My New Used Turbo Volvo

[smurf244]

I just got back home with my new used turbo Volvo. It's a all stock 1991 780 Bertone ; dark blue with black interior and has 136k miles.



It will definetly get a bigger turbo and 3 inch exhaust but I am not sure what else I want to do with it.
Tell me what y'all think and tell me what problems are common it these cars.

Thanks,
Adam

[volvogeek]

Nice and clean. BNE has everything you'll need

[mikes02ls1]

Damn where did ya find it? Looks good..

[740Weapon]

apply these items:

15g, 3" exhaust, IPD turbo cam, Browntop injectors, MBC, NPR intercooler, billy HDs, Lower Brace, good tires, 24mm front sway, poly where possible.

the problem with bertones is preventing them from becoming a POS, because any bertone specific parts are terribly hard to come by. many bertone owners on this board have extra cars because they are so paranoid about not being able to get certain parts.

[VolvoPunch]

WOW What a car! It looks brand new. I love everything about the bertone's and ones you get a better turbo i am sure it will be running with the best of them Nice find!

[norcal505]

ive always to own a 780 at one point in my life.....
lucky!!

[smurf244]

Originally Posted by volvogeek

Nice and clean. BNE has everything you'll need

Thanks.

Originally Posted by mikes02ls1

Damn where did ya find it? Looks good..

Thanks, I was just driving around a was like "Oh s**t, was that a Bertone for sale?" So after some haggling, I got it.

Originally Posted by 740Weapon

apply these items:

15g, 3" exhaust, IPD turbo cam, Browntop injectors, MBC, NPR intercooler, billy HDs, Lower Brace, good tires, 24mm front sway, poly where possible.

the problem with bertones is preventing them from becoming a POS, because any bertone specific parts are terribly hard to come by. many bertone owners on this board have extra cars because they are so paranoid about not being able to get certain parts.

I working on a deal for a 15g off an 850 and I am thinking about a K cam instead of the IPD T cam. I have a few sources that I can get parts if need be so I am not too worried.

Thanks,
Adam

[smurf244]

Originally Posted by freeride53

ive always to own a 780 at one point in my life.....
lucky!!

Thanks, just keep looking and you will find the right one.

[impulse922]

Originally Posted by 740Weapon

apply these items:

15g, 3" exhaust, IPD turbo cam, Browntop injectors, MBC, NPR intercooler, billy HDs, Lower Brace, good tires, 24mm front sway, poly where possible.

the problem with bertones is they weigh 300-400lbs more than your normal 740 turbo and they have craptastic IRS

Fixed, but since you have a 91' your IRS actually decent.

i commend you on buying a 91', you shouldn't regret it at all

[Nick]

Badass Adam.

In amazing shape.

[Sonik]

Nice, manno!

[945ti]

Originally Posted by impulse922

Fixed, but since you have a 91' your IRS actually decent.

i commend you on buying a 91', you shouldn't regret it at all

no no, he is correct. Bertones are like any other 700 full of ****ty interior plastic, nasty headliners, leaky moonroofs etc. Just now all that **** is rare and expensive ****. Great.
Such said, that is a great color, and the bertone is the one 700 I can look at and not feel sick.
The other good thing is that most bertones come in a few colors, so if I had to have one long term, I'd probably snag a somewhat banged up parts car the same color since the parts cost can be incredible.

Beware water drainage issues below those rear sail windows. Bertones have some rust issues in a few spots.

[Vol242vo]

Identical to my brothers last Bertone. Well interior is in nice shape...Really nice 780!

[VolvoPunch]

http://web.archive.org/web/200503080...vo/fast700.htm

[Body Massage]

Originally Posted by 945ti

no no, he is correct. Bertones are like any other 700 full of ****ty interior plastic, nasty headliners, leaky moonroofs etc. Just now all that **** is rare and expensive ****. Great.
Such said, that is a great color, and the bertone is the one 700 I can look at and not feel sick.
The other good thing is that most bertones come in a few colors, so if I had to have one long term, I'd probably snag a somewhat banged up parts car the same color since the parts cost can be incredible.

Beware water drainage issues below those rear sail windows. Bertones have some rust issues in a few spots.

+1 to drain issues at sail windows. The rust gets bad back there.

Uhhh.... I've owned 4 now. And none of them lost the headliner. One of them leaked in the moon roof. The least cared for didn't leak at all. It is a 91. They're not like a '****ty 700'.

And about the swaybar, I'm pretty sure 91s had a 24mm front sway stock. Or at least pretty sure mine has one.

[Chris_R]

That looks awesome! Interior looks immaculate, so does the exterior... Where did you find it?

Glad you finally found a coupe... and it fits into the whole 'smurf' theme.

[smurf244]

Thanks everyone. I will keep an eye on the sunroof and those snail windows.
One quick question. Did the factory radio have a amp in the rear trunk? My rear speakers are not hooked up because the PO add some short of system in there.

