A Story about the Volvo 240 and its Redblock Engine - Iconic Cars and Engines #18
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- Опубликовано: 2 май 2024
- Today I’d like to tell you a story of an immortal car, the Volvo 240 and it’s indestructible heart, the Volvo redblock engine. Along the way we will take a deep dive into the history of Volvo and Volvo cars of the 70s and 80s, we will analyze their hardware and learn about the incredible legacy of these seemingly simple yet truly amazing machines.
Our story starts way back in 1961. When Volvo introduced this. The B18 inline four cylinder engine. It was a successor to Volvo’s b16 engine, an engine that had already built up a very respectable reputation for reliability. But Volvo said, nay, this is not enough or
det här är inte tillräckligt, so they took an already strong and reliable engine and made it stronger.
The b18 was a big step forward for Volvo because it marked the transition from a crankshaft with three main bearings towards one with 5. But this still wasn’t enough so Volve made the main bearings giant. In fact they were close to those of a truck. Volvo liked to boast how the b18 mean bearings were larger than those on a Ferrari V12, an engine that had to cope with dramatically more stress and much higher loads. The B18 had neither a chain nor belt to drive the camshaft. Those were seen as far too flimsy. Instead the cam-in-block was driven by gears, one of which was made out of fibers to reduce noice. Gears were chosen because unlike chains or belts gears can neither snap nor stretch. The block was made from cast iron. To make sure that the block and head expanded equally the head was cast iron too. And not just any cast iron. This was Swedish cast iron. Regarded since ancient times as the best iron in the world.
Now this approach and dedication to indestructibility that Volvo had set up during their experience with b18 would define the brand in the following decades. Now In 1966 a big step forward was made with the introduction of the 140 series. And then 1975, came the real deal, the 200 series. And for the 200 series Volvo introduced a brand new engine. The redblock engine.
The first engine with a red block to be considered a redblock is the B21 and the B21 marks a giant leap forward in terms of technology. The cam in block was gone and replaced with a single overhead camshaft. The gears were replaced with a belt. The head aluminum instead of iron.
But make no mistake. Progress did not equal weakness back then. The crankshaft and the rods were beefy and forged. The block was still a big thick heavy chunk of swedish iron and everything else was still made with a big fat margin for safety. So this engine was still a real tank. But unlike the engines that preceded it, it had firepower too.
Cmshafts started getting a bit more aggressive. Fuel injection came into play. And then……something beautiful. Turbos.
In 1983 were received what can be considered the pinnacle of the redblocks. The b23 turbo engine which was granted to the 700 series. You see turbos make more power but they also stress the engine more. So to ensure that the engine can cope with the stress Volvo made their turbo engine even beefier, despite the fact that their naturally aspirated versions were already more than capable of coping with a turbocharger. So the b23 turbo got forged pistons in addition to the forged crank and rods. And then they made the rods extra thick and beefy. You know just to make sure it’s strong enough.
But the 240 wasn’t left out either. It received almost the same engine, only downsized to 2.1 liters. Although its 155 horsepower doesn’t sound like much by today’s standards it propelled the 240 to 60mph in 9 seconds. The car driven by your match teacher was now just as fast as the local redneck’s Z28 or the preppy boy’s 944 all while being more practical, more reliable and far more discrete.
But the numbers weren’t enough to convince the masses that a Volve had performance ptenial. The 240 was still perceived as a boring sensible safe car for sensible safe people. So Volvo decided to change their minds. They took their 240 and decided to play things a bit less safe so they cranked up the boost until the engine made 300 horsepower. The redlock engine felt nothing and the flying brick was born. Along the way Volvo also patented a system to spray water into the intake manifold to help prevent engine knock. A car with aerodynamics of a wall came to the track and in 1985 won both the European and the German Car championship. It went on to take many podiums in many events around the world, From Scotland and Portugal to New Zealand.
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#d4a #iconicengines #volvo 
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I enjoy the teaching of internal combustion engines, if you every go down the path of internal combustion engines for aircraft please make video's. Opposed engines are what is really common in the aircraft world but Radials and other engines need love too. Thanks to your videos I understood the 4 stroke/5 cycle combustion and the other video's about the engines helped out a lot. Thank you for the great explanation and for teaching me about combustion engines.
That's really interesting. Are they still made to that standard and if not, which was the last model to be well built? I've never owned one but it's not too late to change that.
after this video, volvo 200 and 700 series have rose in prices around the world
and now is chinese ....
Dude, Iron is actually pronounced i-on in UK English, its a silent R
American English is pronounced I-earn. Your speaking it like hi-ron.
"A car with the aerodynamics of a wall, turned up at the racetrack and won both the European and German Touring Car Championships."
You're killing me. Perfect writing, timing , and matter of fact delivery. Hilarious.
Also won the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1986
Three million miles and I thought I was smart buying a Toyota! I want a Redblock
The flying brick it was thrashing big Jaguars and BMW's at Spa in the eighties
@@falconberlina8488 But couldnt win bathurst, thank god
Back when Volvo made Volvos.
This is the truth. Now they make euro boxes like everyone else. Still safe though, it seems.
unfortunately kinda true. have an new-ish Volvo my self. the build quality oft the car is good, its very safe, stable and over all a good car. but the drive train is not as good as before. the newer VEA engine family is kinda stressed and over complicated, much like modern VAG engines, and lack any character, again much like modern VAG engines. the 5 cylinders were great. but the 4 pots unfortunately are not.
@@phg4977 The problem with Volvo is that, just like it's German counterparts, it ditched the idea of "the everyday man's car" and went for the more luxury sedan section. Now said affordable vehicles are the purview of the Japanese and Korean automotive industry. I have a Volvo 2010 S60 and, while I really do enjoy it, know that it doesn't compare to both the affordability that its ancestor had.
@@CG-yq2xy Its better for the bottom line to sell fewer cars with higher margin than the other way around apparently.
