Funny story, there is a big Ford dealer by the lab. I was on the bike on way from light rail to lab and was riding by their overflow lot that's 5-6 blocks from the main dealership. There were two guys standing there looking bored and hot with a pair of jumper cables from some car to one of the new Electric Energi things. Made me laugh. Jumping an electric car has got to take a lot longer than in the old days. Wonder how long they ended up having to sit their charging it before they got enough juice to drive the six blocks...

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Grant Hughes

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Steve-O
Seems like so much Volvo hate on here lol I'll agree Volvos arent the most popular in the US but like John said Rally isnt either although it is getting more attention and slowly getting better. Personally I like Volvos and thats my reason as to running one for my rally set up, I've been using my friends 325 this year and its nice but I feel that I can make as much power and handle as well as him for less than what he spent on his car. The budget for my build is to be under $1500 granted I'm not using any special suspension or extra power adders. Just gut, engine swap, tires, revive old suspension and race.

Better budget a bit more on suspension. PM Pat Derow here and ask him what his 240 was like when he got correct front suspension on the car.
I seem to recall words like "amazing" and "totally transformed" and "no more push"...
There are things that can be done for less than full crazy..

You have any Bilstein inserts for the front?

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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.

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NoCoast
Funny story, there is a big Ford dealer by the lab. I was on the bike on way from light rail to lab and was riding by their overflow lot that's 5-6 blocks from the main dealership. There were two guys standing there looking bored and hot with a pair of jumper cables from some car to one of the new Electric Energi things. Made me laugh. Jumping an electric car has got to take a lot longer than in the old days. Wonder how long they ended up having to sit their charging it before they got enough juice to drive the six blocks...

And just wait until they cross a jumper cable wrong...Chernobel all over again. White leather shoes with a touch of charcoal, priceless.

I dunno. I have friends who has one of those C-Max Energi things, and they love it. Most of their driving is a 12 mile commute, so they barely use any gas, and it only adds $10 a month to their electric bill. He said it was something like 100mpg equivalent when you figure the math for both gas and electric costs.

I had a Prius rental once. It drove like a Maytag. Totally boring. But 5 gallons of gas for 200 miles with the thing floored ALL. THE. TIME. was nice. I struggle to get 22 out of anything I own (be it Merkur, Sienna, or Legacy).

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

Here is another one..

If you promise to rally it, I'll give you a motor (my motor pile is getting deep these days...)



http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=281814

Missus gets a tad over 15 with her Trailblazer SS but 400 ponies is such a riot.

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john vanlandingham

Better budget a bit more on suspension. PM Pat Derow here and ask him what his 240 was like when he got correct front suspension on the car.
I seem to recall words like "amazing" and "totally transformed" and "no more push"...
There are things that can be done for less than full crazy..

You have any Bilstein inserts for the front?

I'll talk to him for sure. I don't have bilsteins for the front yet, I was trying to get some from the jy but they were so rusted I couldn't get them off the car and gave up after a day at the jy. Walking away with only bilsteins for the rear as well as ipd sways and poly bushings lol.

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Steve-O
I'll talk to him for sure. I don't have bilsteins for the front yet, I was trying to get some from the jy but they were so rusted I couldn't get them off the car and gave up after a day at the jy. Walking away with only bilsteins for the rear as well as ipd sways and poly bushings lol.

Rusted struts on a 30 year old car in a junkyard? Say it ain't so. The ones on a 14 year old Bimmer are easier to get off.

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"Talk about drugs. Driving a car like that, going that fast, it’s like all the drugs at once." - Tommy Byrne

"Now, Pinky, if by any chance you are captured during this mission, remember you are Gunther Heindriksen from Appenzell. You moved to Grindelwald to drive the cog train to Murren. Can you repeat that?" - The Brain

I can't complain too much I sold the sway bars and that covered the cost of everything else I pulled that day plus made me an extra $65 so I still came out on top

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Steve-O

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john vanlandingham

Better budget a bit more on suspension. PM Pat Derow here and ask him what his 240 was like when he got correct front suspension on the car.
I seem to recall words like "amazing" and "totally transformed" and "no more push"...
There are things that can be done for less than full crazy..

You have any Bilstein inserts for the front?

I'll talk to him for sure. I don't have bilsteins for the front yet, I was trying to get some from the jy but they were so rusted I couldn't get them off the car and gave up after a day at the jy. Walking away with only bilsteins for the rear as well as ipd sways and poly bushings lol.

Well when you lift the boot up and see 40mm chrome tube under the boot, buy the whole strut assembly and disassemble it at home--if it's cheap enough--like $25 a side.. Then, at home, you can saw thru the thin outer lower tube and take it apart so you can send the insert away and re-valve it to what I tell you. Then you get a nice new chrome-moly lower tube..with threads cut in and spring seats....
No way around sending some money but especially the fronts---which is all about control--you gotta have good matched stuff. Rear we can wing it a bit, just not overly stiff.

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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.

If they're still there next time I get out the jy I'll snag them and see what I can do. If not no biggie its not like Bilsteins for 240s are hard to come buy lol

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Steve-O
If they're still there next time I get out the jy I'll snag them and see what I can do. If not no biggie its not like Bilsteins for 240s are hard to come buy lol

Yeah but buying used for $100 a side and re-valve/rebuild at $100 is more than used at $25 and rebuild at $100...x two.

And since stockers "HD" are valved like super limp,sooooooper limp, way limper than a 2050lb Escort would use, you gotta re-valve.

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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.

Yeah I hear ya on that. Billies usually show up in the yards all the time down here for 240s when I was looking for 740 ones but watch now that I own a 240 and I'm looking for them I'll never see them again lmao

I was between a Merkur and Volvo. The Volvo had the bonus of being always the same and really not needing much cosmetically other than single round bulbs and a nice spoiler and two doors only. The Merkweird needed rear dual window cut and replaced with a single one, whale tail, Euro grill and headlights and a new front bumper (thanks Sean for coming up with the Jetta bumper replacement!!!)
I went with Merkur because a car showed up for $750. Part of me still always wishes I'd gone Volvo. I like a nice long 242 throwing roosters. They are seldom found around here though. $1k or so E36 BMWs on the other hand...
I wouldn't mind getting a 242 someday and I do still keep my eye open for one. I also want a Hyabusa powered Starlet and a rock racer Merkur.

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Grant Hughes

One of these days I will own a volvo! I just want one for a daily driver and maybe play with it a little bit.