JCol91's 1993 Volvo 240 | A project, sort of

[JCol91]

Intro:

Howdy folks, I’ve been a Tbricks member for a few years now and a few volvos have gone through my hands. Mostly daily driver purposes so besides that I can’t really say I’ve invested as much time or love on one to actually call a project. Through the years mostly lurked around, buying spare parts and reading through the sh*tload of information within these pages. But something I’ve always wanted to do is actually have a project and work on something for the pleasure of it rather than necessity. That is where Blue (previous owner named him) comes in. I’m not sure if this can be considered a project yet but since I’ve owned the cars for more than 3 years now, I’ve been hoarding parts for a turbo build (whole donor car) and at the very least I’ve got a decent amount of pictures and with that I can share a story and start a thread (mods feel free to move if not worthy of project status)

A story:

The year was 2019, I found myself living in sunny Florida daily driving a sweet 1996 850 Turbo Wagon. The 850 did what it needed to do, but having started my love for volvos on a 240 wagon, my love for the boxiness and classic lines of a 240 wasn’t satisfied. November began, the elections were happening, I had some spare change, and on a Thursday night after having dinner and two cold beers I saw an ad on FB Marketplace.











5speed, Eikers, lowering springs and sway bars, a few details here and there and it was being daily driven. By no other than the G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan (of course not him, but it was funny to me). I was living on the east coast of FL and the car was in the opposite side of the peninsula, so I really wasn’t up to take the 3hour the next day. In my mind the car was going to sell in a week so I just did what every person in FB Marketplace does, “Is this still available?” I added the question if it was manual swapped or stock to clarify how unmolested the car was at least. The price wasn’t bad, but I didn’t want to spend all my fun money since I had trip to Norway scheduled in two months. I decided to play the long game, if it was meant to be it was going to happen eventually. So I waited two days, and got a notification that he lowered the price, that meant he hadn’t sold it yet . Then he lowered it again and again. Ten days after initial contact I reached out again and offered $1800 sight unseen (I figured if he’d bite I’d jump) and told him I could send my dad over to take a look at the car since he was about an hour away. He agreed, and a couple of days later my dad sent me a picture of the 240 on the trailer on his way back home.



My dad only texted me the picture of the car on the trailer saying it was his. That he bought it and he wanted it for himself. With that I understood that this 240 a good buy (to this day I’d say it’s probably the best shape we’ve ever bought a Volvo). The redblock turned right around the first crank and all gears on the m47 felt good. The clutch pedal still has a squeak to this day that I just love but probably should fix. Driving a 240 with a stick shift for the first time was pure bliss, I still think it is. At least for me. My point of reference for a manual/modified volvo was a 1994 940 with an m46 swap, cut springs, lower brace and bilstein hds that I put some good miles on. And there not many manual volvos here in PR, not many volvos period.

That’s the start, so kudos if you made it this far not bored to death. (Hope the story part has been good enough)

 

[JCol91]

Some progress:

So we continue, first order of business was proper inspection and debugging what we found. The car was originally sold to a car dealer manager up in the Boston area from what I was told making me the third owner? Never done a carfax on it. Still have the original key and keychain. As per the seller the fuel sending unit needed replacement so we put that quickly on top of the list. Upon inspection, a slight oil leak was found from what seemed to be the rear main. Other than that not much rust underneath.

The paint was in very good condition, seems to had a respray done at some point but very nicely done. Made it very hard to tell if it was original paint or not. Can’t say that today, some sun spots and plenty rock chips are showing.

After a quick stage zero including the new sending unit, new plugs, oil, radiator, etc. I swapped the plates from the 850 and started daily driving it, putting good miles on it with FL coast to coast drive every now and then. No real hiccups but it needed an alignment and some shocks, so I sourced out a set of Bilstein B4s for something better than stock but not as harsh as the B6s, poly bushings on the front and rear arms. We also fabricated some GT style braces out of electrical tubing. It’s somewhat thing tubing but stiffened up anyway. Also put in strut reinforcement plates on top of the strut towers. IPD product description says these go sandwiched between the strut bushing and body but we never got them to fit there and also IPD shows them on top of the strut tower on a picture showing their GT braces so whateva. PCV breather, hoses and E-brake shoes were also replaced. After replacing PCV breather and flametrap the oil leak we had found near the rear main area basically stopped so we called it a win.

