Lets say I wanted to build a car...

Quote
BobOfTheFuture

Quote
Greg Donovan

Quote
BobOfTheFuture
Coefficients? Ive read through the rules a while ago, but dont remember them. Mostly because I usually ignore turbo cars and their classes. I assume you need some chops before they will let you run a turbo car or some such?

Welp, we'll see who returns my many phone calls and emails tommorrow. I'm running out of weekend, bastards soaking up my time...

what series are you looking to compete in?

RA wont let you run with boost untill you have done about 6-8 events.

My intent was just to run local... RNY or black river or the like. I really dont mind missing the RA events for a while, I doubt id get the chance to run them any time soon anyhow.

then you are good to go full boost, enjoy. events are all RA in my area so no boosties for me.

Yep. Also dont wanna die, or ball it by rally #5 or worse. So things are pulling me a few ways.

http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/2393906614.html
1989 240 GLE 4DR SEDAN BLACK ON BLACK W/SMALL BLOCK CHEVY 350 , 400 TRANNY AND 10 BOLT REAR END NEEDS RESTORATION. CALL TOM AT 845-235-4156

So much for that weight distribution



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2011 11:35AM by BobOfTheFuture.

Quote
BobOfTheFuture
http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/2393906614.html
1989 240 GLE 4DR SEDAN BLACK ON BLACK W/SMALL BLOCK CHEVY 350 , 400 TRANNY AND 10 BOLT REAR END NEEDS RESTORATION. CALL TOM AT 845-235-4156

So much for that weight distribution

Would make for a fun street car....

Edit: didn't notice the price, go get one without a v8 in it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2011 12:39PM by aj_johnson.

Oh, absolutely. I just posted it up cause I found it interesting. Goin to see a wagon in a minute... Not sure If I'm sold on the boxyness, I kinda dig the sedans...

Bob,

With the turbo/non-turbo thing: If you are 'aesthtically' Ok either way (i.e., not hung up on having a turbo), I would go with a light car and no turbo. But don't be so afraid of a turbo for safety, IMO; it has had little impact on safety issues that can be clearly documented. Folks have been hurt bad or worse in non-turbo cars too. The main factor by far is you, and I keep letting folks know that your most likely dangerous time in rally is somewhere in the 3rd to 6th event.

You sound like a good candidate for the Volvo, and I don't say that for everybody. Just realize that out-of-the-box stock it is not the best, but you seem interested in 'growing' the car, so it is a good candidate for mods (and gets pretty good with just some basic mods IMO), which is the core of what is being pointed out. And it is soooooo much simpler to work on RWD cars versus most FWD/AWD cars!

And BTW, I like the look of the 2 door Volvo better myself; but Gene makes some good points about advantages of the 4 door.

BTW, on the T5's there are a TON of variations. The forward position of the S-10 shifter may be the ticket for the BMW app, but the S-10 gear set stinks for racing, IMO. But you can use the rear housing and modify the gearsets. It just takes some time reading and researching to figure the right combo.

Good luck in all this,
Mark B.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2011 08:52PM by starion887.

I, eh, Was kidding mostly about the Turbo stuff. I mostly dig the simplicity of NA... less crap to blow up. Not interested in winning so much as reliability. Same goes for the whole car. My main focus for a while would be not breaking shit too much.

Frankly, I want to go RWD again because I miss my MG, heh.

So back in the day Rod Chelgren (sp), John Cristensens co-driver, had a pristine Volvo rally car. Seems like it was about 2600cc or so .Is that correct or possible?

Quote
heymagic
So back in the day Rod Chelgren (sp), John Cristensens co-driver, had a pristine Volvo rally car. Seems like it was about 2600cc or so .Is that correct or possible?

Gawd only knows. Chelgren (should be spelled Kjellgren) was the archtypical, "central-casting" version of an arrogant know everything "injur near' bullshitter.
He got hold of me once "cause I've hear you might be able to get some things from Sweden maybe".
He 'splained the reason they weren't using the pretty OK looking (prep and paint wise) car was there were some weather checking on the rubber carbie mounts, "and we absolutely MUST have these exact rubber mounts"

I look, I see they were what's called over there "MISAB" mounts (stands for Motor Italia Svenska A which were bonded rubber with studs sticking out both sides---and I knew they were no longer available and told him, and showed him in my catalogs.

His response was "Harumph! So you can't get things from Sweden. I thought you were...blah blah"
I suggested he could survive with the normal rubber O ring mounts that 99% of the world managed to live with.
"well obviously you don't understand anything about motors and induction and blah blah blah....this entire induction system is worked out to be exactly this overall length and it won't work at all if it's changed by even 1mm...blah blah blah."

Therefore, he could never ever even start his allegedly ultimate way bad motor....

So nobody knows what the thing was.
I doubt seriously he had any idea himself what he had in there.

Volvo 2.3 8v motors were typically making between 210-235 bhp by the early 1990s with bigger valves than stock ($18 each these days) and minimal porting and pretty lumpy cams that look like American circle track V8 lumps. Reasonable duration but very fat lobes for a lot of area under the curve.
And minimum 45 DCOEs but preferably 48s.

But since the goal is torque you can do that in normal aspirated with compression and final drive, but it's a lot easier with turbo and a little gearing. Normal ratio for n.a. rally Volvos is 5.1, excellent ratio for turbo cars is around 4.27 to 4.4
5.1 means without a first gear around 2.3 first will be SHORT.
4.3 means with a T5 with 2.95 you have a very useful first---oddly enough nearly identical to the Evo first and final drive.
For that matter, nearly identical 1-5 of the Evo.

---

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.

That always interested me... The people who will insist "NO! you're WRONG!" rather then think to themselves "What if he's right?"

i was wrong, no wonder it looked small for a 240...


http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/2400599031.html
$1000
73 volvo 144, orange, around 90k, four speed, new head gasket, new fuel lines, new brake lines, 240 turbo mags, fuel injection runs strong, ok tires. recent sheet metal work but needs paint touch-up, rebuilt brake master cylinder, car runs and drives, but needs heater core, air filter assembly and tlc. registered as antique, really nice interior. drive it home! $1200 obo price reduced!

need to sell, buying our wedding bands.

Oh, wow, Thanks Brian.

Doesnt seem like a fit for what I'm looking for, but anyhow, Anyone know much about these? How is the parts interchangability?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2011 04:03PM by BobOfTheFuture.

140 is missing 2 of the main features that make 240 a decent rally car: rack and pinion steering and macpherson strut front suspension. Also, parts are well into getting rare. You would have to be REALLY into 140s to rally one. The grill is cooller looking, though...

My perfect wagon would be 145 front end on a 245 chassis, with the 145 doors so I could have the nice chrome regular door handles.

Firewall back is basically the same. Doors interchange, uses the same windshield, ect. Dash is way different, and the mentioned door handles.

Stick with the 240. Go watch Finnish F-cup, get stoked, get Volvo, have fun.

Quote
heymagic
So back in the day Rod Chelgren (sp), John Cristensens co-driver, had a pristine Volvo rally car. Seems like it was about 2600cc or so .Is that correct or possible?

Rod still has the volvo, he's restored it and plans to race it at historic events(road racing). I have not seen it myself yet but we plan on doing a test and tune in the next few weeks.

He also has this Esort Cosworth he tracks quite a bit at PR.