that car is the twin to ours (excepting color), we have the B230F. are you thinking of the 760 GLE??

A fairly low mile 1990 760 turbo wagon in Calgary, a bit pricey though?

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z113419955

The 240 is very Canadian, eh?

It might have originally been the B28 - I think the B27 stopped in '78 or '79 - but it's probably been replaced by a B21 or B23.

The 740 GLE is definitely not a V6, if it's got a 5 speed.

I've personally drained the odd bottle - more of a Scotch drinker, but on occasion I will indulge and go for something a little more on the sweet side. We even get a few of their more specialised releases over here.



I've seen the 740T, there was a gold 740T at the dog park yesterday, my neighbour had a 940T for sale for the longest time.

I'm familiar with that 940, but don't know the owner. They work at the UofL, I think the TBrix sticker is a vane attempt to be cool - never seen them on TBrix or on here for that matter. Maybe they lurk (he's got some Dave Barton moose on the car as well).



I wouldn't say NO plan...but close to no clue. The guy by Raymond is an interesting character. Sort of "Back-woodsy" in a scary sort of way. Greg and I swung by last fall on the way back from getting parts of the '75 245 and had a look at the 244T. It's the blue I like and is a west coast car. He stumbled out of his shack with many wiener dogs in tow to see what we wanted. The 200 lb Rottweiler was chained, but we didn't want to be presumptuous.

He said we could have a look, and "Don't mind the dead cat." I'm NOT making any of this up, and for a change don't need to even "colour" it a little. The 244T is complete - but partially disassembled due to some front end damage that has been repaired (replacement panels are there - wrong colour, but installed). He was waiting for some reason to assemble it or sell it. The IC/rad core support etc was in the trunk, but it looked complete and rust free/straight.

He was looking for $800, 'cause you know when these things are restored they are worth close to 10 grand.

We left him to his delusions.

This is more common than I thought. Greg knows a local Lethbridge guy that snaps up all the Volvos for sale down here and parks them on a acreage - figures he's sitting on a gold mine. Hasn't seen the price for scrap lately I'm guessing .

I just lived in Oxford for a year when my Dad was on sabbatical, but its where I got into European cars big time. As far as pricing goes, what you're saying doesn't fall too out of line with pricing here IMHO.

The car you posted doesn't look too bad actually, but the car would have to be in nicer shape with lower mileage to get that price I'm thinking. All North American 240's from '86 onward have b230s....we didn't get the 2.0L engines sadly.

I'm still thinking this would be a nice car for someone...no idea if its still for sale.
http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z105766323

Yeah, probably more of the later...the one guy Craig mentioned seems to think he's going to put them all on the road eventually, but putting 6 or 7 non-running 240's on the road seems a little stupid. He's a little nuts. And the other guy near Raymond was weird, though selling a couple cars. I had forgotten about the dead cat! Oh man.........



I saw that 740T yesterday as well, right next to Galt Gardens! Looked nice.
I believe the 940 at the University belongs to 940 16 valve, who posts here occasionally. He's from Calgary but is attending the U.

Thanks for all the replies guys, it's been some very interesting reading!! And, a very worth while post as it appears it might not to too hard to source a nice old school Volvo for not much money after all!

It's going to be a month or so before I can get some funds together before buying anything though, but I'll definitely be sticking around the forum to see what's happening and what pops up for sale. Ideally I'd like a nice 744 as a daily driver (but if that doesn't work out) and if insurance doesn't mind me having a second vehicle on my policy (will check nearer the time) I'll definitely go for a nice 200, the older the better. I guess we'll see. I really want a classic Mini again also so I'm quite torn (except these are a lot more expensive!!).

Can someone give me some information on what engines were available in the 2/700s in the North American market throughout the years? I'm not to hot on my engine statistics or tuning so forgive me!

I never actually got this website up before leaving Ireland but if anybody is interested in photos from how we did things on the Irish meets feel free to browse through the gallery;
http://volvoowners.ie/gallery/index.php
We met up in a easy-to-access location, talked for donkeys, went for a good blast around some local roads, stopped for lunch then had another local run before parting. I reckon that would be pretty hard here as most roads I've been on have been as straight as a dime! I also made little small internal window stickers to commemorate each run; they went down pretty well and always looked cool; who doesn't want a free sticker, right?

Thanks for all your help and I look forward to meeting you guys at some point in the future!

Hey Darren, I am definitely not in the same league as alot of the other people here so here are the 2 sites I go to most often if I need to find engine/trans specs on 2/7 cars.

http://www.nuceng.ca/bill/volvo/volvohome.htm

http://www.vlvworld.com/indexframe.html

http://www.swedishbricks.net/ is also great for the year by year run down on all of the changes to the cars.

