#TBT: One of the fastest Volvos before Polestar? The 740 Turbo.

Forget the Hokey-Pokey. Boost-fueled Volvo trickery, that’s what it’s all about. Nothing pokey about it.

Sure, on the outside these things look just like any other older Volvo, with their bricklike aerodynamics and a safe, sensible image. Through most of the 1980s, Volvo 740s seemed to be the vehicle of choice for dentists’ wives and soccer moms. It’s the kind …

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745 turbo with turbo plus.  Lovely, speedy things to drive.  Can't use "pretty", though.  Too much window?  Too much 6000le?  Dunno.

Volvos.  They're boxy, but good.

I wanted a used 850 R wagon so bad, but they were hard to find. One day I found one about three hours away from me. It had it all, reputable dealer, honest price, clean as hell. I found it on the internet, called immediately, car was still for sale so I put down a deposit to hold it.  Dealer called me back an hour later and said that a salesman had just taken another deposit before mine. I was crushed. <kicks rock>

Ive had a 95 850 turbo, a 780 Bertone (MS2, Super 60, an S70 T5 manual but want a 2 series wagon or 2 door next

Da Flyin' Moose!  740 Turbo cheapo endurance racer!  Not cheap!  Well, lots cheaper than anything modern, like IM$A

Grassroots Motorsports!    

Randy Pobst forever friend and fan of GRM, from the beginning. 

Hey Randy! Love that Volvo, wow! Was just watching your video on the Mach 1 Mustang this morning, really enjoyed it!

I've seen the car up close and witnessed it being dyno tuned at my good friends house, wish I could have met you as well as your car Mr. Pobst

I know this is an old thread, but I love it when these old articles pop up a few times a week.  The 740 Turbo wagon with 5-speed was rare in the 1990's and when one was traded in to the Volvo dealership where I was working, one of the other salesmen quickly claimed it as his own.  I did get to drive it and I must say that it actually felt nimble and light, especially since it wasn't a small car by any means.  What was especially impressive was the acceleration and the fact that this four cylinder car could actually spin the rear wheels. 

Aside from the coolness inherent in a wagon, the Bertone-styled 780 really floats my boat.  They have very nice lines for a Volvo (if you don't especially like the boxy look, but I love it) and I have wanted to find one to do an LS swap and make it a road terror.  If the boxy ones like Randy's racer look pretty cool, a 780 would look just bonkers beautiful! 

I picked up my '90 940T Wagon new from the factory in Sweden when I lived in Italy. I still have it and I'm not parting with it. I bought it through a Volvo dealer in Napoli. My test drive was was in a wagon just like mine except with a 2.0L dohc turbo 5 spd which was a real sleeper and faster than my new car was on the Autostrada.

I have a spare Penta AQ251 marine engine (redblock dohc, stroker) that someday I'll freshen up to swap into the 940. I'm just going to use a sohc head though and keep it basic. I have the spare bits to build the 2.5L including the best (531, iirc) sohc head, 90+ turbo manifold, etc. I'll raise the static c.r. compared to the stock 2.3L and use a low-boost turbo. It is still an everyday type car, not intended for racing.

My beef with the car is poor winter traction. If it has limited slip at all it is an Eaton locker and erratic. The the 940 turbo option wheels were 6.5 or 7 x 16 with 205/55-16 tires. Winter driving would likely improve with 15" wheels and higher profile winter tires and/or a better LSD unit. The AW71 a/t used on the turbo engine doesn't have a lock-up tc and I may upgrade that but It's not a high priority right now.

There is definitely a cult following of the redblock cars (known as 'Bricks") and parts are still plentiful.

Too bad I didn't wait a few years before stuffing a B30 6 cylinder motor into my 1800. I could have had a turbo!

DavyZ said:

I know this is an old thread, but I love it when these old articles pop up a few times a week.  The 740 Turbo wagon with 5-speed was rare in the 1990's and when one was traded in to the Volvo dealership where I was working, one of the other salesmen quickly claimed it as his own.  I did get to drive it and I must say that it actually felt nimble and light, especially since it wasn't a small car by any means.  What was especially impressive was the acceleration and the fact that this four cylinder car could actually spin the rear wheels. 

Aside from the coolness inherent in a wagon, the Bertone-styled 780 really floats my boat.  They have very nice lines for a Volvo (if you don't especially like the boxy look, but I love it) and I have wanted to find one to do an LS swap and make it a road terror.  If the boxy ones like Randy's racer look pretty cool, a 780 would look just bonkers beautiful! 

 

I remember a car a guy in BRR-SCCA had with a vanity plate that read "boxy" and another car the same guy had with "unboxy" - I wonder if he still has those cars today and what kind of shape they are in.

I rescued, restored and dailied a very sharp black on black 745 turbo wagon years ago. I absolutely adored the car. The real magic of the car being its versatility with a 6foot long FLAT load space. in truth like all of my older rides, modernizing with all of the goodies really only bring them closer to the capabilites of just about any modern sled. but...    Like all older cars it needed stuff. Not all the time but enough to be annoying.        In a fit of annoyance after the heater core puked, I sold the car and was heartbroken when a few weeks later saw it stuffed into the back of another car. Every bit of the beautiful front clip that I had lovingly worked on for so long bent and smashed.   

I had a chance to buy a 4 speed w/ O.D. with the heavy duty Dana 1041 rear axle white turbo wagon just like the first photo in my home town for $500, but when I discovered it and went to the used car lot, they had already sent it to the next city 100 miles away to put it in a used car auction. I would have driven it until something big died in it and then scavenged part off of it for my Volvo 1800.

I went down to that city with a friend who loves to wheeler dealer cars to bid on it for me but two bidders really wanted that car and quickly drove the price up to $1000. It wasn't worth that to me so no big deal.

The car showed back in my home town in the newspaper for something like $1200 and every few weeks the price would come down $100. After a long time, it disappeared still way above the $500 I would have paid for it.

I should start a thread and ask how to install 2 turbos in my trunk to feed my 3 liter 6 cylinder B30 engine. I figure that 2 Mitsubishi TDO3 turbos from a couple of Kubota 4 cylinder diesel stationary pumps would be a good fit. 

livinon2wheels said:

DavyZ said:

I know this is an old thread, but I love it when these old articles pop up a few times a week.  The 740 Turbo wagon with 5-speed was rare in the 1990's and when one was traded in to the Volvo dealership where I was working, one of the other salesmen quickly claimed it as his own.  I did get to drive it and I must say that it actually felt nimble and light, especially since it wasn't a small car by any means.  What was especially impressive was the acceleration and the fact that this four cylinder car could actually spin the rear wheels. 

Aside from the coolness inherent in a wagon, the Bertone-styled 780 really floats my boat.  They have very nice lines for a Volvo (if you don't especially like the boxy look, but I love it) and I have wanted to find one to do an LS swap and make it a road terror.  If the boxy ones like Randy's racer look pretty cool, a 780 would look just bonkers beautiful! 

 

I remember a car a guy in BRR-SCCA had with a vanity plate that read "boxy" and another car the same guy had with "unboxy" - I wonder if he still has those cars today and what kind of shape they are in.

I'll bet the Volvo 740 is still in a boxy shape today.