Hi all, figured its about time to get all the pics together and start a thread to show off my long and slow 1992 940 GL (B230FB, AW71) build!!

This car is a one owner from new, my grandfather bought it in 93 ( I think). He drove it until 2010 when it ran out of rego after he purchased a new XC90 (at the time). I used to drive it around the paddock for a year or so and then it just sat undercover since. It only has 136000 km's!

Fast forward to April/May this year, and getting it back on the road.

There were 2 issues stopping it from passing RWC, the SRS airbag light and shot suspension (It was more floaty than a boat!). A full service was also done with all fluids being replaced.

Srs issue was corrected after turning the car inside out, and replacing a airbag crash module.

Suspension was fixed with the following, which is where the photos start!
Out with the old!







Bump stops were completely rooted.

Lots and lots of dried grass falling out of nooks and crannies from the paddock driving ;)

New suspension stuff arrives:







Next up, some little visual mods. Pin stripe and ugly guard protector removal.




Mocked up some V8 Supercar wheels from the FPV. Would look awesome. I'm getting some hub adapters from the USA shortly to actually run the wheels on the car!


Night pic, after I lost the hubcaps that have been on it since day one :(


Went to look at some wheels from ozzytyres:


1st of August. Night drive for L platers on the south circuit of SMSP. I went the month before on the shortened main circuit. Was a really fun night carving up the other L platers in a Volvo!! (I've been racing karts since i was 7). Few of my mates came with, FG Xr6, rb25 Vl turbo, holden astra and my other mate who isn't in the pic in a BF Mk2 xr6.
Few things learnt about the car here:
1. It's slow as fu**!!
2. It needs a manual ASAP
3. The brakes are rubbish, I did about three full on laps and got pulled in for driving too fast, all you could smell was brakes.
4. It handles really really well.



(continued on in next post, image limit reached)
Some 8v goodies from KL Racing arrived. Intake manifold, headers, fuel rail and some gaskets.


These will be up for sale soon as im going 16v swap, so if anyone wants them just shoot me a message!

Pic from Bents Basin a couple weeks back


I then bought a way overpriced POS parts car from Queensland that cost more to get it here than the car itself, with an M47 and B230FB.







Checked all the engine tolerances and they were all pretty much perfectly in spec with OEM after 300 000 unknown km of someone else's driving.

The plan is to build the engine and box and then swap it out with mine once its all finished.
I was going to go 8v but I got a great offer on a 16V car which i'll be picking up next weekend.
Basic list of what to do includes:
- 16v head swap
- haltech ecu
- 2.5 stroker
- Individual throttle bodies
- stronger clutch
- Maybe lighten the flywheel

Some other stuff I am looking at doing shortly as well includes:
- Adapting a set of FPV GT Rpsec 4 piston Brembo fronts and PBR rears to the 940 that I have lying in the garage
- More bracing
- Some sort of hugging driver seat (sick of flying out around every corner)
- Reset the king springs an inch lower
- New steering wheel, assuming I can find away around the airbag system and not getting a massive defect for it!

I'll update this thread as the build goes along :) Feel free to comment ! I hope you guys enjoy!
Is this going to be a track car? Bigger brakes etc and an na 16v sounds like it. Sounds very keen. And worrying about an air bag for defects is the least of worries...

I do flat flywheels drilled for 240mm clutches to suit a t5, but can use a 235mm Volvo clutch, it's a lot cheaper with a clutch than the new options, but it is lighter and a lot more heavy duty than a dished flywheel by more than a few kgs and can be lightened safely.

Particularly to buy the kl racing parts for an na car with a stock head, what cam were you going to use? And valve/port work?

What compression will you go for on the 16v? You've seen the 2.5 crank for sale as well on here I'm guessing?

Who does your machining work to adapt the brakes? Interested in the design for the adapters. Even if it's overkill for 130wkws na!