@@salvadorpalma8173 now they are Chinese
The year is 4523, little remains of civilization. A small group of people unearth a relic of the old world.... A Volvo that still runs.
I was thinking, a few Volvos were still in use, the choice of giant cockroaches.
... Driven by Cher. :)
As the former owner of a 740, a 760 Turbo, and a 960, just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed this! I recently pondered selling my 2015 Ford Taurus Limited and searching for a 240 as my primary transportation, but my wife said, “Why would you want to be replace your nice car with an “old” Volvo??” You have a good answer here!!
You can certainly get a very nice looking reliable one for what you can sell that taurus for
You can explain your situation as equivalent to choosing the right life partner: a reliable life partner vs a young gold digger. Basically you said wifey is a Volvo..So, congrats 😅🎉
I'm still looking for another 760 turbo today. It was amazing and I wish I still had mine
I was hit by a bus in a 760. Firefighter said it saved our lives.
owned a 360 ,3 X 240 and my last Volvo 960 VOLVO MEANS I ROLL
Just when I thought your content couldn’t get any better, you unleash the love of my automotive life!
☝️ this
Ditto.
You own a 200, 700 or 900 series? I got a 940t wagon.
agreed
@@salvadorpalma8173 So do I 🙂
In my youth, I was strictly domestic cars. After my stint in the Navy, the only place that I was offered a decent job was with a Volvo dealership on Long Island. This break set me on the course that I followed for the rest of my life. I loved working on Volvos. I rebuilt 3 of them. These engines are beasts. After about a year I was offered a job working at Porsche by the shop foreman at Volvo. I decided to part ways with Volvo and continued to find love for imported cars. I worked for Porsche for the next ten years when I decided to open my own shop on Eastern Long Island. I specialized in all European cars. Now I had my hands back in Volvos as well as Porsches, BMWs, MB, etc. Life was good... I have since retired, but looking back on my decision to start with Volvo was probably one of the best life decisions I ever made. Thanks for this video and the memories it made!
Back when the goal wasn't planned obsolescence but rather: Build a good product.
Honestly love these cars. A friend of mine has one he's been driving since the mid 90:s. They just don't build them like they used to.
That was the 200 series' biggest problem. They were too reliable so who would buy a new car.
@@Nubbe999 Would have been its best feature if we lived in a saner world.
I wonder if the Japanese will do the same
My wife had a 240 wagon back in the 1990's - loved that car! I called it the swedish tractor. Ultra reliable, simple to repair, unnaturally good on snow, and ultimately saved several passenger lives when it got high speed T-boned by a commercial truck.
The stress tests sound even more insane than the legendary Chrysler slant 6. Apparently Chrysler thought the drivers that chose one would haul a house trailer at full throttle every day. Uphill, both ways.
Volvo must have asked "What if they added a second trailer, and it was snowing?"
now, Dad had an old retired Taxi, which had an audi straight 6 diesel, but we towed a tractor with that Volvo 244. Sadly far too many have been junked because Sweden got hard environmental laws about having a yard full of old car-wrecks.
@@andreassjoberg3145 kind of ironic because keeping an old car maintained is far better for the environment than buying new disposable cars all the time. I guarantee one million mile Volvo has impacted the environment far less than however many Teslas, new batteries and charges of those batteries it takes to go a million miles.
Edit: I forgot Sweden runs on hydroelectric and nuclear, but the manufacturing of the car and new batteries is the biggest impact in that equation anyway.
😂😂😂
Most of American designed In-Line 6's were made that way. They were initially built as industrial type for gas powered farm tractors and generators. The Slant 6 was so durable because when they tipped it over to accomodate the new low-line hoods, the unintened result was better oil wash and a slower oil return to the sump when the emgine was sitting cold. Thus, more oil was retained in the upper parts which simulated the modern pressurized oil systems of today. Oil is everything to longevity, and explains why the GM small blocks were so good. large oil galleys. large oil galleys also are present in the famous AMC 258-6, which Chrysler kept building as the 4.0L. Legendary engines.
@@OutnBacker …unlike 5.7L hemi’s which like to eat lifters due to oil starvation.
I owned three 240's between 1975 and 2008 and I can state without a doubt they were the most reliable and all round pleasant cars in my 53 years of driving.
Care to expand please? Are they smooth? How about steering? Fuel consumption?etc
@@elcortez5434 Fuel consumption was not a strong point I admit, 28 or so mpg around town, but in those days petrol prices were not the concern as they are today. They were comfortable and 'smooth' enough for me and family. The 1975 244 DL was the first car I ever owned with power steering so I found It light, especially for such a large car and all of them cornered very well. But it was the incredible reliability; the large carrying capacity; the fantastic heater on a winter day and the all important safety features that appealed to me. And the 'Red Block' B21 engines - say no more - unbreakable! For Instance our second 244DL bought in 1980 we kept for 18 years and that engine never had anything other than oil and air filter change, plugs, points and timing belt in all that time!
I've never wanted a vehicle so badly so quickly
Hello Peter how are you doing 😊
Back in the 1980's I sold cars. 1 year Chevy, and 3 years Volvo. The Volvo 240 series was unparalleled. My own 1983 lasted 375,000 miles and something like 20 years. She was sand beige, and I named her "Sandy". I still miss her.
A 240 turbo estate...one of my dream cars. An understated genius of motor engineering.
Get the 2 door if you can.
As a retired 40-year collision repair tech, really enjoyed the 240s all those and 740s, almost like a snap together toy. And if we had to do some light mechanical work that was easy to. This car was designed to be repaired properly in the event of a collision with ease and accuracy of repair.
and also designed to never be repaired mechanically. i have yet to see a 70-90 volvo engine that need any repair that is not general care like plugs....did anyone ever blow one with less than 900 000 km in the world ? hard to beleive the t5 is a reworked ford engine ( the 2.3 is a ford tempo engine running on volvo electronics . thats why people been buying tempo engine parts instead... way cheaper without volvo logo even tho its the same part with same quality and same part number just like audi/volks ) and knowing the 850/850R was even more reliable and durable than the famous b18 b20, it tells how volvo used to know that they were doing.
