Pig: '79 242 16vT

[Harlard]

Background

After flipping one Volvo and crushing two others, having made mistakes and achieved all the performance metrics I have set for them with various degrees of success I have come to find what I really want out of an older model: comfort, the oddball brick styling and design combined with a nice suspension drop and attractive wheel fitment, handling, good sound, and adequate acceleration. All of these dimensions have to work together with relative reliability and ease of service.

In short, I want my cake and to eat it too.

The car

Quick note, big thank you for all of your generosity with parts and help in getting this car where it is now. I would not have been able to get it so nicely sorted without your help:


Crandandall
RvolvoR
Culberro
Duder
pyrosanltd
Lord_Athlon
T8fanning

After disposing of my last 940 I went on a 10-month Volvo hiatus, which was quite a good thing (except for selling my Siemens injectors. They made for a decent joke and would have worked well for my plans, dammit!) as a kid and new job came about. I took the time to focus on what I wanted (see above). Thankfully I made a very good case to my wife (bless her and her saintly patience and grace) for getting yet another old Volvo. This would need to be reliable and cheap to maintain. As luck would have it, Asher (rvolvor) had recently put up his gorgeous 242 on Sawblades for sale. Didn't care much for the Sawblades, but I had been in love with the car for a long while. Soon money was exchanged for the keys and title. The car has solid bones and a lot of the stuff I wanted done to it already, so it made for an excellent starting point.

So now the list if stuff I want to do to it is fairly short!

Current pics

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A post shared by Carter Merz (@carter.merz)

The wishlist

Some proper front seats Done!
T-5 swap Done!
3.73 LSD rear end (scheduled appointment to get this and new trailing arm bushings installed) Done!
front soundstage (currently no front speakers) Done!
Sound insulation...around the doors, rear bulkhead and firewall would be so nice Done!

The current modlist/resto points: 1979 242 DL with sunroof

Engine

Block
Unknown mile ’93 240 squirter block (no ridges!)
IPD oil pump shaft reinforcement collar
IPD oil pump relief valve spring
ARP head studs
do88 740 coolant hoses
Hepu water pump
Volvo/VDO 10 bar Oil Pressure Sender
Walbro 450 pump with a bunch of JIC fittings
Fuel pump 12AWG wiring upgrade
Stock FT Pistons, Mahle rings
SPM rods
9.46:1 SCR

Head
B234F cylinder head; stiff valve springs VW ABA lifters
Reground cams (Techtonics 276* Race copy) w/ lash caps UA cams
Mild cleanup work on the intake bowls
eBay adjustable cam gears
Culberbone Tuning intake manifold (B234F+Yoshifab plenum+ shortened runners)
960 throttle body


Turbo Stuff
eBay (Powermaxturbos_us) GTX3071R gen 2 clone, with .64 AR turbine housing
Ported 90+ exhaust manifold with M10x1.25 studs and welded cracks. Nord Lock washers on all the things
TiAL MV-R watercooled wastegate
Yoshifab adapter plate
KL Racing intercooler
Top cover/bracket by Chris Miranda
Culberbone Tuning intercooler piping
AEM air filter
Forge 007 CBV
3" exhaust (half cobbled, cat back by JT Tuning)

Management/Fuel/Spark
ID1300x injectors
MS3x, 4 bar MAP, knock input board
AEM failsafe wideband
Yoshifab CAS adapter with hires wheel
LS2 coils
GM IAT and CLT
LH2.4 IAC
3 port mac valve
dual VSS input
AEM failsafe wideband
eBay fuel rail
Fuelab adjustable FPR

Cooling
do88 radiator
do88 coolant hoses
Summit Racing oil filter relocation kit; push lok fittings and some proper hose
OEM 240T oil cooler
940T fan
960 coolant overflow reservoir
STS Machining bulkhead coolant hose fittings in stainless

