The 3 Day Swap, from '81 Volvo Wagon to Tire Slaying Daily
03-27-2014, 01:49 PM
#181
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Thanks for the help! I had wetsanded my car with 220 grit then 320 pad. It really helped the shine as you can see but I think using the compound would help get out most of the small scratches.
So the tool you got from harbor freight is the DA not the buffer correct? I think the buffer is for cutting and buffing a new paint job and does not have the dual action since it is direct drive.
Once again, you did such a great job on this car. I am very impressed how clean it looks under the hood and the time in which you did it. Have you gotten the power steering working yet? I bet it is a booger to turn with the power rack ratio with no pump helping it. Also where will you be able to fit the pump? Thanks
So the tool you got from harbor freight is the DA not the buffer correct? I think the buffer is for cutting and buffing a new paint job and does not have the dual action since it is direct drive.
Once again, you did such a great job on this car. I am very impressed how clean it looks under the hood and the time in which you did it. Have you gotten the power steering working yet? I bet it is a booger to turn with the power rack ratio with no pump helping it. Also where will you be able to fit the pump? Thanks
Last edited by Luther Grimace; 03-27-2014 at 02:14 PM.
03-27-2014, 03:50 PM
#182
It looks too much like those jackass kids that "stance" the cars. Putting a 205 tire on a 9" wheel and how they look stretched.
You mentioned a mini tub would require paint work....how do you figure? Hack away the inner fender well and re-weld a liner in. You aren't touching the outer fender/body.
A lot of work? Yes, but hell you just did a LS swap in a Volvo in a week LOL.
My vote is to get away from the "stretched tire" look and run the correct wheel/tire combo that will net you some tire that can actually hold the power.
Hell see if you can run a stock wheel that has been widened = wider worthwhile tire AND good sleeper status lol.
You mentioned a mini tub would require paint work....how do you figure? Hack away the inner fender well and re-weld a liner in. You aren't touching the outer fender/body.
A lot of work? Yes, but hell you just did a LS swap in a Volvo in a week LOL.
My vote is to get away from the "stretched tire" look and run the correct wheel/tire combo that will net you some tire that can actually hold the power.
Hell see if you can run a stock wheel that has been widened = wider worthwhile tire AND good sleeper status lol.
It is a 245/40 on a 10" wheel, not a 225 or 205. It has a fairly mild stretch, and I actually prefer the look of a slightly "stretched" tire over a tire that is bulging off the wheel.
There isn't much sleeper look left, with 17's and the drop, it is pretty far from "stock". Running a stock wheel is not an option anymore, the 8.8 in the rear is a different bolt pattern and the reason the GTA wheels were swapped out in favor of the new 17" wheels. Also I hope to add Volvo S60R front brake calipers, (4 piston Brembo and 13" rotors) that would require a 17" wheel as well.
You say "stance" cars, and while I agree the excessive camber, super stretched tires and butchered fenders are not my cup of tea, I think the "aesthetic" is a big part of this build. I have tried to achieve a mix of both "stance" and function. If I were concerned with all out performance, I would have never started with a Volvo. Fox bodies are cheap, plenty of bolt in swap parts available, and you can stuff a huge tire in the rear. I opted to put a V8 in a car that has been in my family for 30 years now. I have always loved the look of a Volvo wagon, and have tried to build something of the "ideal" wagon for me. Power, appearance, still working on the handling and braking, and most of all functionality. I want to be able to drive it across country, run down the track, then go get ice cream with the family.
Again, I think a car that was intended to be a sleeper would look great sitting on a widened 14 with a 10" slick stuffed in the rear wheel well, that's not really my style.
03-27-2014, 03:56 PM
#183
Luther - The DA or dual action is referred to as a polisher/sander, but I used Buff/polish/wax interchangeably. Looking at your pics, some buffing compound and a DA would work wonders on that paint. The advantage of a DA, you are less likely to burn through paint, create halo's, ect. You can literally stop the pad from spinning with some pressure. A direct drive polisher will just keep going.
P/S isn't in yet, there is plenty of room once I move the intake. Honestly, I have gotten used to the steering, and while it sucks in a parking lot, on the road it isn't all that noticeable.
P/S isn't in yet, there is plenty of room once I move the intake. Honestly, I have gotten used to the steering, and while it sucks in a parking lot, on the road it isn't all that noticeable.
03-29-2014, 09:00 AM
#184
Let me chime in on the buffing portion. I personally would not recommend the DA and rather use the buffer wheel. Yes, you CAN burn through paint, but it really takes quite a bit of effort to do that. Keep the buffer moving. Keep it at a relatively low angle. Buff OFF of, not ONTO edge surfaces taking into consideration the way the wheel rotates. Use a wool pad for all your compounding and polishing. Put the wax on by hand. This will net you some good results. Not to toot my own horn, but I speak from experience detailing boats as a side business. I've probably buffed out more boats then people will do cars/boats in a lifetime.
