tfrasca's 142 Turbo Project

[Tfrasca]

Originally Posted by FreeEMSFred

I absolutely LOVE this shot:

There's something about an old car with faded paint and serious sticky tyres under it. Nice. Reminds me of my ute wearing R888s. Overheard in a car meet once "What does that piece of sh|t need semi slicks for?" then they looked under the bonnet

Thanks. Lane from Driving While Awesome took that one. People definitely look twice when they see the Toyos.

[gsellstr]

I get that every so often at the track when I throw the matching rims, wrapped in Advan's on the back, gotta love the WTF moments. lol

[Tfrasca]

I'm getting married on Saturday, so I haven't been doing much to the 142 lately. I have been thinking about the possibility of selling it, though.

I'm not going to post a For Sale thread or anything, because I'm not even close to sure about it. Figured I'd try to gauge some interest here, and maybe get some help estimating its value.

If you follow this thread, you know pretty much everything about the car, but here it is, all written out:

1968 Volvo 142s
Voted best Modified 140 at Davis this year
Color code 194 green, quite faded with some very light surface rust on the roof
No cancerous rust anywhere
Interior redone in 2015 with NOS Volvo seat covers (rear seat top has ripped since)
Speedhut GPS Speedo and gauges in GT cluster
Nardi Classic wheel, wood + black
New brake booster
New front windshield and seal
New rear seal

B23ft
LH 2.4, w/chipped ECU
ET pistons
Hone, ring, bearings. 10,000 miles on rebuild
Drilled for oil squirters
19t
eBay FMIC
Custom intake manifold
IPS Turbo cam
Dale's cam gear
Yoshifab oil catch can
New Yoshifab 235mm clutch and billet flywheel
New Ford Motorsport T5z from Summit Racing

Classic Swede lowering springs
GAZ adjustable shocks
IPD sway bars (front + rear)
Poly rear bushings
New rubber front suspension bushings
New balljoints
New steering linkage (in 2015)
Brass idler arm bushing
Ford Crown Vic wheels redrilled to 5x108
4.30 FD gears
TruTrac LSD installed by HiPerfAuto

The car is solid, fun, and quick. It's been on two multiple day vintage car rallies, and keeps up 944 turbos, E30s, and a bunch of other cars half its age. I've taken it on road trips from Santa Cruz to LA, and to Tahoe, and never had any issues.

I will absolutely not part it out, and if there's no serious interest in it, I'll keep working on it and driving it. I can just feel my enthusiasm waning a bit, so I figured I'd put the feelers out.

Any thoughts?

[AndrewNance]

For some reason 140s never sell for what I think they’re worth (I guess they aren’t really worth that much then). That super nice white 145 in Canada with the 16v just kept dropping lower and lower and I’m not sure if it ever actually sold. Given this car’s uniqueness, I’d probably just decide on an amount I’d have to have to move on to something new and stick to it. I always feel like I’d sell mine if someone handed me $3500 but they won’t so I still have it. Yours is definitely nicer than mine.

I don’t know how much you’ve got in it but I’d probably put it up for like 6-7k and just see what happens.

[t8fanning]

Originally Posted by Tfrasca

Any thoughts?

Don't sell it. But seriously, what would you replace it with?

[Tfrasca]

I probably won’t sell it. I would take such a loss. But if I found someone to give me like 10k or so, I’d strongly consider.

I really want to find a SAAB 99 and make it rear wheel drive.

[reiernumans]

Just saw in your listing that you have GAZ shocks on this, I have them on order for my Saab 900 Turbo. How do you like them and the adjustability?

[Stiggy Pop]

If you don't have the next project hard in mind you're just window shopping! I think about selling my car sometimes but know I'd miss it.

Originally Posted by Tfrasca

I really want to find a SAAB 99

That's a cool idea!

Originally Posted by Tfrasca

and make it rear wheel drive.

you lost me. They weren't designed to be nor need to be rwd. Perfect cars for like 230hp and fwd handling fun. Appreciate it for what it is!

[Tfrasca]

Originally Posted by reiernumans

Just saw in your listing that you have GAZ shocks on this, I have them on order for my Saab 900 Turbo. How do you like them and the adjustability?

I like them. It was nice to be able to dial in the damping initially, but I haven't really adjusted them since. For how flat my car stays in corners, the ride is what I would call totally acceptable.

[Tfrasca]

Originally Posted by Stiggy Pop

If you don't have the next project hard in mind you're just window shopping! I think about selling my car sometimes but know I'd miss it.

you lost me. They weren't designed to be nor need to be rwd. Perfect cars for like 230hp and fwd handling fun. Appreciate it for what it is!

I'm really having a hard time with this. Before the 142, I only ever had SAAB 900 Turbos. And I always wished they were rear wheel drive, even though I hadn't spent any real time in a rwd car.

Now that I have the Volvo I see how fun it is, and what it's like to not be limited by front wheel traction and a weak gearbox. So, when I think about a project to replace the Volvo, my first thought is something rwd. And I've always wanted a rwd 99 or 900.

That said, I fully understand that it may ruin the handling characteristics, etc. I'm going to get the car (I may have lined up a 1974 99) and see what I think. If I firm up the suspension and it seems fun, I'll just swap in a B202 turbo and call it good.

[cosbySweater]

Keep the car and enjoy it. Don't waste any more money on it. Get the Saab and work on that. Like people have stated 140s are not worth much for some reason

[brendon_ak]

Love the build! Did the 19t come stock on anything or does it have to be converted? I've got my setup running and can't help but think about the next turbo and a 19t seems like a good move.