Did you fit good pads and brake hoses to the stock brakes for the track day? They are not horrible brakes with good pads I've found. The 302mm 850 callipers is an easier upgrade but not as track special, they do hold up pretty well on mountain runs though!

I'm guessing your parents are very involved with this if you've been racing carts forever, you'd have learnt or get help from them?
gavinh;118741 wroteVery nice
Thanks!
Vee_Que;118742 wroteIs this going to be a track car? Bigger brakes etc and an na 16v sounds like it. Sounds very keen. And worrying about an air bag for defects is the least of worries...

I do flat flywheels drilled for 240mm clutches to suit a t5, but can use a 235mm Volvo clutch, it's a lot cheaper with a clutch than the new options, but it is lighter and a lot more heavy duty than a dished flywheel by more than a few kgs and can be lightened safely.

Particularly to buy the kl racing parts for an na car with a stock head, what cam were you going to use? And valve/port work?

What compression will you go for on the 16v? You've seen the 2.5 crank for sale as well on here I'm guessing?

Who does your machining work to adapt the brakes? Interested in the design for the adapters. Even if it's overkill for 130wkws na!

Did you fit good pads and brake hoses to the stock brakes for the track day? They are not horrible brakes with good pads I've found. The 302mm 850 callipers is an easier upgrade but not as track special, they do hold up pretty well on mountain runs though!

I'm guessing your parents are very involved with this if you've been racing carts forever, you'd have learnt or get help from them?
Its going to be a track/daily until I get off my p's. Then hopefully put a v8 in it and buy a 242 and swap this stuff over :)

Thanks for the information! Once I get up to the box side of things ill shoot you a message !

Not a clue on cams and such yet, haven't even picked up the 16v head yet. Thats hopefully this weekend. Just some basic port work to free up the flow a little bit, nothing too serious. I'm just scared about blowing third gear haha!

Not sure exactly, Dad wanted to go all out with the 3.1 from SPM but there is no way I want to drive that as a daily, I want to stick with an SPM 2.5 stroker kit as its the same displacement as the Penta block and they make good numbers. Probably somewhere around 10:1 or up most likely. Have to be very careful with the tuning because the last thing I want is for it to ping its head off with compression that high and in our 45 degree summers.

No one yet :lol: They've been sitting in the garage since we upgraded the 6/4 Brembos on the GT. I just held up the rears and compared them to the Volvo and they look like they will fit without much difficulty in making a bracket. Once I get around to that ill detail it in the thread. If theres enough interest and the design is good enough ill see about selling the design to someone who can mass produce them. But the PBR rears are about double the size of the standard fronts so they should stop really well haha.

No because technically it wasn't a 'track day'. It was just for L Platers to learn how to drive without fear of oncoming traffic and people sitting up their asses. Except I was blasting past them :lol: They are just whatever my grandfather had on there the last time he got them done, standard hoses for sure though. New fluid in it when we did the rwc.
The main idea for the Brembo's is i've got them sitting around so why not use them instead of taking up space right?

Yes my dad is a pretty cool dude haha. He built the first Injected ITB LC Torana way back in the day on his own, tuned with a motec ecu. He doesn't work on cars for a living but he's pretty knowledgeable so i'm trying to learn everything off him :)



Of course, having a parent who is not opposed to this stuff. And then helps with it is pretty rare.

Especially if he wants to buy a complete engine from Sweden!

I'd look at the local crank with yoshifab.com long rods and short pistons if the money is there to spend. But a whole 2.5 stock rotating assembly with a 16v head with valve spring upgrades (the 16v head outflows an 8v head by a large margin stock for stock, even up to upgraded valves on the 8v) is still going to breathe well. Especially if you balance the lot and lighten the crank a tad. Yoshifab of course do the 16v adaptor kit too, it does make it simpler, but a 16v block with external oil pump can be an advantage.

11:1 c.r. Is where you want to be. No point going basically stock if you want more power, alloy heads handle more comp then iron do and especially with itbs, you want all the help you can get.

