What I think is, this board isn't as much a custom mod/phringe board as it is a repair and maintenance forum. Sure, there are people who mod everything under the sun, but the majority of the questions you see here, are from people who think that some of these things are a walk in the park. Most of the mod questions are suspension type things, or power-gaining improvements to stock setups. There are the occasional discussions, but most of the RWD forums seem to be more stock-oriented than anything. It used to be that the Swedishbricks mailing list, was made up mostly of people who were a lot more modification-oriented than the bunch of people here. But the problem wtih that was, you couldn't ask or give and answer, without it generating some long back-and-forth about why you should modify this, or why 1975 was the last "good" Volvo ever made, and everyhing since then is just crap. this board seems to be a little bit more practical in the sense that it isn't really a high level trip into MAJOR modifications. most swaps are stock engine to other stock engine, or stock trans to other stock trans.

That is why people say, no, it can't be done. When you see people ask "Is X conversion to Y a direct swap?" And you hear the answers come back "NO", those are realistic answers to questions by people who don't understand the variety of things that swapping this part with that part, will ultimately affect. In other words, "it would not be easily possible."

I'm sure given the time, you could turn a 940T into the world's most comfortable lawn tractor. You could probably make a 245 into a backhoe. I'm sure you could make anything take to the air too, but the questions that people are asking, aren't usually IF something would be possible, because I think most people are aware that, given enough time and money, you can do anything with anything. Skill doesn't hurt, but you can pay for someone with the skills, or learn things.

Look at most (95% maybe) posts about body work, accident damage, and that kind of topic. They are so far out of line, it makes me wonder what planet people are on. The recent thread about Maaco paint jobs is the most down-to-earth discussion I've heard in a while. Air conditioning is another one. There are people who will tell you that a proper R134a conversion consists of just putting R134a into the system. That's fine, but when someone blows up their system because they followed poor instructions, then what good did it do anyone?

With respect to resurrecting a mid-80s A/C system that has been open to the air for many years, I would say, within practical definitions, it is NOT possible. Why? Because the questions that people ask, are usually geared towards spending $50 or $100, and those kinds of things are a pipedream. In reality, after they get halfway done with spending $500 on parts, and the system still leaks, they're going to be horrified. And they'll be HALFWAY done with the project, when they realize that it was too much for them. Then look at how much money will have been thrown into that project, without a positive outcome.

Somewhere I think I remember someone wanting to convert their 960 to a 940 (B230F).

Possible? Sure... but if a person was looking for an "anything's possible" answer, I don't think they would've really bothered to ask. They're wondering if it is a matter of going out and buying a 4cyl engine and putting it in. Which it is--but the actual engine transplant would only be a tiny fraction of the time it took to do the whole job. After they got the car all ripped apart, figured out the wiring was all different, the transmission didn't fit, the driveshaft had to be trashed, the computers were incompatible... they'd probably have rather heard, "No", it isn't possible.

Look at the questions that are being asked. Most of them are phrased as if they would be weekend projects. Most of them are answered as such.

Also, remember that people here are inherently CHEAP. I've been battered by some otherwise-respectable people, who have decided to make me a project when I've recommended that a 150k water pump be thrown in the garbage. Now, why would I say that? Because at 150k, the failure probability is enough so that it isn't worth chancing it. If it breaks, you're out $100 for a tow, and the cost of a pump (if not more). SO in my opinion, someone should NEVER push the envelope when it comes to things like that. But that is my opinion; some people assert that you could end up getting 50,000 miles more out of that pump. That's fine too... but if you were recommending to your mom, who drives a lot of highway miles across several states, if she needs a new water pump at 150k (which you would've already replaced if it was YOUR mom) the answer is "YES"!!! Not because it MIGHT NOT still function in 50k, but because maybe mom doesn't like being stranded in the middle of the Kennedy Expressway in rush hour traffic, with a Volvo that some idiot told her, would be fine "as is". Those kinds of things piss me off more than anything.

With respect to a lot of things, I like to just point out inaccuracies when I can. It ultimately helps people out. A few people here like to pick at my posts a lot, and most of it is based on nitpicking, and being petty. Also a lot of it is based in the OPINIONS forum, but they like to get in a good dig in RWD. That's just how it goes. The more you post, the more you know, the more you've got hanging in the breeze to swing at.

One thing I've noticed is, when you know a lot about something, it gets annoying watching people who really don't know, answer them. But some of the answers aren't really "wrong"--they are just spoken from a different perspective. A lot depends how you look at it. And the fact of the matter is, a lot of it IS wrong, so why not just say so when you happen past a post like that... but be sure to explain WHY. I don't think anyone likes one line posts that say they're wrong, without seeing why.
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Chris Herbst, near Chicago.