 

[JCol91]

I had purchased and installed a tachometer but turned out it was faulty, it worked intermittently, at times it would go up the revs and when coming doing it got stuck at around 2k rpm. While I sourced a second one I decided to contact Dave Barton for a set of gage overlays (My favorite mod on the car to date) Do I get bonus points if Dave uses my pictures on his site? I asked him to sort of match what the stock cluster looked like just having the “Volvo” logo on the temp and fuel gages rather than on absolutely every gage as would be a real R Sport Rallye cluster. It’s my personal touch so I’m truly happy how it came out.

Bought an extra tach but to my luck the needle was broken, poor packaging led to it snapping while shipped. I figured I could swap the needle mechanism from the broken needle tach to the faulty one because it seemed to be more of a mechanical problem than anything else. I did and 3 years later still works.

 

[JCol91]

Years after and where I’m at now:

Let me keep writing stuff so it looks like there is an update (pictures below if you don’t want to read through the bs). At least there is in my mind or I can type here to vent. For the most of 2020, all I did was cruise around Florida. Covid was driving everybody crazy, people were wearing whatever they could come up with as masks, it was fun because all I could really do was drive around. I got laid off because of downsizing (Covid), and a few months later I got news I was going be a father. I juggled all possibilities and decided to move back to Puerto Rico. I got a job by November and decided the 850 had to go, so I put the 240 on a boat and sent it.

Dad life has meant that any progress on my personal hobbies is much slower than before (which really means, almost nothing happens) but I’ve enjoyed seeing my daughter grow up into the wonderful two’s and it’s the best thing ever and she loves going for rides or just sitting in the 240. While I consider my progress to be super slow, at least it’s progress so in bullet points, I’ve;

• Put in IPD High Flow air filter which gave me about a 42.34hp gain with the removal of the air box flapper (butt dyno)
• IPD adjustable Torque and Panhard Bars
• replaced the alternator
• put the roof rack with a period correct fairing, took it off, put it back on and then took it off once more
• Learned that the 850 Columbus wheel center caps are a close fit to the Eiker 18s with a bit of plastic reshaping
• Installed an EMPI Clear blue distributor cap (butt dyno)
• Bought what seems to be an original R-Sport Rear louver, but have yet to buy the mounting hardware
• Installed a Momo wheel
• Bought a 3 gage pod w/ a turbo gage
• Bought a 90+ turbo manifold (thinking about doing +t)
• Months later bought a wrecked 1991 940 Turbo (engine swap looks more promising)
• Installed an OG Craving Boost strut brace (paint is in rough shape but installed just to get the feel on it and since I plan to do an autoX event before going turbo)
• Installed a set of Skandix Ecodes through FCP

So I bought the 940 on December 2022, and the initial goal was to have turbo on the 240 by September 2023. Throughout the first half of the year I wanted to work on having the shop clean and organized to have a proper space to work on the car whenever I got to it. Nothing has happened. (Procrastination is my expertise) To give some context, my dad had built the shop before moving stateside, it’s a 20x40 ft concrete floor between two 40ft storage containers with a zinc plated sheet roof. It’s a great space but needs maintenance that has lacked the last few years. The idea is to build walls to make it a closed shop since this would at least help to keep it pigeon free, and make an office on one of the containers. I’ve been working remotely since the start of the pandemic so building an office there is important for my mental health and would allow me to spend time working on my projects a bit more.

My thought process has been: Clean up/ Build shop -> Make space for 940 disassembly -> Clean/Prep 940 engine while still on car -> Take engine out of 940 -> Take engine out of 240 -> Put engine on 240

Simple stuff when looking at it from up here, but since nothing has really happened I’m revisiting how to approach this. My new approach is just go get shit done, a little bit of progress in any of the steps (in no specific order) is much better than nothing at all.

I’m still on the fence wether going full swap or taking all the turbo bits from the 940 and +t the 240. In regards to mileage, both engines are pretty much level. Both need some refreshing, but 240 should have squirters. My goal is just to have a fun driver car, maybe an autoX everyone and then. But most likely will keep this within bolt on upgrades in regards to HP gains. Straight turbo engine would give me a good enough bump to start. I got questions, but I’ll ask away all I can on another post once I actually sit down and write some more.