Doug
Doug
03-31-2014, 01:16 PM
#186
Had a great time this weekend at Import Alliance. Car made it there with only one issue, the driver's rear tire was rubbing over some larger bumps, but managed to grab the inner fender and pull it away from the outer. Thus slicing the tire pretty good right at the rim protector. Don't worry, it was ONLY superficial and in no way compromised the integrity of the sidewall. I will have it replaced in a week or two and have all 4 wheels rebalanced (that is a whole different story).
What brought it to my attention was a thump coming from the rear. I immediately got off 95 and into a parking lot. Was relieved to find just a piece of the tire slapping the fender and nothing more serious with the driveshaft, diff, or axles. Raised the rear up to keep the rubbing to a minimum, and managed to reshape the inner fender with a spare tire removal tool from a Nissan Frontier, a 2x4, and a moving blanket to keep dry.
Back on the road, there was rain ALL THE WAY up 16 in GA. After sitting in traffic for what felt like 2 hours, mere miles before our exit we finally made it. By my calculations, I averaged 25mpg running ~75mph most of the way.
The show was pretty fun. There was a number of really cool and unique cars and tons of people. My friend's Prelude was a huge hit, people spending 5-10 minutes scouring over the engine bay looking and asking questions. I think a good number of people didn't know what was going on under the hood of the Volvo. With nothing obvious to someone who has never seen under the hood of a 240, and the use of factory parts, some people didn't even know it was swapped. Most did however and I got all of the usual questions. Had a great time answering questions and showing people the car. Seemed to go over really well. Made the trek home yesterday, no issues and just cruised. Was a nice weekend to just drive the car easy, get some miles on the new axle and suspension, and a good conclusion to this chapter of the build.
Pic I snagged of the Prelude . . .
What brought it to my attention was a thump coming from the rear. I immediately got off 95 and into a parking lot. Was relieved to find just a piece of the tire slapping the fender and nothing more serious with the driveshaft, diff, or axles. Raised the rear up to keep the rubbing to a minimum, and managed to reshape the inner fender with a spare tire removal tool from a Nissan Frontier, a 2x4, and a moving blanket to keep dry.
Back on the road, there was rain ALL THE WAY up 16 in GA. After sitting in traffic for what felt like 2 hours, mere miles before our exit we finally made it. By my calculations, I averaged 25mpg running ~75mph most of the way.
The show was pretty fun. There was a number of really cool and unique cars and tons of people. My friend's Prelude was a huge hit, people spending 5-10 minutes scouring over the engine bay looking and asking questions. I think a good number of people didn't know what was going on under the hood of the Volvo. With nothing obvious to someone who has never seen under the hood of a 240, and the use of factory parts, some people didn't even know it was swapped. Most did however and I got all of the usual questions. Had a great time answering questions and showing people the car. Seemed to go over really well. Made the trek home yesterday, no issues and just cruised. Was a nice weekend to just drive the car easy, get some miles on the new axle and suspension, and a good conclusion to this chapter of the build.
Pic I snagged of the Prelude . . .
04-21-2014, 09:50 AM
#195
So a little update is in order I suppose.
Ended up going to the track, still couldn't better my 9.0 at 78. Car did feel a TON stronger out of the hole, but I was hesitant to launch it hard. I think I am suffering from PTPF Syndrome(Post Traumatic Part Failure). Oh well, still not terrible for an old Volvo wagon. It was consistently quicker and easier to launch at low rpms, so I know the LSD and tires are working as intended.
My parents came into town this weekend to see their grandson shortly after his 2nd birthday. Had a great time and even got to take my dad to a local dyno day. Put the wagon on the rollers for fun just to see what it would put down on the bench tune from PSI. Have been driving around on it since October and have no idea what kind of whp and tq it makes so for $50 I thought it would be nice to know. Pulled the car in and seemed like everyone there shuffled in the shop and pulled out their phone to record. Of course, I was standing behind my tripod ready to record things, then the battery dies on the camera (face palm). So I just sit back and try to enjoy, all the while I am shaking from nerves, no idea why. The make the first pull and I walk over to see what she made. Sounded GREAT IMO, I am still really happy with the exhaust. I get over to the TV and it made . . . 253whp and 296tq. Not record breaking and actually a bit low for a 5.3 with the intake and exhaust on it. Then my eyes got big, REALLY BIG. A/F was a steady and constant 15:1!!!!!! WTF!? How . . . why . . . so . . . ummmmmm? I immediately blurt out, "Ok, well I am good with that, you can pull it off." The shop agreed and didn't want to see anything go boom and also dropped the price to $20 since they felt bad I didn't get to make 3 pulls. Looking at the A/F it was perfect just 2.5 points too high. A few folks thought fuel pressure might be low, but looking at the A/F graph, I think it is something more. It is definitely in need of a tune and has been since October. I will replace the fuel filter, make sure base fuel pressure it set and go back to the dyno to have it tuned.
