Say you could get a 242DL...

I'm thinking $500-600 - a titch over scrap value. It's a rusty hulk with faded paint, a bad engine, ripped up interior/cracked dash. How's suspension and brakes? Is there much of anything it doesn't need if someone were looking at it as anything more than a parts car or project. FWIW, ford 302s make nice noises.

In reply to mrwillie:

I doubt it, I may be pushing it for going for less than $1K, it was a family member's before they got it, and now they need money more than a project. They did a tune-up and timing belt (paid a shop to do it), assuming same shop that said it needs a valve job.

In reply to NGTD:

Good to know about the hood/grille I've read more on turbobricks over the last few days than I have in the last few years, I've stuck with FWD Volvos before this potential adventure popped up.

In reply to captdownshift:

I don't see me traveling to NC for a Volvo, 244/5s show up often enough locally, ocasionally a basket case 242 or 142 even, there's enough retired professors and hippies in NWA that they're not super hard to find. Locally there's a cherry 122 Amazon for $2500 and a $1200 auto '91 244 that appears is truly rust free. There's a NASTY, growing algae on it, 850R wagon that "barely runs" for $800 that has my attention if the 242 doesn't work out.

$750

mazdaduce said: I'd get it today and sort it out after it was sitting in my driveway and I could hug it.

Score! Driving my 740 turbo manual back home today I was thinking how it would be perfect for that car.

NGTD wrote: Fat rod B230FT, Megasquirt and throw boost at it. You can make silly amounts of power without the 16V head and the rest of that stuff.

You can skip the megasquirt and spend $150 for chips on Turbobricks with some other CHEEEEP junkyard upgrades for plenty of fun power. Spend a little time on Turbobricks-the recipe is well documented. BTW the best way to get a B230FT is to buy a beat/rusty 940t.

In reply to Junkyard_Dog:

That's the truth, just picked up the red one and I have been missing out all these years by driving automatic Volvos.

bigdaddylee82 wrote: I confirmed it is the 4 speed. How's that M45 hold up in the real world? Google search seems to make me think it's made of glass. The T-5 EvanB mentioned or M90 seem to be the transmissions to use with a breathed on Red Block.

Hence the 5.0 swap, the best T5 is included and already fits the engine!

Nicely done - congrats!

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

Good lord, man. Where do you live? In my part of the world, that is advertised as "rust free"

As to the transmissions, people claim them to be fragile, but that has to be with enormous levels of boost. Bo Skowronnek won the Canadian national rally championship using the stock M46, and we had it bumped up to almost 20 psi of boost on a B23. Never broke the trans.

I think the M46 fragility claims come from not only huge boost but also lack of mechanical sympathy aka monster hoonage. Keep the full out drag launches and power shifting to a minimum and it will probably be fine.

Just stock a few m45/m46 and your fine. They are glass and cleap as dirt. Dont put a massive clutch in it and that helps them live a bit

Thanks everyone, I've got a million ideas running through my head, and have considered all y'alls suggestions. I've looked at a few B21 +T builds, that might be the cheapest option for more power. I really like the Whiteblock swap idea, but the B230FT would probably be simpler. I own a worked over '97 F-Body LT1, but would requires some very crafty "Fair Market Value" shenanigans to work it into the budget, no T5 will live long behind it, and no one is giving away T56s, my uncle might have a T10 in his shed though... so it's probably off the table for swap consideration. Regardless, I get a stupid grin on my face every time I think to myself, "I own a '76 242!"

First order of business is addressing the B21, needs a new battery and a starter, get it running and see how bad it really is. We couldn't get it started, and I found a lot of rust the PO didn't know about, I think that helped with the negotiation, but having SWMBO with me was my ace in the hole, she's quite the haggler.

The good:
- Southern car, lived it's entire life in Memphis until ~'12 when it came to central AR.
- Fairly solid & straight body.
- Has A/C & has already been converted to R134a!!!
- All glass is in great shape, only exception being D/S side mirror.
- New tires, appear to have less than 1K miles on them.
- Upholstery is ugly but in great shape, front seats have had covers on them since new.
- Has brand new Rockford Fosjunk speakers I should be able to pawn of and recoup some budget.
- Brakes are allegedly new.
- Fuel system is "new" tank was cleaned and resealed recently by some shop.
- There's quite a few other new parts that are on the car.
- No rust in the trunk that I could find.
- No rust in the engine bay I could find.

The not so good:
- Needs a passenger side front floor pan, and at least patches on the driver side.
- A few other rust spots, shown it the pictures earlier.
- Was either rear-ended or backed into something at some point, left rear bumper/corner damage.
- Some of the trim isn't in the best shape.
- Needs paint.
- Engine issues already mentioned.
- Right door hinges sag a little.
- Carpet is kind of grungy.
- A lot of little dings/dents all over.
- Grille & headlight buckets have been Plasti Dipped, curious what hides under it.
- Minor surface rust on underside of hood.

Big daddy, I have two T6 motors from S80s (the 2.9L version) that are in various states of repair. I would be willing to give them to you for some of your finest OH beer if you can figure out how to get them from MO to OH. One lost the TB and banged all the valves but the other should be usable with a cleaning. They would need management and some sort of turbo as the stockers didn't come with them. PM if you think that drabbing 600 lbs of aluminum across three states sounds like a good idea.

needs more JVAB suspension!

seriously sweet super cool ride, engine wise I'd keep in Volvo based, same with the trans.

Toss on a JVAB rally suspension with kaplhenke arms, paint an 01 on the door and go jump everything!

Ditch k jet, it will cost a fair chunk of change getting it working right. Lh2.2 is a a breeze

or you come and buy my volvo and put the engine from mine in yours and call it a day. ive got a 90 volvo 745 gle b234f in running condition.

bigdaddylee82 wrote: $750

mazdaduce said: I'd get it today and sort it out after it was sitting in my driveway and I could hug it.

This makes me so happy.

If you want a tach for it let me know. I have one - actually I have a full instrument cluster. In km/h but it also has miles.

At this rate, this car is going to be GRM crowd sourced for parts. I am 100% behind that, btw.