84 244GL - continuation of a street car

[pat244ti]

Without getting into a very long winded story [I could really document this whole experience separately], back in January I found out through a realtor friend about a property his partner had listed. The property had well over a dozen cars on it that needed to be gone in the coming months, including 5 Volvos. Long story short, I bought all of them and an impressive parts hoard.

One of the cars in particular, which was honestly the red headed stepchild of the group and considered the "parts car" by the widow who sold me everything [her husband bought it for parts to restore her 82' 244T which she purchased new in 1982] caught my attention. It was a 1984 244GL, M46, 260K, silver paint not in the greatest shape but a perfect blue velour interior.

Back in 2003, I got started Turbobrick-ing when I purchased a 1983 244Ti. It had an M46, 260K, silver paint not in the greatest shape and it also had a perfect blue velour interior.

Over the next two years, considering working on cars at the time was an entirely new experience for me I did quite a bit of work to that car. Two months after purchasing the car, I wadded it up into Noah244Ti's 82 244T after my brakes failed. Luckily, his car was undamaged for the most part aside from a bumper but I did a number on my fender, door, bumper and hood. I replaced the panels and fixed the brakes, I also took this as a chance to convert to a GT front end and a flathood. A few months after this, as a high school graduation gift from my family they had found a body shop guy who did work on the side and he repainted the car for $1000.

After moving to Arizona for automotive school I added a 60 trim turbo, did the T11 mod for KJet to support running up to 15psi, a 3'' exhaust and a slew of other supporting small mods. I also purchased a set of Eiker E1's from the original group buy on here. Also found a set of Euro square headlights.

Around November 2004, I took the car to Firebird raceway to try and get a decent 1/4 mile time in. Not only did I produce a lackluster result [15 flat I think?] I broke a few things. I decided after this to swap to a low mile B230FT, ditch K-Jet for MS1 and install a 15G.

When I moved back to California from Arizona after finishing automotive school, smog laws had changed [I was hoping within a couple years the car would become smog exempt, but governator Schwartzanegger froze it at 1975] and the car was going to need a lot of work to make smog. Between that and the legality of continuing to drive the car [I would use my V70R's plates since the tags were expired due to not being able to smog it] I decided, very poorly, to turn the car into a full blown race car and build the engine up even more with a GT3071R turbo, T5 swap and a slew of supporting mods with the eventual goal to race SCCA ITE.

I say this was a poor decision, because I never even done anything besides an autocross and a track day at the time. I also never really got it running that great with the 15G so going for more seemed a little dumb looking back at it. Also, the car was way too nice inside and out to be a racecar. And as I have learned from racing for the past 15 years or so, it's a million times more cost effective and less headaches to buy a car that is race ready.

Needless to say, the car did eventually hit the racetrack almost 8 years later with a different drivetrain.

I will continue to update this thread with work I am doing on the 84 GL.

Basically, my goal with it is replicate the 83 244Ti before I got kind of dumb with it - and also keep the car as a strictly street car since I already have two road race prepped 240 chassis [including my original 83] and a rally car currently.

 

[pat244ti]

Since I'm trying to make the car a bit of a "Evo" of how the car was before the B230FT swap and the racecar conversion, I had to source some specific parts.

The stock B23F, which I believe is a low compression version due to the car being a stickshift was in unknown shape. When I purchased the car, the engine had the exhaust manifold removed but was tightly wrapped with a large plastic tarp. Unfortunately, the ports were not very well sealed and it appeared some sort of critter stashed things in the exhaust port. But the motor did spin

A few months prior to acquiring the cars, I purchased a B21FT.

This engine has an interesting story. It's got very low miles apparently, and at first it belonged to Carlo Gardin of San Rafael for many years. Carlo tracked a 244Ti and owned CRO Volvo service, and this motor was his backup. Sadly, Carlo passed of cancer a number of years back. I recall a lot of his stuff being sold off, and this engine actually changed hands to Ken Rogers [Redwood Chair.] Sadly we all know Ken passed away last year. Ryan Fay ended up helping with selling some of Ken's stash, and I ended up buying it from him as a backup for my rally car. But after acquiring the 244GL I decided it would be perfect for the build.

