Volvo 245 wagon with Lamborghini engine

Can this builder find a way to meld a Volvo wagon with Lambo power?

Jeff Glucker

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Comments

Stuffing a large, powerful engine into a place it doesn’t belong is both intriguing and difficult. Ask me how I know… I see similar problems arising for YouTube poster PeterBjork, who is attempting to stuff a Lamborghini Gallardo V10 into a 1975 Volvo 245 wagon engine bay.

The engine is in. It’s sitting between the fenders of the Swedish longroof. But that’s where the good times stop, at least for right now. The builder needs to fabricate a ton of bits to starting bringing this Italian-hearted Moose Stallion to life.

Much like with our own Wombat Benz Hemi wagon, this Volvo doesn’t leave a lot of room for headers or steering components. The V10 from the Lamborghini is a wide affair and it eats up most of the space under the hood.

But Peter Bjork sounds like a talented resourceful fella. He knows what he needs to do to get this thing turning and burning tires. Hopefully the project advances from garage oddity to track-smoking longroof legend.

We’re going to stay tuned to this one for more updates. Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.

Going on more than five years now with our own wagon project… yes I cry anytime I type the word “Wombat”.

About

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker is the co-founder and Executive Editor of Hooniverse.com. He’s often seen getting passed as he hustles a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero up the 405 Freeway. IG: @HooniverseJeff

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31 responses to “Can this builder find a way to meld a Volvo wagon with Lambo power?”

  1. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    Bull-Moose. A Moose-Stallion involves different Italian heritage that doesn’t descend from a tractor and a chip on the founders shoulder.

    Reply
    1. nanoop Avatar
      nanoop

      Moose-Stallions are easily identified by their logo, too.

      http://media.skandix.de/pimg/1031773.jpg

      Reply
    2. neight428 Avatar
      neight428

      The knock-kneed stance a moose would need to assume to do the Lambo/charging bull pose would be at least as funny.

      Reply
      1. 0A5599 Avatar
        0A5599

        I would just slap a picture of Teddy Roosevelt on the fender and call it a day.

        https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0120/0692/products/tr_bullmoosesquare.jpg

        Reply
        1. nanoop Avatar
          nanoop

          I have no questions.

          Reply
  2. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
    dead_elvis, inc.

    Maybe this is the wrong approach. After all, it’s a 245 – there’s plenty of room for shenanigans out back.

    Mid-rear-engined AWD Swedish(ish) longroof, anyone?

    Reply
    1. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      I saw a mid engine 80’s Golf once. ‘busa engine behind the front seats and nothing under the hood. It had a roll cage and much of the original structure had previously met a sawzall. Side and rear glass were tossed out for weight and airflow. The guy said it weighed 1100 lbs. That was a realistic claim.

      It was a marvelous display of redneck engineering.

      Reply
  3. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    I admire his ambition, but he lost me when he admitted to removing a 2JZ. That’s the ultimate 245 swap, in my opinion, and he’s tossing it to the side for a beast he’ll never be able to rein in.

    Reply
    1. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      Could have had a lot more power from modifying the 2JZ than what he’ll have from the Lambo engine. Will get some serious attention at Gatebil though and rightly so.

      Reply
    2. neight428 Avatar
      neight428

      I guess there is some merit to attempting a build with a higher degree of difficulty. The Chevy LS has ruined the whole plausibly achievable engine swap for power discussion.

      Reply
      1. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        I agree with that– bonus points for creativity, and all. And while I have consistently bashed LS swaps for being ubiquitously boring, at least the GM mill is often a logical choice.

        I like swaps that make sense, and this one seems like a bad fit (literally). Any transplant that requires a ridiculous feat of engineering to cram in there– especially if it compromises the functionality of the finished car– may not be the wisest. If this car ends up with a 50-ft turning circle because the headers necessarily stick through the inner fenders and limit steering, then it was a stupid swap. Besides, any part for the thing is going to cost more than the car is worth.