You could have stock Volvo pads, or just the cheapest pads. Worth a look before going too mad possibly.

Does the current flywheel for this car, have holes drilled for lh2.4 in it? I read it came from an 87 740? they are lh 2.2
Yes i'm pretty lucky!! ( I do have a job though.. don't want to sound like those spoilt kids that their parents buy them brand new Audi's when they turn 17. I know a few.. lol)

Thanks for all the information its really helpful in gathering local information! I did tell him about yoshifab but he wanted to know where they sourced the actual material from.

Yes thats the idea, originally wanted to go 8v for simplicity but if i can pick up a cheap 16v (which is what im doing), then why not!
I haven't heard good things about the actual b234 block for building an engine? Why do you recommend that over a b230 block?

The yoshifab adapter stuff was what I wanted to do anyway, especially because of the sensor that they sell to eliminate the dizzy and go to an electronic crank angle sensor.

They're most likely cheap pads, along with the china tyres. Will check when it all gets pulled apart.

Yep the flywheel is lh 2.4 58 hole 2 hole gap. Main reason why I justified paying so much for the POS.
The guy that owned it before the guy that I bought it off (I know, confusing), said it came out of an 88 240. The clutch in it looks new and the gears and syncros aren't crushed or anything so I think most of my worries have been alleviated with all the problems I hear about the M47.
Welcome to the forum. You look like you've done your research, and can complete this project.
The b234 is not liked for turbo and 240 operations, if you use a front crank trigger and new sensor off the cam on the stock 16v head, you would be ahead in a way. They don't lend themselves to being turboed so they are dismisses. The external oil pump was done for a reason and I can't see why it wouldn't flow more to suit the 16v oil feed requirements. The idler would be removed and as long as you keep on top of the belts. It shouldn't be an issue, they are otherwise the same as a redblock internally with a slightly longer crank snout.

The yoshifab parts are just as reputable now as any other Chinese made stuff, which the swedes also do. It's down to quality control. Josh at yoshifab is not R sport international. Though thier parts hold up too.


And yeah, kids who can race year on year in go carts, in my experience the parents are major backers come real car time too. Sorry got the assumption.
A_Volvo_Driver;118836 wroteWelcome to the forum. You look like you've done your research, and can complete this project.
Thanks mate :)
Vee_Que;118837 wroteThe b234 is not liked for turbo and 240 operations, if you use a front crank trigger and new sensor off the cam on the stock 16v head, you would be ahead in a way. They don't lend themselves to being turboed so they are dismisses. The external oil pump was done for a reason and I can't see why it wouldn't flow more to suit the 16v oil feed requirements. The idler would be removed and as long as you keep on top of the belts. It shouldn't be an issue, they are otherwise the same as a redblock internally with a slightly longer crank snout.

The yoshifab parts are just as reputable now as any other Chinese made stuff, which the swedes also do. It's down to quality control. Josh at yoshifab is not R sport international. Though thier parts hold up too.


And yeah, kids who can race year on year in go carts, in my experience the parents are major backers come real car time too. Sorry got the assumption.
Cheers for the info @Vee_Que We'll see what happens. Just need to do some more planning before anything actually happens and i'll update the thread as I go. Do you mind if I shoot you a message if I need some more help? Tia.

Well, not technically racing as thats super expensive, but whenever we have a chance we try and go out on track.
All good :)
Yes it is, just like motocross. Pm away.
The gap between competing and going out for some fun can be huge! Looks like you have a Rotax on an Arrow X2 or later (or just a sticker kit?)

Best of luck with the Volvo project!
Vee_Que;118844 wroteYes it is, just like motocross. Pm away.
Just got myself a 250 2t not long ago, haven't taken it on the mx track yet!
AshDVS;118846 wroteThe gap between competing and going out for some fun can be huge! Looks like you have a Rotax on an Arrow X2 or later (or just a sticker kit?)

