Volvo 240 Rally build
Posted by Eric Ewert
Eric Ewert Infallible Moderator Location: Calgary, Ab Join Date: 05/13/2013 Age: Settling Down Posts: 366 Rally Car: volvo 240 |
Hello Rally Anarchy!
I have been creeping this website for the last 3-4 weeks and finally decided to join since i'm under the impression that there is a wealth of knowledge on here and all in all it seems like good natured fun. So to cut to the point I acquired a 1989 volvo 240 sedan 5 speed and have intentions of turning it into a production class 2wd rally car. Thought this would be a decent choice seeing that they are used pretty extensively in europe, particularly the f-cup series. There known for being rock solid reliable, and there rwd= big smiles! Below are a couple of pics of this bucket of magnificence. More to come later. Cheers, Eric E |
John Vanlandingham Mega Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
Well the madness is spreading I see.
OK first thing. The beauty of the Volvo and Xratty is both are plenty of fun with easy, cheap mods...But mods means no Production class.. You haven't told us anything about who you are , what you've done in the past of anything and I never assume people don't have any direct or transferable experience. HOWEVER! P class is not a good idea...It really is a class for people who cna wrangle a deal from some OEM or importer so that regardless of results overall, there's a chance to make some shameless ads if the car wins it's class, and often with 1 or maybe 2 entrants in the class (traditionally) they get their ad copy.. For the privateer, there's no advantage to the class and lots of drawbacks... And inevitably every P guy, and the old PGT, statrt stretching the rules and for the longest time every car was a cheater...No it has come to pass that Federartions simply give up because policing all the cheating and dealing with the whiners doing the cheating is such a pain so they've said fukkit, let them do whatever.. Most people that have been around a while say the class ought to be axed.. The whole point is to have as much fun as possible and to test yourself (in rally against the clock and the terrian) and compare how you did to other guys tsting themselves.. So really if you do an event say in 2h10m25s and that is 1st P in a 1 car class OR its 5th in Group 2, it is in the end no difference: its what you did.. The difference is in Group2 (or Group5 ) you can as you get some time in the car and your pocketbook recovers from the initial plundering for cage/seats/harnesses/romper suits/helmet/lights/odo/sumpguard and suspension and all the "Stage Zero" stuff like hoses and bushes, and brakes, THEN you can begin adding the fun bits that makes the nice 2300 RWD cars so nice, like alternate final drive ratio so there some nice fun acceleration, and Gearbox with something with better ratios and stronger when the poor little 5 speed pukes up---which it will do.. And you could whip the head off and mill 1,5-1,6mm to get some bang out of it, again so it pulls (Everything is fine in lower gears, but from say 85 km/hr up to say 160 acelleration in a stocker in not so hot...and there's mostly 80 to 160+ stuff up there, and some uphills, so we want the car to work best in that range) Hang on, maybe you haven't seen this old stuff from way back in 1992 or 93. It's a comaprison tween a stock road car, a VOC (Volvo Original Cup) car with pick and choose of all the best ORIGINAL parts and then a typical early 90s club level car with a nice built motor, right gearset and final drive. Lookat the times particularly the TIME from 100 km to whatever 
The title of the article is "Its rewarding to "Sharpen" the Volvo" It's a wonderfully balanced car, but its kinda large and has a bit of weight. You want to be in a class where you can, progressively, over time as you get going, warm the thing up. OK? So, we know what to do to make the cars go--probaly for less than any other car---what about you? What have you done prior to getting this disease? Ski? Bikes? cars? Do you know Kevin Zidkovitch up in the Edmonton area? Seen his 240 he's beavering away on? John Vanlandingham Sleezattle, WA, USA Vive le Prole-le-ralliat www.rallyrace.net/jvab CALL +1 206 431-9696 Remember! Pacific Standard Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. |
Eric Ewert Infallible Moderator Location: Calgary, Ab Join Date: 05/13/2013 Age: Settling Down Posts: 366 Rally Car: volvo 240 |
Albert Kun Elite Moderator Location: SF Ca. Join Date: 01/07/2008 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 1,732 Rally Car: volvo 242 |
Congrats and enjoy the journey! I'd say start with a simple set up and get some experience, then really understand and enjoy the mods as you go.
A huge improvement is made by adding a steering quickener, (or change to the XR4ti rack, with a bit of work) For gearing, find an older rear axle, the 1030 found pre 1982 or so and you can swap in the 4.10 dana 30 r&p from Yukon for $115, weld the diff up good and you are golden. Further down the line, a t5 and 4.88 gears really makes things happen. The motor can be nicely pepped up by hunting down a K-cam, and shaving the head 50 thou, as John said, but mark my words, before long you will want the turbo. I threw down for JVL's suspension and couldn't be happier. You will get all kinds of advice, but only listen to me... 
