Yep that's right, I'm a FNG from Fort Bragg. We'll see if I fit in around here or not. Hard to say given my current project, but I do see all sorts of things going on on this site that I like. Background. I come from the import side of the house, but I've been converted - mostly. My first build was a turbo'd 2003 Honda Civic (gasp, I know, but everyone has to start somewhere) that I took as far as I could, had too many horsepower side effects and decided to let it see the business end of my sawzall. At least I did all of the fabrication and everything else on it myself, no checkbook mechanicking here. I don't expect you to like it, but it was my baby at the time so here are some pics. My mother-in-law did the paint job on the valve cover. Enough of that. I took the motor too far and after rebuilding the head a total of 3 times and the motor twice within a year - this was a daily-driven street car, so that's no fun - I parted it out and cut it up. It was time to move on to something a little more fun. Once the Honda was being melted down and most of my partout was complete I found this little gem on the Raleigh craigslist. I couldn't p*** it up. 1966 Volvo Amazon is mostly stock form. I've named the car "Lucille" after my grandmother who p***ed away shortly after I acquired it. My wife and daughter like this car a lot more than they did the Honda. But the stock pushrod 4-cylinder and 4-speed solenoid activated overdrive. No thanks. This baby needs an SBC. So I start am***ing parts. Edelbrock manual 600, plastic mock block, Chevy T5, Ford 8.8" 4-link rearend, Mustang II front end, so on and so forth. The car is/was a unibody so I am fabricating a new frame out of 2x4 rectangle tubing and am making a structural floor out 1" square tubing so the ch***is is as rigid as I can get it. Momma wants this to be a comfortable car when it's all said and done, and I want to be able to take it to both the drag strip (no particular cl***, just RWYB) and maybe the road course, so it's going to take a bit to make it do both reasonably well. Stock motor next to the SBC (at the machine shop for a bore job now). Front end tacked in, motor mounts welded up and the mock block semi-***embled to check hood and inner fender clearance. Frame fabrication and fitment. Still a long way to go but getting there. I've still got quite a ways to go on the car, but it's come a long way. I went with this platform because I did not want a "me too" kind of car. I don't see very many cl***ic Volvos out there with an SBC under the hood - there are a few, don't get me wrong, but not many - and I'm really enjoying this build. 15x10s in the rear and 15x8s up front should give it a nice stance and all the factory chrome moulding business is coming off, I want to suicide the rear doors and make this little Amazon as mean as possible. All of the work that does not require a machinist will be done right here in my little garage. Well, like it or not, there she is.
Thanks, it certainly is a big upgrade. Turbos are fun, FWD turbos on an open differential....not so much. Although I had naive notions that this car would be cheaper to build than that Honda, boy was I wrong!
Welcome,,but the car is Off Topic reguardless of your choise of powerplants,,,a lot of us own O/T cars but don't post them here,,,pre 64,, HRP
Fair enough. I'll happily relegate the build to the O/T board. I don't have enough garage and marital space for an on-topic build just yet.
i went to a car show today and saw a lot of overbuilt cars that looked like a order catalog. if you get a picture in your head of how you want your car and you can do the work yourself and it still looks like a volvo sleeeeper .then to me its cool. if you must send someone send me lord 1st75th RANGERS
Good job with the slice and dice on the Jap ****. You need a little older car to impress this croud. So sorry. Even my import is a 57' mod. but I dare to talk about it on this sight. Some folks still dont understand AIRCOOLED.
Welcome to the Hamb, keep building and enjoying the site, it looks like you have the skills needed to build a Hamb friendly piece. Maybe on the next go-around..............
The Jalopy Journal
