[Closed] Elderly Volvo appreciation society

I believe many Volvo fans are elderly, yes.

I'm 50 and I've always loved Volvo estates since I was a kid

Does that count?

There might be some lurking here:

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/volvo-estate-appreciation/

I had a 1988 740 GLE estate in Canada, then replaced it with a 199 740 GLE estate as soon as I moved to the UK. The only difference between the two cars was that the Canadian version had the double headlamps as opposed to the single large lamp as in the picture above. The first of these two cars, especially, took us on thousands of kilometres worth of adventures. The second, not as many as my family outgrew it. But I flipping love Volvos old and new, and now drive a 2004 XC90.

I completely sympathise with your desire, and hope you enjoy it for a long time!

The only difference between the two cars was that the Canadian version had the double headlamps as opposed to the single large lamp as in the picture above.

That detail change was required on all sorts  of European cars imported to the US and Canada because, up until quite recently, there were only two sizes/ shapes of sealed beam headlamps permitted on US vehicles - a 7"round one or a 6"x4" rectanglar one. No mater what make of model of car in the US - they only used one or other of those lamps. So imports had to have the grill adapted to work with those lamps.

A few years back I had a S60 2.4 t
It was a great car as it had the heated leather seats, fantastic sound system with everything built so tight no bass vibration whatsoever, plenty life due to the 210bhp with the 5cyl growl sound but older Volvo's with that na 2.0 auto will be gutless and drink fuel like a weegie alky drinks vodka
I've 1 cyl more now in my Z4 na 3.0 and loving it

I had an Amazon and a P1800

It’s comically slow

Slower than the 2.5N/A 110 you had ? Which. Arguably was over powered for your smurf hat skills ? 🙂

Watching episodes of The Saint, I'd really like a P1800...looks very nice.

I love old Volvo cars - have to be estates though (apart from the P1800).

I had an Amazon and a P1800

We have a winner. None of your Johnny-come-lately boxy shite there!

I'd start looking out for crashed Monaro's or a VXR8 then reshell the noisy bits into the 740. Probably similar fuel economy and 4 times the power.

Typing this whilst sat in my 200k mile V70 - awesome car.
👍 for the 740.

This place is becoming more and more like a forum for old duffers/farts every day 🤣

crashed Monaro’s or a VXR8 then reshell the noisy bits into the 740

So you'd start by looking for a rare car with one of the most saught after and obvious engine swaps going ? Lsas are up there with 2jzs when it comes to folk looking to swap out due to the ease of big power.

I'd look for almost any BMW (pending your requirements for bhp/economy)to swap the noisy parts from.

(Knowing the op has the equipment and the skills to walk the walk as well as talk the talk)

Different 'brand' engine swops are a no-no with me, should always have the same make engine as the car started with. Depending on wallet size I'd swop in a 5cyl R/T5 turbo lump or older 2.3 turbo red block.

should always have the same make engine as the car started with.

If your going to go down that path the only rational path to head down would be to only swap in an engine that was availible in that vehicle* fitting anything from the entire range over the years is absolutely random reasoning.

* Harmonic vibration designs / clearances an all that

Just idly pondering engine swops in older Volvo's my thoughts were based on how good the aluminium 5cyl engines are rather than how tricky it is to actual swop one in.
A quick Google found this for a 240swop;

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=199342

So you’d start by looking for a rare car with one of the most saught after and obvious engine swaps going ?

Yes.

Different ‘brand’ engine swops are a no-no with me, should always have the same make engine as the car started with. 

No way. Not enough good options from most brands.

Yes

You vastly overestimate the OPs desire to spend money

You vastly overestimate the OPs desire to spend money

Well he did come in here and mention engine swaps in the first post. If anyone knows a way to switch engines to gain power and economy without spending loads of money please let me know. It used to be much easier than it is now before ebay and the fact that everything old enough to need an MOT is now an 'investment opportunity'. These days I just accept I'm done messing around with stuff like this even though I do miss it.

I mentioned Monaros as I couldn't be bothered a write an essay about the Chevy LS. They're probably rare and expensive now but I used to know a breakers in the northeast who handled a few of them.

