Recent Developments
Survived the Computer Virus Attack 2012-02-04
A computer virus knocked us out for a a few days this week, and is still causing a disruption in terms of the time it is taking to restore all programs. Luckily no data was lost, though it was not accessible for a couple of days, including emails - delaying all shipments scheduled for this week.
go to topClosed for the Holidays 2011-12-21
We will be closed from Dec. 22nd thru Jan 2nd. Have a great Xmas and New Year.
go to topRoller Rockers & Headers coming in Nov. 2011-11-07
The Roller Rocker Arms expected in late Nov. are finally here. We will have more Exhaust Headers in January. Order now to be sure to reserve a set as they will not last long.
go to topWatkins Glen - Volvo Gran Prix 2011-10-17
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Another 1 - 2 finsh for Vintage Performance cars. I finished 1st, Steve Grabsky was 2nd in a 122 we built and prepped for the race. 13 Volvo racecars made it to event at the historic Watkins Glen track - a much smaller turnout than our last Volvo event there in 2001, probably due at least in part to the later time of the year and weather concerns. More info plus photos to follow in the gallery section.
All in all, it was exciting to again be racing with and against a bunch of old Volvos, but dissapointing that more did not show up. There really should have been 25 - 30 cars for a good showing. It was perhaps equally dissapointing that those there were not more competitive. Except in the rain where Ian Lok of Canada was the star, my only competition was the 122 of Steve Grabsky, a car we built several years ago and prepped for this race. Steve and I had some tight racing and a good deal of fun. In the all Volvo feature race on Sunday he was right with me for several laps, we passed back and forth a couple of times, and we even went up through the esses side by side until I was able to pull away to a comfortable finish.
On Thursday night and Friday morning when all the other Volvos were already at the track I was still back at the garage finishing up body and paint repairs along with necessary pre-race maintenance work on the brakes and suspension. Those tasks finished I started the engine for the first time in over a year before loading it on the trailer. We got to the track Friday afternoon in time to go through tech and take a few laps in the rain in the afternoon practice session. The next morning, in the qualifying race and first dry track session in over a year, we were 2 seconds faster than the next fastest Volvo, Steve's 122, and set the fastest Volvo time of the event by the same margin. Steve and I ran the whole weekend without any problems - running just as fast and reliably at the end of the last race on Sunday afternoon as at the beginning of the weekend. We finished 2nd and 3rd in the final Group 3 race, behind a Jag XKE - though I had the fastest time of the race and thought I could have caught him in a few more laps. Unfortunately there was only one other Volvo still there and running by the end of the Sunday afternoon race. These results say more than words can about how we build engines and prep racecars.
1800 Racecar for Sale $22,000 2011-09-28
Now for sale for $22,000 after several years of enjoyment by its current owner! This car is a good example of the vintage racecars that we have built. now for sale again after 10 years of successful racing. Its setup and equipment are typical of our vintage racecars. Nick Julian did a beautiful job on the body as shown in the photos. The engine is our 2 liter vintage race engine, rebuilt in 2010, equiped with dual Weber 45 DCOE carbs, forged pistons, BHP cam, Crower rods, baffled oil pan, ported race head, 13 to 1 compression ratio, dynoed at over 200 HP. The suspension includes Carrera adjustable shocks, race springs and adjustable front sway bar. The car has 4 wheel discs brakes, Tilton brake cylinders with adjustable bias, aluminum flywheel, Tilton 7-1/4 inch clutch, T9 transmission with Quaife close ratio gears, fire system, a full set of gauges including exhaust gas temp gauges reading each cylinder, etc.
$22,000 for the car with spares. $27,500 for the car and a very nice enclose trailer. This is an excellant value for a complete, turnkey, ready to race package that could be delivered to the track ready to go. Let me know if you would like more information.
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Back from Irene 2011-09-02
We finally got back Wednesday night and have been trying to catch up since. Made more difficult as I managed to hurt my back in the effort to move things in preparation for the hurricane - probably when I tried to pick up the tongue of a heavy dual axle trailer. We will be closed for the long Labor Day Weekend and hopefully back at full strength on Tuesday, though cancelling personal participation in races at Watkins Glen the next two weekends.
