The 1978-81 Volvo 262C Bertone may have been aimed at the luxury coupe market, but to create it, Volvo took a page from the classic hot rodder’s playbook: they chopped the top, roughly ten centimeters compared to its 240- and 260-series brethren. A knocking rod means it’s time for the new owner of this final-year example to perform another hot rodding hat trick: an engine swap. Feel the need for a hot rod Swede? Check it out here on craigslist out of Charlottesville, Virginia, where it carries a $3,000 asking price. Hat tip to reader Ian C. for the find!
The old engine only shows a modest 130,000 miles, but it’s the much-unloved Peugeot-Renault-Volvo joint venture V6, so its deviation from traditional Volvo longevity shouldn’t be held against it. The IPD airbox hints at some preexisting massages—and that the seller, who has owned the car for over 30 years, although it’s been off the road for most of that time, had his or her heart in the right place.
We’re told there are also IPD sway bars and KYB gas shocks underneath the car; inside, it rocks a gauge cluster cribbed from a 1978-79 242 GT. The seller had dreams of giving this 262C a (Paul Newman and David Letterman-approved) Ford 5.0 V8 swap, but other projects have gotten in the way.
So if, in addition to the rod, you hear opportunity knocking, what would you be looking at? The Bertone-finished body looks clean and straight, with good paint, as befits its long-term indoor storage. A set of 240 Turbo Virgo alloy wheels are a desirable, if somewhat incongruously sporty, addition, and depending upon your feelings about vinyl tops, you may be pleased that this ’81 benefits from that year’s deletion of the previously-standard roof covering.
Inside, the ultra-cushy leather covering nearly everything looks pretty good—with the glaring exception of the driver’s seat. Finding a replacement might be tricky, and recovering would likely be very expensive, but if you’re not picky about everything matching, a manually-adjustable front bucket from just about any ’70s or ’80s Volvo could bolt right in to take its place.
The 5.0 is the easy answer for a hot rod Volvo, but Newman also tried out turbocharged Buick and Corvette powerplants. There are some nutburgers Mopar crate motors available these days, or you could take a page from Volvo’s own Polestar offshoot (which features a very subtle nod to the 262C in its upholstery detailing) and create a retrofuturistic electro-coupe. What would you add to this choptop coupe’s hot rod recipe?
Nutburgers? Can’t seem to find it in my MoPar parts manual. I’ve heard a few gearboxes sound like they were making nutburgers. And a few engines that were Voracious Canids.
Maybe a wankcharger would help this Vo’vo. Neat.
Very nicely styled car, shame about the motor. I’m surprised he got 130K out of that French mill. My buddy had one in a 1979 260. When it blew early (like they all did) he replaced with a Buick 231. We then called his car the Bu-Vo.
The is a reason that V-6 is much unloved. I worked, unfortunately, on several of these engines and one in a 262 C. The oilers on the cams would clog and wear the cams out and changing them is a nightmare. The water pump is UNDER the intake manifold and they go out quite often; who thought up that design? That 5.0 liter swap sounds nice if you have the skills to do it; a 4 cylinder Volvo engine of the same vintage is quite reliable and might be an easier job. The cars are really nice looking and this one seems to be worth saving for sure. NO vinyl top is a big plus; first one I have seen without one.
Their is a car collector who lives nearby here in Bay Ridge and he has a Bertone.
Nathan,
Forgot to mention this was also the lump that “powered” John DeLorean’s embarrassment.
Thank you Ian C. for submitting this, and Nathan for the article! Like my Dad, I tended to switch cars about every two years, even from the day I turned 16. On that day, I took possession of my first car, a 69 Buick Riviera GS I bought for $1500 from a widow in the neighborhood. But within a year or two, I was ready for something different. It was the mid 80’s, and everyone at my high school had yuppie-mobiles. They were mostly rich, we were not. I made my scratch working at Burger King. So sold the Riv (much regret now!) and bought a ‘78 Volvo 242 GT. Had a corduroy black interior and silver paint, with a black vinyl top. Anyway, as my knowledge of Volvo’s grew, I learned of the 262 C and wanted one bad! But way out of my price range back then, and within a year or two I got the itch, sold the Volvo and bought a 72 Pontiac Grandville convertible. But I still love both those Volvo models and would gladly drive one.
For me, I’d have to decide between the Volvo 4 cylinder intercooled turbo engine, a SBC transplant, or see what Polestar has to offer new, if money was no object. I’d have the front seat(s) reupholstered to new stock, and definitely make it a stick shift. I would leave the turbo wheels on it, as those are what I added to my GT. They look great. There’s a great network of Volvo fanatics of this era who have made pretty much every transplant you can think of, including electric plugin. So plenty of support in your project. Very cool to me!
‘the flyin brick’
no off make transplants, turbo a 4 (not sure the 5 or 6 will fit)
IPD has all U need!
Anytime I hear about that PRV engine I am in two minds
1 – Find a way to make it work. I mean, FFS, there has to be a way with modern tech, right? RIGHT?
2 – Just rip it out and put in a V6 Busso.
Get a Volvo and check out Dave Matthews winery in one trip. Win/Win.