From what I’ve read, the consensus is basically 50/50 around Turbo Swap Vs +T, anyone is welcome to keep chiming in on this specific topic but my mind is telling me to do the turbo swap and maybe consider building the B230F+T later (probably never)

Thanks for reading, thanks for keeping this forum alive through the years, and thanks in advance for any help that comes my way.

Cheers!

Here are pictures for records:

 

[nedc]

I think you got a great deal on the last, best 240 made and you've made it even better. Enjoyed the story.
What's it like living in PR? Seems like it would be almost paradise to me except when Mother Nature decides to bitch slap you...

 

[JCol91]

I think you got a great deal on the last, best 240 made and you've made it even better. Enjoyed the story.
What's it like living in PR? Seems like it would be almost paradise to me except when Mother Nature decides to bitch slap you...

Thanks!

I can't really compare it to anything other than the brief time I spent living in FL but definitely it's got many good things like the nice beaches and weather pretty much all year round, along with the genuine people. With all the good comes the bad, politics taking a toll on the economy, health and education mostly. And just like you said Mother Nature when she gets pissed she doesn't hold back

 

[JCol91]

So I'm officially registered to run an AutoX event on the 1st of October, pretty excited about it since it's my first rodeo. I want to do the best I can so I can have a performance baseline to go back and compare after I do the turbo swap. And of course I feel it will motivate me to keep wrenching. Not planning on doing any real engine mods to prep for the event, just an oil change, check all fluids are good but I do have a set of s70 red injectors that I bought for when I actually go turbo but I'm thinking I can throw them in just for giggles if there is any real advantage on the NA engine. Any feedback on that?

Other than that, I plan to use the 15" 940 Orion (is that what they are called?) wheels to reduce a bit of weight in comparison the 18" Eikers. Will definitely need to buy new tires so I might declare the Orions an unofficial track setup for now. And also maybe get some lower braces to keep stiffening up everything.




I plan on parting out the 940 when I have space to keep everything in a container (motor and everything turbo excluded) so if anyone is interested on parts feel free to ask. It has the 960 tails, and a heckleblend/decor panel in good condition. CD changer on the trunk too.

 

[JCol91]

I've made up my mind and will be going with a +t rather than a full swap. I'm planning to take the engine out of the 240 anyway to give it some well deserved love. Will be much easier to just take things out of the 940 and build the 240 rather than having to take two engines out. No actual progress on the build buuuut I did send it on my first autoX event. Needless to say fun was had. Much to learn and plenty of room for improvement on the car. I ran better times than an 2015 M3, Ford Mustang, and a Porsche Boxster. Action picture below:

 

[JCol91]

Found a full set of 5 BBS RC090s on marketplace and had to grab them. I think they are one of the best looking mesh wheels that could be acquired on the cheaper end without sacrificing quality because you know BBS. From what I’ve gathered these would be a perfect offset wheel if adapters weren’t needed basically matching what I have now with the Eikers. I do have room to push out wheels a bit more if I trim a bit. Currently looking at adapters to see what’s out there and weigh my options.

 

[okoye]

what part of florida were you?

 

[JCol91]

what part of florida were you?

I lived in Palm Beach Gardens

 

[JCol91]

I got my adapters for the RC090s, shout out to Kyle Long!

With work and life the car has just stayed put getting warmed up everynow and then. Took a few minutes to mock one wheel on the back since the 27mm adapter fit with no issue. On the front I have to do the what Kyle did, machine some pockets on the back of the wheels or just trim the studs a bit.

Turbo swap will happen some day, maybe some day next year. I got a B cam laying around which might be the next thing to do before the swap.

We’ll see how it goes

 

[TooForty]

Love it! Thank you for sharing. Those AutoX pics are great!

E-Codes and corners make you look like a proper euro classic.

Hey could I trouble you for a link to that distributor cap? haha

I've never seen a translucent blue before. I see them here on Amazon, but I can't find one for the 240 hmmmm

 

[JCol91]

Love it! Thank you for sharing. Those AutoX pics are great!

