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BTW- I ask because I don't know- your goal of 5lbs per HP... is that much power manageable/ useful in such a light car? I've never driven a car with your goal power-to-weight, but that's gonna be downright scary

-ccrunner

I'm going to have to be able to run with them so they can see there is a replacement for displacement.

is that much power manageable/ useful in such a light car? I've never driven a car with your goal power-to-weight, but that's gonna be downright scary

If you don't have too much torque it's quite manageable.

you really need to be able to scoot down low and out of the corners cause the big cars will sail by you on the straights. This way you'll be close enough you can re-pass them in the braking zone and not have to worry about passing in the turns later on.

-GM RWD manual tranny.. A knock on GM is that they used a parts bin truck tranny in the Sky/Solstice.. this is the tranny I'm going to use.. I was told to get a later version (post 2007) as they changed the 3rd gear ratio.. You driving that Solstice 2.0 manual will help you make a choice.. I'm optimistic that I'll be happy with this tranny.. I'm not sure what model it is, but I thought I'd read about a 6 speed manual that bolts up-- certainly worth looking into..


-ccrunner

A midlife crisis of sorts...

This build has sparked a most unusual development at my house..

For years I've dabbled in old rusty cars, bikes, whatever, that very few people care about; least of all my wife of 23 years. She's just happy that although I'm ignoring her and the kids while I'm wasting all of those hours in the garage, at least I'm not off doing who-knows-what with some Jezebel Hussy Town Bicycle type.. That's right, if I'm going to neglect my family, I'm going to do it right here from home!

Anyway, at some point she asked me from what car did this project's engine come? So I showed her a picture of a 2009 Chevy Cobalt.. Meh... she was not impressed..

Then she asked where the "special" rear-wheel drive transmission came from that suddenly appeared in the garage.... So I showed her a picture of a 2009 Saturn Sky.. All motion stopped right then and right there, as she said "I want that car."

If you've been married awhile, you've figured out that what Princess wants, Princess gets; so the search for my wife's midlife crisis, red roadster began. She got the 'new to me' car fever like I've never seen.. suddenly she was obsessed with these super-impractical, 5 years old, dead nameplate speed demons... It took a few months to find one matching Princess' list of demands- but finally one surfaced in Detroit, MI (you know, the Detroit ALL the way across the country). We were able to sell her old (now 'yucky' car quickly), and we struck a deal that has the world's least practical car in our driveway as seen in the picture below..

After spending some time behind the wheel (she lets me drive it sometimes), I can say I'm pretty impressed.. I post this up in this build log because this car has the same LNF Ecotec engine that's going in the 63 Volvo.. Even though her Sky has an automatic, at 3,000 lbs, it still has way more than enough power (I insisted she get a turbo for resale value later... No consideration whatsoever was given to my enjoyment of said turbo in the event that I would sometimes be allowed to drive what is so very obviously my wife's car)...

So the car is a hoot, and it reaffirms my power train choice for the Sexy Volvo.

Oh, btw, her last car was a 2006 VW Beetle convertible (now known as the convertible 'gateway' car) which was complete with a little vase with pink flowers in the dash-- It reaffirmed masculinity every time I drove it- much like I suspect this car will

-ccrunner

There is no replacement for displacement.

Who needs a healthy Volvo B16 drivetrain?

So as my Honda N600 build winds down, I'm preparing to pull the 1800 into the garage and start the engine/ suspension swap...

I'm wondering if one of you guys needs the stock motor/tranny I'm about to pull? The car is currently driveable and runs great- OD works flawlessly, easy start, all that stuff, it's just that I need to find a home for it..

So if this is calling your name, or you know a guy that could use it, please let me know so it can keep another Volvo on the road.. This motor runs quite well,and I have paperwork from the PO on headwork and a complete (and expen$ive!) tranny rebuild.. It does have a few leaks though, so the buyer will need to plan to reseal these bits before they go into something else

I don't need big $$, just a fair amount that I'll roll back into this build.. the buyer gets it all- radiator/carb/manifolds/shifter- all that I don't need is theirs..

I plan to pull it the first week of October 2015 (which gives me exactly one year to finish the swap as our oldest becomes a driver Oct 2016), so if you want to drive it before you buy it , send me a PM...

thanks-


--ccrunner

Who needs a healthy Volvo B18 drivetrain?

So as my Honda N600 build winds down, I'm preparing to pull the 1800 into the garage and start the engine/ suspension swap...

I'm wondering if one of you guys needs the stock motor/tranny I'm about to pull? The car is currently driveable and runs great- OD works flawlessly, easy start, all that stuff, it's just that I need to find a home for it..

So if this is calling your name, or you know a guy that could use it, please let me know so it can keep another Volvo on the road.. This motor runs quite well,and I have paperwork from the PO on headwork and a complete (and expen$ive!) tranny rebuild.. It does have a few leaks though, so the buyer will need to plan to reseal these bits before they go into something else. I've attached a few dusty pics, and you'll note an odd tranny dipstick tube that doesn't belong with a 4 speed... The previous owner was getting quite old, and the tranny leak caused him concern, so he fabbed in an auto-style dipstick/filler tube.. cheesy but clever, and it kept an 80 year old man off the garage floor and in this car a few more years... He owned this car since 1988, and it was only his eventual physical inability to keep up with it that had him sell it; it was ultimately the leaking that allowed me to buy this little gem..

I don't need big $$, just a fair amount that I'll roll back into this build.. the buyer gets it all- radiator/carb/manifolds/shifter- all that I don't need is theirs.. These bits are located 90 miles north of Los Angeles...

I plan to pull it the first week of October 2015 (which gives me exactly one year to finish the swap as our oldest becomes a driver Oct 2016), so if you want to drive it before you buy it , send me a PM...

thanks-


--ccrunner