Volvopalooza: V8 Swap, Manual Turbo Wagon, AWD, 1800ES Classic, Track Rat

Imagine that you are a well-to-do Seattle-ite with a decent haul of cash in your pocket and you want a car.  Of course you aren’t going to buy something ‘Merican because they are uncouth, Japanese are just too common, and German cars are overpriced, so you head to your nearest Volvo dealer and start to see what $30k will get you.  You tell the dealer that you want something with the spaciousness of a wagon, 5-speed manual trans with an automatic mode for traffic/drag strips, a V8 grumble, at least one turbocharger, fuel economy of a 4-banger, convenience of a 4-door, style of a 2-door, classic looks, and it should double as a track day car when needed.  Without missing a beat, the dealer walks you over to some behemoth with Xs or Cs in its name followed by a few numbers and promises this will do the trick.  They tested this thing on the Thorsburgring in Sweden, its faster than a Ferrari.  He even manages to get you seated in finance office negotiating dollars before your phone rings. Drat, its those guys from the Daily Turismo.  They always call at the most inopportune times.  What, did you get locked out of your mobile home again?  A man speaking through Dorito crumbs on the other end of the line tells you I’ve found the car you need…well…actually its five cars.  The financier’s guest chair is still spinning as you hit the road.  All Volvos are tips from FuelTruck.

First up on the Volvopalooza is this 1984 Volvo 240 Turbo Wagon offered for $3000.  The wagon features a manual transmission (4 spd + electric OD), cool looking vigo rims and 285k miles.  Seems like everything you’d want in a classic Volvo wagon.

Next up is this 1980 Volvo 262C Bertone with LT1 V8 / 700R4 slushbox transmission offered for $9,800.  The Bertone 262C was a coupe version of the Volvo 260 setup with a Bertone designed roof section and the PRV6 engine.  Today’s example (like many of the Bertone 262Cs we find) is powered by a domestic V8.  Unique looks and unique acceleration make a great combo.

For the winter car needs this 1997 Volvo 850 AWD Turbo 5-speed offered for $3,900 should do the trick nicely.  The 850 was the sucessor to the Volvo 240 and 740 sedans, and it used a transverse mounted engine setup to allow all-wheel-drive versions.  Unfortunately this meant that the basic versions where un-fun-wheel drive, but if you can wait through the understeer before getting on the throttle they can be fun to drive.

For the weekend drive this 1973 Volvo 1800ES offered for $9,200 will be perfect — lots of room for your baggage and a maybe a few souvenirs.  The 1800ES is the shooting brake version of the P1800/1800S/1800E and is a great inexpensive classic for driving.

This final car on the Volvopalooza is a 1983 Volvo 242 Turbo GT offered for $2,700 in SF Bay Area, CA.  It isn’t the kind of car you take a lady out on a first date, unless you don’t want a second date, but it looks ready for some kind of track experience.

See a better way to fill your garage with Volvo piles for $28,600?  tips@dailyturismo.com