@@Broken_AK47 I had one with 300k MILES, the tranny was toast but the engine ran and looked like new.
@@Broken_AK47 Dad blew up a 940 engine once, but it was a trashed old car with a malfunctioning dash, no working temp gauge. One of the coolant pipes burst, and the engine kept trooping on until it seized like a brick.
Apart from that, nothing really. Leaky head gaskets occasionally, leaky rear main seal permanently. But just refilling oil slightly above low as soon as it hits slightly below low keeps the leak manageable.
Road in front of my parents house has a giant black mark from 2 decades plus of leaky oil seals.
Easily the best car I ever worked on, changing the brake pads made me insanely happy, I looked forward to it, I couldn't figure out why other companies weren't stealing the ideas
Because the design is to easying the mechanic's job to repair the broken parts of the car after collision with standard tools such as hammer, a saw, a metal plate scissor, and maybe a welding machine.
The old days were a practical age for mechanics, or for someone that had passion for mending things themselves.
Remember guys, it's not about how fast you are, it's about the girth of your crank shaft. 😏
overbuilt, underpowered, but lots of stamina!
@@mry82 Mmm. Nice. 🍻 You too are good for millions of miles? 😂
@@OutsideTheTargetDemographic Yep, but I mostly sit parked in the garage, lol...
@@mry82 Awwww. 🤣 That just means you don't have rust and you probably get waxed all the time. 😅
@@OutsideTheTargetDemographic bwahahaha. I like self-deprecating humor; it's not really that bad here, but you set a good foundation and it was too good an opportunity to pass up, haha.
This car is now a great car for Australia as it doesn't overheat even in summer. Was even able to fix broken timing belt on side road and drive away 🚗
...being a shop owner/mechanic for 53 years, I have to say, everything you said is true/no exaggeration......Great cars...........
Hello Paul how are you doing 😊
When you put the key in the ignition, I already had the startup sound playing in my head. And sure enough, it sounded exactly as I remembered when you turned the key :)
As a Swede born in the early 70's, that's what I grew up with. Thanks for yet another great vid!
Volvo is a Chinese Government owned Company now, brutally sad as the CCP mafia is going to kill Volvo and destroy its name. I had a Volvo for over 20 years, went everywhere with it... all over the country... Never broke. Loved it...
I have the same thinking when a BMW motorcycle wheels by. I still have 3 of them, but a brain injury prevents me from driving anything. My wife enjoys the '04 V70T5. A rocket ship of a Volvo which is still very popular in the traffic patrols of the UK.
My wife and I had a VOLVO 240 (245) wagon. It was a Euro-spec car that had been sent over here in error. The VOLVO dealer begged us to sell it back to them after they discovered this at our first service. We kept the car for a number of years before selling to a serviceman that was taking it with him back to Europe. This car would 'cruise' all day at speeds well above our speed limit without even breathing hard. And it got very good fuel mileage doing it too.
Suffice it to say, we loved that car.
I bet you wish you still had it. A truly amazing motor car.
I had a 1980 245 I bought in 1985 from someone in the US Air Force. He had bought the (US spec?) vehicle in England but had removed the catalytic converter so he could use it with regular gasoline. (I later had to buy a catalytic converter when I lived in a state with pollution tests.)
The only visible difference between mine and all the other 1980 245s was mine had round headlights. Suited me fine-- the round sealed beams were cheaper than the rectangular ones.
I spent a lot maintaining that car, but by the late 1990s I had trouble finding folks who could service it in my area. So I sold it to a guy who was a bigger fanatic. He had bought it for his adult daughter, who I hear hated it. I kept seeing it on the road for a few years. I don't doubt she finally found a way to wreck it irreparably.
It had electrical flaws but I just knew to carry some fuses, and plan to put in a new alternator every 100,000 miles
My first vehicle, a 77 245 4 speed manual.....I did that car wrong 😞
You were a fool to sell a European spec car to someone who just took it back to Europe.
volvo 740 was my first ever im def jelly xD
My family owned a 240dl for almost 30 years, it had over a million miles when we sold it in 2005😢 I miss it. I absolutely LOVED that Volvo wagon.
I can’t think of another person who has more of my respect. Every time I randomly watch you I say out loud to myself “God I just love this guy!” Common sense with high intelligence add in the innate sense of what we don’t actually know about things we love. GOODJOB.
You're too kind. But I'll take it 😁
10 Star Thumbs Up. An incredible, informative and humorous video.
A regular highly informative, stautus quo challenging video.
Accompanied by some brilliantly "PC bypassing" snarky humor along the way.
As a boomer big c.i. American V-8 fan with an Engineering Physics degree.
I learn new concepts every time I watch your videos.
It takes me back to why I love Engineering.
It's, unfortunately, the only science left where your results are displayed to the public.
@@d4a your attention to detail is superb, I've learned a lot watching your video's.
I've said before, this guy is who should be running the EPA. When was the last time the head of the EPA even had a car or license or intelligence?
One thing forgotten was that when the new OHC redblock was developed, volvo made it a non interference engine(most of them until 98 still are) in case the belt would snap no harm would be done to engine and you could put a new one in and continue to drive.
Volvo also marked up everything so you could retime it with ease yourself without any specialty tools.
Broke mine while ago, dropping some screw down the casing of the belt and it snapped when I turned the key. It was a 2h job, granted it was the first time with did it and my car has the ac bolts in a different spot from other models, which took at least 30m to figure out. Knowing what you are doing it is a 30minute job really. No special tools required. I basically can fix almost the entire car with a 15€ tool kit from Lidl.
All 8v redblocks except b230k with the heron head are non interference
yep, i stripped my timing belt one winter. took me half an hour to replace after buying one at the local dealer. when i blew my headgasket i just drove 140 kms home to the garage to change it. took an hour or so.
