July 2008 Newsletter for Rear Wheel Drive Models
Page 1: Cameron's 240 conversion part I

One of the reasons I like Volvos so much is that they are simple, well designed machines. However, I also believe that most everything can be made better. So when considering the next step in chassis upgrades for my 240 I figured I might as well go all the way. No sense in making it good when it can be great right? Besides, 80% of the time I’m right every time!

A couple of months ago I took the Mille Miglia wheels off my 240 in favor of some Volvo Propus wheels. After I got them on I couldn’t help thinking that something was missing. I didn’t know what it was right away but it soon became apparent. The stock Volvo brakes were just overwhelmed by the wheels and my car was now screaming for a big brake upgrade. Fortunately I had a pair of brackets from Travis at SVR made specifically to fit Volvo S60R Brembo front calipers to my 240. The great part about this upgrade is that minus the brackets, it uses all original Volvo parts. Next I procured a pair of S60R calipers, rotors and pads from Volvo. Now I had everything I needed to do the upgrade. But why stop now?!

For me, working on my Volvos can be a slippery slope and I can always find a good reason to upgrade several things at once. In this case I decided to tackle some suspension upgrades at the same time as upgrading the brakes.

Now, mind you, my suspension was already very good and outfitted with the full compliment of ipd goodies. What I wanted though was more control and adjustability. To achieve this I contacted Ben at Kaplhenke Racing www.trianglesunlimited.com to order a full coilover suspension kit. The advantage of this system is the options it gives me. It allows me to adjust ride height and I can easily alter stiffness by changing to springs of a different rate. As part of the kit I also installed camber plates in place of the stock upper strut mounts. The advantage here is that I can easily adjust my camber angle for different driving conditions. With this package installed I should be able to adapt the car easily for all kinds of different driving needs!

Now armed with a mounting pile of parts for the wagon I set aside a Saturday for the install. One of my fellow Customer Service Reps, Ron Wyman, and I spent the day tearing out all the old brakes and suspension from the front of my wagon and then got to installing the new brakes and suspension. Without too much trouble we had the wagon back out on the road by that evening.

While I wouldn’t recommend these upgrades to everyone, I can say that I am extremely pleased with the results! Volvo brake systems are very good in these cars (yet another area where Volvo was way ahead of it’s time!) but now my 240 brakes phenomenally. The combination of the massive 4 piston Brembo calipers and 13 inch rotor makes for an earth stopping combination. Paired with the new coilover suspension system I can honestly say my 240 out handles and out brakes the vast majority of cars on the road, including most modern “sports cars.”

Before making upgrades like these it is important to consider how you use your car and to consult your local laws. If you’d like further information on this upgrade feel free to call or email me! camerond@ipdusa.com