Interestingly enough, I looked long and hard for a GT grille but could not find anything reasonably priced. By some odd fate, Dan [Surf Brick] was also helping sell off some of Ken's items. Ken had a few GT grilles in his stash, and instead of buying one I bought both since they needed a little work. One thing I always wanted to do to my old GT grille setup was paint it silver like they were from the factory. I might end up going that route.

I was really worried that the square ecodes were going to be difficult to find at a reasonable price, but I ended up finding some on FB market for below the current market value.

Last but not least on the rare-ish cosmetic items my 83 244Ti had were the Eiker E1's. I knew these were going to be really hard to source, and I was really planning on waiting for Eiker to resume production of them which is still not set in stone. But one day I looked up 5X108 on FB market, and with my range set to like 500 miles a set of E1's had came up 20 minutes earlier out in Catheys Valley, which is about a 3+ hour drive east for $800. I offered the guy a bit less and he took the offer but said I had to come quick because a lot of other people were messaging him. So I loaded up the Suburban and made the trek that night around 6pm and did not get back until about 1 am. Since 3/4 are a little rashed, I am debating refinishing them a gunmetal color, something I always wanted to do to my old E1's.

Even after 15+ years I've still got the original plates from my 244Ti. I have my fingers crossed the DMV has not reassigned the plates, so hopefully I can register it with the same sequence as a custom plate as much as I dont want to give those bastards another penny.

A while back, I bought a complete flathood setup from Cosbysweater. It was originally intended for my rally car, but I decided it was too nice for that since I would have been cutting a big ass hole in it for vents so I found a crappier one to use. The core support pictured is actually from my rally car - I will be using that due to the fact it's been modified for an eBay intercooler. I will be using the T3/T4 turbo and intercooler setup on this car that used to be on my rally car, which I've upgraded [sidegraded? downgraded?] to a K24.

This is how the car currently sits. I'm waiting for my buddy to give me back my engine hoist he borrowed to remove the blown up engine from his M3 track car. It gives me some time to do more prep/cleaning to the B21FT.

As mentioned, the interior is in great shape. It could use some cleaning, and also the passenger side seat bottom has collapsed so I do need to rebuild it.

 

[pat244ti]

Been a while, time for an update.

First, after pricing out the components to refresh the drivers and passenger seats, I've casually been looking at other seats before taking the plunge and buying new parts.

One set of seats in particular I've been eyeballing have been bugeye WRX seats. I actually really really wanted to put a set in my 83 244Ti about 20 years ago. Not only did the blue covers kinda blend in well with a blue velour interior, they're supportive and quite frankly a bugeye WRX was the first car I really really wanted before getting into 240's. Back then, they were kinda pricy when they would come up for sale mostly by guys upgrading to STI seats.

They're much more common now, but they're all 20+ years old and most seem to have copious amounts of vape juice and taco bell fart stains on them. Last night I found a local car being parted out that appeared to not have any windows on it was filthy inside. I shot the guy a low offer sight unseen and he took it so it was mostly a matter of getting them and seeing how bad of shape I was in for making them look good, which really did not turn out to be the case. It took some scrubbing and an hour or so but they turned out ok, and have only one tiny hole on the drivers bolster.

Next steps will be requiring busting out the welder, not just for the seat mounts but you will see in my next post.

 

[302ftw?]

Looove those seats and have fond memories learning to drive my dads 04 WRX. Had the STI titanium shift knob and everything. Would also love to find a set for my 245 Turbo. Cant wait to see the install!

 

[Quin]

we have wrx seats in the rallycross 240. work great.

 

[pat244ti]

we have wrx seats in the rallycross 240. work great.

Overall the seats are physically a hair narrower. My only worry is height [Andy is taller iirc so maybe that could quell my concerns] - did you retain the stock 240 slider or adapt the WRX one onto the 240 floor? Side by side it almost looks like you could remove the WRX slider and weld a thicker flatbar to the 240 slider to give it the width to weld to the bracket on the bottom of the WRX seat.

As mentioned at the end of my last post, I picked up a welder when I was in Portland last year from a rally friend. Still need to get it tuned up and practice a little but my plan was to tackle some fairly serious but not too bad rust on the passenger floor of this car. For a California car it's somewhat bad, wonder where the water was coming from. AC drain?

