I’m an American that has been living in Japan for the last 7 years. Been looking into Volvos over here because they seem to be tunable and decently priced as compared to the Japanese offerings. But, I have become more interested in finding a “first car back in the states”/"you found a job in the US" car. There are several cars on the list, including

850
S60
S40
V40
Maybe more volvos
MB E300TD
Saab 9-3
VW TDI
LS1 F-body (not the same but LS1 is LS1)
LSJ Cobalt same as the F-body
Crown Victoria Coupe with alot of work (long time dream)

11-22-2011 03:40 PM What am I looking for

at least 300 ft/lbs of Torque when finished - current car is 650cc at 12 psi.
Manual - I know the E300TD isn't, but I made an exception for that car, because it isn't available with a manual.
Comfort - 1990`s loaded, power windows, locks, adjustable seats, tilt steering. HIDs would be nice. Sunroof, heated seats, etc not needed (reliability)
OBD-2
at least upper 20s mpg on the highway
Readily available oil and fluids for changing (not TDI PD engine)

Mods for boosted cars would be Stage 0, TB exhuast, intake if needed, water injection (have almost 3 full progressive kits worth of parts), and tune, plus slight suspension work.

LS1 would be LT, true duals, LS6 intake, ported TB, tune, and maybe nitrous/meth if I get a hankering

Water temp, oil pressure, and water/meth flow guage for all vehicles, and wideband for gas engines.

Others have suggested the Lincoln LS, but I just can't get into it. If the 3.9 V8 had a stick, then that, along with a turbo kit and tune would be nice, but it just seems like a galant with a botched BMW facelift.


So that’s the list, feel free to comment, but I just wanted to say hello, and hope to learn more about Volvos while here. Been reading about ecu, engine, and model differences, and it is taking a while to get them all worked out.

 

Welcome to VF.