Well if you are looking for an older Volvo thats fast enough stand toe to toe with hondas, speaking with stock numbers, respectivly, I would suggest a 240 turbo intercooled...like mine :) Civics aren't fast (stock or slightly modified), the del sol is a different story as I recall the 0-60 is in the 6's...

Oh and you don't have to keep it stock. Old Volvos, in my opinion, make excellent sleepers. Anyway, this is a subject frowned upon by some of the members of the BB, and is probably in appropriate to discuss in a forum such as this one, so if you want to chat feel free to drop me a line @ twofourfour@yahoo.com

Best to you whichever way you decide to go,

(Although I'd think about what would happen in a Honda vs. Volvo wreck as well..)

Will

found these sites that help clear things up...some of the ones seam a little screwy,like ferrari's with higher 1/4's then an acura.

http://web.missouri.edu/~apcb20/times.html

www.car-stats.com

Well... I also drive a 144, although not the best car for top speed, but it sure can keep up with the traffic... (I live in bangkok...and people drive like psycos when the light goes green.) And it's also really nice cause cops here ignore my car... even at alcohol check points...hehe.

Very nice for cruising around... all my friends drive typical japanese cars too... but they all sit in my car... nice and roomy, pretty comfy too.

Thanks, you have given me a lot to think about. I am not overly concerned with the speed of the car, most of the time, but when a friend pulls up to the line in a hatch back I like to have a little oomph. Although with what's been said I might have a change in heart.

As for Michael, it is a 2 dr. 1968 car. It's Red, so I'll have to watch out for all the blue cars on the road that will be going faster than me, and the cops.

The B20E engine is rated at 130HP in stock form according to www.volvoworld.com, and the IPD cam kit may add 10-20HP (just a guess), so it might be a pretty quick car. With the short shift and sway bars, it will definitely be fun to drive, and it will likely be one of a kind in a high school parking lot (one person from my high school drove a classic Volvo, a '65 544, out of over 2000 students). You may not win many drag races, but you won't get left behind either. The 140 you describe is probably more suited for road racing rather than drag racing. Is it a 2 door or 4 door? What year is the car? Someone can probably tell you what the car weighs based on that information. Don't forget to check for rust in the floor, trunk, and engine compartment.

Good luck.

I don't think I have ever seen the actual 0-60 times for the 140. Possibly would show up in an old Car And Driver test from the 70s. Try looking at the library, might be something there. I'd personally say the car won't be something to race Hondas with, they're built completely differently. But, having not been out of high school too long, I can say that your Honda driving friends will rapidly insist on taking your car every time you go somewhere as a group. Since I bought my 242 I haven't been able to ride anywhere in a friend's car. And if you're going for something different, the 140 will certainly be your ticket. Plus eventually you'll realize that racing isn't worth it, and want the Volvo even more. I realized it when a friend raced through a wheat field and into a concrete farm building.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

You want something quick, it ain't for you.

You want something that can handle almost any mod you throw at it and expect it outlast anything else out there, then you've found the right car.

I've always said to everyone (I'm still in highschool too) "If I had to drag race you, I wouldn't use my Volvo's (144, 3 244's), But if I had too race you around the world, I wouldn't use anything else."

hmmmm.....

If you buy the 140 for speed, you bought it for the wrong reason. Volvos from that vintage aren't built to fly around corners. They're built to last a long time and keep you alive in a serious accident.

I would just like to let you know that I see

highschool kids dead on the side of the road almost

everyday around these parts, from racing on city streets.

so please, whatever you drive, race it on a private track.

btw, paint it blue, they go faster ;-)

There will always be somebody quicker out there, but for the price of a newer Honda, you can learn all sorts of things about making dinosaurs run fast.

Walk to the beat of your own drummer.