B230ft in Amazon??

We are hoping to swap a B230ft + M90 into a 1966 Amazon. My question is, will the motor drop in without any modifications to the bulkhead, inner guards or tunnel? Making mounts is not a problem but we don't want to chop anything that will effect it's originality as it is so clean. I have done many searches on the site and on Google but can't find any clear answers. Any advice would be much appreciated

The Amazon B18
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59038014@N06/6258201531/" title="Untitled by jdean299, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6223/6258201531_860155c704.jpg" width="500" height="282" alt=""></a>

The donar car, 1996 940
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59038014@N06/6258734376/" title="Untitled by jdean299, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6226/6258734376_656ec56eac.jpg" width="500" height="282" alt=""></a>

There shouldn't be any modifications to the vehicle, that I know of.

I haven't done the swap, but I had dreams of a NA 16v B230 in a 4-door amazon.

As for motor mounts...you could fab something yourself, as you said, but in case you didn't know,

Josh, aka SDTurbo, just started manufacturing these...

http://yoshifab.com/store/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=101

Those'll bolt to your new B230, and accommodate the stock, vertical mount brackets on the existing B18, $62 would save you a few hours and effort and measuring and head scratching.

I am not sure about the length issues for the bulk head, or the Trans Tunnel issues.. But our front end kits take care of the height and width issues.. The Direct Bolt In Crossmember/Suspension kit removes all the suspension and steering intrusion to the engine bay, and this allows WAY more clearances and adjustability. Our customer build cars are optioned with General Motors LS Series V8's and Keisler Rallye Sports 5-speed standard transmission. Even with the V8's we have plenty of header clearance, and the motors sit Lower in position (With Better Pan Clearance) than the original B18/B20 engines.

We also have Direct Bolt in Rear End Assemblies that at our Base level, are good for 800 horsepower. We have Adjustable Aluminum Trailing Arms and Panhard bars.. Direct Bolt in BeCool High Performance All Aluminum Radiator/Electric Fan kits.. Not to mention our own line of Shop Built High Horsepower Pro-Touring style Daily Driver P1800's/Amazon's/PV's with all the modern conveniences and comforts of the new cars. Our base models horsepower rating is 375 horsepower, with a 545 horsepower option that features all aluminum Crossmember/Suspension and other special features that will not be offered in the Swedish Ops Catalog..

Those are just a few of the items we are offering or working on.. Swedish Ops has partnered up with several company's to offer some really cool and updated products, that really just bolt right up.. We are working hard to offer products that will make the Pre-1973 Volvo competitive with the rest of the High Performance Pro-Touring style cars out there.

$$$,$$$.99

Pretty reasonable actually at around $2100ish dependent upon exact bells and whistles. Cheaper than an RSI 2.8 stroker crank...

Thanks for the info and opinions. We are in two minds, whether to swap in the B230ft or put a set of carbs etc on the b18. The only thing stopping us with the swap is that the Amazon is so fresh and only has 40k on it, so it would be a shame to start cutting it to pieces.

@theonlyreal1, had already looked through your threads on the upgraded steering and braking. It's looks real good and will give u a shout if we need anything.

Does anyone know what the B18 is capable of without any extreme mods such as boring it out?

jdean299 said:

Thanks for the info and opinions. We are in two minds, whether to swap in the B230ft or put a set of carbs etc on the b18. The only thing stopping us with the swap is that the Amazon is so fresh and only has 40k on it, so it would be a shame to start cutting it to pieces.

@theonlyreal1, had already looked through your threads on the upgraded steering and braking. It's looks real good and will give u a shout if we need anything.

Does anyone know what the B18 is capable of without any extreme mods such as boring it out?

Click to expand...

B18 can certainly be made to make lots of power. At least 40 maybe even 50 bhp.


A friend locally built a nice B20. Can you not find a B20 to start with? Should be zero demand for them in Ulster.

Their motor was rebuilt with better longer rods, flat top forged pistons, big valves and some modest porting---all conventional stuff you'd do on any pushrod motor: CCC ---compression, camshaft, carburation---which was 2 x 45 DCOE Webers. who knows the bhp but top speed seen with a very accurate rally odo w/ speed function was 137 mph. Road legal. And that was with a Volvo 4 speed.

jdean299 said:

The only thing stopping us with the swap is that the Amazon is so fresh and only has 40k on it, so it would be a shame to start cutting it to pieces.

Click to expand...

I'd certainly agree with that statement!

jdean299 said:

Does anyone know what the B18 is capable of without any extreme mods such as boring it out?

Click to expand...

