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Duder's Beige Brick - ARUNDL - 1981 242 DL +B230FT

And since Eric reminded me, I tried pulling off the front Commando to get an idea of just how heavy these diving boards are, and how it would affect the static distribution to swap to later, lighter bumpers.

With no front bumper whatsoever, including no bumper shocks, here's what it looked like:

Config. E
LF 751 RF 750
LR 660 RR 660
Total 2820
Cross 1410 50.0%
Left 1411 50.0%
Rear 1320 46.8%

That sucker weighs 40lbs by itself! I haven't even gotten to the rear yet..

I did slap an '84 front bumper on however.

Config. F
LF 763 RF 766
LR 659 RR 657
Total 2844
Cross 1425 50.1%
Left 1422 50.0%
Rear 1316 46.3%

So the lighter front bumper weighs 24 lbs total, and there's a 16 lb reduction by swapping from a Commando to an UnCommando. I'm assuming the rear will show a similar improvement but I haven't done it yet. In addition to lightening the car this of course also reduces polar moment of inertia pretty significantly since the bumpers are at the extreme ends of the car.


Scales_7 by Chris Floren, on Flickr

The car looks a million times better too. I kept putting off this swap because I thought for some reason these later black plastic covers were in worse shape than they really are. Sure there's a few light scuffs but they are cleaning up very nicely. The rubber Commando trim doesn't even look half bad; it just needs to be trimmed at the ends to lay down nicely on the bumper "wings" since they are longer overall.


Scales_6 by Chris Floren, on Flickr
 
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It would be awesome if I could get this sucker down to 2700 lbs or so, as a non-stripped out street car with functional AC, stereo, carpet, etc. Need to figure out more ways to add lightness after the B230FT swap though.

Does anyone have the stock front seat weight handy? I haven't pulled one out of the car yet to check. I would guess around 30 lbs each, maybe more.
 
I pulled off the rear Commando yesterday. Here is what the static weight distribution looked like:

Config. G (same as F, but no rear bumper)
LF 772 RF 774
LR 627 RR 627
Total 2800
Cross 1401 50.0%
Left 1399 49.9%
Rear 1254 44.7%

Then I mocked up the '84 wagon rear bumper I have. Right off the bat, the shocks are too short to get the big M12 bolts (or M14, whatever they are) through the ends of the bumper shocks. Still I recorded the weights for reference. I will get the right shocks for it; looks like the aluminum bumper itself is the right size and shape for the sedan.

Config. H (same as F, rear Commando replaced with '84 245 bumper)
LF 764 RF 770
LR 647 RR 645
Total 2826
Cross 1417 50.1%
Left 1411 49.9%
Rear 1292 45.7%
 
Just for fun I also tried lifting the rear end and re-weighing to calculate the CG height. The jack I have wouldn't let me raise the rear more than 2 5/8" above where it was on the scales though, so I'm sure the results aren't very accurate. :-( Apparently this works best when you can raise the rear at least 10 inches higher.

Either way though, I'll re-do this next time I have the car on scales and can use a taller jack or a lift to get the rear up higher.

With the rear raised 2.625" higher, the front weights from Config. H became:
LF 767 RF 772

I took those numbers, plus the wheelbase (104.3"), original axle height off the scale surface (12.44") and new height (15.07") and plugged them into this calculator: http://robrobinette.com/cg_height_calc.htm

Which yielded CG height = 19.77" from the ground, assuming it's not on the scales.
 
Ok guys, I'm at a sort of crossroads with this car and need some advice from the TB graybeards. You know who you are.

It was just smogged a few weeks ago so I have 2 years to dick around with an engine swap before worrying about getting it BAR certified. I have a complete '94 B230FT ready to be swapped in, minus a few small parts. I really love this 242 but am thinking maybe it's not the best platform for a project car.

I'm now thinking a diesel-titled 245 would be awesome, and also entertaining the idea of an Amazon wagon.

The 245 would be functionally identical to the 242, but now that I have a wife, dog, and baby the wagon body would make road trips and fun drives in the Volvo more practical. I'd likely do a 16-valve head on the squirter block, Tremec TKO 5-spd trans, Truetrac LSD, and coilovers. It would be built as a completely usable street car that could be hooned and taken to track days occasionally - not stripped out or uber stiff. But smog exempt!

I've always loved Amazons, and wouldn't really entertain anything other than the wagon since interior space is much tighter than a 240. I'd be at a disadvantage in terms of engine swap options, space in the bay, space in the tunnel, suspension parts available, and so on. But I love the vintage Volvo aesthetic and would have fun in an Amazon. It probably wouldn't end up being used as much as a 240 in real life though. I have a line on one that's already got some suspension upgrades and no engine.

So any opinions or advice is welcome....my current options:

a) keep 242, do smog-legal B230FT swap and then tinker with it from there
b) sell 242, get 245 diesel and go to town with a 16-valve redblock or T5 perhaps
c) sell 242, get Amazon wagon and do B230FT swap
d) I should have never been born

Background: I have too many cars at the moment.

