'74 242 T6 Recreational Vehicle

[Funkee]

After owning this car for around 7 years it's time to really get started with it.
It's a 1974 Volvo 242 with a B23 and a 5 speed, in need of a make over.

Some history:
I had a couple of Volvos already, 850, 940, 142, but the 240 always appealed to me a little more.
So when this one popped up I knew I had to get it asap. It was cheap, 2 doors and a 5 speed.
I bought it for pretty cheap since it had some side damage. Also it wasn't running really well, but with some better ignition timing and plugs it ran pretty good.
Had a lot of fun with it for a couple of years, it ran good and I took it out a couple of times a week to work or whenever I felt the need to not drive the daily.

Over time I collected some parts for it but the project didn't really take off yet, also cause I was still working on my '74 Impala.
I bought a B200FT, and I had a B5254 from my old 850 laying around which I liked better because of the 5 cylinder sound. But time passed by, and the B5254 and the B200FT corroded away underneath my ass, to use a Dutch saying.

So I just kept driving it, but the right engine mount broke every couple of months. Probably because the original driveshaft was used with the 5 speed that was in it and was little too long. I'm not sure.
I braced it with a ratchet strap but my APK (annual check, like MOT) guy wasn't feeling this one.
Since then I stored it in my parents' driveway and it's been there some years.

It took some beating from the weather and just waiting for better days there but it always kept running. My dad had to move it from time to time to clean his roof gutters.
My GF and I bought a house last year (most important: with a garage and large driveway), and it was time to move it to it's new home.
Meanwhile I pretty much finished my Impala project, so steadily I will start working on the 242.

A couple of weeks ago my brother in law texted me about a really cheap S80 T6 which I picked up, sold a lot of parts off of and even made some profit out of it. He has a S80 T6 as well and when I drove it I felt this was the engine I was looking for. Smooth power distribution, and probably a lot to gain with other turbskis and ECU.

Last tuesday I found a manual '95 960 for sale as well, so sump, M90, clutch and some other goodies were in as well.

The plans:
Well, I don't have an exact end goal in mind. As with my Chevy project I had 'something' in mind but things kept changing over years as I changed opinions, taste, gained knowledge etc.
In the first place I want to build a quick enjoyable street car. I want the body to be perfect with some mild changes, like deleting some trim, reshaping the rear arches and maybe a subtle wide body.

-Lot of rust repair, but floors are good.
-Reshaping arches
-Cleaning the engine bay (welds, holes etc)
-Maybe change of the firewall to get the T6 as far to the rear as possible.
-Suspension. probably coilovers or modified struts for static low. Different rear axle in a later stadium.
-Brakes, I have some huge XYZ calipers but not sure if I'm going to use them.
-Full interior, maybe a cage.
-All new wiring
-M90 3rd gear mod

What the engine concerns, I'm not sure yet, so looking for ideas and advice. I'm not out for high numbers, but I'm sure there's some squeeze. Somewhere between 300 and 400 HP would be more than enough.
I'm thinking of changing out the tiny turbos for bigger ones, or one bigger Holset or something.
-EMS (Not sure about that, modded S80 ECU or MS
-Not sure whether to keep the CVVT or change to an older cylinder head (which is on the 960).

One of the most important things I don't have yet are wheels. I'm a sucker for (very) deep dish wheels but I do like some flat Rotiform of Compomotive designs as well. I know the consensus is that 18" is too big for a 240, but I am probably going that way.

TL;DR? This isn't going to be a very quick project. I have limited time and I like to spend time and attention to small details and parts. I don't have a huge budget to spend thousands at a time either.
Hopefully it will be done for the bigger part in a year or two.

Pics.

T1536x1024-01785 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

T1536x1024-01807 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

I thought about placing bigger 164 tail lights, but these smaller ones kept growing on me over the years.
On the front I would like to update to black LED rounds and LED bars, but without the bolt on (cheap) look.

IMG_7059 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

IMG_7130 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr



The S80 I bought, 210.000 kms and dealer maintained. The poor thing was in extremely good shape and only had a shot gearbox.
I sold the perfect black leather interior and wheels to turn it in a profit already, so free T6

Yesterday I took it to the scrap yard:

IMG_7197 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

IMG_7200 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

After that I hit the road to pick up the 960.
Opposed to the S80 the seller told me (after I said I just bought it for the M90) with the same pride as a dealer would say it had always been serviced that it in fact it never had been serviced at all.
An old farmer owned it and well, it totally looked and smelled that way.
Not one body panel is straight or without weird goo or screws in or on it. The interior is reall saggy so not a lot to gain with this one by selling parts. The underside looks like it's been in sea or at least always parked in grass or something, never seen it that bad on a more recent Volvo. Probably the salt in winters here combined with not taking care of it.

It runs and shifts good though and there's the sump, flywheel and maybe cylinder head.

IMG_7207 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

IMG_7208 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

IMG_7203 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

IMG_7210 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

So that's it for now. Thanks for watching.

Next up is to yank the engine and trans out of the 960 and mate the M90 to the B6284T, yank the B23 out the 240 and make things fit properly.

[Tfrasca]

Interested in how this pans out.

[JPS]

always good a whiteblock in a old brick!

btw is that old 960 with crusty unterside from Kollum? (friesland) k'now a old farmer here that had exactly the same 960. and it didnt pass APK a few months ago haha.