Craig/Greg, thanks for the Southern stories I que'd up the music to "Deliverance" as I read your posts and had a good laugh... some very "interesting" individuals out there.

Darren, the options are fairly simple:

For all "40"s (740/940) after 1984, the base engine was the B230F. In the early days ('85-early 88) they came with skinny rods, weaker #3 main bearing thrust location, and bio-degradable wiring harness. In mid '88 through mid '89 the B230 got a new crankshaft with bigger main bearings and the thrust bearing at the #5 main. In late '89 the B230 got bigger stronger rods, and is really the only one you should look at for performance. I believe in '92 they got piston oil squirters to control piston slap and allow the manufacturer to install the pistons a bit tigher in their bores, important in this style of engine.

The option engine in the "40"s was the B230FT - the turbocharged version. Same updates apply as above. Until '88 they used Garrett T3 turbos, at which point they split and some used T3s, some used T25s, and some (the 5 speed cars) used the tiny Mitsubishi TD05-12B. In 1990 the B230FT got a much improved exhaust manifold, and the turbos were standardized (I believe) as the Mitsubishi TD04-13C (Not sure if it's a TD04H, TD04L, or just a plain TD04. Nor do I care too much).

The turbo cars got LH-2.2 until 1990 at which point they got LH-2.4... I'm not sure about the naturally aspirated ones, but I imagine they followed the 240 trend of LH-2.4 in 1988 and LH-3.1 in the early '90s. Some got the Regina (Rex) fuel injection system. The Bosch LH systems are pretty darn reliable - I can't coment on the Rex.

In the 760, the base engine was the V6 - B28F until '88 and B280F from '88 to '91 or '92, when they changed to the vastly superior inline 6 B6304F. So long as the oil gets changed lots and lots, the B28 has a chance of still working - the B280 is much better. Both are gas pigs, and neither of them make much power in our market. The B6304F makes much more power, much better sounds, and gets much better gas mileage than the V6, but the early ones used itsy-bitsy timing belts that needed to be changed every time you drove the car.

B230FTs are available in the 760 as well, basically the same spec as the "40" cars but with better intercoolers in the 940 range.

Other, rarer options for these cars are the D24 and D24T - Volkswagen-based 2.4 litre inline 6 diesels. They aren't known to be very reliable, despite VW's huge success with their 1.6 litre cars. They're also about as slow as you can imagine, at least the non-turbo D24. The DOHC 16v B234F is also an option in North America on '88-'90 cars (I might have these years wrong) and though the bottom end is more sophisticated, it can also be more troublesome.

The goofball car was the '84 760 Turbo, which was given the highly touted B23FT - much stronger components than any other Turbo 700/900, but from what I've seen and others have confirmed, worn right out by 120,000 kilometers.

Volvo North America considered the turbo to be their "premiere" engine, and therefore castrated the V6 and 16v engines so they wouldn't make as much power. The B280F was available in E spec in your country, making 170 hp, but ours got weaker cams and crappy cylinder heads (as well as TERRIBLE exhaust manifolds across all markets), limiting them to 146. I'm not sure what the B234 would have made were it equipped with proper componentry, but I'm guessing more than the 180 hp of the hottest (stock) Turbo cars. The Turbos were basically locked to 160 hp despite all the improvements they were given over the years, except for the Turbo Plus and 780 models which were rated at 180 hp. The D24 isn't even worth talking about.

Most of the Volvos we got here were automatics. I'd say 70% came with an automatic transmission, but the automatics were mostly grouped around the GLE and Turbo cars - the ones with the bigger horsepower and more luxury - so in this group you've probably got 80-90% equipped with the automatic. The 740GL often came with either the M46 4 speed plus overdrive or the M47 5 speed (same ratios as the M46, but in a shorter & lighter package). None of the 6 cylinder gasoline engines we got came with a manual transmission, with the exception of a very few 262 Bertones, and I don't think I've EVER seen a 760 or 960 with a manual transmission, turbo or not. Some time in the late '80s the manual transmission cars were given hydraulic clutches, probably the same time ABS was an option.

That's all I know in a nutshell about 700/900 series powertrains. If James chimes in again, he can point out where I've gone wrong, keeping in mind that Canada and the US really did get a few different cars.

Talking of Volvo's....way back in 1980 I was in London,used to play Rugby back then,and was there for a game there,I remember getting a ride in a 164e,I thought at that time it was just about the best thing I had ever been in,automatic,leather seating, comfy,dare I say powerful?? (at the time my Dad had a succession of boring cars...Vauxhall Victor,Austin 1800,Fiat 124 sedan,followed by a somewhat interesting 1972 Triumph 2.5 pi wagon) To this day I would still like to find a really clean, small bumper 164,either auto or 4spd o/d...Maybe when I am done with my current wagon,I bore of vehicles quickly,"the grass is always greener...",or is that "the other car is always better .........."