My brother drives this car (Volvo 940, B230F) for about 10KM without realizing the timing belt was stripped! It still arrives safely at the destination!
The only complains is "the engine does not run smoothly"
He order the new timing belt & he install the timing belt himself on the next day!
@@redblock5949 yeah, i have a B234f in my manual 940 wagon which is a 16 valve and sadly not a non interference engine but having a NA engine that makes almost as much power as the turbo version(155 instead of the turbo's 165hp) is pretty fun as well, especially bc it has an automatic locking differential from factory, which is awesome for drifting! So i'll accept the downside of having to change the timing belt at the correct intervals and not just driving it until it snaps lol. xD but the B230ft would have been pretty cool as well :D
As a mechanic coming up in the late 80s and early 90s...i wanted to hate the 240s...but i couldn't...they were , as you said...rugged,reliable, and simple...these days...if i could find one that isn't rusty i would buy it and resto mod it in a heart beat
Worked on Volvos for many years I know these 240s inside out , one of my all time favorite cars. We had several customers that had well over 500k miles on them
did several V8 conversions, easier than you'd think.
These Volvo’s were a huge part of my childhood. My grandparents bought 18 of them in row. They were teachers in Minneapolis that retired in 1968 and being from Norwegian and Swedish families decided to spend their summers driving around Scandinavia visiting family and exploring. They would buy the car from the factory in Gøttenberg in the Spring. Pick it up in June and drive it around until August. They would then have it shipped Virginia and drive it back to Minneapolis and use it until the following Spring when they would sell it and repeat the process. They always had friends that wanted to buy their last car. Bought the last one in 1985. When my grandma wrecked it it kept her from getting seriously injured despite the damage.
Hello Peter how are you doing 😊
I inherited my beige Volvo 240 from my great grandfather, I've done my best to take care of it and keep it as original as i could, it's an awesome car, probably the one and only car i'll ever have.
"Beige" says it all. I remember these cars. Never knew anyone who owned one.
What a fantastic story about over-building an engine for longevity.
The one and only car you will ever need!
Thank you so much for this one! Being 50yrs today and having lived in Sweden all my life, I remember those cars very well. Some say, it is the car that built Sweden.
Thanks again,
sincerely,
Alicia from Sweden.
You mean exactly 50 years?? So it's your birthday?? If so happy birthday and congrats on living in Sweden. I turned 51 last month but am still in denial! To myself I think I am fine staying at 50 foreva! Like Abba!
I must say that I love your calm voice and how you present things in a nice and understandable way. So many RUclipsrs have interesting channels but I just can’t deal with their high pitched screaming voices “Hey RUclips, what’s going on…” It stresses me out and I can’t stand it. So thanks for being the opposite of that.
My father was a Maths teacher, he had the Volvo 240 built in the 80's and a colleage of him (a Maths teacher of course) had the original Volvo 240 ;)
Fun fact about the red block: The same foundry line were those red cylinder blocks were made is still in use today making 11, 13 and 16 liter engine blocks for Volvo Group! (Trucks, VCE, bus and Penta)
I could not agree more. I used Volvo from 1978 to 1998, 20 years and it is a very good and reliable car. I had to divorce the car since in Indonesia it was rather difficult to get the spare parts and hard to find competent mechanic around where I live. At that time came to my mind if Volvo conducted simple training for the car users I would be more than happy to join the course. By the way I am a mechanical engineer. Anyway, I still admire that it was a good car. Cheers from Jakarta, Indonesia.
I drove one of the last Volvo 240 from the factory in 1993 at my local driving school in Norway. It was a sturdy and comfortable car.
As a young kid I always thought my Norwegian grandparents 200 series Volvos were the most boring cars on the planet. Now I'm coming to see them as actually pretty cool. Thanks for the great history lesson about this automotive classic
one of my childhood friends owns one of these 240 Turbo, he inherited the car from his father when he passed away. His dad was so cool he basically let all of us drive stick shift with that 240. We went on a road trip with the whole gang about 2 weeks ago, long story short, the 240 made the whole trip without a single issue
I may be a JDM fan, but the Volvo 240 Turbo holds a special place in my heart, that machine is the GOAT
JDM ? Have my doubts ! JDM means "japanese domestic market " , I cannot see you living in Japan and or driving cars meant JUST for the Japanese market (like KEI cars f.e.)
@@51tomtomtom KEI can be sold in EU now from 20 years ago. The Gull winged door 600cc 2 cylinder Suzuki mid engine could be upgraded to a Honda 4 cylinder 750 or a Harley?
Brick guy here. 940T wagon b230fk manual m90, from 97 with all the extras and 520000km. Original engine with perfect 162psi on all cylinders, original gearbox. Redblocks never die! Let's go!
Cheers from russia, same shit here, but a knackered one the odometer says 400-something, but i'd add about 200-300K to that, engine rebuilt by some previous owner with liners (discovered this when the head gasket let go), td04-19, vx3, lada ecu, about 250 hp @0,5 bar. Also got myself a 1988 745 with b234f recently, now trying to find a way to get hold of a timing belt tensioner...
@@zloychechen5150 the first owner of my car always brought it to the same dealership where he bought it next to his house. He was the kind of guy that pays Volvo to bring the car to anual inspection, you know, proper rich. LoL
With the car came an Excell sheet of all the maintenance and work done in the car for 24 years.
Just 30k ago they had the engine machined and all gaskets changed. That alone was a 3k euro job with receipt to prove it. It has to be one of the cars with the most prestine paper work ever.
@@zloychechen5150 it's hard to get the tensioner right now because you are in Russia? I can tell you some sellers, but don't know if they are shipping to RU.
@@salvadorpalma8173 Yes, it is kind of because of that, there are ways around this, it's just that i may have chosen the shittiest one of them all, so the process is stuck at the moment, if there's no progress in the nearest days, i'm ordering it through other means. But thank you for the suggestion.