Nick Choy up in Portland thankfully had a repair panel just for that specific spot ready to go

The patch panel does not really cover the rust that spread to the seat hump. I think my plan with the seat hump involves the WRX seats. If I end up wanting more clearance for my tall ass inside the car, I am probably going to cut the hump out entirely. If it's acceptable with the hump in place, I will probably make my own "patches" to tie the rusty areas of the hump that will get cut out to the rest of the floor.

Back in the day [2003] with my 83 244Ti, I got a R-Sport cluster from Dale. A TB member in the states made a pretty crude adapter and my plan was to put it in the 83. But one day, I was lugging an entire 242GT interior into my small apartment and I knocked the cluster off of my desk and broke the ever living shit out of it. I literally cried [hell I was a broke 18 year old at the time]

Last year I picked up a very decrepit R Sport cluster that was a victim of the 1983 floods that hit Santa Cruz from Henry. It was nasty. But Roger Patricio [rest in peace] was willing to do his magic to it. The bezel was in rough shape, and seeing how I was going to put it into a later car I decided to contact Oystein [Byneset Customs] for his 3d printed adapter plate. Dave Barton got involved and got some custom gauge faces to Roger, since some of the gauges needed new faces from water damage. I had this built about 3-4 months before Roger's passing. I wonder if it was one of his last ones. I feel extremely lucky to have had him restore another one of these, it's the 2nd I've had him do. His work was amazing and he was a good man.

Back in the day, I also really wanted an R-Sport wheel for my 83. They were about as hard to find then as they are now. I settled for an OMP WRC wheel, which today still lives on in my Bertone race car.

Last year, I responded to a posting in a local Facebook group from a girl going to UCSC about doing a pre purchase inspection on a 85 244. I went ahead and did it for her, and gave her a laundry list of issues with the car which I ended up helping tackle the repairs on. The car was completely bone stock but for some reason it had an R-Sport wheel. Before she bought the car, I asked the owner if he wanted to trade a normal condition stock wheel for the R-Sport wheel which had totally beat up grips. He took the deal. I ended up digging out some handlebar tape from my old road bike and taped the wheel up and put it in my 83 242 for a little bit [the brown wrap matched the rest of the car.] I will rewrap it blue for this car at some point

Probably the stupidest, dumbest waste of time and money I have done with the car since I got it was this. It was half off weekend and Pick And Pull, and a 245 diesel was freshly set. I pulled the entire drivetrain thinking that maybe I could get away with trying to sneak this car back in as a diesel since it was "out of the system". I went ahead and set the motor in and started to play around with getting it running, and quickly found out that despite my 84 being out of the system DMV system, it was still in CARB's system since it was smogged last in 1999.

Between that, as well as the fact the engine was stamped 1983 [older than the car, smog ref would technically not be able to sign off a conversion] it was a hopeless effort and I would be screwed either way. I won't get my time back but I will get my money back parting the D24 out, most of that coming from the M46 behind it my Audi friend has already bought off me for his projects.

Due to this fact, my drivetrain goal for the car has pivoted from the B21FT to putting the original B23F back into the car with a T5 behind it and getting it through smog once, and hoping at some point in the not too distant future smogging 40 year old cars will no longer be a thing.

On the subject of T5's, I did find the T5 that will go into this car. Came from a SN95 V6 car, so the input shaft will have to be swapped but that will be a simple process as I have to remove it anyways to install the Deeworks retainer. Driveshaft should also work/bolt up technically since the length on the SN95 was made up by the input shaft and bellhousing, but with the final ride height I may have to just get a Foxbody or an Aerostar driveshaft. Overall not a bad deal these days for $400

I like the shift knob but I had a B&M T-Handle in my 83 on it's M46. I may swap one onto the T5, and use this one in my race car.

Last but not least, I found a silver flathood from Asher up in Portland. Might have came from Taro's car. Works with the patina on the rest of the car.

Other cool news though is I've linked up with a guy who does paint work. He teaches young adults how to paint and do bodywork and has them do the work, so it's not concours quality, but it's good enough for me. I had my 83 painted in similar fashion 22 years ago.

