|
10-4 Ian. Vik, you need to slow down and take a drive. Enjoy that baby for a bit.
Fins: you've got a couple choices, but not many. Basically it's '81-'85 240 turbo or '85-'92 740 turbo.
The 240s are lighter and have better weight distribution, a stronger rear suspension, and generally take to modifications easier than a 740. The 240 Turbo is offered in a 2 door until the end of 1984. The 240 is better than the 740 in the winter, if you plan on using it there, but you've got to be very careful about rust 'cause it WILL. The engine compartment wiring is equivelant (awful!) but the chassis wiring is generally more reliable in the 240, being that there's much less of it. The 240 comes with the B21FT, which is good and bad depending on how you look at it (Good because it's bomb proof, can take a ton of boost, and if it's in decent shape with less than 300,000 km on it, it'll run a long time. Bad because it's smaller, cruder, lower compression, and K-jet fuel injected.) In mid-'84 the cars came delivered with an intercooler and boost was raised to give more power than the earlier models, but the intercooler kit was a dealer-installed retrofit option for the earlier cars.
The 740 is smoother and more comfortable, you feel like you're sitting "in" it rather than "on" it, is quieter and better finished, and usually comes with more creature comforts (power sunroof, power windows, air conditioning, etc). The 740 has better motor mounts than the 240 (which are awful), better steering geometry (but worse feel, IMO) and a wider rear track. 740s don't rust NEARLY as badly as 240s do. From 1985-1987, the motors were awful. In mid 1988 through 1989 the engines got better, and Volvo switched their wiring supplier (or specification) and they last forever. In 1990 the engines got even better (almost as strong as in a 240, but more efficient) and they switched fuel injection again to something that's more adaptable to changes. Getting a 1990+ with manual transmission could be tough, though.
Personally I prefer the 240s but I do see the merits of 700s as well. I'm able to do pretty much anything I want to either car to make it the way it is. A 240 just feels old once you've gotten used to the 740, which already feels pretty old when you're used to an S70, but I prefer the solidness and ease of modification in the 240.
Another option is to build what you want, depending on your skill level. Buy a good later 240 or 740 with manual transmission and drop in a turbo engine/computers from a donor car. You don't have to upgrade much else to get it to "work with the turbo" as people would say. In '86, the 240 was improved to make it more rust resistant, and though it's still more utilitarian than a 740, it's more comfortable than the earlier cars. Or buy a nice turbo automatic and do a transmission/driveshaft/pedal swap. That would open the doors to the later 740s (and 940 Turbos through '95), but you'd have to work a bit harder to find the special flywheel needed for the 90+ fuel injection.
Does that help?
|
but you will have to speak up a little
