[volvorelix]

Some of you already know about this, so feel free to ignore. And if you're not interested in this kind of thing, feel free to scroll right on by.

Jim Perry, P1800 racer from Wisconsin, and I are collaborating on preparing a car to compete in La Carrera Panamericana (and The Chihuahua Express, which is more actual racing but a lot less famous). Though most of the modifications are nearly complete and we think we'll be road testing the car in a couple weeks, it made sense to start a blog (we want to attract sponsors, after all. And I'm starting to forget things, so it makes sense to have this documented in some way).

Most of the modifications have to do with making the car as robust and reliable as we can, as well as making improvements to the brakes (the event starts at sea level, tops out at 11,000 feet, then returns to sea level, so the brakes get a lot of use). At this point, it has collapsible steering, 140 rear axle on original suspension arms, short springs and Bilsteins (rear); and a 140 crossmember and suspension (and steering), short springs, Bilsteins (front), front and rear sway bars, 45 DCOE Webers on NOS Volvo Competition Service manifolds, a 122 pedal box with hydraulic clutch, dual master split front/rear with proportioning valve, a bunch of gauges and toggle switches and relays that do fancy things, a Terratrip Rally Computer, electric fan on a 140 sealed radiator, Crane XR3000 and fancy coil, trunk mounted battery with cutoff switches, rear hinged hood, blah blah blah. More detail on all of that later, after the writing and photos can catch up with actual progress.

The blog is (of course) several months behind, but we'll be catching up over the next while and should be posting in something close to Real Time before long.

If you're interested in a quick intro, we're here:

http://swedishrelics.blogspot.com/

If you have money and want to sponsor this effort, I'd LOVE to hear from you!

Thanks,

Cameron
Rose City

 

[ScoopMan]

Sounds very cool Cameron. I am envious, I wish I had the time, the money, and a good enough garage to pursue a similar project. Keep us informed, and good luck with it!

 

[volvorelix]

Thanks very much. I'm surprised, and pleased, at how many people from Swedespeed have viewed it.

Time is in short supply - I have two days a week to myself, and I've pretty well abandoned everything else to do this. It's a very good thing it's almost back on the road by now. The garage is a single space that's very cramped.

Part 2: installing the 140 rear axle:

http://swedishrelics.blogspot.com/2015/02/rear-axle.html

Best,

Cameron
Portland OR

 

[volvorelix]

Part 3 is up. 142 crossmember goes into the car:

http://swedishrelics.blogspot.com/

Cheers -

Cameron
Portland OR

 

[T5 for Life]

Here's my input from that "other" website. I'm following it on both forums.

This is an awesome project.

Best of luck procuring sponsors. We tried to get some names on our 245 build for Targa Newfoundland in 2012, and no one came forward. IPD did offer discounts on parts as part of their plans to "help racers", but very few parts were ordered from them, I suspect even less for this type of car. At least they tried!

 

[volvorelix]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm really enjoying this part of the process.

The sponsorship thing is tough, for sure. I'll be talking about that in a future post...

Cheers,

Cameron
Portland OR

 

[volvorelix]

Part 4 is up:

http://swedishrelics.blogspot.com/

Thanks --

Cameron
Portland OR

 

[volvorelix]

Part 5:

http://swedishrelics.blogspot.com/2015/03/steering-and-surgery.html

Cameron
Portland OR

 

[Daniel]

Anybody who would go to the trouble of grafting the 444 hub to another hoop gets my vote. Where do I send my meager contribution?

 

[volvorelix]

Thanks Daniel!

... are you serious about a contribution? Lots of room for your logo on the car!

Cheers -

Cameron
Portland OR

 

[Daniel]

Like you, I am not rich. I have been wrenching on PVs and 122 for more than 40 years, because I can (still), because I'm frugal (some would say cheap), and because I'm hopelessly afflicted.

I don't know how many people are following your journey (and this is just the prep), but if those who can, each sent you $40, I'm guessing it would make a difference.

Your profile here says you've had 631 views. Certainly there's 50 people between here and the Brickboard who'd be interested in supporting you.

I remember eagerly following the Applefarmer's blog re: the rig that Phil built and it'd be nice to follow the remainder of your journey knowing I'd done a little to help.

So how do we make this happen? Send it to you c/o IPD? Paypal?

Torque is cheap.

appropriated logo I found a number of years ago which kinda describes some aspect of my aesthetic of 'use what you've got to get what you want'
http://www.brickboard.com/GALLERY/images/12042.jpg

 

[volvorelix]

Hey Daniel -

I tried the brickboard link but got an error message. Darnit.