Little things
Poly accessory bushings
AC


Drivetrain
3/2017: T-5 Swap
1352-260 T5 rebuilt by Culberbone Tuning
Redline ATF
5speeds.com OG cluster gear stabilizer plate
10-spline V8 input shaft
Hurst Shifter
Avalanche redblock adapter
Yoshifab steel flywheel
Yoshifab/Clutch Masters FX250 clutch
Yoshifab spaced release bearing
Timken 9103PP pilot bearing
STS Machining crossmember
T56 Polyurethane trans mount
M90 clutch fork
Wilwood 5/8" Master cylinder
Volvo 740 clutch slave cylinder
-4AN clutch line in stainless with banjo fittings
New reverse light wiring harness
Shortened/rebuilt driveshaft with Jao 940T center support bearing conversion
Big giant slip yoke from a minivan
trans counterweight
3.73 240T 1031 rear end + Truetrac

Suspension/Steering
BMW BBS Style 42 wheels, 17x8" ET20 with 225/45R17 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
Motorsport Tech 20mm adapters
Ipd front sway bar
19mm rear bar
GAZ Gold coilovers with H&R 2.5x8" 450 lb-in springs
BNE Rear adjustable spring perches with H&R 5x9.5" 200 lb-in springs
GAZ Gold rear shocks
BNE roll center kit
BNE split brake line clamps
BNE Select camber plates
BNE Comfort torque rods
Adjustable panhard bar with poly bushings
Luxesteer
KL Racing front control arms with delrin front and Superpro cup bushings in the back
Fresh OE Volvo axle bushings
Heim jointed adjustable trailing arms
IPD lower chassis braces
BNE strut tower and firewall brace
BNE brake booster brace

Brakes

Front IPD SS brake lines (stock rubbers out back)
R brakes (painted) with STS brackets all around
Centric ceramic pads
Standard whatever rotors
Mustang master cylinder
New hard lines made by me (scary)



[Electrical/Body
Turbo front spoiler
Turbo rear cover panel
"TV Screen" rectangular e-codes
Euro side markers
Late battery tray
New starter
IPD Skidplate
GM DR44 alternator
New 91+ windshield
Underhood dynamat (also put the remainder under the trunk)
Bertone trunk carpeting
An absolute **** ton of sound deadening and heat shielding

Interior
1993 R134A air conditioning system!!!!!
Volvo R-Sport Gauge Cluster, with LEDs (restored by Roger, RP80242GT+T on TB)
Recaro LS seats
Momo Super Grand Prix
Hurst shifter
Alcantara boot
Bertone door panels with power window conversion
Mint dash
Felt underdash panels
Dash coin tray
Working moonroof
Late model carpet
New heater valve (adapted new Daimler unit)
New heater core
New blower motor
New heater hoses
PWM heater fan controller
New driver's door handle
New driver's door hinge

Stereo

Kenwood KDC-X998 head unit
CDT 4” front components
JL C2 6x9” coaxials on the deck
Kicker 10” subwoofer
Kicker CX300 4-channel amp
Kicker DX250 sub amp

Custom trunk box for amp and little odds and ends
S60R horns



The stuff that needs my attention

rear butt cheeks have dents
driver door has some missing paint
paint getting thin+doors+dents

Old Stuff
-Resealed mystery '77 B21F block
-.027" MLS head gasket. Brought Static compression ratio to 9:1
-Garrett Motorsport GTX2860R with ATP .64 turbine housing (wastegate port has been reshaped) and 3" ultimate wastegate setup under repair...
IPD cam gear
5/2015:
John Gates 001 gas flowed 530 head (similar to an RSI Stg 1 head)
RSI econo valve spring and Ti Retainer Kit
NPR intercooler with "custom" hotside charge pipe, all couplings are now reinforced silicone
Mandrel 3" downpipe and Magnaflow metallic substrate spun cat going into a 2.5" IPD/TME over axle exhaust
10/2016:
RSI Stage 2 cam
Yoshifab catch can
7/2017: IPD Turbo Cam (Enem V15)
Volvo 260 clutch master cylinder
Rebuilt 1352-220 Ford T5
ESM 002R wheels, 16x8" ET20, running a 5mm spacer up front and 25mm adapters in the back (ET15 and ET-5 respectively) with Achilles ATR Sport 225/50R16 tires
Homebrew Front short strut coilovers with H&R 2.5x10" 475 lb-in springs
Audi B5 A5 shift knob and boot



