- Joined
- May 12, 2003
- Location
- Mangohick Va.
I'm Vince. This is a rolling chronicle of 12 years of owning a 244.. Originally turbocharged in 2003 with an 8v iron block volvo B230FT.. Now with a Mazda/Ford MZR/Duratec 16v VVTI all aluminum engine with a ford 5R55E and standalone controls for both.
I live in Virginia way down in the country.. Little place called Mangohick.
*update*
The mazdaspeed / duratec engine swap has been completed and is running well.
I've had my 244 since April of 2000. It's my second Volvo. This is my first attempt at building a streetable high performance volvo. When I first got the car it had 160k on the clock and it was bone stock with an automagic, cruise, A/C, and power windows. I drove it stock for a few years after I graduated. enough to add around 140k to the clock ticking in just around 300k on the old motor.
Over a two year period I wrote down different build options and weighed my wallet closely while aquiring parts to make my car handle better and look like less of an ATV. First on the list was IPD sways and poly torque rod bushings. Next came Bilstein HD struts and shocks. The final phase of my suspension work was putting on TME springs, Upper strut brace, Firewall braces, and lower subframe connectors. I'm not too fond of automatic trannys so I got my dirty paws on a low milage M-47, pedal cluster and cable. Everyone knows stock seats blow donkeys so I called up racing seats dot com and ordered some Corbeau Forzas and I opted for drivers inflatable lumbar. Rear headrests were removed. Wheel wise I loved the 10 spokes on my car in the following pic but I sold them with a 242tic... bummer.
This picture was taken at UTI in Houston Fall of 2003 with all suspension work done just before 'the big payback'
"The big payback"
December 2003 I finally got all of my effin ducks in a row and decided to tackle turboing my car.. I got my head back from the shop, Ported, new seals, 5 angle valve job, and it was decked down three thou and it received a whimpy lil VX cam along with an IPD cam gear. New Gaskets were installed throughout the shortblock, no bottom end work has been done to my car, no rings, bearings or balancing. Actually the bottom end sat in the rain for 3 months behind a friends house while the head was at the shop. Engine was assembled and a challenging task was staring me right in the face.. how to mount my crank pickup to drive my injectors and waste spark coil packs. Kevin Midkiff provided a large amount of assistance in this area. Kevin drew out a plate on autocad and machined it out of 6061 aluminum, drilled my crank pulley and installed the 2 trigger magnets and 1 reverse polarity sync magnet needed to let my SDS EFI know wtf my rotating assembly is doing. After these hurdles had been crossed it was on to the physical manual labor.
Enter Kevin agian. Hats off to Kevin and lil-Q for opening their garage and their home whole heartedly to a stranger. At this point everything I needed was there. Except an exhaust system... yeah. First downpipe was 3 peices of 2.5" steel tubing that Kevins dad welded with a torch and a coathanger, definitely didnt know you could do that until that day but hey.. learn somthin new every day. Okay so we've got a built motor from throttle body to coolant hose comin off the lil 13c and everything inbetween including, a IpD rear cam plate, brand new head gasket, used head bolts, deleted IAC motor and blocked off manifold and I/C pipe, 940 coolant tank. I used the stock 940 oil cooler for awhile but the remote setup coming off the block was leaking like mad so it got upgraded to a PermaCool dual remote setup behind the front airdam, I use Fram-PH8A ford filters (I also use them on my 960). At this point I was attending a school that had a Dyno, I had pretty good access to this and it was the ultimate tuning tool for my car aside from driving it daily. On January 28th of 04 it laid down a healthy baseline after being turbo'd for about a month; 172rwhp @ 5500 and 232 ft/lbs @ 3400rpm. This was a little more than I was hoping for with such a basic tune and conservative timing I couldn't get over how the car just seemed to pull forever driving it around. The torque isn't really accurate due to excessive spiking. The car drove well for awhile but had a fatal problem with the software version SDS was using at the time, I sent my box back via FedEx. It was returned promptly allllllllll the way from Alberta Canada repaired correctly free of charge. Thumps up to SDS for good customer service. With the cold start problem fixed I concentrated more on eliminating low speed bucks, sputters pops and bangs.
The following pics were taken a month after "the big payback"
This is a pic of the Crank trigger for SDS on my B230FT
take note of the dirt cheap P/S delete mod, and big low amperage 240 alternator. A late model 940 alternator now replaces it due to size limitations and better output.
Full interior with underpadding. Blaupunkt head unit 188w I think..? I'm not big into expensive stereos and what you kids call ICE I think driving a car like this, the turbo is all the noise you'll ever need.
http://www.pbase.com/terribleone/image/25498176
checkout the downpipe that's been welded with a torch and a coat hanger! two alternators.. hahahaha wtf. Turbo is a 13c Injectors are new units identical to Ford Lightning SVT 440cc/42lb It's plenty rich
boost was set at 9psi for tuning.
http://www.pbase.com/terribleone/image/25498178
Theres a Tropicana twister bottle creepin under the manifold that I've caught alot of flack for. Using the stock N/A air filter in this position isn't good because whatever may leak past the seal of the filter will funnel down into the neck of the turbo.. not good. I blew this turbo up on the interstate.. it died a rather nasty oil smokin death.
http://www.pbase.com/terribleone/image/25498173
Did I mention I like riding bikes? yeah I ride BMX freestyle, road and mountian so I have a tray for each on the roof.
http://www.pbase.com/terribleone/image/25498169
I don't like cats, but they pose well for pictures..
This is how my car looked around March of '06 right before I took it apart to rebuild the motor, revise the suspension, and add a bigger turbo...
