So I've had my Volvo for roughlyeleven years now and I haven't driven it in about six. I can't let her go. I'm now at a point in my life where throwing several thousand dollars into the old girl would be a painless and exciting process. 1978 Volvo 244DL B21F with a newer automatic w/OD and ~160K miles (very young).

It was a gorgeous car after the last time I painted it and since has become a victim of storage and thugs. Really only the body is important to me at this point. I want to turn it into a performance machine with looks to kill. What should I buy and what should I do to it? (I already own a copy of the JTR V-8 conversion guide.)

Any fast autos? 5-spd? 6-spd?
Turbo? V-8? Dual exhaust?
Suspension? Brakes?
Wheels?
Interior refresh?

I'm just looking for suggestions, so please fire away. I haven't stayed on top of the Volvo performance scene for so long that I'm essentially a noob. I'm not looking for gold-plated windshield wipers or anything obnoxious, but assume money is no object when making suggestions...

 

No ideas?

 

I would drop a build up 305 5.0 Mustang engine into it. Maybe even a TT setup.
That would be a sweet car.

 

A TT V8? That would be awesome...

I gave it a closer exam and I think the transmission is done... Are there any compatible 5-speed automatics or 6-speed manuals I could look into? Since the car is not a manual, I want to exhaust my automatic options before I consider all the extra work required for the manual.

 

Why a 305 5.0? Are you just partial to the Mustang engine, or is it a pretty easy swap? I love the 740 wagon with the TT LS1 in it. That thing is friggen awesome!

I don't know how easy it would be, but if you wanted to be absolutely unique, make cheap, easy power once installed, maybe you could try putting a Turbo 3.8 V6 from a Turbo Buick (a la Grand National/T-Type) in your Volvo. They are easy to maintain, super reliable and cheap to mod. Lots of GN's and T-Types running consistent 11's & 12's all day long. That would be a cool project. Instead of T-Type, you could do custom V-Type badges or something... but that may be just dreaming.

Sounds like an awesome project anyway, can't wait to see "progress" pics whatever you decide.

 

The borg warnerT5 five speed transmission that mustangs use are usually good up to around300HP before you need to upgrade. if you could find a 5.0L mustang and get the engine and tranny out of it that would be a good start.

 

if you just want to mod your volvo, IPD makes a bunch of performance mods and they are generally pretty reasonably priced. also, if you want performance, your gonnna want a manual. you could do the borg warner t5 tranny swap (i think i saw someone else posting about that). if you just want to do something crazy though, i have always been curious to see if a honda s2000 swap worked. that would be carazay.

 

There's a 740 with a TT LS1? Just a vanilla LS1 would rock. I've got nothing against going with a 5-speed manual, I just prefer automatics - well, the newer ones anyway. A 6-speed manual would be impossible to pass up. I'll look further into the BWT5 though. Would I have to upgrade the clutch or get a whole different tranny if I go over 300HP? My current ride pushes over 350 and I can't step down... plus I love the roar of eight cylinders.

So what I'm hearing is that there isn't a practical automatic that can be swapped that will tolerate the power of a V8 swap.

 

Here's a link to the vid of Volvette: http://videos.streetfire.net/video/9...84012931f3.htm

I still think a Turbo Buick motor in a Volvo would be cool. They run automatic transmissions and are making gobs of power... but again, I have no idea what would be involved in that kind of swap. Boost + Auto is generally quicker than a manual anyway. You can't break boost a manual.

 

Do any of these V8 geniouses belong to any forums? I'd like to talk to them personally and get some guidance. Anyone know?

 

Oh wow. I can't believe what I just found:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/05-GT...mZ290124866128

LS2 with 6-speed
Will it fit?

 

My volvo mechanic had managed to put an LS1 with a T46 tranny into an 84 244, but i never got to see under the hood. He frequently recalls going out on the freeway and just "toying with all those guys in their corvettes and porches". It can be done, i would start by emptying hte engine bay, as i'm sure your going to need new engine mounts, tranny mount, entire electrical system, but once that's done, taht's pretty much it.

 

Yeah, there actually doesn't seem be any shortage of new/used LS1/2 + 6-speed packages available. What's nice is that the majority of packages include all the electronics and engine accessories. I'll definitely need to do more reseach and talk with people that have successfully pulled it off. Any monkey can hammer out some holes to put everything in place, but getting it all to work?