I looked at the guys running the dyno and said "If that isn't a testament to how strong these iron block LS engines are, I don't know what is!" to which we all chuckled. The good news is, with just a cam and a tune, I should pickup 75whp+. The torque curve was pretty awesome too, looked like it made over 275 from 2500rpms on! So new game plan is to let the car sit and not beat on it knowing what the A/F looks like at WOT. Going to look into cams and see if there is something in the way of a turbo cam that I can run N/A for the time being and won't hurt power, which I know is possible, as long as it is tuned properly. It won't make as much as it could, but will still be an improvement over the short duration and lift the stock cam has. Get the cam installed, springs and the associated upgrades to handle boost down the road, like head studs ect. Get the car tuned, and enjoy the added whp and tq. this summer. Then start stockpiling parts for the turbo and already have a good cam, springs, and studs to handle the boost. Should help breaking up the large price tag on a turbo setup.
Overall, it was $20 well spent, I got a baseline and the knowledge to park the car until it is tuned. I am excited to know that just a cam and tune will unlock more power and that the car will be faster than what I had initially thought on N/A power. Looking forward to installing a cam and making some real numbers on the dyno and really surprising people on the street with the wagon.
Ended up going to the track, still couldn't better my 9.0 at 78. Car did feel a TON stronger out of the hole, but I was hesitant to launch it hard. I think I am suffering from PTPF Syndrome(Post Traumatic Part Failure). Oh well, still not terrible for an old Volvo wagon. It was consistently quicker and easier to launch at low rpms, so I know the LSD and tires are working as intended.
My parents came into town this weekend to see their grandson shortly after his 2nd birthday. Had a great time and even got to take my dad to a local dyno day. Put the wagon on the rollers for fun just to see what it would put down on the bench tune from PSI. Have been driving around on it since October and have no idea what kind of whp and tq it makes so for $50 I thought it would be nice to know. Pulled the car in and seemed like everyone there shuffled in the shop and pulled out their phone to record. Of course, I was standing behind my tripod ready to record things, then the battery dies on the camera (face palm). So I just sit back and try to enjoy, all the while I am shaking from nerves, no idea why. The make the first pull and I walk over to see what she made. Sounded GREAT IMO, I am still really happy with the exhaust. I get over to the TV and it made . . . 253whp and 296tq. Not record breaking and actually a bit low for a 5.3 with the intake and exhaust on it. Then my eyes got big, REALLY BIG. A/F was a steady and constant 15:1!!!!!! WTF!? How . . . why . . . so . . . ummmmmm? I immediately blurt out, "Ok, well I am good with that, you can pull it off." The shop agreed and didn't want to see anything go boom and also dropped the price to $20 since they felt bad I didn't get to make 3 pulls. Looking at the A/F it was perfect just 2.5 points too high. A few folks thought fuel pressure might be low, but looking at the A/F graph, I think it is something more. It is definitely in need of a tune and has been since October. I will replace the fuel filter, make sure base fuel pressure it set and go back to the dyno to have it tuned.
I looked at the guys running the dyno and said "If that isn't a testament to how strong these iron block LS engines are, I don't know what is!" to which we all chuckled. The good news is, with just a cam and a tune, I should pickup 75whp+. The torque curve was pretty awesome too, looked like it made over 275 from 2500rpms on! So new game plan is to let the car sit and not beat on it knowing what the A/F looks like at WOT. Going to look into cams and see if there is something in the way of a turbo cam that I can run N/A for the time being and won't hurt power, which I know is possible, as long as it is tuned properly. It won't make as much as it could, but will still be an improvement over the short duration and lift the stock cam has. Get the cam installed, springs and the associated upgrades to handle boost down the road, like head studs ect. Get the car tuned, and enjoy the added whp and tq. this summer. Then start stockpiling parts for the turbo and already have a good cam, springs, and studs to handle the boost. Should help breaking up the large price tag on a turbo setup.
Overall, it was $20 well spent, I got a baseline and the knowledge to park the car until it is tuned. I am excited to know that just a cam and tune will unlock more power and that the car will be faster than what I had initially thought on N/A power. Looking forward to installing a cam and making some real numbers on the dyno and really surprising people on the street with the wagon.
04-21-2014, 01:46 PM
#199
Pretty sure it is 100% the tune. The fuel filter has been in there for a while and should have been replaced when I installed the new pump. Replacing more for maintenance than anything. I will go over the car front to back to make sure that everything is rock solid before going back for the tune.
04-22-2014, 10:24 AM
#200
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i've been following your build over the past couple months and just have to say that the car is looking amazing!
This summer i'm starting a Volvo 240 LM7 swap myself albeit probably not as clean as yours. can i ask you what you did you re-use the 2-piece drive shaft or did you switch to a 1-piece? what engine mounts did you use?
sorry if i'm re asking some questions that you've already answered
thanks
This summer i'm starting a Volvo 240 LM7 swap myself albeit probably not as clean as yours. can i ask you what you did you re-use the 2-piece drive shaft or did you switch to a 1-piece? what engine mounts did you use?
sorry if i'm re asking some questions that you've already answered
thanks