@@salvadorpalma8173 This seems like a gem of an automobile. I wish you all the best in keeping that mother as nice as it is, and just generally.
You got a great content here, i have come to understand the best product in the business
The present issues of bank collapsing is a very good time to get into good digital business, since Elon musk has decided to buy SVB
Elon Musk asked managers at Twitter to nominate their best employees for promotion, then fired the managers and replaced them with their lower paid nominees
The present collapse of banks has really shown us that our money is not even safe in the bank
I was thinking the rich only thinks about the rich, but the case of Elon Musk is different
I never believed Elon musk will open a fair ground for investors, which comprises of the rich and poor to see need for investment, no matter how small they wants it to run
What can I say? Simply th best car ever built. My 240 GL SW (245) from 1993, still going strong, even better that I can say for myself.
I had finally talked myself out of buying a 240, and you come out with this.
What's making you doubt buying it? Maybe I can help you make that decision. Cheers.
@@salvadorpalma8173 Because I'll buy it, then end up spending $10K doing stuff to it. It's become a pattern with me. I should really buy a 2004 Corolla and just drive it.
Thank you for speaking about this "red block" engine.
My first car I've got from my dad was 240 Turbo, very strong, very reliable, also very easy to maintain.
Only my bad was, my self that I didn't properly cool down the turbo.
This was my very first car. We bought it among four friends to travel through Europe, with the ink of my driving license still wet. We even slept in it during a month. The best car ever, still love it!
I bought a 1986 240 Volvo wagon in 1998 from a couple I knew. They rolled it over on a highway, so the right side of the car had damage from front to back. They told me they flipped the car back to the ground and drove it home. I bought it for very little money. Drove it for about a year and sold it to a friend of mine. He drove it for almost a year. It was a tank.
Greetings from UK. The Volvo regardless of the model was always termed the "Doctors" car and considered a very safe and reliable "tank" hence a lot of professional people drove them. I never owned one but always hankered after the Volvo P1800 circa 1960, very flash at the time!
Greetings from Germany 🤩 here the 240-Series was the ""Teachers Car"
@@alterbayer7196 the German people and the British so similar in many ways!
Saw a P1800 at a car show last summer and was really taken by the sensuous lines and curves, a very pretty car indeed.
@@habsom1406 if my memory serves me correct some, if not all, P1800's were built in the UK by Jenson in West Bromwich.
@@Brit_Toolmaker Only from april 1961 - mars 1963, then they moved the manufakturing to Sweden and change the name to P1800S.
Can confirm these things are still out there. Saw one on the highways of California not too long ago keeping pace with modern cars like it wasn’t bothered. Amazing engineering!
They're still very common here in Sweden, especially on the countryside or outer parts of cities where a lot of old cars are still used.
Nowadays if you see one keeping pace with traffic in California, whats under the hood may not be a redblock.
@@Juancheros it may as well be a redblock, but now with 600 horsies
@@JuancherosLS redblock 🗿
I have a 4 speed auto 240 with the original engine and it’s still just fine for driving in traffic. A turbo would be nice, though.
You still see quite a few old Volvos on the roads in Sweden. They are incredibly reliable cars. They also have quite an enthusiast following here.
My friend ran over me with this car and it did not take any damages. Recommended 10/10 what a beast!
NO WAY you just uploaded this video! I literally bought a Volvo 940 Shitbox wagon for drifting and road-trips last week lmao. (I paid 650€ for the ”broken“ car and already got the engine running again and it rips and drifts amazing!)Thank you for your always awesome content man!
safe driving Friend... ✌️
My boss at work used to own a Volvo 740 like 25 years ago, he used to give it to us for errands, it was built like a tank but for the size it was very easy to drive and extremely comfortable, I was impressed with it. Never had the chance to drive a 200 series unfortunately. Thanks for the video Chief 👍
My first car was a 740 GL Turbo Wagon in 1992! Dark blue metallic with all the chrome all around. Even roof rails and trims. I usually parked this car in spaces two hands longer than the car itself was. Pedestrians stopped by because they could hardly believe. I loved the possibility of having an absolutely flat extended trunk to sleep in over weekends at the sea!
In sweden its often reffered to as unkillable, An old lady close to were I live hit a mooze with her 740 going around 80km/h and the only thing that happened to the car was a slight dent in the roof wich they dented out really easy.
@@mixalisstathis274 hi bro ..... My 245 (kombi) was for years my Camping-Car ....... with a 2m long air-mattress behind the seats ......
@@alterbayer7196 As I am only european average when it comes to hight (175cm) it was like a king and his castle resp. masterbedroom on wheels. With this "Kombi of Love" I took even my canoe (stuffed with luggage) and 3 friends down to the south of france. Or camped "stealth" on the parkinglot for 4 days during the 24h of Nürburgring...
Boogiedown Memorylane!
@@wood_louse119 I hit a Lancia Beta that shot onto the street inbetween parked cars broadside at approximately 45km/h - Lancia 0, Volvo 1. The Lancia got a salvage-title after this surprisingly but hefty meeting.
The impact these sturdy Swedish icons have had on me personally is probably immeasurable.
My grandfathers brother, a CEO back in the 90s had to choose a company car. Everyone was driving Mercedes, but he liked Volvos. So he picked up a 940 with just about all the comforts one can fathom in the 90s. And of course with the biggest engine option available, 2.3L turbo. He clocked in more than a hundred thousand kilometers and in the meanwhile I was born. Sometime early 2000s my grandfathers Volvo 740 had a tree fall on it. While my grandfather did have it fixed he figured it might be time for a new car anyway. So the brothers struck a deal and my grandpa became a happy owner of a nice 940. Clocked in a couple thousand kilometers on it some of them with me as a kid. A kid who fell in love with that cars simplicity, elegance and charisma.
