How can I lessen my '92 Volvo's environmental impact?

[samuelmehr]

wow, I had no idea aerodynamics played that big a role. Where could I get that kind of thing done in the Boston area?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by samuelmehr

wow, I had no idea aerodynamics played that big a role. Where could I get that kind of thing done in the Boston area?

That's a good question and I don't have a quick easy answer.You might make some measurements off the car and keep with you handy.You might do a GOOGLE Image search for Merkur XR4Ti and AMG HAMMER Mercedes to acquaint yourself with these forms,then look about in the marketplace and bone-yards to see if any production pieces could be modified to fit the Volvo.Body shops may have catalogs for aftermarket aerodynamic add-on packages for the car also.Don't know.Some of us have literally mocked up wings and spoilers out of cardboard and masking tape,which last long enough to burn through a few tanks of fuel.If they prove themselves at the pump,then they are worthy of devoting the time(and its mostly time) to fabricate a permanent ,lasting part out of metal or composites.MetroMPG's thread,for his Project: permanent Kammback for the Metro will walk you through the entire process.Keep your eyes open for perverting existing hardware,and altering it to fit your goals.I scavenge whatever I can.It saves me hundreds of hours in fabrication time.Kinda of perversely fun when you see progress at the gas station.

[johnmyster]

The downfall of the american mindset is that we consume goods in order to solve our problems. "Consumer spending" is the solution to all problems, even consumption.

The most enviornmentally sound decision you can make is to continue driving your car. You may consume more gas, but consider the amount of energy, materials, and labor required to produce that new car you were considering. There's no comparison.

Finding a wrecked volvo with the manual parts you'll need would be a good bet. Their manual transmissions seem to hold up really well. I've driven in a few with well over 250k miles.

Strange as it may sound, there are some people out there that go high performance on the old volvos. You should be able to find resources to add an electric fan, underdrive pulleys, lowering springs, and a taller final drive ratio without too much trouble.

[jasonm]

Is that a RWD car? If so, you could look for a final drive with a lower number. I just picked up one for my 240sx for $60/shipped.

[tjts1]

Step 1: Ignore all the rubbish you read here.
Step 2: Join turbobricks.com. Learn how to swap an M47 manual transmission, electric cooling fan from a 960, fix the airbox thermostat, install a coroplast undertray, reduce weight, make the car E85 compatible and enjoy the ride. Also search the forum for "ecobricks". Its all there. A few people are getting some pretty astounding fuel economy numbers out of these cars. 35mpg+

cheers
Justin

[dcb]

Originally Posted by jasonm

Is that a RWD car? If so, you could look for a final drive with a lower number. I just picked up one for my 240sx for $60/shipped.

Nice Definitely let us know if it helps!!

Oh, and +1 on the aeromods too for those who suggested it!

[ALS]

I have a 87 Turbo wagon that gets 30 mpg plus at 65 miles per hour. Keeping the car is more of a benefit to the environment. The energy has already been spent to build it and ship it to your city. The spare parts are already have been made and sitting on a shelf in a warehouse here in the states. If you baby it you should see 22 to 24 mpg around town and over 30 on the highway. Right now you have a paid for car with low insurance premiums. Volvo's in general run very clean emissions.
Fill with a good synthetic motor oil and run it for 6k mile oil changes and swap out the differential fluid with synthetic. Being you already have a locking torque converter the benefits of going to a manual will be minimal in fuel mileage gains. With a non locking torque converter in the Turbos makes the swap to a manual well worth it.
As far as the transmission fluid being swapped out for synthetic it is going to be $120 just for the fluid. Synthetic fluid in the rear end will give you the best bang for the buck when winter comes.
Pump the tires up to 38 to 40 psi and make sure the alignment is dead on spec.
Keep the car under 65 mph or 2500 rpms when on the highway. With an automatic I have found the best speeds to run a Volvo 700/900 is between 60and 65 mph for the best gas mileage. Once you go over 2500 rpms your fuel mileage goes into the toilet.
If your into spending money you can call up IPD and get a set of lowering springs. Then for a few bucks for materials close up the area between the differential and the rear bumper. The rear bumpers on these cars act like a
parachute at speed. Both tjts1 and I have seen a 1-2 mpg increase just with this one modification.

Pics of the mod under my 97 960.

[samuelmehr]

So since mine's not a turbo you think it's better to keep it as automatic? I do prefer driving stick but if it's going to cost a lot to change over, I'm not sure if it's worth it. Though down the road, turning my brick into a full EV w/ stick would be awesome...

That's great info on the optimal rpm's, I'll try your #'s for the next few weeks and see how my mileage is. It's probably about time I got some new transmission fluid anyway, so I'll see if I can get synthetic. Don't remember the last time I checked differential.

What kind of differences would I see with a set of lowering springs? Do you know what those cost?