        I personally think a Barra 245T swap would have been more interesting (especially given the numerical association), and more feasible.

        Reply
        1. neight428 Avatar
          neight428

          There are dumber hobbies out there, for sure, but I would get too hung up on better functionality for less cost and effort to swap anything exotic.

          For that matter, I’m too hung up on the effort part to bother with a swap at all, so maybe I’m not qualified to comment.

          Reply
        2. outback_ute Avatar
          outback_ute

          Sorry, the 4.0 is only 243 ci. More importantly it would be a very tight fit; probably would have to move the radiator forward. The Barra is a very big engine, and heavy.

          Judging by the look of the V10 sitting in the car I think he should be able to make an exhaust header to fit.

          Reply
        3. outback_ute Avatar
          outback_ute

          Sorry, the 4.0 is only 243 ci. More importantly it would be a very tight fit; probably would have to move the radiator forward. The Barra is a very big engine, and heavy.

          Judging by the look of the V10 sitting in the car I think he should be able to make an exhaust header to fit.

          Reply
          1. Zentropy Avatar
            Zentropy

            Oh, I was referring to the 245 kW turbocharged engine from the early 2000s, not the displacement.

          2. outback_ute Avatar
            outback_ute

            Fair enough then, he’d have to get an engine from a BF XR6T when Ford modified the spec sheet! Actually that model got full independent variable cam timing, and the n/a engine went up by 8kW compared to the turbo’s 5kW.

            Too bad there was never any badging of the power anywhere.

          3. Zentropy Avatar
            Zentropy

            Being American, I know little about them other than what I’ve read and seen in videos, but I’m a fan of inline sixes in general. The Barra feels like forbidden fruit from my perspective.

  4. Victor Avatar
    Victor

    Just because you can does not mean that you should , I prefer my Volvo with the factory engine.

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      Same here. Cléon-Fonte all the way.

      Reply
      1. Victor Avatar
        Victor

        I had a 244 the same color and year , really liked that car and still miss it.

        Reply
        1. Victor Avatar
          Victor

          Or maybe I just miss the woman that rode with me in that car.

          Reply
      2. Victor Avatar
        Victor

        Looked that up , thanks for the insight.

        Reply
  5. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    The donor car in the video looks to have been crashed pretty severely, so I guess I’ll give up on the hope that somewhere near this guy’s shop someone else is simultaneously dropping a red block into a Gallardo.

    Reply
    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      Most reliable, least flame-endangered Lambo ever.

      Reply
    2. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      Maybe you could scour wrecking yards for the remnants of the donor Jeep and Ferrari vehicles that combined for the Jerrari. Turn those leftovers into the world’s finest Feep.

      Reply
      1. outback_ute Avatar
        outback_ute

        I have seen a Ferrari 250 GTE with a 350 dropped in. Conversion done back in the 70s from memory, even back then the GTE probably had been an engine donor for a more valuable Ferrari.

        Reply
      2. outback_ute Avatar
        outback_ute

        I have seen a Ferrari 250 GTE with a 350 dropped in. Conversion done back in the 70s from memory, even back then the GTE probably had been an engine donor for a more valuable Ferrari.

        Reply
  6. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    Obligatory.

    https://images.autotrader.com/scaler/620/420/cms/content/articles/oversteer/2016/09-sep/09-20/257117.jpg

    Reply
  7. Victor Avatar
    Victor

    Keep the fancy cars , just one of these in the garage would do the job. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/50c2aed3608e88dd3c15dc4096f0b28cf02f62f6a669e7af067d1cfdded20809.jpg

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      +1. The 122s Amazon is at the top of my must-have list, and one of my favorite car designs of all time.

      Reply
  8. Seamus O'McMillan Avatar
    Seamus O’McMillan

    Ferrari in a Ramblers been done already why not? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cbac57a527205a8b8b8e9c05edcbbcd55e79d4f40a74c98cdf0fe4f45bf5b4c4.jpg

    Reply