That's about all for now. Maybe I'll actually get to work on this thing instead of parts hoarding soon.

 

[mrak]

Overall the seats are physically a hair narrower. My only worry is height [Andy is taller iirc so maybe that could quell my concerns] - did you retain the stock 240 slider or adapt the WRX one onto the 240 floor? Side by side it almost looks like you could remove the WRX slider and weld a thicker flatbar to the 240 slider to give it the width to weld to the bracket on the bottom of the WRX seat.

It's been four years and I haven't looked in the car for a while so take this all with a grain of salt. But I took the stock mounting tabs off the WRX rails and bolted a flat bar down to the floor in the front, and then did the same thing in the back with stock 240 rail ends up to another piece of flat steel acting as a crossbar. I retained the WRX sliders because they feel nicer than the 240 ones and also the drivers seat has angle and height adjustment built into it. We've all fit into it without issues of vertical clearance. Passenger seats don't have the same accommodations so height might be more of an issue there. I can see if we can get you pictures of it over the weekend.

 

[cosbySweater]

Pat I have a T handle b&m knob let me know when you’re in the area again

 

[pat244ti]

10 month bump.

I really have the sudden urge to take this car to Davis and possibly the rally car.

To rewind a bit, a few months ago I had some younger tbrickers come over to my place and remove the D24 drivetrain from the car in exchange for the M46 behind it. I also took this as an opportunity to rid myself of everything D24, as I traded the engine for wheels with good tires for my 90 245 two weeks ago. I also sold my 760 TD, not that I wanted to - just felt like it made sense since it's another iron in the fire slowing progress on cars like the GL.

Somewhere along the line late last year I found a drivetrain from a different 84 GL with an M46. So that became the new heart, it's almost running again just a few more things to put back together.

My wife and kid were out of town for a few weeks, which allowed me to have my friend Evan come over and help out. He has lots of welding equipment and likes to practice on my stuff. Also just gave us an excuse to hang out since we've known each other now for 35 years.

The Eikers are back on this car, which they originally left for the 760 and got new to them rubber.

We got started with the floorpan replacement. I got it mostly sized up to get in there with the cutting tools. Like a dumbass I did chop one part near where the driveshaft support holes a bit too short so we got somewhat creative there. But aside from that it went smooth. Had to add a drain to the area pinch welded to the rocker.

Not the prettiest job but it works. Got the voids all filled with seam sealer before the paint and undercoating went on.

Kind of went the Alaskan way with the brackets. Just ended up welding to the flat bar vs bolting. Also, of course this is the only bracket I didnt hit with paint before pictures.

I think next time I would cut out the seat hump. No pun intended, I like having headroom in terms of adjustability with stuff. I can stick most of my fist between my head and the roof so that's enough I guess but that's with the seat all the way down and reclined. Feels pretty good though. Passenger side I am closer and need to be pretty reclined, but I doubt I will ride shotgun much.

Overall though happy with the seating position and how they don't clash too hard with the blue velour.

I also got absolutely rocked while I was putting them in. I took the headrests off to make the install easier, I got the seats bolted down and I reached over into the passenger area to grab my impact ratchet. Next thing I know, my keychain catches the seat release and sticks in my pocket as I lean over to reach [I had the seat fully reclined because I had vacuumed the seats gooch or whatever you call it between the seat back and the bottom] which pulled the release and I turn around and get slammed by the plastic/metal post the headrests slide into springing forward along with the weight of the seat back.

Dont let cars kick your ass

 

[Jack]

lol I got a hernia from trying to loosen a bolt while on a creeper... took me 6 months before I finally went to the doctor ...
great progress, Davis is a good goal!


sell me the blue seat covers

 

[pat244ti]

sell me the blue seat covers

they went into the 90 244 I had last year, which went to david, which then went somewhere I guess.

Definitely felt good getting this out of the way. Little things from here

 

[brendon_ak]

love the story, gonna be a great build! are you converting to the old dash or adapting the cluster to the dash you have?

 

[pat244ti]

love the story, gonna be a great build! are you converting to the old dash or adapting the cluster to the dash you have?

it has the byneset adapter