Thanks for the engine information, it'll definitely come in handy!

200/700s don't seem to uncommon around Edmonton; I see 744s now and again and the odd 244 pottering around, usually filthy dirty! I forgot how charming a 244 looks in standard form!

Thanks for everyones help and replies.

Oh no, not this topic again!

My girlfriend and I have been here three months now and are settling in good; we are both enjoying life in Canada. We've been talking a lot lately how nice it would be to be back behind the wheel of a Volvo. If I'm being honest, we just haven't been very satisfied with the Grand Cherokee. It was only a bought vehicle to get us on-the-road to start with (although I've always fancied one) but now I feel I don't want to keep it as long as I have to.

So... I'd love to say we're going to start looking for a lovely 200 Wagon, or a 7/900 Turbo (or S/V90 for that matter) , but my missus just won't consent! She really liked the 850 we had, and has a soft spot for the Phase 1 S/V70. I've always liked the smooth elongated lines of the Phase 2 V70 with a few sporty mods. I want an Estate, she's happy with that although really likes the S80 and S60! We fancy something quick, so obviously the T5 starts ringing bells. Although we love the look of the Phase 1&2 XC V70 I don't particularly want the AWD system, plus they didn't come with the T5 anyway, right? Also not really interested in the C70, S/V40/50.

So, we narrowed it down to a Phase 1 or 2 V70 T5. Is the Phase 2 model T5 more refined than that in the Phase 1 model? Does anybody have any comparison experience between the two? Opinions on pros/cons of either model? Would the Phase 2 be more prone to electrical issues as it's more computerized? The main thing I've noticed is the massive price difference between the two, in fact, I haven't come across very many T5s in general. We haven't yet taken the opportunity to drive either, although is there anything in particular we should look out for, mainly in reference to the engine and electrics? Also, would a manual be more common in either?

We called in with Volvo of Edmonton that perhaps by some chance they might have a '01-04 V70 T5 we could check out and test drive but they didn't. The guy we dealt with is going to let us know if anything comes in (or anything older!) and seemed genuine, although when dealers offer to take our details we never know if they are trying to help, or get rid of us quicker!

I’m mainly just after some advice, as questioned above, and perhaps spread the word encase anything pops up. Are there any other friendly non-dealer Volvo specialists in Alberta?

Its going to be extremely difficult finding a P2 v70 with a t5 (does tranny matter?) and not AWD. The amount of them I see that come through the shop are very few and far between. An earlier P2 (pre 05) I wouldn't recommend, volvo just didn't really have them right. After that though I wouldn't hesitate to pop into one at all, I always get excited when I see a later s60 or v70 in nice shape but there would definately be a premium on price for something like that unfortunately.

The earlier s/v70s though are nice to drive (98-00), the interior is a little bland for my tastes personally. I think my 95 saab has a nicer interior then a lot of cars though so what do I know. Main problems that i've been seeing with them lately is blowby is starting to be an issue (high kms, sludge in the engine blocking the oil trap causing oil to come out the seals), when your windows stop working it'll be because of the drivers master switch generally (or associated switch) but apparently you can take them apart and clean them, I have not had success with this yet though. The abs module is an iffy part as well, the solder cracks causing poor contact on the abs module setting codes for wheel sped sensors. This can be repaired fairly easily or you can buy repaired ones for ~250. One thing I don't like on them (pet peeve) is the accel pedal, I don't know if the cables are binding a bit or what but they are a stiff mother and not really fun. Other then those things to look out for nice cars and pretty fun to drive, I would definately look at one if I was in the market.

Other than having AWD you might have more to choose from in a V70 R than a T5 although both are somewhat rare. I'm no expert but I believe the T5 was WWD only. Finding one with a stick is going to be really tough, I'm not looking for one but in my casual shopping I seldom see them. I looked quick on Vancouver Craigslist where there are the largest number of publicly listed Volvos for sale in Western Canada (at least that I am aware of) and there is currently only 1 T5 for sale. It's an 01 autotragic so 2 good reasons to avoid it. I know it's a PITA but to try and find a T5 I am thinking you might need to look south of the border to increase the pool of available vehicles. Swedespeed.com and Volvospeed.com classifieds are a couple of good places to watch for P1 and P2 cars, more so SS as VS tends more to 850's and P1's. You could also keep an eye on V70R.com classifieds as T5's likely show up there as well.

Edit: Just noticed Andy's rec to stay 05+, If you follow that advice you will really have a hard time finding a T5 as they were discontinued for the 06 MY. Our 02 V70 AWD has been a pretty good car but Andy works on them everyday so he knows of what he speaks.

Shameless plug: Just thought I should mention I will be listing said 02 V70 AWD for sale in the next while. Throw a CAI, chip, exhaust on it and it will be as fast/faster than a T5