[Tfrasca]

Originally Posted by cosbySweater

Keep the car and enjoy it. Don't waste any more money on it. Get the Saab and work on that. Like people have stated 140s are not worth much for some reason

That's hard for me. I can't leave stuff alone. Plus, I still have the s252 sx-e to put on it. We'll see.

[Tfrasca]

Originally Posted by brendon_ak

Love the build! Did the 19t come stock on anything or does it have to be converted? I've got my setup running and can't help but think about the next turbo and a 19t seems like a good move.

I think Volvo made a 19t for some v70r or something, but I made mine with parts from Kinugawa Turbo. It all bolts onto a 15g, except for having to enlarge the depression for the compressor wheel. That took 5 minutes on a lathe.

[Stiggy Pop]

Originally Posted by Tfrasca

I'm really having a hard time with this. Before the 142, I only ever had SAAB 900 Turbos. And I always wished they were rear wheel drive, even though I hadn't spent any real time in a rwd car.

Didn't know we had that in common. My high school car was a white '88 900t that we repainted, did a grey leather interior, SPG body kit, springs, straight pipe, red APC box, stupid loud BOV. It was such a fun car for a 17yo. This was in ~2003 and everyone hated it. Now I think people would flip over it.

I'll have to look for some pictures of it.

[t8fanning]

Originally Posted by Tfrasca

That's hard for me. I can't leave stuff alone. Plus, I still have the s252 sx-e to put on it. We'll see.

I say keep the 140, put the turbo on and use it as a driver/project car you don't work on really unless you want to. Then buy the Saab to do lots of work on. I bet you'll regret selling it if you do.

[matt b]

I regret selling my last Amazon. That was a mistake. I could easily replicate the car, but there was something special about that car and selling it was a mistake.

Looking at your 142, what you've done with it, how you made it your own: I think you would regret selling it. If you also have car ADD (it's a thing, look it up), you could always add the Saab to the stable. But trying to make the Saab be a Volvo won't yield the results you expect IMHO.

[Tfrasca]

Originally Posted by Stiggy Pop

Didn't know we had that in common. My high school car was a white '88 900t that we repainted, did a grey leather interior, SPG body kit, springs, straight pipe, red APC box, stupid loud BOV. It was such a fun car for a 17yo. This was in ~2003 and everyone hated it. Now I think people would flip over it.

I'll have to look for some pictures of it.

Yeah, my first car was a $700 900s that I ruined, and then I had three SPGs. Loved those cars.

[Tfrasca]

Originally Posted by matt b

I regret selling my last Amazon. That was a mistake. I could easily replicate the car, but there was something special about that car and selling it was a mistake.

Looking at your 142, what you've done with it, how you made it your own: I think you would regret selling it. If you also have car ADD (it's a thing, look it up), you could always add the Saab to the stable. But trying to make the Saab be a Volvo won't yield the results you expect IMHO.

I've all but abandoned the rwd thing. Hopefully I can figure out how to keep both cars, and the 142 can be a 300+ whp death trap, while the 99 gets a mostly stock 200 hp 16v turbo.

At that point, I guess I'll decided how much I really need two turbo Swedish cars.

[vintagewrench]

[QUOTE=Tfrasca;5870665

At that point, I guess I'll decided how much I really need two turbo Swedish cars.[/QUOTE]

You've done a great job on the 142 - having a spare car is a good thing.

[Tfrasca]

Originally Posted by vintagewrench

You've done a great job on the 142 - having a spare car is a good thing.

A spare is nice. Four vehicles for someone renting a one bedroom apartment with his wife and cat is a bit excessive.

[mocambique-amazone]

Sell the other two.
You will regret if you sell the 142.
Volvo 140 series, and 164, is underrated fully.
Ask me whow I know (still two 140 in Stock; -) )
Max you will get is under 5 grand.
First you have to find your 1 cell twin.

I like my 144 with power steering and my 142 with powersteering too. Even knowing they are worth nothing. My Amazon is worth more than both together. And the Amazon isn't running.

Have fun, Kay

[Jack]

I disagree with everyone here, sell it if you’re not into it. If stuff is sorted the right price won’t deter people. Well over 5k ... pffft for sure


145 in Bevercountry needs a lot still that’s why it ain’t selling

[Tfrasca]

There there's no chance I'd ever sell it for under 5 grand, unless I put a stock motor and transmission back in.

I'm still undecided, but a lot of that decision will depend on what happens with that SAAB. I predict that I'll keep the 142, put the Borg Warner turbo on it, and have a bunch of fun with it.

[Tfrasca]

So, we bought a "starter home" (dilapidated pile of garbage) with no garage, so I've been frantically finishing some big projects on the 142 before I move.

One of the very first things I did on the car was install poly rear trailing arm bushings. For the last year or so, I've regretted that, and I suspected the bound up rear axle was limiting traction. The car was basically a drift car. So, the other weekend, I pulled all those poly bushings out and replaced them with OEM rubber ones. I also did the torque rods and panhard while I was at it. I noticed one of the trailing arms was starting to look a little bendy, so I reinforced them.



Having all new rubber bushings on the back seemed to help traction quite a bit. The axle definitely moves around more, so it tracks better on rough roads too. Also, basically all my drive line vibrations went away. Psyched on that.

While I was eliminating NVH, I figured I should try the huge damped yoke (used with Ford 4 cylinders) I bought and forgot to return many months ago. There was no chance of it fitting under my car as-is, so I cut another big hole. Here it is, next to the V6 ford and the normal 1310 yoke I'd been using.



I used a 1310x1330 u-joint to get it on my drive shaft.





Made the most ridiculous tunnel thing I could think of. This now has Noico sound damping material on it, and I think I'll try gluing some Oxite carpet onto it.



This damper cut down on the classic T5 decel chatter substantially. My car has always been really bad, and now I'd say it's downright acceptable.