Close enough to a out-of-the box B230FT that I wouldn't think it worth the effort. Wait until (if ever) you kill the B18. Throw a good worked over head on, a performance cam, headers, some DCOE's or HIF6's and let it run.

I would also note that the '96 940T wagon looks to be in good enough shape from the pic to keep whole, also. Sell it and get above parts.

John V said:

B18 can certainly be made to make lots of power. At least 40 maybe even 50 bhp.


A friend locally built a nice B20. Can you not find a B20 to start with? Should be zero demand for them in Ulster.

Click to expand...

Yeh thats what i expected someone to say haha. Before we got the car a few weeks back i read up on a few B20's tuned to a nice 160ish bhp, so i had a quick look at what was available in the UK and Ireland and couldnt find anyone breaking them as early volvos were never very popular here.

vvpete said:

I would also note that the '96 940T wagon looks to be in good enough shape from the pic to keep whole, also. Sell it and get above parts.

Click to expand...

And yes it is in pretty good shape and very tight, if we decide not to take the motor and box out of it then we'll probly keep it and do some of the typical mods i have learnt about on here. Keep it for going sideways. Besides, it was only ?350

Thanks again

dude with 40k on the clock ^im with that guy.. keep the 18 and save the 940 to blow up

buuuuut, a b230ft in an amazon would be veery nice)

I bet the RHD thing woulds really complicate things putting all the turbo plumbing into the Amazon as well...

-Ryan

I've kinda always wanted to drop a B230FT into an Amazon...or even more exotic, a full V70R AWD drivetrain! But considering how clean your Amazon is, I'd keep it the way it is until that B18 gives up the ghost (if it ever does, haha). Or find a rough Amazon, rip it apart, restore it, and while restoring hit, prep it for a B230FT.

CrazyIvan said:

I've kinda always wanted to drop a B230FT into an Amazon...or even more exotic, a full V70R AWD drivetrain!

Click to expand...

Yeh that would be some craic.

After this thread i think were kinda leaning towards keeping her original with the exception of wheels and ride height and maybe do some mods like a set of carbs etc.

cheers for your opinions

It's been done...let's say that a simple search will get you at least three cars that I can think of with this conversion. There are issues, but the can all be resolved. Unless you'd like to push it beyond 160 hp, I don't see the point. I've got that at the flywheel on my B20 and it's lots of fun.

I've got a B230 in an Amazon, it's not a turbo, the upgrade makes a lot of sense if you're going use it as a DD.
The swap is a challenge but makes for a very drivable car when sorted out.
I ran a showroom thread a while back:

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=223939

Canuck said:

Unless you'd like to push it beyond 160 hp, I don't see the point.

Click to expand...

Sorry i wasnt very clear, if we were doing the swap we want the B230ft to sit around 250bhp. I just meant 160ish seamed nice for a B20. I have read through alot of post by urself and found them very useful but never seen anyone mention how the internal structure of the car needed altered for the swap

TR Conn said:

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=223939

Click to expand...

That looks really tidy and even original around the engine bay. Did you need to mod the bulkhead,inner arches or tunnel?

The blocks are essentially the same size, but the head is larger, so other than standing the thing up (which requires a modified oil pump and B18/B20 oil pan and engine mounts) it will fit in the hole no problem. If you were going to clock an M46 to sit behind it, I think the tunnel is adequate, though not roomy from what I've seen). So there is no need to move firewalls etc. The front end is a little different story as you've got to position a few things to get around the rad support with ease. On Dale's car we fabricated a new front rad support cross member with a passage for the rad hose so we could mount a 240 rad in front of the sway bar and get back some needed room under the hood (his car will be running a 16V - so it's a little different).

Getting the FT done is a little different as the inner fender structure of the 122 doesn't allow for much room where you'll need it for plumbing and the goofy peddle arrangement is a PITA. If it's me that is doing it, I'd delete the peddle cluster and do the under dash switch-a-roo and move a booster and clutch MC inside the car. Then I'd do a little sheet metal work on the FRONT section of the inner fenders to get clearance for IC piping and put the battery in the trunk and move around the passenger side for the turbo.

Words to the wise - the inner fenders on a 122 are STRUCTURAL - don't piss around with them unless you're prepared to add in the structure as you massage the metal to get things to fit. I've done several sets of inner fenders and they are there to prevent the front end from hinging from the front jack point cross member to the A-pillar. Have a look and see what I mean. The inner fenders are therefore stressed and create the link back to the A-pillar. So don't just hack them out and think things will be OK. I'd say someone that knows what they are doing could perform the needed fabrication in a day and would have a little more wiggle room under the hood. It is possible in the stock configuration, but then you're doing a lot of other fabrication with exhaust and intake arrangements - pick your poison.

Craig