go to topIrene Update 2011-08-30
I am still on Long Island due to Irene, which may have been a bust in terms of being a powerful high wind hurricane, but it was enough to knock out power in large areas, 500,000 homes on Long Island alone, and our whole village has been out since Sunday morning. Running off a generator, but I may be stuck here as I can't leave my mother until the power comes back on and things are more normal. Then there will be the question which roads are open and leaving won't do me any good if the roads are closed. ( NY State Thruway closed from Albany to Syracuse). I will post an update here once I know more. Back upstate work is still progressing at the shop, but some of the crew will be leaving for the Lime Rock Vintage Festival on Thursday - assuming it has not been canceled due to conditions there ( half of CT was reported to be without power ) . Hopefully I will be back by then.
go to topHurricane Irene 2011-08-25
Plans to close the office for a few days, get some uninterupted work done, and then take a couple of days off have changed. Now the only plan is to prepare for Irene. I'm currently at our family home on Long Island ( NY ), less than 100 feet from the water, and will ride out the storm there with my mother ( just turned 95 ) and other family members. When I get back will depend on Irene. Some planned shipments may be delayed, though other members of our team are still at work on your projects. I will post updates and maybe a few photos once the storm hits.
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Office Closed from 8/24 - 8/30 2011-08-22
The office will be closed from Tues. the 24th thru Mon. the 30th. Work will still proceed on projects, including some shipping, but we will not be taking emails and telephone calls in the office during that period. On Tuesday will be testing a 122 at Watkins Glen.
go to topClosed 7/25 & 26 2011-07-22
The office is going to be closed this coming Monday and Tuesday, as I will be out of town - Monday for my mother's 95th birthday, and Tuesday to pickup more heads and engine blocks. We currently have a good stock of blocks, but are short on those that test out with thick enough cylinder walls for the engines with 92 and 93 mm overbores.
go to topClosed for the Long Holiday Weekend - Back on Tuesday 2011-06-28
Closing early for the July 4th weekend. We will be working on projects on Wed and doing some shipping on Thurs, and Fri, but the office will be closed Wed thru Mon. Promised my wife I would finish a non car project by this weekend and she's holding me to it. Back on the 5th. Have a great holiday.
go to topLooking for Customer Input on New Roller Rocker Systems 2011-06-08
We are currently in the testing stage of one of our new roller rocker systems for the Volvo B18/B20. There are several further options being considered and customer input will help us make decisions on the system or configurations to be offered. Right now, 2 basic systems are being considered, with each having at least a couple of options. Either system will have the main advantage of replacing the stock rockers, which even when new were a mixed bag of ratios none of which met the factory spec of 1.52 to 1, with precision made roller rockers that will provide equal ratios and valve lift for each cylinder, and will reduce wear and stress in the valve train.
1) System I - 1.53 to one ratio aluminum roller rockers, with bronze bearings, designed to work on the stock shaft with stock shaft pedastals, stock type pushrods, using the stock adjusters. Advantages of this system are low price, ease of installation, no need to enlarge the pushrod holes in the head, and the ability to provide a significant increase in performance. A higher ratio version of this system could also be available that would require enlarging the pushrod holes in the head, requiring removal of the head. Expected selling price would be in the $400 range and it should be an excellant replacement for stock rockers in most street and high performance applications.
This would also be one of those rare performance products that can actually be installed in a couple of hours and will give a significant improvement in performance. Most stock rockers that we have tested have ratios of 1.47 or less. Comparing the lift with a 1.53 ratio rocker - with the stock 1.47 ratio rocker the valve lift at .300 cam lift would be .441 vs .459 for the 1.53 ratio rocker, which may not sound like much difference but is very significant in terms of effective cam duration.
2) System II - This is a slightly more complicated system, designed for higher ratios in performance and race applications. It will use aluminum roller rockers, needle bearings, will have its own rocker shaft and pedastals, require enlargement of the pushrod holes in the head and new pushrods, and have a price that will be approximately double that of System I, above. This system would be recommended for the serious high performance and race customer and ratios will likely be in the 1.6 t0 1.65 range.
Your input on whether we should offer one or both of the systems described above will help us make a decision and facilitate the return of roller rocker systems to our product line. The next step will be customer assistance in beta testing of the systems. Those interested in participating will be offered a roller rocker system at a considerable discount in exchange for their feedback and help in fine tuning the system.
Both systems mentioned above will require either a modified stock valve cover or an aluminum valve cover.
And for those of you with other makes of car, we expect to be offering non - Volvo roller rocker kits as well.
go to topClosed for Memorial Day Weekend 2011-05-27
Back on Tuesday with a trailer load of B20 core engines needed for our engine building program.
go to topSuspension Springs Finally Arrive - New Roller Rockers Being Tested 2011-05-14
The progressive rate suspension springs that we have been waiting for since early in the year are finally here, in several different ride heights. So if you have been waiting, now is the time to order before they sell out. Still waiting for our new roller rocker arm kits to be ready, but the first of the preproduction units are due to arrive for testing next week. See the discription of the new RR Kit below:
The New Roller Rocker Kit
Test samples of our new roller rockers are here for testing.