The blog hit 1000 visits yesterday and has viewers from all over the world other than Russia, Asia and Africa (and Antarctica, of course). I'm floored. This is crazy. Switzerland? Really? Belgium?

I'm no longer with ipd - they have another fellow there named Cameron, and he's a great guy with whom I'm often confused. More into 240s, I think. ipd is participating in this effort, also, which is really, really great. Good folks.

I do have a Paypal account, though, so if you're genuinely up for this, that's probably the simplest. And I really will put your logo on the car. Absolutely.

Thanks

Cameron

 

[Daniel]

I know you're not that Cameron. I just figured that you being in Portland, and IPD, if at least in spirit supports your effort, they might be a convenient conduit. Paypal's better as it gets to you directly.

The logo image, I've since discovered has the unseemly attachment to the name "******* motorboat". I've been calling it "tablemotorboat" This link might get you there:

https://redneckboats.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/*******-boat.jpg

If you're the Cameron on SE 60th in Portland, (zabasearch) I can just sent you a printout, and a check.

I just checked Google earth and your red 444 is visible in the driveway.

Daniel

 

[volvorelix]

PM sent.

 

[volvorelix]

Another update is now up:

http://swedishrelics.blogspot.com/2015/03/keeping-ones-cool.html

Cameron
Portland OR

 

[ScoopMan]

LS swap anyone? As soon as we start talking about surgery, all purity is lost anyway. No doubt there must have been at least a passing thought. Go big or go home as they say....

 

[volvorelix]

I'm not sure I follow. Passing thought about what?

Maybe I haven't explained what this is about very well. To participate in La Carrera, we have to prepare a car to a specific standard. First, this calls for modifications to improve the safety of the car - that's true for everyone who participates. Roll cage, improved brakes, fire systems, that kind of thing. Second, to fit into the class appropriate for the car, we have to use a marque and era correct engine. In our case, that's a Volvo B18 (not original to the '57 model year, but appropriate for the class range, which is up to 1965).

An LS1 would be inappropriate for this car in this event. It would be appropriate for cars in other classes.

Cheers -

Cameron
Portland OR

 

[Phil Singher]

In actuality, the LS series engines don't fit anywhere in La Carrera. With a few exceptions, engines have to be from the same "family" as was originally available up to the cut-off year for the car's class. So, a Mustang that had a 260 or 289 can run a 302, even though it wasn't available in '65, the cut-off year, because it's still a Windsor engine. It can be highly modified as long as it doesn't displace over 5 liters, but there are limitations on what sort of carburetion it has -- no injection, no forced induction. A later generation Ford V8 would not be permitted, even if it came out of a Mustang.

There was a 544 that ran a few years ago with a Volvo B230 and Weber side-drafts. That got it a bump into the top class, running against 6-liter '50-'54 big American cars (it did surprisingly well).

 

[ScoopMan]

Ah so. Please pardon my ignorance. I went to the PLC site and read more this time. Yes, definitely NO LS!
But does it not also say in the FAQ
'Suspension and steering arms should be stock pieces.'
Might you be chancing it a bit by putting all of that 142 gear in there?

 

[volvorelix]

I'm pretty ignorant on the LS engines myself - I thought they were Corvette engines, and would thus be allowed for the big Chevrolet entries. But I'm overwhelmed enough trying to track the requirements for our attempt, so haven't given it much thought.

As far as our changes go - yes. Kind of. The rear suspension is still all original, with only the rear axle being changed. We can do this, as the axle is stronger, thus a safety improvement; and it offers rear disks, which are an encouraged upgrade. Much more robust than the original, and not considered a performance improvement. If anything, it's heavier.

The front end is closer to the grey area but should be ok. It's a factory made assembly, uses the same attachment points as the original crossmember, and is a similar design (unequal a-arms, coil springs, tube shocks), is fitted with original PV spec shocks, and like the rear axle, offers the improvement of disk brakes. It's also not considered a performance improvement (other than the encouraged disk brake fitment). Upper and lower balljoints, for example, aren't considered better than the original kingpins. The steering box change allows for the addition of a collapsible steering shaft. Rack and pinion wouldn't be allowed, but a newer version of the original old piece, when a factory made part, isn't an issue. Unless we're so insanely fast that we beat everyone. This is unlikely.

So on the one hand, they want the cars to be close to original in design, but allow substantial changes that will improve the safety of the occupants in the event of a crash. If we built custom tubular a-arms, for example, that would likely not be allowed - but we're sticking with parts that are from the same marque, factory built, and from the same design era. The rules are vague in some ways, for sure.

Cameron