E-Codes and corners make you look like a proper euro classic.

Hey could I trouble you for a link to that distributor cap? haha

I've never seen a translucent blue before. I see them here on Amazon, but I can't find one for the 240 hmmmm

Thanks! I actually got the distributor cap thru amazon. The link I got it thru says they’re 3 on stock so good luck!

Distributor Cap, For 009 Blue,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003LIRMDG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[TooForty]

**Correction, now there's only 2 left!

Thank you for the tip my friend. I wouldn't have expected cap crossover from a VW buggy to these. But I suppose those are two of the most produced, iconic, and robust cars of the 1900s.

How do you like the yellow gauge decals? Are they holding on okay? I love em. I was convinced out of the idea by a well known 240 individual around here. They told me the gauge surface for late models isn't flat enough so they stick poorly. And if I break a needle, I'm particularly screwed. If I was more confident, I'd do it. But alas I'll have to live vicariously through you.

Also, Can you give me your insight on the panhard bar? Did you do it because your bushings were bad and it's relatively cheap upgrade, or was it because you were off-center and it was a corrective help? I don't plan to change ride height, but I'm pretty sure my bushings are bad, and I sure do like blue powdercoating.

 

[JCol91]

**Correction, now there's only 2 left!

Thank you for the tip my friend. I wouldn't have expected cap crossover from a VW buggy to these. But I suppose those are two of the most produced, iconic, and robust cars of the 1900s.

How do you like the yellow gauge decals? Are they holding on okay? I love em. I was convinced out of the idea by a well known 240 individual around here. They told me the gauge surface for late models isn't flat enough so they stick poorly. And if I break a needle, I'm particularly screwed. If I was more confident, I'd do it. But alas I'll have to live vicariously through you.

Also, Can you give me your insight on the panhard bar? Did you do it because your bushings were bad and it's relatively cheap upgrade, or was it because you were off-center and it was a corrective help? I don't plan to change ride height, but I'm pretty sure my bushings are bad, and I sure do like blue powdercoating.

The gauge faces have held up pretty good going into their 4th year installed. When I ordered them from Dave Barton I went ahead and purchased the adhesive promoter as well per his recommendation. From what I recall the faces are pretty flat and really didn’t have an issue at the time of sticking them on. It is a simple install once you disassemble the gauges properly.

In regards to the panhard I did get a good deal on a slightly used one along with the torque rods (stock torque rod bushings were busted) , but my diff was slightly off-center due to the lowering springs so it was a win-win. If you’re not planning on lowering ride height you could look into BNE torque rods which are sort of hybrid with OE style bushings and give you adjustability if needed. If you really like the blue powder coat, put up a wanted post here and someone might chime in! Overall I can’t complain but I don’t drive the car as much or can compare to anything else really to give you an apples to apples answer.

 

[JCol91]

Replaced strut mounts with some KYB ones. Messed up an outer tie rod while disassembly, figured I’d replace both (inner rods pending but they felt good enough for some hoonin) and started working on fitting the RC090s on the front. Driver side studs were shortened and adapters fit nicely, wheel fit a bit too flush I’d say but we’ll see when everything settles. Loving the look

 

[Ne7RideR]

Replaced strut mounts with some KYB ones. Messed up an outer tie rod while disassembly, figured I’d replace both (inner rods pending but they felt good enough for some hoonin) and started working on fitting the RC090s on the front. Driver side studs were shortened and adapters fit nicely, wheel fit a bit too flush I’d say but we’ll see when everything settles. Loving the look View attachment 24898

The blue paint and silver rc090s is a perfect combo. Car looks phenomenal!

 

[JCol91]

The blue paint and silver rc090s is a perfect combo. Car looks phenomenal!

Thanks! I’ve been thinking to maybe try a light gold or bronze for the mesh since these will/do need a refurbishment at some point after I do the Eikers. But I do definitely like the blue and silver combo

 

[JCol91]

Passenger side wheel done. Trimmed one stud a bit too much I’d say but we’ll live. Pulled out for a quick drive around the block, no rubbing yet so now need to get a full set of 225/45/17. But before that the wheels could use some budget resto to fix some curb rash