5.0 Liter 1984 Volvo 264GL

I know, I know. I've said before that I'm not a fan of engine swaps. That's true, but some engine swaps are so insane or so well done that I can't help but be amazed and / or impressed. This car falls squarely into both the latter categories. It's really well done and I'm impressed.

This is a 1984 Volvo 264GLD with a 5.0 liter Ford V8 in it.

Putting larger engines in Volvos is fairly common. I used to see a guy selling a GM V6 conversion kit at Lime Rock each year. I've also seen Volvos with GM V8s in them. The success of an engine swap of this kind hinges on how well the swap is executed. This one appears to have been done very, very right.

As the seller notes, starting with a diesel car is the way to go when doing this type of conversion. It has the lowest numerical rear axle, which gives the car great, relaxed, V8 performance.

The best thing about this conversion is that nothing other than the engine and transmission changes.

This car has some small Ford ovals added to the front and rear of the car and 5.0 badges on the sides, but other than that it looks pretty much stock. The body, except for too much metal-flake in the paint for my tastes and a couple of dents on the trunk, looks great. The owner added some Volvo Turbo wheels, which is the perfect "custom" addition.

The interior looks great, too. The Lecarra wood wheel is a nice touch as are the additional gauges.

This car is an ultimate sleeper. Old Volvos are nearly invisible. No one will know that you have a car that can blow some very expensive sedans and coupes into the weeds. Best of all, any part you might need to keep the drivetrain strong and healthy can be found inexpensively at Auto Zone or K-Mart.

The asking price for this car is a very reasonable $3500.00. Located in Social Circle, GA, click here to see the eBay listing.

A Waterville, Maine, company called Converse Engineering has been making the 5.0 conversion kits for Volvos for quite awhile.(I don't know if that's what the person who created this car used.) If you're not great with tools or don't have the room to do this type of work, they'll also do the conversion for you. (In the late 1990s, they created cars for David Letterman and Paul Newman.) You can find their website here. You can find a June, 1997, Car & Driver article (titled "Fiery Swedish Meatballs") about the Volvo V8 conversions here.