This will be place to document my Volvo 760 T6 build. I'm a diehard Volvo guy, own a Volvo repair shop in my town, have had about 45 Volvos. Have built a few cool cars for customers of mine, but never really done a nice build on a Volvo for myself.
Fell into a URS4 for a few years, got it to go fast, and blew it up.
The car; 1989 Volvo 760 Turbo that spent most of its life in the Okanagan valley BC, so incredibly clean. Not a single speck of rust that I can find. It's been repainted for rock chips and paint fade, so it's cosmetically pristine. I picked it up last August (2021) and originally was going to leave it stock and drive it as is. That idea didn't last long. I put some e-codes on it, rear sway bar from a '92 Volvo 960, and a home made front chassis brace.
Lower chassis brace (hastily made, would probably do it different in future):
I've always wanted to do a RWD Whiteblock (modular 4, 5 and 6 cyl aluminum block, in contrast to the legendary Volvo "redblock) build, and I've already done the whole 5 cyl thing with my old Audi.
The plan is a 2.8l T6, single turbo (GTX3076R Gen2) sized for good response, was going to use an AR5 and had gathered all the parts, but will be going with a welded bellhousing BMW 6 speed from MKM Motorsports in Sweden. I've ordered an ECUMaster Classic to run the engine. I've used it before and there isn't anything else I've found in that price range that has both onboard wideband and dual knock sensor channels.
So I had to find a T6.
Went to the wrecker and found a fairly low KM 1999 S80 T6 that had been rear ended.
Got the engine in about an hour, got it back to my shop and promptly broke a head bolt in the block.
Made some drill guides on my lathe that perfectly fit the hole in the block so I could drill it out on center. Block is currently on the waiting list at the machine shop for a cleanup, hone and decking. It's getting rods, re-using the stock pistons (will be anti-friction and thermal ceramic coated), and I'm getting the deck milled to bring the pistons up for better quench.
While I'm waiting on the block, I decided to get going on the turbo kit. After looking at buying a header, or building one, toying with the idea of welding 2 "R" (really any 2.5t) manifolds together into a log, I settled on just using the stock twin manifolds and building an up pipe. I'm mocking it all up on a Volvo 960 (only RWD application for this engine family) engine from one of my parts cars.
V-band flanges welded to OE manifolds. From what I've seen, any of the Volvo whiteblock turbo manifolds are cast stainless, and these are no exception. Blasted them, preheated them, welded, let them cool in the oven over a few hours.
Pictures don't show it really, but I picked where I wanted the turbo to go, made a little bracket to hold the turbo flange where I wanted it, and then just eyeballed the tubes. Made a merge collector for the two header pipes into the flange.
Here it is in mockup
And welded up. Still waiting on a Vibrant flex bellows to go between the rear header pipe and the collector.
That's where I'm at as of today. Waiting on the wastegate and some pieces to finish up the turbo stuff, waiting on an intercooler from KL Racing, waiting on ECU and wiring parts.
Selling my AR5 stuff this Tuesday and ordering the BMW ZF with the Volvo bellhousing welded on.
My plan for suspension is to do BC Racing coilovers, modify the rear shocks from them for the IRS and use 5x10.5" stock car springs, maybe 275lb or 300lb.
Just for the heck of it, and to give an idea of the type of build I'm going for, here's a picture of the engine in a Volvo 245 I'm doing for a customer of mine right now.
And one of my old Audi engine. I do all the ceramic coatings and powder in-house.
More to come soon.
