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'88 Wagon(245DL) Full Restoration/Sleeper Project

Log-dog

New member
Joined
Jun 12, 2020
Location
Maine
I just found a clean silver 88 wagon manual way up in the woods of Maine from an 80 y/o "Antique Volvo" used car dealer. It was truly the most refreshing experience I've had with a used car dealer in.... ever. He was asking $2,400 and we made a deal for 2 flat and I took the keys, honestly felt a little bad haggling, but you have to, right?! It's completely stock. 200k on odometer(all original). Clean title. Frame is fine. It started, drove well, stopped, with almost no rust. She's the one.

I have a B230FT from a 940 waiting to swap in but want to get the ride quality under control first. I've ordered and am currently waiting for:
-IPD Anti-Sway bars
-Koni Yellow(fully adjustable) struts
-Upper strut mounts
-IPD Overload rear springs

What are some things you would be looking at in my shoes? I don't want to lower it because i'd still like to be able to camp/carry stuff, but want to pull up next to a WRX and stay in the race!

Also, there's a set of Hydra Wheels not too far I'm thinking about picking up.... do they look good on the wagon???
 
welcome newbie!!!

I was in Maine once like 1984 , Congrats on your new wagon!!!!
Any set of wheels with the right combination of tires will look good on her. I was doing some things in mine like changing the troubled fuse box to one i re engineered with blade fuses. It tok me like 6 hours between watching car crashes in youtube and soldering the fuse prongs in it. Came out ok. Well Enough talk of me and have a blast
Take care
DZ
 
Welcome, sounds like you have a nice starting point. Post up some pics!

I'd plan on a full "stage zero" where you go through every major system on the car and refresh things while maybe making mild upgrades. Check wheel bearings, brakes, check for oil leaks, etc. Sounds like you want more power but still need full travel from the suspension. That makes for a fun daily driver. I've had a few 240s with stock springs but ipd bars and they are entertaining. Cornering is much flatter but you can still jump over railroad crossings and drainage ditches, or take it down a dirt road without worry.

For your purposes I'd stick with OE Volvo rubber bushings in the suspension; chances are you will need new rear bushings at the front lower control arms. Plan on new balljoints and tie rods as well if there's any play or popping noises from the front end.

Manual or auto? You can modify the automatics in these cars fairly easily but most people will swap the manuals out for something non-Volvo. I don't remember if 1988 would have an M46 or M47, but either way a rebuilt world-class T5 is a nice upgrade, and fairly easy to install.

The B230FT swap is not bad at all for a decent DIY mechanic. There are several good threads here with how-to guides and checklists of what you'll need to do. There are a handful of wiring mods to make it work in a 240. Let me know if you need pointers. Here are some tips off the top of my head, from a guy who has done it:

-Get an engine wiring harness from an '89 or later 240 with LH2.4 - much simpler and easier to adapt this vs. trying to use the 940 engine harness.
-For the flywheel you can use a stock '89 or later 240 piece or Yoshifab makes a nice lighter steel flywheel, or several others sell flat flywheels with the LH2.4 crank trigger pattern machined in. The bellhousing will need a notch for the LH2.4 crank trigger to read the flywheel.
-Use 240 diesel or E30 engine mount rubbers if you can. Accessories can go one of many ways; I used 1993 240 style parts including AC, PS, and alternator mounts, with a Denso 100A alternator from a 940.
-The stock 940 water-to-oil oil cooler will work, and you can modify the 940's turbo downpipe by taking a few inches off to make it fit.
-A stock 1980s 240 turbo intercooler and associated piping will work - brackets are getting hard to find but you can probably make something if necessary.
-Chippable ECU / EZK will make for more fun if you want to make it a bit more lively with chips from thelostartof - check the control box part numbers if you have them already; I used a "951" ECU and a "207 gold box" EZK (ignition control module).
-You will have to remove the head-mounted 940 distributor, and will need the block-off plate from a 240. IPD makes a nice little steel bracket to help hold the rear cam seal in place too.
-If you go with a stock '89 - '93 240 distributor on the block, you'll need the auxiliary shaft from a 240 engine as well. It has the drive gear for the distributor whereas the 940 version of the redblock did not.
-You can convert to wasted spark and ditch the distributor altogether. It's a bit of a project but I sell the conversion boards that Karl Buchka designed. Shameless plug. You will need a 2x2 coil pack, a different ignition module (power stage), plug wires, a bracket for the coil, some wire, and a soldering iron in addition to the board itself.
-There isn't an easy solution for an OE Volvo airbox... you can use a 240 Turbo air filter housing with the fuel distributor removed, or you can run a simple open element filter, or you could hack in a different airbox. The 940 airbox lower half is far too large to fit in the 240 inner fender. Might be worth scrounging the junkyards for some alternative OE airbox from a different car that might fit.
-940 coolant hoses will all work but you'll have to cut the radiator hoses a bit shorter as the 240 nose is shorter. The turbo water hoses are molded in which is nice.
-E-fan from a 960 with its associated 2-speed relay is a great upgrade too, and the LH2.4 ECU will control it.
 
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