One of them ended up in a mk2 Escort which was the fastest passenger ride I've ever had. One of them ended up in an E30 which was the most sideways passenger ride I've ever had. One of them ended up in Volvo 740 in Scotland which I never laid eyes on but can only imagine was an incredible bike carrier.

Good luck OP. Enjoy it for what it is and if you decide to hotrod it, please keep us updated.

Well he did come in here and mention engine swaps in the first post. If anyone knows a way to switch engines to gain power and economy without spending loads of money

The op has previous in doing just that.

I very nearly got a 940 last time, chickened out and got a much newer subaru but I do have regrets. I'd love an Amazon estate...

And yeah obviously the solution to everything is to put an LS in it- but also to live in America and be able to find a complete running car with a good one in it on craigslist for 50 cents.

Nearly bought a rotbox C202 that was originally Argentinian and then made it to UK from the Falklands. Chickened out as initial enquiries with dvla suggested it would be a nightmare to register as not on the current system for import duty / VAT as it was imported back in the 90s (and could only attempt to register once it could get an mot which needed a full resto).

Had a long term itch for the earlier L3314 / valp / felt / laplander but seems increasingly irrelevant to have a petrol plaything. But the new house does have a big enough gap to drag one into the back garden if I ever change my mind :-). Would be an easy electric conversion.....

Volvo D5 with a Celtic stage 2 rrmap
230bhp, 350 ft lb torque. Should stil do 40mpg plus on a run.
Putting big power plants in antique dealers cars needs alot of work. Brakes amd suspension amd chassis strengthening and modifications.
The D5 is cracking and would suit that car, only drawback is they were front wheel drive so might need bellhousing adapter plate if you keep the squidge box.
Then you need pedal box if gping manual conversion.
Lpg T5 ticks your boxes. Cost may vary.

The hardest thing about fitting a T5 is finding the gearbox from a 2.5 940 and from memory it's a nothing special, wobbly 5 speed.

There's a company who specialise in making custom bell housings for RX8 gearboxes so anything they can fit make it suitable for RWD. Then you could use almost any engine. I bet those boxes aren't so cheap and plentiful these days either.

How much is a complete but rusty BMW 330?

All my car and engine swap knowledge is out of date these days.

I very nearly got a 940 last time, chickened out and got a much newer subaru but I do have regrets.

I've been looking at classic Imprezas for ages and watching the prices get more and more ridiculous. I also really wanted a blob eye wagon but all the ones I went to see were dogs. Probably a lucky escape given the current (and no doubt future) petrol prices.

Every time I see one of those big boxy, Volvo retrobarges I assume that it’s the local landowner, clad in a muddy Barbour, waxed flat cap, wellies and there are two labradors in the back

Do you all match this description?

Putting big power plants in antique dealers cars needs alot of work. Brakes amd suspension amd chassis strengthening and modifications

Wouldn't it be easier to find a longitudinal engine and box rather than mess around with trying to make it take a transverse engine ?

This place is becoming more and more like a forum for old duffers/farts every day

Checking in.

For background my family car as a kid (stock photo - we didn't have a plane).

340 GLT 1.7

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When that time came for me to buy my own car, after an Astra & Citreon AX, at 26 I bought a mini-tank.

440 2.0 GLT (Renault engine if I believe). I [b]loved it[b/]. Possibly still my favourite car I've ever owned. Only got rid as it failed an MOT in spectacular fashion when I moved to Leeds, and I didn't really need a car, so went car-less for a year.

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Then a year later I bought an S40 2.0T. So many options ticked it out-smarted a lux model. I was 30. Friends mocked me for a light blue car, cream interior, 'vicar's car', but I didn't care - it was 6 years old, no service book but £3,800. Pre-GDPR I rang Volvo who told me it had been serviced regularly in their care.

This was 14 years ago. I then ended up giving it to my Dad shortly afterwards as I got into work-provided cars. That was, until Covid hit. My Dad had given up driving a couple of years back, I was fisting £300 a month on nothing, so in may 2020 it arrived back with me on the back of a trailer.

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Cars don't really like being sat still for a few years and it was tired, scratched and just drove like a dog. So after some cleaning, servicing, parts replacement and miles it was driving fine and looking well -..considering it's pretty much 20 years old!

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And I still have it now.

