Turbo Swede: 1988 Volvo 740 GLE Turbo Project [Volvo]
This wagon has been on the market for a while and can probably be had for a bit less than the asking price of $1,000. The body and paint entirely adequate, they’re not so perfect that you’d worry about parking it in a public lot but nothing to be ashamed of either. Just a good looking car. The interior looks to be in great shape. The leather appears solid without any tears or even the extensive cracking that you’ll commonly see on older cars. The interior color scheme is one in a million. If you’ve seen more than one Volvo from the 60’s or 70’s chances are one of them had seat colors similar to this wagon. Volvo has recently been going back to its roots and offering this kind of brownish reddish interior in its new cars. Other than those vintage bricks and the contemporary offerings, I have never seen this color anywhere else. As someone who grew up in 60’s and 70’s Volvo’s you may say I’m prejudiced but I think the combo looks great. Motors for this car are plentiful and fairly inexpensive. An engine from any turbo RWD Volvo will bolt right in. Most motors will go 250k+ miles with out breaking a sweat. Displacement, turbo’s, and associated sensors for the EFI system may differ but can be fiddled to fit.
While returning to stock would be the simplest and probably the cheapest, the slick and trick route would be to get a Ross Converse V-8 conversion. For the uneducated, Ross Converse made a kit that plugs a Ford 5.0 V-8 into a 200 or 700 series Volvo. It can be fully DIY or Converse can do the whole conversion for you. The basic kit includes motor mounts and a nifty wiring harness that allows the Ford motor and EFI system to work with the Volvo main harness. Think of it as an English/Swedish interpreter. With the basic kit the owner would need to supply the engine/transmission and EFI system. With the Detroit muscle this wagon would seriously scoot.
Either returned to stock or seriously modded, this is a great platform for a car that would last for a long time.
Find it on KSL.com in Bountiful, Utah.
See additional photos from the seller here.
