses LH-Jetronic injection and has a bizarre distributor location (at the back of the cylinder head; you have to hoist the engine up to change the dizz).

For manual gearboxes you have a choice of two: the M46 4-speed-plus-electric overdrive or the M47 five-speed. You want the M46. Ratios are better, and the Laycock overdrive is sturdy. The M47 may look attractive at first but it is fragile. If you want a beefier trans with more gears swapping a Tremec T5 or T56 is possible, and there are a few how-to articles on the Web for inspiration.

My suggestion is an earlier 242 or 244 with Bosch CIS and an M46. This is about as bulletproof as a car can get. Also, it is really easy to swap a manual trans into a CIS car, since it's a cable clutch and no engine computer change needed. IIRC the rear-end ratios and driveshafts are the same.

Also watch out for 740s and 940s. They are mechanically largely identical to 240s.

Get on to some Volvo message boards; Turbobricks and Swedespeed are excellent resources and they have extensive classified sections, including cars for sale. Since you will be going to the Land of Swedish Cars, the choices might broaden.

I'd avoid wagons for a couple of reasons: they are really hard to cage, their weight distribution is messed up compared to the short-roofs, and they are a couple of hundred pounds heavier.

rallymodeller wrote: I'd avoid wagons for a couple of reasons: they are really hard to cage, their weight distribution is messed up compared to the short-roofs, and they are a couple of hundred pounds heavier.

and they are not nearly as stiff. you'll get enough of a cool factor with the 240 alone. If you really want a wagon use it as a service vehicle not a rally car.

Bit of off info here, no 240 ever came with a head mounted dizzy, doesnt fit thats a 740 thing. Lh is super easy to play with. I made a stadalone lh2.2 on my bedroom floor in about 20min. The lh2.2 has crappy ignition ecu (chrysler box in the engine bay) but is very easy to swap to the 740 lh2.2 ignition ecu (much more reliable system). Also wagons weigh 3000-3100 lbs and have 50/50 distribution. Manual swap is easy in anyone but the na automatics suck I burned one out on 8psi in less than 1k miles. As said m46 is better (its steel case except for a rare 740 that used an alu m46 and all m47s are aluminum.) Neither of which are particularly strong but if your careful and keep a spare you should be fine. As with anything the sedans are a bit more ridged than a coupe due to the added pillar but add a cage and it doesnt matter. Auto and manual have different rear gear ratios, iirc auto is 3.43 or something and manual is closer to 3.2 or something. Some came with a stock locker g80 that only works under 25mph unless you lock it but they all use a d30 rear axle, same as the front of cherokees so you can use some lockers for them. Kjet is reliable if everything is up to snuff but usually isn't (seals rotted) and most people scrap them cause new parts are hard to come by and most they parts need scrounged from the junk yard. Also 740s arent bad, share mechanicals and some electronics can be swapped but other than that are very different.

Fun fact concerning prices. I never payed over $500 for a volvo. One needed a starter and the other a wire hooked up for the exciter and drove em home. Still got a 245 but now its got some go fast goodies

Check out rallyanarchy.com

In reply to racerboy000:

Is that john v l's site? Hes the man if you can a) discypher what hes saying and b) can deal with him. Super awesome source of info though hes all over turbobricks too expecially if you say something about rally or its hard to make na redblock power.

Thanks for the corrections. I've been without Volvos for a few years now so I have basically forgotten a lot of the details.

In reply to rallymodeller:

It cool man. thats what were all here for, everyones got a bit of info to contribute which makes this site great