Shortly before his passing, my grandpa gave me the keys knowing how I grew up loving the car. I drove him to our favorite coffee place we used to regularly visit and despite his worsening health we had an amazing time reminiscing. Then one autumn day we laid my grandpa to rest, with that Volvo visible in the nearby parking lot. I couldn't help feeling like a piece of him was still left here with us.
Now with 600 000km closing in I can't imagine a thing that would make me give up this car. It could sure do more love than I can afford right now, but the red cast iron heart has never stopped beating.
I always get cheery with videos of old Volvos and I do feel like this video made justice to something I so dearly love. Can't believe it took me a year to stumble on this but boy am I glad I did. Thank you.
Great posting. Thanks.
LOL, I will have to show my daughter this video since she is the one driving our beat-up old 1990 Volvo 240. One thing that Volvo definitely screwed up on was the crappy odometers which tend to all fail miserably as the plastic gears disintegrate. Also, the engineer who came up with the flame-trap and its location deserves a serious dope-slap.
A very nice homage to Volvo and the redblocks! I would like to note that the 5 cylinder engines succeeding the redblock are also known for reliability, sound and performance. While I will probably never own a 240 series, I take comfort in the sound of my turbocharged 5pot.
Turbo 5 is awesome!
850 = what a sound !
just what I wanted to say. I know, it's a new generation of engine, but the 800 series was just as awesome, and just as reliable. Also, the only station wagon to race in BTCC
I've owned 16 Volvos in my life - 120s, 140s, 240s, 940s, and an S60R... The best sounding 2 were my 71 142E with it's B20E injected motor and 130HP (understated/underrated) and my R... that 5 just sounds amazing. The 240 Turbo intercooled engine sounded good at full revs, but still sounded like a sewing machine/tractor at idle...
@@51tomtomtom Hello Thomas how are you doing 😊
I used to get roasted for having multiple old bricks but it seems like they get more and more recognition every day! An interesting variation of the redblock engine is the 2.5l 16v version that only came in marine applications.
Another interesting engine is the b204ft 16v turbo, the most powerful stock redblock. Developed mainly for Italian market and only 2.0liter for tax reasons
the prices are rising and attention is coming. they're awesome cars but i don't think i want everyone to know
My dad has one of those marine engines stashed away in a shed.
glad you mentioned the aq171c, i've got one in my garage waiting to go into my 240 estate
@@nedclarke2716 I’m piecing together a 16v 2.5 turbo for my 780 bertone. I bought the crankshaft and block from an aq171 or aq151 and the 16v from a 740/940GLE. I’m going with forged pistons and connecting rods so it should be a unit
thank you... my best friend from 1998 -2008 was given a 240 Turbo as a gift from his late Grandad... we drove all over UK in that car... it was awesome... sadly Daniel passed away of a heart attack in hosp. back in 2008... but i feel he would be smiling as he looked over my shoulder at this awesome video... it meant a great deal to me to see the history of Daniels 240... many many thanks! 🍸
Love hearing that engine, the sound of my childhood!
My mom got an old 240 when she graduated law school. Drove my sister & me around in it for years as a kid. Was unkillable & always cranked when you put the key in. Damn thing is probably still rolling around somewhere.
I remember a 240T absolutely cleaning up in NZ touring cars in the 80s. The rules were loose enough (back then) that you could bolt on a huge turbo at any boost to a 2 litre and be fine. Hence the 240T was boosted to ridiculous levels and cleaned up against NA 5 litre V8s
Still can in most countries. (freedom sounds intensify)
What horsepower rating did you get out of it, do you have any idea?
I was working for the local dealer and importer for Volvo in New Zealand in those days phone never stopped for enquiries to buy..I later moved on to Australia owned 2= 240 series lucky also worked for 2 dealerships there .Back to NZ AND A 360 AND 240 and my last one a 960 -great cars the 360 gearbox rear axle was a great little car VOLVO I ROLL
Ever owned a Volvo bit this video made me regret not finding one that I could afford back in the 80's and 90's. Excellent documentary thank you!
The Volvo B18 engine was iconic and a reliable workhorse from the P544 ,Amazon and 142/44 etc.
You're the David Attenborough of the petrol head World.
Among the many vehicles I've owned and driven over 34 years, the 240 was one of my favorites. I miss my 240.
Last year, I purchased a 91 Volvo 240. I am a truck guy who owns 3 90'S ERA Gm pickup trucks, and this was the first car I purchased because of higher fuel prices.
I decided to purchase a 240, and I love this car. I was amazed how simple the car is to work on, and it's fun to drive.
I would definitely purchase another 240 to add to my collection of vehicles. Thank you Volvo for making a great simple car.
The world needs an explanation of Multiair vs VVC vs VTEC etc and you are the best guy to do it
Rust and the wiring harness sent more 240s to the crusher than anything. One of them is easy to fix.
🤣
That pre 90s wiring harness was the worst. We didn’t get the rust issues here out west
@@dartdude4084You are so lucky with that. Even today cars from California are imported into the Netherlands sometimes and they always have ridiculously low rust for their age.
@@elmanitasdeplomo my Volvo GT has rust in the trunk lid. Came from the Oregon coast though
Thank you for making this video! I'm not sure how many people will read this but last year I searched for a vehicle to swap out my current daily 1986 300zx with. I love my Nissan so much and I just figured I'd have a "beater" car to daily. I needed something that wasn't too new or costly to repair, and especially reliable. Suddenly one day on Craigslist I found someone selling a blue 1988 Volvo 740 wagon for 850 dollars with 188k miles. It was driven by a 93-year-old lady and it had 2 small dents here and there. I didn't mind the character that came with it. It even has the owner's manual! I was lucky enough to be the first person to look at the vehicle and sure enough, I made the deal. Four thousand miles later, "Blueberry" is doing great! I've replaced a fuel relay, a timing belt that had been previously done in 1998, and replaced the fuel filter. I also tinted the windows and upgraded the sound system with a small amp and subwoofer to make it a little modern. It has the same redblock the 240 has and I love the brick shape of the wagon. It has room when I need it and I even bought her some new shoes that really set off the look. I've gotten many compliments and even a few offers to sell her. I'd be stupid to let her go! I'm very thankful this extra vehicle has entered my life and has become my new daily driver. I hope everyone can have their own version of Blueberry too :)
I got a ”redBerry” 1997 Volvo 945 turbo.