I really should get a grown-up car, I'm 44 now, but I can't see the benefit. It's got all the important toys, it's pokey enough (163bhp), the parts are laughably cheap and I just don't drive much.

Missus hates it, but that's fine. It's my car and it's lasted me longer than any relationship 🙂

I love my elderly Volvo.

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Wouldn’t it be easier to find a longitudinal engine and box rather than mess around with trying to make it take a transverse engine ?

Who suggested that?

Can we have them banned?

I had a 244 back in around 1979. Kept it for a couple of years... nice comfortable reliable car for its time.

Who suggested that?

D5 mentioned above as far as I've ever seen them in the flesh a sideways engine .... Unless they put it in some models longitudinally and others transverse.

Too late to edit, but I keep looking at this as a replacement - when I've had a drink.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13108106

It's glorious, a great example that's had lots of preventative maintenance, but like a lot of newer or highly-strung cars, including Volvos, they have the potential to be ruinous at the drop of a hat. Or Haldex system.

Plus it's a LOT of money for a 104k mile Volvo (Mine's a year older, less miles and probably worth about £500!). I just can't do it.

D5 mentioned above as far as I’ve ever seen them in the flesh a sideways engine

I misunderstood, I thought you meant convert the car to FWD. The absolute horror.

Nooo, not the thread I need.

I'm about to change the V70 we've got for regulation STW Octavia estate...

I am going to hugely miss the Ovlov. The best car we've ever owned imo.

Plus it’s a LOT of money for a 104k mile Volvo (Mine’s a year older, less miles and probably worth about £500!). I just can’t do it.

Well, I don't know what yours looks like @bearnecessities, but the one you have linked to looks so-o-o-o beautiful! I would be sorely tempted.

Elderly is just a state of mind. I live in Sweden and engine swapping old 740s, 24xs and older is a thing here. A lot of the younger drivers just use them as drift machines and a lot of the smaller roads around town are covered with the tracks of junior drifters.

740s have a rep for taking a V8 well, but there are a couple of people that have swapped in RB26s with turbo for maximum smiles. The OG is to go for the B230 and then turbo it.

If you have the time, and the money, do it. Assuming it will pass emissions and the MoT.

Not necessarily an elderly Volvo, but I have just bought a mint condition 2015, brown painted, cream leather & carpeted interior, automatic Volvo estate. It’s certainly a car to appeal to the older gent.

Hopefully it will be the last ever ICE car I buy and will see me through to my expected retirement  [in 20 years time!].

It’s really well bolted together - no rattles or knocks, great sound system, heated windscreen and quite possibly the comfiest seats known to mankind.

I had a 2 litre 940 estate. Did sterling service but I seem to remember about 28mpg. Anyway, diesel and aircon became trendy and I chopped it in for a Peugeot estate. Big mistake. I bet the Volvo is probably running around somewhere in Africa as a taxi.

I had a Volvo 480 - my second car ever, just after I finished uni and started working.

Bought as it had pop-up headlights.

It was apparently built in the same factory as my current car. I note that the build quality hasn’t improved. At least the 480 had the excuse of being 12 years old.

I suggested mounting the D5 unit longitudinally, but noted an adapter plate may be required as, to my knowledge, the d5 only was ever transverse.
If you want silly hp then Supra jza or Soarer jza can get supercar levels of power. Nissan RB26 out of a skyline would be ok as they did rwd versions.
BMW m power, supercharged 3ltr out of a jag s type r. But you are in a eye watering money levels as all need ecu looms etc

I have nothing useful to add other than I miss my 2004 V70 more than is reasonable. I’ve probably thought about that car about 3 times a week since selling it in 2017. What. A. Car.

That detail change was required on all sorts of European cars imported to the US and Canada because, up until quite recently, there were only two sizes/ shapes of sealed beam headlamps permitted on US vehicles – a 7″round one or a 6″x4″ rectanglar one. No mater what make of model of car in the US – they only used one or other of those lamps. So imports had to have the grill adapted to work with those lamps.

This is important and interesting information. A great many American films now make sense.....

Was it the 240 where a quick flick of plastic under the bonnet and your lights were adjusted for driving on the right?

My last car, MOT was to expensive for the 3-4k I did per year so sold it few years ago. Its been fixed by the buyer and is still going.
Also had a Blue 340 in the 90s.