Working on the stroker motor.. June '07
Notice the steps taken out of the M-47 9" stepped flywheel.. 28->18lbs
Engine bay.. (circa 2004)
Engine bay.. (circa 2008)
I live in Virginia way down in the country.. Little place called Mangohick.
*update*
The mazdaspeed / duratec engine swap has been completed and is running well.
I've had my 244 since April of 2000. It's my second Volvo. This is my first attempt at building a streetable high performance volvo. When I first got the car it had 160k on the clock and it was bone stock with an automagic, cruise, A/C, and power windows. I drove it stock for a few years after I graduated. enough to add around 140k to the clock ticking in just around 300k on the old motor.
Over a two year period I wrote down different build options and weighed my wallet closely while aquiring parts to make my car handle better and look like less of an ATV. First on the list was IPD sways and poly torque rod bushings. Next came Bilstein HD struts and shocks. The final phase of my suspension work was putting on TME springs, Upper strut brace, Firewall braces, and lower subframe connectors. I'm not too fond of automatic trannys so I got my dirty paws on a low milage M-47, pedal cluster and cable. Everyone knows stock seats blow donkeys so I called up racing seats dot com and ordered some Corbeau Forzas and I opted for drivers inflatable lumbar. Rear headrests were removed. Wheel wise I loved the 10 spokes on my car in the following pic but I sold them with a 242tic... bummer.
This picture was taken at UTI in Houston Fall of 2003 with all suspension work done just before 'the big payback'
"The big payback"
December 2003 I finally got all of my effin ducks in a row and decided to tackle turboing my car.. I got my head back from the shop, Ported, new seals, 5 angle valve job, and it was decked down three thou and it received a whimpy lil VX cam along with an IPD cam gear. New Gaskets were installed throughout the shortblock, no bottom end work has been done to my car, no rings, bearings or balancing. Actually the bottom end sat in the rain for 3 months behind a friends house while the head was at the shop. Engine was assembled and a challenging task was staring me right in the face.. how to mount my crank pickup to drive my injectors and waste spark coil packs. Kevin Midkiff provided a large amount of assistance in this area. Kevin drew out a plate on autocad and machined it out of 6061 aluminum, drilled my crank pulley and installed the 2 trigger magnets and 1 reverse polarity sync magnet needed to let my SDS EFI know wtf my rotating assembly is doing. After these hurdles had been crossed it was on to the physical manual labor.
Enter Kevin agian. Hats off to Kevin and lil-Q for opening their garage and their home whole heartedly to a stranger. At this point everything I needed was there. Except an exhaust system... yeah. First downpipe was 3 peices of 2.5" steel tubing that Kevins dad welded with a torch and a coathanger, definitely didnt know you could do that until that day but hey.. learn somthin new every day. Okay so we've got a built motor from throttle body to coolant hose comin off the lil 13c and everything inbetween including, a IpD rear cam plate, brand new head gasket, used head bolts, deleted IAC motor and blocked off manifold and I/C pipe, 940 coolant tank. I used the stock 940 oil cooler for awhile but the remote setup coming off the block was leaking like mad so it got upgraded to a PermaCool dual remote setup behind the front airdam, I use Fram-PH8A ford filters (I also use them on my 960). At this point I was attending a school that had a Dyno, I had pretty good access to this and it was the ultimate tuning tool for my car aside from driving it daily. On January 28th of 04 it laid down a healthy baseline after being turbo'd for about a month; 172rwhp @ 5500 and 232 ft/lbs @ 3400rpm. This was a little more than I was hoping for with such a basic tune and conservative timing I couldn't get over how the car just seemed to pull forever driving it around. The torque isn't really accurate due to excessive spiking. The car drove well for awhile but had a fatal problem with the software version SDS was using at the time, I sent my box back via FedEx. It was returned promptly allllllllll the way from Alberta Canada repaired correctly free of charge. Thumps up to SDS for good customer service. With the cold start problem fixed I concentrated more on eliminating low speed bucks, sputters pops and bangs.
The following pics were taken a month after "the big payback"
This is a pic of the Crank trigger for SDS on my B230FT
take note of the dirt cheap P/S delete mod, and big low amperage 240 alternator. A late model 940 alternator now replaces it due to size limitations and better output.
Full interior with underpadding. Blaupunkt head unit 188w I think..? I'm not big into expensive stereos and what you kids call ICE I think driving a car like this, the turbo is all the noise you'll ever need.
http://www.pbase.com/terribleone/image/25498176
checkout the downpipe that's been welded with a torch and a coat hanger! two alternators.. hahahaha wtf. Turbo is a 13c Injectors are new units identical to Ford Lightning SVT 440cc/42lb It's plenty rich
boost was set at 9psi for tuning. http://www.pbase.com/terribleone/image/25498178
Theres a Tropicana twister bottle creepin under the manifold that I've caught alot of flack for. Using the stock N/A air filter in this position isn't good because whatever may leak past the seal of the filter will funnel down into the neck of the turbo.. not good. I blew this turbo up on the interstate.. it died a rather nasty oil smokin death.
http://www.pbase.com/terribleone/image/25498173
Did I mention I like riding bikes? yeah I ride BMX freestyle, road and mountian so I have a tray for each on the roof.
http://www.pbase.com/terribleone/image/25498169
I don't like cats, but they pose well for pictures..
This is how my car looked around March of '06 right before I took it apart to rebuild the motor, revise the suspension, and add a bigger turbo...
Working on the stroker motor.. June '07
Notice the steps taken out of the M-47 9" stepped flywheel.. 28->18lbs
Engine bay.. (circa 2004)
Engine bay.. (circa 2008)
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I'm slowly working my way up to 400+bhp..
! lol