[Funkee]

I bought it in Steenwijk so it could be. Is the old man driving a XC70 now? That what the seller told me.

[JPS]

jup! he's got a grey xc70 on his driveway haha
good luck with the build! when you need help give a scream.

[122power]

damn that rust! I dont miss that when I lived in Michigan, I know your across the way but dang.

[Funkee]

Originally Posted by JPS

jup! he's got a grey xc70 on his driveway haha
good luck with the build! when you need help give a scream.

Well thats a coincidence then

Originally Posted by 122power

damn that rust! I dont miss that when I lived in Michigan, I know your across the way but dang.

The rust on the undercarriage of the 242 is far less, that rusted spindle in the last pic is the 960.

[Tfrasca]

Did you guys really get 240's in 74? I don't think the US got them until 75.

[Råda]

Gonna be a sweet ride!

Originally Posted by Tfrasca

Did you guys really get 240's in 74? I don't think the US got them until 75.

They started production in august 1974. But they are all MY 1975.

[Funkee]

Originally Posted by Tfrasca

Did you guys really get 240's in 74? I don't think the US got them until 75.

This is a '74, but it was imported in '99 assumably from Sweden.
It was registered first mid september '74 so it's an early one.

Originally Posted by Råda

Gonna be a sweet ride!

They started production in august 1974. But they are all MY 1975.

Thanks, it will be hopefully

[volvobrage]

Following! Really like Your plans!:D

[Funkee]

Thanks, your build was (and still is) a big inspiration for me

[sspony]

Awesome build, good luck!

[Chuck W]

This would be my personal choice for a 240 engine swap. I'm probably going to settle on a 5-cyl engine, as that's what I have.

Looking forward to seeing the overall progress.

[Funkee]

Peeled the B6254 + M90 out today, went a lot easier than the one from the S80.

IMG_7308 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

IMG_7309 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

3mm tube where the chain hoist was hanging from took a little beating

IMG_7311 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

IMG_7313 by Easy Rosay, on Flickr

Next week or the week after I'm going to pull the B23 out hopefully.

[okoye]

What do you want for the ecu from that car? With the key

[Funkee]

Of the 960 you mean? I already sold the car before I took out the engine and the guy picked it up yesterday night but I can ask him if you're really interested.

[Funkee]

IMG_7391

IMG_7392

IMG_7393

Cleaned the M90 today, it was covered in grease. Used diesel and soap, couldn't get it any cleaner than this.

Went out for pizza in the 940, was building up boost for takeoff then a bang and limp mode/3 cylinders.. damnit.
Drove a couple of hundred meters to get back to my shop and there was smoke everywhere from underneath. Catalyctic convertor was glowing red, ****! Extinguished it asap, just in time before the bottom set fire

Only the last spark plug was black, so it seems a ignition problem, although the spark plug seems to be fine. More tomorrow morning

[V-O-L-V-O]

Great project plans and my vote is also for the stock taillamps. Sorry to hear about your 940, that will take some focus off your project I guess...

[Sander]

Nice project, should be good fun once it's finished! Also, is your workshop a bunker or something? :D

[Funkee]

Also fun when building, right?



I'm in something similar to this, this is an old weapon depot, now used as potato storage with 1 meter thick walls

[Sander]

Originally Posted by Funkee

Also fun when building, right?



I'm in something similar to this, this is an old weapon depot, now used as potato storage with 1 meter thick walls

Even more fun I'd say :D. Ah yes, because you can't protect potatoes enough. Makes for an awesome garage then, almost like a bond villain's secret lair

[Funkee]

An early sunday morning working on the daily is still better than doing nothing half the day

[Funkee]

So I finally had some time again to work on the 242.. had some issues with the 940, spent too much time at work, been around the house a lot gathering fire wood, spending time with my GF and kid, birthdays, etc...

I have a whole week off right now so hopefully I can make some progress pulling the B23, and maybe _MAYBE_ test fit the T6.

Tonight I had a better look at the engine and took a lot of stuff off, aux bracket, heater lines to the intake, crank ventilation etc.
Just to make room to have a clear view when test fitting the engine and for making mounts.





Twin turbskies, they're cute arent they?





Two things I'm running in to; I need to fab a lot of piping in this configuration, the rear turbo is facing 'the wrong' side and also the main coolant pipe needs to be reconstructed for obvious reasons.
Should I stick with the stock turbos or go single HX35 or something similar? Fabbing a custom turbo manifold and single pressure piping and exhaust wouldn't make that much of a difference.

Other thing is that with the dual turbos the 960 pass side engine mount doesn't fit, hits the turbo hotside stud.
Not really a problem since I had the idea of building my own mounts but it would be more convenient having it plug 'n play.



Oh, the 4th bolt hole on a T6 is already tapped instead of just a pilot hole (like in a 5 cyl), but the upper right bolt is a M10 instead of M8 like the other 3.
The aluminium mount has beef enough to drill it to 11 or 12mm, but then hits the stud.
It would be possible to trim the mount, but I wouldn't trust the integrity of it anymore, so I'll build one from scratch.

Not a lot going on, but theres some progress. More next week I guess.

[okoye]

You're supposed to switch the manifolds around. The manifold that is higher needs to go in the front spot. You will still have to redo the lines.