Fantastic video! Great content!
I will always remember reading Car Magazine back in the day and the pros and cons for all cars on the last pages. For the Volvo 2 series the pros were that It last forever and the cons were that It last forever 😏
Thanks for the memories of my 264, 245GLT, 760, V70R, S60, S80, v50, and I may have missed some.
Hello Bob how are you doing 😊
Great video. I had a 1976 Volvo 244. (2 Series, 4 Cyl, 4 Door) and it was an incredible solid car, I drove it all over Europe and it never let me down, bought with 120,000 miles and sold with 190,000 miles, it was starting to use a bit of oil but still good. Later I moved to live in Thailand and I bought a Volvo 940 with the redblock turbo, I loved that car more than any car I have ever owned, but when I left Thailand in 2016 I had to sell it was I was moving to Ireland and exporting the car was not really an option. The old Volvos are amongst the best cars ever built, I have no experience of the later ones.
Back in high school, the parents of a friend (not teachers) had a blue 240. We as teenagers found the thing boring. One day this friend, who is a huge guy, took a baseball bat and hit full force the bumper. It made only dry noise. We were deeply impressed.
Ah, the ice-dumping technique.
Thanks for the production and upload! I grew up in a Volvo 144. It never failed us in over 10 years. Always started, always ran. Great car! Now I have a Volvo 740 GLE with a B230F engine. It does have an aluminum top, but OK. It has about 300.000 miles on it, but it still runs like clockwork. Nothing has ever been done to the engine or the transmission except normal maintenance. I think the car will outlast me, and I'm 54 now. From my military service, I also have some experience with the BV202 and the Volvo L3314 (called the "Valp", or "Volvo felt" (popularly "Folvo velt" because of its high center of gravity, and prone to tipping over), and I can vouch for them both. They always started and ran, no matter how hard they were driven. Never failed. Great engines!
My folks went to Sweden to pickup their 1969 144. You picked it up at the factory, and toured Europe to get 3500-miles on it, at which point they could be imported as a used personal vehicle, and not have to pay the import duties. My younger brother got it in 1982. And drove the hell out of it. It got totaled, while parked at the curb, at 600,000-mile by a drunk in a Volkswagen Beetle. He was pretty pissed because he had just rebuilt the entire suspension. The Insurance company gave him $3500 for it and let him keep it. He rounded up a Non-running 145, and swapped the drive train and suspension into the 145.
My late uncle had several Volvo Amazon and also 140 til his death in 1980. And as a fact, the second last built "Volvo Amazon" became donated and driven from the Factory in Göteborg in Sweden to Helsingør/Elsinore in Denmark, and is exhibited in the local Technical Museum! It has 600 km and still its original protective plastic on its seats!
Great! I had an Amazon built in 1967 in the early 90s. A great car. Cheers from Stockholm.
I restored one 245 few years ago, today it has 180hp and is a great daily driver
I can attest. I had a 1984 Volvo 240 wagon. Absolutely bullet proof.
Excellent video. The amount of research that goes into your videos is amazing and very much appreciated!
Some legends say the engines are still running on the testing rig.
😂😂😂
By god, he’s back, and back with engines explained. Does it get any better than this? I adore this series and I hope you keep putting them out.
Thank You!!! Thank You!!! Thank You!!! I remember when I was young my Grandma was a nurse at the hospital, and she drive a Volvo, and the year was 1972, and I remember getting to ride with Grandma a couple of times in her Volvo!!! I Love the fact that my Grandma loved Safety!!!
I bought my first car, an 89 740 in march of 2022 at 19 years old with 292k kms on the clock, it was a stock N/A car some time ago. Previous 2 owners spent lots of time replacing all the non turbo parts and installing a 531 head with a 15g to pair up with it, along with all the other 940 turbo parts.
sitting at around 315k now with a stage 2 clutch, lightened flywheel, on 15 pounds of boost, and BCRacing coilovers. I think that these cars are the best in the world. they are sporty with the right mods, and will keep up with pretty much any modern hot hatch, and more. I intend on keeping this car the rest of my life, whether that means i have to rebuild it 15 times or not. I'm making sure this brick shithouse stays upright, so that 20 years down the road I can confidently say that the volvo 740 and the redblock with all its counterparts is the most reliable and enjoyable motor/car ever made.
Wow. I really liked all of your videos explaining engines & its technology since 1-2 years ago, and today I'm extremely surprised because this is my daily car! I still drove '95 Volvo 940 from my father, which still uses the B230F Redblock engine! I really really love to learn about latest engine technology and F1 engines, but well, this simple, robust, and reliable engine wins me over efficient & powerful engine but built to fail like a soda can 🤣.
I have the original service book/manual - it provides maintenance schedule until 25 years & 1.000.000KM! I was literally laughing seeing that back then!
Every repair is very simple to do and the dealer service manual (along with the VIDA software) really well documented. It is over 600 pages but everything is explained thouroughly how it works, and how to troubleshoot and repair.
I am not a car mechanic, but me & my brother now repair this car on our own since last 10 years.
I believe this is my favorite of your presentations. I was 10 years old when my dad bought our first new automobile, a 1969 Volvo 142. I felt like an astronaut riding in that car. Why? It was the first car we had with seatbelts! He taught me to drive that car a year before I received my learner's permit...off road of course. ;-) Thank you for reviving the great memories. I think I'll peruse Hemmings and see what's on the market.
I owned a Turbo 945, a Turbo 940 and an NA 740. I miss those cars dearly.
I had a 244 back in the mid 80's and used it to do a house move. The back passenger doors opened wide enough to get a full sized TV / video unit on the back seats. Epic car that I have fond memories of to this day.