Originally Posted by Chris_R

That looks awesome! Interior looks immaculate, so does the exterior... Where did you find it?

Glad you finally found a coupe... and it fits into the whole 'smurf' theme.

Thanks, I am off work today so if you want to take a closer look at it let me know.

Adam

[Chris_R]

Wish I could - working today.

We need another ATL meet soon!!!

[smurf244]

Originally Posted by Chris_R

Wish I could - working today.

We need another ATL meet soon!!!

If you are not to busy after work, you can have a closer look.
Yes, we do need a ATL meet even though it won't as fun since 740atl abandoned us

[Chris_R]

And Gene too.

[945ti]

Originally Posted by Body Massage

+1 to drain issues at sail windows. The rust gets bad back there.

Uhhh.... I've owned 4 now. And none of them lost the headliner. One of them leaked in the moon roof. The least cared for didn't leak at all. It is a 91. They're not like a '****ty 700'.

And about the swaybar, I'm pretty sure 91s had a 24mm front sway stock. Or at least pretty sure mine has one.

They don't lose the headliner as bad as a 744, but just get one from somewhere warmer and the glue detaches.

They are like any other garbage 700 with more crap to break. Door cards that like do delaminate? Check. Flimsy glovebox door? Check. Nasty plastic in general plenty of places? check. Tons and tons of interior trim to break? Check. Sure, some stuff is better, but all the usual crap breaks, and they have those god awful power seats.
Moon roof leaks often, sail windows leak. I say have a parts car handy if you want to keep one nice. Probably cheaper to have a parts car anyway since the parts themselves are so silly expensive.

[blkaplan]

Thats one of my favorite colors combos for the 780. Very nice!

[Anteb240]

Originally Posted by 945ti

no no, he is correct. Bertones are like any other 700 full of ****ty interior plastic, nasty headliners, leaky moonroofs etc. Just now all that **** is rare and expensive ****. Great.
Such said, that is a great color, and the bertone is the one 700 I can look at and not feel sick.
The other good thing is that most bertones come in a few colors, so if I had to have one long term, I'd probably snag a somewhat banged up parts car the same color since the parts cost can be incredible.

Beware water drainage issues below those rear sail windows. Bertones have some rust issues in a few spots.

I believe we were talking about this on like tuesday eh james?

Great find man! i am definatly jealous... dont pull a typical tbricker and make it a hooptie that goes fast :P cuz those 780's, in that condition, are hard to come by

[Body Massage]

Originally Posted by 945ti

They don't lose the headliner as bad as a 744, but just get one from somewhere warmer and the glue detaches.

They are like any other garbage 700 with more crap to break. Door cards that like do delaminate? Check. Flimsy glovebox door? Check. Nasty plastic in general plenty of places? check. Tons and tons of interior trim to break? Check. Sure, some stuff is better, but all the usual crap breaks, and they have those god awful power seats.
Moon roof leaks often, sail windows leak. I say have a parts car handy if you want to keep one nice. Probably cheaper to have a parts car anyway since the parts themselves are so silly expensive.

Maybe I've just been lucky. The only '700' thing that went was a crack in the dash. But I think your 240s get that too . No leaky moonroof, no leaky sail window power seats both worked great non broken glovebox door.

230k on it when it was forcefully taken from me. So

My new one just has the leaky sail windows because it wasn't taken care of.(Left in a puddle of mud for an extended period of time)

[smurf244]

Its been a long time sense I updated this thread so I figure I will post some of the things that has been done.

Didn't do much to the car the rest of 2007, just change out the radio and did a tune up.

Some time in 2008, the +T would act up and would not control the waste gate.
Would normal do a max boost of this:

And then sometimes it would do this and keep climbing:

It would only do this once in a while but just to keep things from blowing up, I installed a MBC and set the boost to 15 psi.
It also developed a off the line cluck that I am still sorting out but I think I have it figured out.

Then it was time for SE7 so new tires, cleaned up the engine bay and installed some subs.




SE was a great time and I did run it down the track but I don't remember the times; then there was the dyno day. I was the only ready for the dyno so I was first on, I will let the picture tell the rest.

Yes it broke the dyno, maxing it out and somehow fried the dyno computer.

2009 came around it it was time for some upgrades by the way of a NPR intercooler, 4 bar FPR, iPD T cam, and 3" turbo intake.


Will get the rest of the install pictures next update.
Now its ready for SE 7.5 or is it? It broke the dyno again.
After this, the car mostly just sit under it's blanket(car cover) and drove when needed.

Its now 2010 and time for some more upgrades now that I have moved to a near location. I now have a 3" turbo back exhaust and chipped computer by the way of Ryan(780racer) and sense the Smurf project got crushed, I have a new T3/T4 turbo with a ported manifold ready to get installed.
I will post more when as the project moves forward.

Adam