Great site, These Swedes are transplanting from Volvo to
lots of makes, and various Mercedes powerplants into Volvos.
I like it!
Tom
----- Original Message -----
From: "George Goff" <THX0001@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 9:38 PM
Subject: Re: State of the Art in Engine Swaps is....?

> In a message dated 4/6/04 10:01:23 AM, gull@GULL.US
writes:
>
> << Heck, I saw an adapter plate once to put a Volvo engine
in a Vanagon.
> I've never seen pictures of one actually installed,
though.  I don't think
> I'd recommend it.  While the Volvo B230 is extremely
durable, and its
> torque curve feels pretty similar to a VW boxer engine,
it's one of the
> most thrashy, coarse, and unrefined engines I've ever
seen.  And at 114
> horsepower it's not exactly a fire breather. ;) >>
>
> I like thrashy and course myself.  I think of it as
tactile feedback.  I
> would like nothing better than to have a Volvo 4 banger
plugging away in the back
> of my Vanagon.  But, the Volvo engine is a long, tall and
heavy lump and I
> have never felt comfortable with hanging its extra mass in
the worst place of
> all, behind the rear axle.  If I knew for certain that the
van's handling would
> not suffer, I'd be making my moves to transplant a Volvo
I-4 tomorrow morning.
>
> Apparently, the Volagon is not unheard of in the far
north:
>
> http://www.smt.nu/default.asp?Expand=2&Display=1
>
> If you're a Swede, feel free to translate.
>
> George