1968 Volvo 122SR - The Current Iteration
In 2024, we sold the Supercharged B20 - all of it. Carburetor, blower, liquid intercooler system, pulleys, belts, recurved distributor. It was super cool but didn't reflect anything that we offer to our customers. For a few months, the 122 was fitted with a 2.6 stroker that's going into a customer car; and now the car has what should be the last engine it gets while under my stewardship.
It still uses an M41 (the T9 comes later - stay tuned!) but the engine is now a 2.5 liter stroker B20 using parts from our friends at Tinus Tuning: an all new custom forged crank with 8 counterweights instead of the original 4; H beam rods and Ross forged pistons to suit. The head is substantially modified by our friends at Tinus Tuning, cam is their TT4 (.409"/270°, 110°lca) and the rocker assembly is a roller setup that provides a 1.65:1 ratio; this increases lift to something closer to .450." Flywheel is an aluminum piece that weighs around 6lbs. 45DCOE Webers on original Volvo Competition Service intake manifolds are jetted conservatively for civilized behavior on the street; distributor is a 123 piece, upgraded with Winterburn CDI. This new engine still uses the ceramic coated 4/2/1 header and 2.5" exhaust that travels under the axle and exits behind the right rear tire.
Suspension is the same as before, though the car now sports oversized front brakes with 4 piston calipers grabbing at vented and cross drilled rotors. It's been fitted with a Norema wood slat roof rack, cruise control and period Cibie lighting.
It still uses an M41 (the T9 comes later - stay tuned!) but the engine is now a 2.5 liter stroker B20 using parts from our friends at Tinus Tuning: an all new custom forged crank with 8 counterweights instead of the original 4; H beam rods and Ross forged pistons to suit. The head is substantially modified by our friends at Tinus Tuning, cam is their TT4 (.409"/270°, 110°lca) and the rocker assembly is a roller setup that provides a 1.65:1 ratio; this increases lift to something closer to .450." Flywheel is an aluminum piece that weighs around 6lbs. 45DCOE Webers on original Volvo Competition Service intake manifolds are jetted conservatively for civilized behavior on the street; distributor is a 123 piece, upgraded with Winterburn CDI. This new engine still uses the ceramic coated 4/2/1 header and 2.5" exhaust that travels under the axle and exits behind the right rear tire.
Suspension is the same as before, though the car now sports oversized front brakes with 4 piston calipers grabbing at vented and cross drilled rotors. It's been fitted with a Norema wood slat roof rack, cruise control and period Cibie lighting.
|
|
1968 Volvo 122SC - The Prior Iteration
|
It ain't perfect, but it's pretty good for 300K+.
Rebuilt from total (and sporting an awe inspiring 'Salvage' title here in the fine state of Oregon), the emblems and mirrors were shaved last time it was painted. Paint is the original color, 2 stage urethane and color sanded clear. Engine - 1971 B20 block with lightened stock rods and crank, ARP hardware, Venolia forged pistons with plasma-moly rings, steel timing gears and a factory C grind cam. The head is a 1974 F, and retains its low compression. Transmission - a not-particularly-exotic plain ol' M41. Ignition - distributor is a vacuum advance piece, fitted with a Crane breakerless ignition and connected to a Crane coil. Cooling - stock, with an electric fan replacing the original propeller thing. Exhaust - 4 into 2 into 1 ceramic coated header, 2.5" ID pipe routed under the rear axle and out behind the right rear tire. Induction - a preproduction VPD liquid intercooled supercharger - yep - before they were offered for sale, we put one in this car. This was the first (and might be the only...?) installation in a 122. Fuel is provided by a single 45 DCOE Weber carb, then compressed, then pushed through a heat exchanger and into the engine. Suspension - very early ipd sport springs, ipd swaybars, Bilstein shocks, urethane bushings. 15x5.5 Keystones with 195 60 Dunlops. To handle the increase in torque, we ditched the original (tapered halfshaft) rear axle and installed a disk brake rear from an 1800E in its place. The only other real changes to the car have been lighting upgrades - a pair of Swedish manufactured Volvo proprietary Bosch driving lights and Cibie H4s - and the addition of some instruments to keep tabs on the relative health of the engine - Oil Pressure, Vacuum/Boost, O2 monitor and tach. I know of only two others who have used this setup in their Volvos, and neither of those are currently in use. I jokingly tell people it's twice the horsepower, twice the maintenance and twice the fuel as a regular 122. I've had the car on a dyno only once - at 4 lbs boost and with a leaking manifold gasket, we managed 176RWHP and 174lb/ft of torque. I've run as high as 13 lbs but prefer to keep the car set up for 6 psi at WOT. 
|