'66 VW Beetle - for sale, 1641cc, dual carbs, lowered
'86 Toyota pickup - DD and hauling duties
'94 Toyota Land Crusher - camping, towing, offroading
'10 VW Jetta TDI wagon - wife's DD, road trip car
'93 BMW M5 - because M5, why not
'93 BMW 325i - Lemons car, being rebuilt
'66 Volvo 1800S - wife's project, I'm helping, slow progress so far
'81 Volvo 242 - ??

What would you guys do in this situation?
 
I like B. Option A is enticing because you've already got the car. Starting over on a new shell isn't a trivial amount of work. Although I like C, I would think it's out because that's an even bigger project than option A.
 
Well, it's a little too late for option D, as postpartum abortions are still currently illegal. A or B with a nod for B due to fewer issues down the road.
 
Option Z: D24 the 242, BAR it, then enjoy exemption.

I had the Amazon and wanted to do what I'm doing to the 245 now to it originally. The upside, smog exemption, the downside EVERYTHING required would have been way beyond my skill set. (floor pan, tunel, interior, major, major reworks involved).

BTW I don't really think doing a BAR legal b230ft swap would be hard at all to accomplish. You can have plenty of fun with a relatively stock looking B230FT. 2871R, T5, chipped ECU or plug and play MS and it'd be loads of fun.
 
Thanks for the input. B and C are definitely bigger projects. This 242 shell is a known quantity; that's a good point. I've had it for about 4 years now and know its strengths and weaknesses. Honestly it works fine for family outings, still plenty of space, but a wagon would be better in that regard.

Smog exemption is the incredibly enticing part. I would also entertain a '75 245 as an alternative to a diesel 245.
 
Well played, sir. I'm assuming it would need to be running and driving as a diesel to get the title changed, which would be a project in and of itself, but another good path to consider.

Honestly, the upside to the diesel is most of it is self contained to the motor (no ECU ect). I think you could really pretty much just swap it in, even if you tow to the the ref and get it done.

OR you can buy the 245 diesel from whatshisfaceinredding on here.
 
Honestly, the upside to the diesel is most of it is self contained to the motor (no ECU ect). I think you could really pretty much just swap it in, even if you tow to the the ref and get it done.

OR you can buy the 245 diesel from whatshisfaceinredding on here.

I've got a running 245 diesel chris im gonna post for sale soon. Also have a d24 if you need to do the swap....its a fast swap in all honesty
 
Honestly, the upside to the diesel is most of it is self contained to the motor (no ECU ect). I think you could really pretty much just swap it in, even if you tow to the the ref and get it done.

OR you can buy the 245 diesel from whatshisfaceinredding on here.

The one in Redding is what got me thinking in this spiraling loop. That car is a bit more of a project than I really want though, it needs full interior, rust repair, paint, etc.

Hmm, know where I could find a complete D24 to use for said conversion? :oogle:
 
Ok guys, I'm at a sort of crossroads with this car and need some advice from the TB graybeards. You know who you are.

It was just smogged a few weeks ago so I have 2 years to dick around with an engine swap before worrying about getting it BAR certified. I have a complete '94 B230FT ready to be swapped in, minus a few small parts. I really love this 242 but am thinking maybe it's not the best platform for a project car.

I'm now thinking a diesel-titled 245 would be awesome, and also entertaining the idea of an Amazon wagon.

The 245 would be functionally identical to the 242, but now that I have a wife, dog, and baby the wagon body would make road trips and fun drives in the Volvo more practical. I'd likely do a 16-valve head on the squirter block, Tremec TKO 5-spd trans, Truetrac LSD, and coilovers. It would be built as a completely usable street car that could be hooned and taken to track days occasionally - not stripped out or uber stiff. But smog exempt!

I've always loved Amazons, and wouldn't really entertain anything other than the wagon since interior space is much tighter than a 240. I'd be at a disadvantage in terms of engine swap options, space in the bay, space in the tunnel, suspension parts available, and so on. But I love the vintage Volvo aesthetic and would have fun in an Amazon. It probably wouldn't end up being used as much as a 240 in real life though. I have a line on one that's already got some suspension upgrades and no engine.

So any opinions or advice is welcome....my current options:

a) keep 242, do smog-legal B230FT swap and then tinker with it from there
b) sell 242, get 245 diesel and go to town with a 16-valve redblock or T5 perhaps
c) sell 242, get Amazon wagon and do B230FT swap
d) I should have never been born

Background: I have too many cars at the moment.

'66 VW Beetle - for sale, 1641cc, dual carbs, lowered
'86 Toyota pickup - DD and hauling duties
'94 Toyota Land Crusher - camping, towing, offroading
'10 VW Jetta TDI wagon - wife's DD, road trip car
'93 BMW M5 - because M5, why not
'93 BMW 325i - Lemons car, being rebuilt
'66 Volvo 1800S - wife's project, I'm helping, slow progress so far
'81 Volvo 242 - ??

What would you guys do in this situation?

Buy my diesel 245 because you already know where I live:)
 
Oh. And its registered and runs........and no rust......and it might be the only diesel wagon in the whole state that runs.....and it runs. Did I mention that it runs
 
Pulling an m46 for another fellow tbricker maybe Sunday evening or sat evening.

All the unicorns like to play on my lawn.....
 
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