Welcome to this week’s FC Throwback, where we take a look back at some of our favourite previous features. This week it’s Patrick Lindgren’s tuned Volvo 242 from back in 2013. It’s not easy breaking ground, but for Patrick the path to creating this Swedish/Bavarian love child has most definitely been worthwhile…
Feature taken from Fast Car. Words Ben Chandler Photos Paddy McGrath
I don’t know about you, but every now and then I see a car that totally blows my mind and completely redefines why I am so in love with car culture. This Volvo 242 is just such a car.
I first saw Patrick Lindgren’s awesome creation on the Speedhunters’ Instagram feed. What I didn’t realise at the time what that this incredible machine packed a turbocharged BMW motor. Sure, it made me stop and look – I mean that incredible green hue and BBS set-up is enough to make you fall in love immediately. But then I got to see this Volvo in the metal at Gatebil in Norway…
‘Wow!’ I actually mouthed those very words. This is perfection in the metal. There are so many neat little touches it’s almost unreal. But before I get too excited, let’s get to the start of this story.
So where did it all being? Well, Patrick bought the car back in 2009. It’s a 1975 model, and our man specifically wanted a 242 from this year because it makes passing the Swedish inspections a little easier, apparently. Way back then, over four years ago, the car didn’t look anything like this. It was a bit of a rusty old thing and needed some love. Which, as I am sure you can guess, is exactly what happened.
The car kind of has a hot rod, meets Volkswagen tuning vibe. The super-clean engine bay and overall finish of the car is nothing short of mind-blowing. It’s a thing of beauty. Featuring a complete rear end from a 1979 model, the fresh arse has been grafted on so well, that only the trained eye would know.
Super-cool touches like moving the rear axle forward an inch so that the gorgeous BBS RS wheels sit perfectly within the arc of the wheel arches when you look at the car side-on, are what separates this build from the rest. No stone has been left unturned.
The subtle front end, with removed number plate recess leaves no hint towards the aggressive HX40 turbocharged 525 BMW motor that nestles in the minimalist bay. Patrick estimates that this M50B25 engine will make around 400bhp once it’s set up. That’s a healthy amount of power to be running through the rear wheels!
Inside this piece of automotive perfection, the interior is in keeping with the rest of the car and remains a simple but, very effective affair. The stripped-out innards mean that this Volvo is very light and a really cool place to be.
I reckon Patrick has created, possibly, the most perfect 242 I have ever seen. It’s not conventional but, he’s gone against the grain in a positive way – the result is a Swedish legend with a Bavarian heart that’s most definitely art in motion.
TECH SPEC 1975 VOLVO 242
Tuning
M50B25 engine from a 1995 BMW 525i, Holset HX40 turbocharger, custom split pulse exhaust manifold, 50mm wastegate, 3in stainless downpipe, intercooler, 45mm Simon Marmander blow-off valve, 550cc Lucas injectors, VAG COP ignition coils, Bosch 044 fuel pump, electric fan from Volvo V70, K&N air filter behind the grille, VEMS engine management system, ZF gearbox from a BMW 525i ’92, M20 flywheel, Sachs 618 clutch
Chassis
Coilovers in the front, cut springs in the back, front strut brace, fully adjustable camber plates, BBS RS 17×9.5in ET-15 with Falken 205/40R17 (front), 17×11in ET-6 with Falken 245/35R17 (rear)
Exterior
Rear end from a ’79, widened rear arches, no spare tyre barrel, newer plastic bumpers, front bumper has holes drilled for fresh air, all exterior chrome painted black, raised boot floor, shaved boot and passenger door locks
Interior
Full roll cage, custom rear axle mounting, transmission tunnel and tubbed rear arches, rear axle moved one inch forward, stripped interior, aluminium door panels
