Yahoo Autos Paul Newman’s Wild Volvo 740 Has a V6 From a Buick GNX
Does this count as a sleeper?
If you’re thinking of the best Volvos money can buy, what’s your mind jumping to first? Maybe the lovely P1900 from the 1950s, or what about the 245 Turbo from 1980? Well now, another contender has entered the ring, and it’s an old 740 wagon that used to belong to actor Paul Newman.
The racing driver and actor is no stranger to a hot Volvo and earned a reputation for liking the Swedish company’s wagons so much that he’d buy them and engine swap them for something outlandish. And with a history that saw him fit a Ford V8 to a Volvo 960, you’ll be expecting this new find to be equally outlandish.
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I’m pleased to report that it is suitably wild, as the 740 you see here has a new engine and gearbox that Newmen requested. This time, it’s a Buick V6 that has replaced the car’s original 2.3 liter four-cylinder motor that came with the car back in 1988.
A buick engine hiding in a Volvo.
The engine in question is the turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 that you’ll find in the Buick GNX. When it was new, this motor produced 245 horsepower and 355 ft-lbs of torque. In contrast, the 740 produced just 156 hp when it rolled off the factory floor back in 1988.
But it’s not just a power upgrade that Newman gave his Volvo; he also upgraded the gearbox. Now, this Franken-Volvo is fitted with a Pontiac Firebird-sourced Borg Warner five-speed manual gearbox. The car also has a new limited-slip differential.
It’s quite the machine and would make for a great daily driver for anyone looking for something practical, if a little ridiculous. And the good news here is that it’s up for sale.
