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Whats better a 242 ti flathood or an 84.5 242 ti???

A

Anonymous

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Hello, i am in the market to purchase a 242 ti. I came across a flathood for sale. I know that the 84.5 Had a bigger clutch, i have also heard that these cars just seem alot stronger and faster than a flathood. Does any body here have experience??? Are these just rumors??? Any other advice in the purchasing in these 2 doors would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
blkaplan said:
I know that the 84.5 Had a bigger clutch,
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Nope, same stepped 8.5" clutch

blkaplan said:
i have also heard that these cars just seem alot stronger and faster than a flathood.
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nope, same hp ratings, in fact people have stated that the flthoods felt faster then the normal 242tic's however theres no proof.... yet
 
84.5 (factory intercooled late 240T's) do have the bigger 9" stepped flywheel actually. I would call that a negative though not a positive, as they are heavier and clutches for them are more expensive, and not availible from centerforce. I have heard it said that the 85 240T was the fastest, but there's a lot of lore floating around of questionable integrity.

But if you have the choice between a flathood and a late 242ti, take the flathood. Any mechanical difference between the two is mior at the most, and the flathood the more "special" of the two.
 
i stand corrected, if the IC 242's had a 9" stepped, then the flathoods did as well.

IMO i'd take which ever was in better condition
 
I would rather have an 84.5. There are just lots of little things that were better. Ive had two 83's, my bro has an 84 and my good buddy has a 84.5. Now there are lots of little differences between the 84 and 84.5. Like the originial intercooled car has a fan on the front side of the intercooler, also the boost gauge has more yellow. The fuel cutoff thing allows more boost, symbols on the fan is different, on the seats the symbols are different, symbols on pw are different, heck i think the above light about your head is different. Not big stuff, but i like the true 84.5 and 85, but I also love my 83 still a good car...no big deal i suppose
Kevin
 
kevgad said:
Like the originial intercooled car has a fan on the front side of the intercooler, also the boost gauge has more yellow. The fuel cutoff thing allows more boost...
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both of my flathoods had:
- pusher fan in front of A/C condenser (this was to help the system due to extra heat generated from the added intercooler)
- VDO calibrated boost gauge - however i've seen one from another flathood that was the stock look - there were only two styles i know of black to yellow and black to yellow to red
- the overboost cut out switch under the dash is set at 17psi or so in the flathoods... anyone tested the normal tic cars?
 
If the flathood is in good condition I would take it, it has all the cool stuff of the 85, (I looked at one) and just looks better. the US headlights make it look a little funky, but with some E codes they are beautiful cars. Nothing really that the intercooled cars have that a flathood doesn't. When you look at one especially with euro lights they really look like something special.
 
just for a fun fact there are two types of boost gauges that are black, yellow and red. The yellow in the non-original intercooled cars go up to about the between 1 and 2 on a clock, the 84.5 cars that came intercooled had boost gauges where the yellow goes between the 2-3 oclock positions. Also, i am running 11.5 pounds of boost with a turbo plus and I hit the fuel cut off. Ive heard the fuel cutoff is set at a higher level in orginal intercooled cars which makes sense because there is more yellow...but i havent swaped the part yet so i cant verify
Kevin
 
Actually bro, there are like three different styles of turbo gauges for that car that have black yellow and red areas. The earliest ones only had a very little yellow region, then they have your style, the slightly more yellow area, and eventually in the 84.5's and on they have that huge yellow area one. I've seen the three types at anthony's, but I am unsure as to what car the first style was used for.
Personally, I like my new VDO numbered gauge, there is nothing cool about telling your friends that you have almost gotten past the yellow turbo pressure.... :wink:
Take Care all<><
Kirk
 
lol. this is a thread-jack, but I have to say, seeing a sig that reads:

'84 242ti, bilstien shocks, IPD sways, boost almost though the yellow section

is just too funny. :lol:
 
The reason i brought up the boost gauge discussion was to show that the fuel cut off part will probably allow higher boost with an 84.5 rather than an 84. Therefore if you want to up the boost you might be able to do less work to an 84.5 rather than an 84, i didnt know the flathood had the same thing as ive never seen a real one. But i was just saying, if you see the 84 with the more yellow boost gauge, its probably an 84.5 and therefore can allow more boost before the fuel cut off is used. So, that was the purpose, for idenitification purpose only....not to say its better, hope that cleared up my thought. However i would personally not up the boost without a boost gauge with numbers OR A/F gauge
Kevin
 
I have a factory intercooled 242Ti and the funny thing is that mine has the 8.5" flywheel. It seems volvo did a few transitions during 1984. I have also briefly owned a 242Ti flathood that was T-boned by the previous original owner and we parted it out. I drove it and it had power that seemed unusally high. It lept of the line, had very little turbo lag, and it acclerated in 5th gear like it was nothing. I believe something was better about that car, and I would love to know what it was so I can duplicate it on my 84 242Ti. If you have the chance, go flathood. Slight collectibility and it looks a little better, and may be a little faster.

Cheers

paul Jones
 
I had an 83 242T flathood for 11 years. It had the smaller flywheel. It is about 7 lbs lighter, which is better for high performance use. It will also hold all the power your motor might make, if equipped with the right clutch. I used a CF II, which may no longer be available for the Volvo. I have read of two reliable reports over the years of CF I not holding at high boost levels on modified Volvos. I would not buy a CF I if you have high power ambitions. My CF II held 18 psi max boost in daily driving for the last couple of years that I had the car and 14-16 psi max boost in daily driving the rest of the time, including several years with occasional nitrous use (60-80 hp worth) that broke an M46.

I would buy whichever car is in better condition. Flywheels, hoods, grilles, etc. can be changed. Getting a really good 242T is the harder part. The myth about flathoods having special engines is a myth. I would not expect the flathood to be a valuable collector's car one day. Get the best 242T you can find, do a "performance daily driver" restoration, and enjoy it. They are great cars.
 
I have worked with and own a couple 242ti. The difference in the factory intercooled motor are some nice changes for everyday driving. After long posts about what is different and better. I have come up with a couple of important things. In the 84-85 cars the warmup regulator is altitude compensated. According to my Paul Grimshaw book this one gives better throttle response. The heavier flywheel is actually a better thing for everyday driving. The extra weight helps move the car off the line. It also makes the motor smoother. Other nice touches are the pusher fan in front of the radiator. But all of these things can be installed on any year 242ti.

Ater having said all that. I'm with Philip. Get the best condition car you can find. These cars were built before Volvo really got it together for rust protection. The least rust you have the more you can work on preserving what you have and putting the money into other cool stuff for the car.
They are really fun cars. After having mine for 8 years it's still a joy to come out, get in a blast around in.
Wish you well,
 
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