I've always thought these were cool. Would it be possible to rig the doors on a 240 to go the other way?

Other nutty ideas I've had:

Rear-mounting a V8 in the trunk.

T-tops!

Jacking up the wheels like a Jeep.

Turning the trunk into a big rumble seat (illegal in most states).
--
John--'88 244DL, M47, 102K

You've been watching Monster's Garage again haven't you...
I thought they were called suicide doors because if you opened one up on the highway at high speed, they would flip back and you could get blown out the door. (no seat belts back then)
Anyway.

* AutoLoc sells the door kits if you have to have them. Too much work I think.
* A Huge Sunroof instead of T-tops would be better. We got one for my brother in laws Monte Carlo at the junkyard off of another car for $25 and installed it.
You can't cut the top of the doors off and keep the windows from flopping around. Also cutting the roof disrupts the structural integrity of the unibody.
* V-8 in the trunk sounds like a Toronado swap. There are Corvairs on the web that have tried this, many have failed. Converse and JTR sells the V-8 (in the front) swap kits for the 240. Besides where will you put the rumble seat.
* Don't jack up the car, it's just wrong and it will handle like a Jeep.
* The trunk rumble seat idea does sound cool. If you reinforced the back end and used outdoor seats like a dunebuggy, I don't see this a problem if you had seatbelts. Remember the Suburu Brat? The third seat in a wagon places the passengers just as close to the rear bumper. Maybe a backwards folding wagon seat would be a possibility.
Ben

- Would it be possible to rig the doors on a 240 to go the other way?

Sure - are you handy welding? Stretch the chassis first, then take A-pillars of opposite sides and weld 'em in the back. Right A-pillar + right front door = left C-pillar + left rear door, and vice versa. Double up the B-pillars too.

- Rear-mounting a V8 in the trunk.

Just put a Fiero cradle with a small block Chevy.

- T-tops!

Not too bad IMHO, but only on a 2-door.

- Jacking up the wheels like a Jeep.

Just put the car on a wrecked truck chassis. You'll get the benefits of a bigger engine and 4x4 capabilities too.

- Turning the trunk into a big rumble seat (illegal in most states).

A 444/544 may look fine, perhaps ... but I can't imagine it on any later Volvo.

-- Kane
--
Blossom II - '91 745Ti/M46 ... Bubbles - '74 144GL/BW35 ... Buttercup - '86 245GL/AW70 ... The Wayback Machine - '64 P220/M40

V8 in the trunk. Not too hard. Get an old ElDorado or Toronodo 455CI of power.

A buddy of mine butchered a VW Bug. It could have been done nicer...My buddy is a butcher though.

I was pondering this same conversion for my Daughter. She spends time under the hood ( Bonnet for you folks over the pond) with me and we have talked about it.
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me

I once saw an old VW Beetle that had a V8 engine in the front.

Anything's possible.

I also saw some hinges somewhere that supposedly allow "any car door" to open upwards like the doors on a Lamborghini. How about that on a 242 ? !!!

They were named suicide doors for a reason. I think the idea is that the current type door protects you somewhat from being sideswiped by oncoming cars in the opposite lane.

Wrong everyone :)

"Normal" doors aren't inherently safer. They don't save you from oncoming traffic or prevent you from falling out ... the term has nothing to do with safety.

"Suicide door" refers to the gangster era of the 30s. These doors were only found on ostentatious, luxurious vehicles, which made the owner/occupant a target for a "hit", thereby making them suicidal to have.

--
__Stef -- 81 DL wagon B21A SU carb M46 314000km

Actually, suicide doors used to be common. They were reversed to keep the door from flying open all the way, due to the oncoming air, if it comes unlatched. But door latches are much better now, so I don't think suicide doors would be unsafe these days.
--
John--'88 244DL, M47, 102K

I thought it was teh other way around - the were suicide because the doors would fly open when the car was going, and mobsters would push you out of them.

http://www.statesmanclassifieds.com/autos/ontheroad/2003/20030726_suicidedoors.html