Pics as I have progressed with the car

Picked it up like this from Asher (RvolvoR) in April of 2014. It had a bunch of the basics of what I wanted out of my next car and it was a good deal. Hated the Sawblades so they were the first thing to go (by which I mean, I bought the car with no wheels).






Enter new wheels



Yep, they will do nicely. Front end came up and 8" springs were installed afterward


















Rocked it like this all summer. Rear end was clunky, and the wheels weren't filling the fender gaps though...Since then I have been tweaking a bunch of things that I wasn't happy with. Swapped the grille for a prefect one, added H4 headlamps, swapped euro corner lenses, added a Turbo chin spoiler, spaced out the rear wheels 25mm on each side, moved the rear axle forward 15mm, then put in an NPR IC and RSI Stg. 1 camshaft, made the sunroof work again, plus hundreds of other little things. Incremental changes pictured below.

[cosbySweater]

Fix the fuccking grill

[Harlard]

Find me one and I will.

[Redwood Chair]

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=303844

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=290701

[Harlard]

As much as I would love some e-codes they are too rich for my blood right now and will have to wait.

That other grille on the other hand though...

[cosbySweater]

They pretty much throw away tv screen ecodes in sweden

[Harlard]

Opportunity cost is high in the Sverige.

One star thread. Nice.

[adomz]

Lovely modlist! Love this car! Shame UK never got these 242's sold here...

Will be keeping an eye on this!

Good job man ;)

Adam

[Harlard]

Thanks Figured that I'd be spending the same money on a newer car so I may as well build up on one of my favorite platforms of all time!

[John V, outside agitator]

Alll that money spent....imagine what pleasure the car would be with good suspension.

[Harlard]

The car is as comfortable as any stock 240. Very compliant suspension with good geometry. Even you would approve if you bothered to make your way down here and drive it.

[Josh]

sick pics bro

[John V, outside agitator]

Originally Posted by harribert

The car is as comfortable as any stock 240. Very compliant suspension with good geometry. Even you would approve if you bothered to make your way down here and drive it.

My visa is expired for trips to Oregon.

[Harlard]

Originally Posted by Josh

sick pics bro

Bro, wash my car and take sweet pics of it with your DSLR bro.

[oldschoolvolvo]

Great looking 242! You mention that you replaced the heater valve...what does "M-B" mean in your mod list?

[Josh]

Originally Posted by harribert

Bro, wash my car and take sweet pics of it with your DSLR bro.

Bro I can wash and buff it, but I don't have a dslr

Edit: bro

[Harlard]

Originally Posted by oldschoolvolvo

Great looking 242! You mention that you replaced the heater valve...what does "M-B" mean in your mod list?

Mercedes-Benz! A shop out in Independence, OR has put together a kit using an OE Benz valve made of bronze plated steel. Works a charm!

Originally Posted by Josh

Bro I can wash and buff it, but I don't have a dslr

Edit: bro

Bro, do you even photog?

[Josh]

Nah bro

[Arn02]

Beautiful color, and I love it even more because of the gold bbs-style wheels. More pics pls.

[Harlard]

Ordered a few bits and bobs:

[CTSwee]

Tru trac. Do want.

[Harlard]

Also got myself a near-perfect grille and some veeery clean headlight trim. Plastidipped them. Grille came out great, surrounds not so much. Will be posting that too later

[crandandall]

Why did you get those cheesy headlights? And pay that much for them.

[Harlard]

I wanted e-codes with clear lenses and steel bowls

[Bryce]

All these words and no word about what block it has. Sheesh.