In 2009 a decision was made to discontinue our roller rocker kit and instead concentrate on improving results with stock rockers. At the time we felt the kit needed improvement and some of the components used were becoming unavailable. Since then we have been looking to introduce a new version of the kit, have spent considerable time investigating options, and are in the final stages of development. After a period of testing, the new RR kit will soon be available. It will use the stock rocker shaft, shaft pedestals, and pushrods and will be available in stock as well has high lift ratios. If you are interested in this kit, send us an email so that we can put you on a list to recieve updated information on price and availability. This will also help us determine how many of components need to be ordered to fill 2011 customer orders. Advantages of the new kit will be similar to those of the old kit, plus it will be easier to install, more reliable and less expensive.
Advantages of the new Roller Rocker Kits for Volvo B18/B20 Engines will include:
- Increases valve lift and effective duration.
- Increases horsepower and torque.
- Allows higher RPM operation.
- Reduces valve train wear and increases the life of valve guides and seats.
- Reduces heat by reducing friction.
- Easier to install
- Improved durability
- Less expensive than other kits
Engine Customer wins Rally in Wales, UK 2011-04-09
Ian Beveridge, one of our UK customers, won at the Historic Bulldog Rally in Wales the first time out with one of our B20 Rally engines. The report is as follows: " In the Bulldog Historic Rally, which formed the second round of the Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the class B4 Volvo PV544 of Ian Beveridge and Peter Joy took the Category 1 win after early pace setters Simon Wallis/Graham Wride rolled out of the lead in their Lotus Cortina. The big old Volvo PV544 showed a clean pair of heels to the three following Porsche 911s (how does he do that?) and Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill finished fifth ahead of Edmund Peel/Janet Craine in yet another 911."
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Spring is finally here, but Suspension Springs are delayed 2011-04-09
Our latest batch of progressive rate suspension springs, including more of the new taller springs, has been delayed by problems with the wire delivered to our spring manufacturer. The wire did not meet their specifications, so we have had to wait for a new supply to be delivered before the springs could be made. It looks like it will be towards the end of April before they come in.
go to topSpring and Summer Hours 2011-03-21
Starting on 3/25 our office will again be closed on Fridays. This does not mean that we will not be working, but with spring finally here and the race season rapidly approaching we have to spend more time out of the office, in the shop finishing projects, and doing track testing and racing. Not answering emails and telephone calls on Friday will give us more time to work on your projects as little gets done when stopping to answer the phone every few minutes. As usual, please send an email if possible and if you call leave a message on our office line - 315 478 1229.This will usually mean that calls and emails will be returned the following Monday/Tuesday.
go to topStill Winter, and our New Headers and Susp. Springs are due to arrive before Spring 2011-03-05
A very limited number of our new headers, redesigned with a dyno developed merge collector, are due to arrive the week of the 15th, along with more 2.5 inch, mandrel bent, stainless steel exhaust tubing. More of our new, taller progressive rate springs will also be here that week, including sets in black for those who like the stock look along with a ride height that is closer to stock. Its expected that most of the headers and sprngs will be reserved for individual customers before they even arrive, so order early.
Another new product, and one that can be used on almost any car, is our custom shift knob. Last year a customer needed a shift knob for his T5 conversion and there was no time to order one, so I turned one out of some aluminum that was on hand. It came out so nice that I made a few more and can now offer them for the M40/41, T5 and T9 and many other transmissions. Adds a really nice solid feel to your shifter, as well as a unique custom look. Several different custom styles are available, or just tell me what you want it to look like - $50.
go to topToo much winter but a good time to build and ship engines 2011-02-27
2 degrees on Wed and 160 inches of snow - a good time to do some indoor work, building and testing engines. Though the weather is not helping there either.
A couple of weeks ago the roof on the shop where we do most of our engine machining and dyno testing collapsed under the weight of the snow. Furtunately, the roof held up over the main dyno and machining rooms, but the cleanup shut things down for most of a week. In the photos below, the chassis dyno is in the bay just to the right of the new "open air" section. The engine dyno room is to the right of that.
