Rally cars don’t need to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. A Pacific Northwest team out of Boise, Idaho decided to take part in this year’s Northwest Classic Rally, bought an affordable 1984 Volvo wagon with some needs, and in just a few weeks built it into a competitive rally entrant. They had lots of fun, and even passed a Mercedes-Benz Gullwing!
These wagons sold well on the coasts, banking on their strong reputation for safety.
“The build and the event were a blast, but the car has just been sitting since so it’s time to let someone else enjoy it,” said team member Jesse Mortensen. “We started with a good 240 wagon and put a lot of time and money into the suspension.” Finishing just in time, the team made the five-hour trip to Portland, Ore. without incident, ran the rally around Mount Hood for two days, and then returned to Boise unscathed.
The car is now for sale on eBay Motors, with spirited bidding and no reserve.
Good for carrying spare parts on rallies—or gear for a Cub Scout campout.
The Volvo 240 (and the 260) were introduced in 1974, in a variety of guises. The 240 was available as either a two- or four-door sedan or the popular wagon. The powerplant was initially a 1,784-cc four. For 1984, the model came with a taller grille and could be ordered with a new manual gearbox.
That’s the ideal spec in the Volvo offered here. In stock form, it produced 153 horsepower and was capable of zero to 60 in 8.5 seconds. That time could be slightly docked for the extra weight of the wagon.
This Volvo wagon is handled by a five-speed manual transmission.
Both the 1960s 544 and 122S Volvo have extensive competition history, and the newer cars make great vintage racers—because they’re very tunable and safe in accidents. Volvos handle fairly well in stock form, even the wagons. The combination of rear-wheel-drive, excellent visibility and comfort seats makes it a pleasure to drive.
But this 240 is better than most. It now has Bilstein heavy-duty shocks all around, all-new front bushings, and thicker sway bars from Volvo performance supplier iPd. These boxy Volvo wagons were big sellers in the U.S., especially on the coasts, and Volvo 240 parts are well supplied by eBay Motors.
“It now corners flat without any wallow, so we had no problem keeping up with the sports car guys on the rally,” said Mortensen. “Some of them were surprised to look in their rear-view mirror mid-corner and still see us on their tail.”
The team added the quad headlamps and a black grille from an earlier car.
There were other upgrades. New engine and transmission mounts were installed, as were quad headlights, and an older black grille. New tires went on the original rims, and the team also added a factory tachometer, an R-Sport steering wheel, and factory auxiliary gauges for oil pressure and voltage.
While not perfect, this squared-off Volvo is ready to go back on supermarket duty—or contest another road rally. “The 240 would work great as a family car,” Mortensen told eBay Motors, adding that its engine remains stock, not modified to make it undrivable in the suburban rat race. The rally sticker is still on the passenger door, but on the other hand, the spacious cargo area is ready for grocery bags.
See Wagon Volvo Cars and Trucks for sale on eBay.