Best of luck with the Volvo project!
Thanks!!

Dads is the X1E and mine is the CRG Kalifornia. They're both 30/32 chassis. He's got a Rotax Max and i'm running the PRD Fireball. Screamer of an engine, doesn't have as much top end as a new Rotax Evo though.
It can get extremely expensive extremely fast. Not factoring in broken stuff either. Been there done that...
The X1E was a pretty decent chassis, even now despite getting on a bit.
I had an X1E for a while, and while the X2 that replaced it was often a little quicker (better turn in - a little more like an OTK chassis than a DPE/Monaco chassis), I think the tuning window for the X1E was a bit bigger.

A Fireball? eek! They're not that common here, famous for being fairly fast but quite fragile. Locally they knobble them with weight a little though, all in the name of parity, as a result, they're not that popular - everyone either runs an X30 or an Evo.
AshDVS;118850 wroteThe X1E was a pretty decent chassis, even now despite getting on a bit.
I had an X1E for a while, and while the X2 that replaced it was often a little quicker (better turn in - a little more like an OTK chassis than a DPE/Monaco chassis), I think the tuning window for the X1E was a bit bigger.

A Fireball? eek! They're not that common here, famous for being fairly fast but quite fragile. Locally they knobble them with weight a little though, all in the name of parity, as a result, they're not that popular - everyone either runs an X30 or an Evo.
Very nice mate, ill pass on the information to the old man haha!
Is it true that Arrow is now only making everything to order? I heard they shut down and could only get spare parts, and everything after the X2 was just the same kart but restickered.

Yes ill admit we had a bunch of problems with the fireball, but once they run right, hooooleeeee shit they are fast. Double the punch out of corners compared to a rotax, theres just instant power off the bottom. Revs 3.5k more than a rotax as well, probably why they need rebuilding more often haha. Just the top end is not as good as the new rotax evo's which is annoying down straights, because then coming out of every corner youre sitting on the guy in fronts ass! haha.

I'm keen to get back out on the track soon, most likely once all the Volvo stuff is done..

(Apologies for the lowercase writing, the shift key on this laptop is intermittent)
DPE/Arrow are still very much alive and kicking, though they did recently move into a smaller manufacturing facility.

DPE make Arrow, Monaco and Sera/Deadly chassis and do a lot of distribution of parts for OTK models in Australia.
They're also now the sole distributor of MG race tyres.

That said, active Karting Australia/AKA competition licenses are now at their lowest since formation.
Lowest as in cost or people buying them?
Good to know ! @AshDVS
Last time I went to buy a set of MG Reds, they said they didn't make them anymore. The one that we run now feels like it grips in between the reds and yellows but they lasts no where near as long as reds :(

@Vee_Que I'm going to assume low amount of people buying them. It's just too expensive. Karting World closed down not long ago and they'd been around for a long time. They were only making 10 bucks on a set of tires which is pathetic. Prize money is f-all as well if you do actually race, i've got a couple mates from work who do.
Vee_Que;118942 wroteLowest as in cost or people buying them?
Lowest number of active licenses - ie. Less people racing karts in KA/AKA sanctioned classes (read: generally a lower number of people racing karts).

MG Reds were a great tyre. Fairly constant in grip, right through to being worn out.
MG Red-Whites were around last year but have been replaced by MG Yellows (not as sticky as the original construction tyres from a couple of years back) and Dunlop DFMs for slicks in senior classes.
8 days later
Okay so I didn't end up picking up the 740 last weekend, work came up then I had to leave home and only got back today.
I pulled the front wheel off just to check the pads and discs and thought why not get the front Brembos and just line them up!

(Just btw this is a front left calliper and I took the photos on the front right wheel)

I'll pull a strut and hub out of the 940 parts car sometime soon and start mocking everything up hopefully!


Mmm, nice big callipers.

That lowered car life

Inside the 15 inch steelies




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