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Andrew Steere Mod Moderator Location: South Central Nude Hamster Join Date: 12/29/2005 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 2,008 Rally Car: too rich for my blood, share a LeMons car |
John Vanlandingham Mega Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
There are 4.10s already in some axles, mang. If a guys gonna pay for the trouble of buying a gear set, ya know, like splurge and pay a whole hunnerd and sumnpin buck, hell why NOT? get at least a 4.56 at that time? And bearing the inevitable Jonesing for the magic torque making abilities of turbos---when right-sized---maybe better to get a 4.27 or 4.37 John Vanlandingham Sleezattle, WA, USA Vive le Prole-le-ralliat www.rallyrace.net/jvab CALL +1 206 431-9696 Remember! Pacific Standard Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. |
Eric Ewert Infallible Moderator Location: Calgary, Ab Join Date: 05/13/2013 Age: Settling Down Posts: 366 Rally Car: volvo 240 |
What about getting a quaife rack and pinion kit for the 240 rack? At 135 euro's on there website seems cost effective and seems like less hassle than swapping an xratty rack or installing a quickener?http://www.quaife.co.uk/shop/search/results/taxonomy:476 |
Banned Godlike Moderator Location: Calgary, AB Join Date: 03/27/2009 Age: Ancient Posts: 1,798 Rally Car: (ex)86 RX-7(built), (ex)2.5RS (bought) |
Interestingly, the 240 with a stock driveline would be eligible for the new 'production 2wd' class under CARS' rules.
The thing a lot of people are having trouble with is that this isn't what P class traditionally has been. None of the nonsensical 'must be the right year of radio delete plate' BS, just a requirement that the driveline be stock but chassis lightening, brake mods and many other modifications are allowed. As recent as a couple of years ago, in the US, I believe a Production Car was disqualified for having the wrong year of door card. That is the 'Pee class' people have problems with. In all, P2wd is probably not a bad place to start - and you can work on the modified motor/driveline while you're getting valuable seat time. Having owned and driven a number of n/a volvos - you'll be able to do fine with your 240 as it is. That gearbox is way more fragile than the 4 speed, but I owned one in my 745 that withstood aggressive driving and clutchless shifting for a solid 100,000 km. (I think the aluminum 5 speeds were essentially the same in the 240 and 740s) Are you going to be around the Cochrane Rally on the 25th/26th? The event needs volunteers and/or I'm sure some teams might need a hand. First Rally: 2001 Driver (7), Co-Driver (44) Drivers (16) Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4) Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0) Last Updated, January 4, 2015 
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Eric Ewert Infallible Moderator Location: Calgary, Ab Join Date: 05/13/2013 Age: Settling Down Posts: 366 Rally Car: volvo 240 |
Banned Godlike Moderator Location: Calgary, AB Join Date: 03/27/2009 Age: Ancient Posts: 1,798 Rally Car: (ex)86 RX-7(built), (ex)2.5RS (bought) |
Good stuff. We'll see you out at the event!
I'll be co-driving for Josh Shewchuk in one of those blue cars. :-) See yo out there! First Rally: 2001 Driver (7), Co-Driver (44) Drivers (16) Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4) Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0) Last Updated, January 4, 2015
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John Vanlandingham Mega Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
Maybe but PS is a proven approx 1 sec/km advantage way back in the 70s.. Stock Volvo PS ain't bad but it it 55mm rack travel per turn while the Xratty rack is 64mm /turn.. its 2.6 tuns.. The Quaiffe thing which MAY actually be available is 2.5 turns...and you need to find the right manual rack core---a difficult thing.. Since Kevin was able to pick up a right from a Xratty loon just S of Calgary for I think 50 bucks, and the mods involve welding a little D shaped tab onto the crossmember and mating the lower part of the xratty intermediate shaft to the upper part of the Volvo intermediate shaft, seems a LOT easier to do that than search for a manual rack core, but the Quaiffe kit, then find its the wrong core.. Further the manual core, like Saab 99/900 and even Fords manual racks are quite cheese-u-lar with a shitty platic bushing on the pass. side that pounds out in a day or so of fun driving.. Used to be no major prblem when the bush kit was always in stock for $12 but nowadays not even sure if its available. last rack I had to help some poor misguided bastid with I made him a bronze bush for a pack of smokes.. One of the many Turbobrick refugees from the world of broke ass hiposter wannebee virgins living in Mommy's basements, a nice guy name Ryan Fay was brave enough to try the Xratty rack idea --came up in some phone call and we fingered it out and he did it. Super staight forward and woulda been real beautiful if only he bothered to wire brush off some of the decades of grease-n-grime before zotting the D shaped tab on.. This is something to do at some point but not on the tippy top of the list.. Thats sumpin you need to do--with assistance via conversation here and on the phone--you need to write IN PENCIL a "Triage list" and write headings "Absolute Gotta do NOW", then "oughtter do soon as I can (afford or need comes up) and "Be real fun to do so lightly pencil it in and keep my eyes peeled for deals that ay pop up." I say pencil and WRITE on a paper on a clipboard because we engage a different part of the brain when writing, a more reflective part. I say pencil cause while having a plan is vital, shit happens or "opportunity buys" jump up and we want flexibility and pencil have erasers---and the act of erasing and rewriting ritualises the change. It's late, I'll continue explaining why you want the freedom of Group2 tomorrow, its about grip as the key to happiness and the interplay between grip and cage design and why doing some mods simultaneously with cage is smrater-er than redoing things later..cut once weld once buy once is better than doing it twice. John Vanlandingham Sleezattle, WA, USA Vive le Prole-le-ralliat www.rallyrace.net/jvab CALL +1 206 431-9696 Remember! Pacific Standard Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. |
Albert Kun Elite Moderator Location: SF Ca. Join Date: 01/07/2008 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 1,732 Rally Car: volvo 242 |
John Vanlandingham Mega Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
Eric Ewert Infallible Moderator Location: Calgary, Ab Join Date: 05/13/2013 Age: Settling Down Posts: 366 Rally Car: volvo 240 |
John Lane Junior Moderator Location: Lynden Washington Join Date: 01/14/2006 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 725 Rally Car: The Fire Breathing Monster |
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