My father had two Volvos in the seventies and eighties 244 and 245 GLT. Fantastic cars. Beautiful as well.
i got to say i never expected you to talk of the beloved brick, but the video made justice and it is so true,
the teenagers in scandinavia love these, myself included. first car was a 740 with 400k KM on the clock and i dailied it rallied it and was off the road with it several times before me banging the oil sump gave the engine a early demise during a rallycross day.
got a 240 now with it's "SPORTY" B23FX engine 136 maad natural aspirated ponies xD and some bolt on upgrades like under drive pulleys lighter flywheel bigger throttle chipped ignition and fuel ecu and a budget ported head soon to be slapped on.
love my brick
Can you tell Me where I can get chips for my b230fk? I am from Poland btw.
@@bitchinflexin BSR also got tuning chips and wastegates up to 0.8 or 1 Bar of boost as they sell as pacage deals
@@Stale_Mahoney they will ship to Poland? Can you tell me few quick info about these chips? What can I expect? No cutting fuel etc.?
@@bitchinflexin the ecu chips control the fuel and the ezk chips controll the ignition, so often it's fuel chips you need to run higher boost without getting fuel cut
the ignition chips may allow more advance on the NA engines, but more retarding on the turbo chips as higher boost might mean more retard ignition if knock is detected
@@bitchinflexin so if you are looking for a mild upgrade you can install a manual boost controller and adoust up til the stock ecu fuel cuts, as the only difference between the 135hp and 165hp engines was the wastegate pressure and not even the ecu's or open the stock wastegate and put washers in it to stiffen up the spring also works
I was a Volvo tech for 5 years. Loved working on these cars. The 240s were overbuilt tanks that were pretty much indestructible.
I follow your journey since about 160k subs and you keep making entertaining and informative vids. Thank you, mate.
I used to have a 1983 navy blue 242 DL. I ended up selling it for a couple hundred bucks, because I was moving out of state. This was almost 14 years ago, and I'm still kicking myself for selling it to this day. It was an unbelievable car!
Since you only went over the best parts then i will mention the Achilles heel of the 200 series. That being the transmissions. The engines alone could easy handle 500hp without much modifications but every transmission would not handle over 250hp.
I recently took apart my volvo 240's redblock that has gone 400 000km. It has been in the family since it was new. Maintenance have been good oil changes and fuel cleaning solution every once in a while. Every single specification on clearance was as factory. I was both impressed and slightly mad since i already bought all the parts to replace everything. These engines are insanely durable as long as you do oil changes.
Also fun fact about Volvo's name. It was actually supposed to be a ball bearing name from SKF. But they ended up not using it. So when 2 guys that worked for SKF wanted to make a car company they asked SKF for help. They gave them the name and some capital to let them achieve the dream of a Swedish automobile.
Volvo means “I roll”.
I love this channel. The way he narrates makes it like bedtime stories for gearheads.
My family has had 3 Volvos. 2 240s and a 740 turbo. The first 240 was destroyed by a driver that t-boned me. Walked away from that one. I then found another 240 for $800 that had a salvaged title from Az. I absolutely loved that car. Never had any major issues other than the in tank fuel pump going out. Then my parents owned a 740. I really enjoyed the extra power that came from that turbo. I would love to find another one someday.
What an immortal beast… 😈🤙🏾
I am still a grate believer of the redblock, had a b230 squirter in a 940 that ran just about doubled it's HP with a few mods on a stock never opened block. She was mint for 8 years and proper high milage . Lost her to an accident. I so miss that car 😭
What kind of mods? I am from Poland and I don't know how to get chips
I've owned two: an '82 240 DL and an '87 wagon. Both were awesome. What I appreciated the most was the ease of maintenance and repair (only one repair was ever needed). I also owned a 940 Wagon and had nothing but problems with it. Times change.
I own 2 Volvo 240 and then 740 many years ago. Good cars. Absolutely
The best cars ever made
My first car was a 71 120 2 door. Loved that car. Super fun to drive. Loved the look too.
Hello Frank how are you doing 😊
Very interesting/well done! I always remember Volvo had the best reputation of safety & how their style hardly changed but had such a great reputation. Brings back memories when cars had SO MUCH room to work under the hood! 👍✊🖖🇺🇸
My mum (and later me too) drove the 240 GLD Diesel 2.4 liter 6-cylinder limo. That was such a marvelous car: space inside, some power with 80 HP, and lots of ruggedness. Starting at -20C after 3 minutes of constant ignition and preheating tries -> worked, no damage; cooler was weak after 13 years and the engine overheated twice but saved itself by thermal throttling, no damage to the cylinders/pistons!; about one hour of back and forth being trapped on an iced hill slope in Bavaria with the clutch smelling badly, you name it: no damage. Thing had knock and "nailing" like hell from the start, car dealer said that was intended, do not worry. And you could drive it with 6l/100km on German motorways with 100 km/h. Those were the days ;)
Maybe not the 240, but the early 960s also got redblock engines. And what I love about that model the most is that they used Aisin transmissions. A lot of cars, especially Toyotas, from the 2000s used Aisin transmissions also, which made the already easily maintained car even easier to maintain, especially with how you can just drive to any dealership and ask if they got the transmission for a typical Toyota minibus instead of a Volvo's. My dad's 960 has a cheaper maintenance price than my mom's much newer Honda Fit, and it gets roughly the same mileage when used on highways.
Very well made video as well! I appreciate your implementing of a couple of swedish quotes 👍 In salty Norway these cars are still daily drivers and I am proud of them being the closest car manufactured to 🇧🇻.
Volvo still massivly popular in Belgium, it feels like 2/3 of cars are Volvos there.
Swedish engineering never fails
It does when gets implimented with cheap Chinese parts
In the late 70's I had a 240 Volvo Estate. Absolutely loved the car, solid reliable and comfortable! Great motor!