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Last week we had engines on 2 dynos - 240 miles apart. Mon, Tues, Wed, we worked on the dyno in NY - under the section of roof still standing in the above photos. On Wednesday we finished testing a rally engine destined for the UK. On Thursday we prepared that engine for shipping and shipped it by air to the UK for Tuesday pickup at Heathrow Airport. Update - Its new owner used it to win a rally in Wales on April 2nd.
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On Friday I was in Pennsylvania to finish dyno testing an engine there to be shipped to the West Coast next week. See the photos below of what the first part of that 420 mile trip looked like.
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New Programable 123 Distributors now in Stock ------ Back to Work on Some Exciting Projects 2010-12-20
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Back to work on several exciting projects now that the holidays are over, except for my dog who is still relaxing in his chair. Some of the projects, such as the new headers, roller rockers, and improvements to the Mikuni Carbs are derived from our fall testing, and I am anxious to get them finished and into production. The new programable 123 Tune Distributors have come in, and are undergoing evaluation as part of our dyno testing program. See more on them in the Ignition Section of this website.
On the schedule to be available in early 2011 are the following:
1) A new Volvo B18/B20 Roller Rocker Arm Kit that is easy to bolt on using the stock rocker shaft, and will be available in at least 2 ratios for street and competition use
2) A new Volvo B20 4-2-1 header featuring both the current stepped primaries and a new merge collector - totally unique.
3) A new camshaft for our 2.5 liter Volvo B20 engines.
4) New progressive rate suspension spring sets with a wider choice of ride heights, including one that is close to stock.
5) The new T9 5 speed transmission Kit.
6) Our new custom aluminum shift knobs.
7) Finally some progress on our TR4 Project.
And later in the year:
A new version of our superchager kit.
go to topWinter Is Here 2010-12-08
46 inches of snow in 4 days,a record 12/5 - 12/8, took us abruptly from fall to the depths of winter. Now, over 70 inches of snow for the first two weeks of December has broken all records for snow in December, including the record for the most snow ever in the whole month, and only 7 inches short of the record for the most snow in any month ever. With this much snow some plans have had to be delayed or cancelled - a 400 mile round trip to do more dyno testing was delayed a week. A 200 mile trip to pick up a TR4 parts car has been put off indefinitely. Dealing with old cars that don't like exposure to salt, the first big snow of the year causes changes. Cars tend to stay in the garages where they are as moving them becomes a production. The attention moves from "on the road" to "in the shop" activities, and its a time when we can concentrate on getting heads and engines done.
New Parts In Development 2010-11-05
New parts include a roller rocker kit, a re- design for our 4-2-1 headers, more choices in rebuilt T9 transmissions with enhanced availability, aluminum shift nobs, larger valves for our Type 3 heads, and more. Now is the time of year that we do most of our testing and development work, and get things into production so that they will be available for 2011.
go to topUpdated Race Report 2010-09-13
Back from Watkins Glen. Finished 4th out of 62 cars in Group 3, though a much smaller number actually raced in the rain on Sunday. And just as at Infineon in Cal., it was an Alpha reunion in honor of 100 years of Alphas, and we were grouped with the Alphas. Gary Jebsen (# 41) and Bruce Saunders (# 180 ) were also there with their 1800s. Photos of their cars are below.
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The next race was with VRG at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Sept. 24 - 25. There we had a good reunion and some on track action with another customer and his 1800 racecar. For several years now, Rich Schnable has owned the blue 1800 that started out as Steve Grabski's car, then was sold to Rich Conklin, before it was purchased by Schnable. We have serviced it throughout, but this is the first chance I have had to race against it since Conklin owned it in 2004. NJ Motorsports Park is never going to be one of my favorite tracks, and the flies were terrible, but we did well, finishing 3rd in the final race, in front of all the Porsche's and Schnable who finished 5th.
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Street Performance Engine - Ready to ship - $3000 - Sold 2010-08-11
A complete Street Performance Engine, never run, stock rod and piston, .030 over, with Type I head and further upgrade options. At times we have a completed engine available for sale. This is one of those. This engine was built as part of a customer's supercharged car project that was never completed. The car is now going to become a racecar, so the street engine has to come out and is available at a considerable discount off of our usual prices. Currently configured with a C cam and low compression ( 8.7 - 1 ) head for supercharged applications, it can be quickly upgraded to normally aspirated specs by adding one of our Street Performance Cams and milling the head for higher compression. $3000 as is. $3500 with the Street Performance Cam installed and the head modified for higher compression and upgraded to current Type I head specifications. $3800 with the head upgraded to current Type II specs. Add in that there will be no engine core charge ( normally $350 ) and these prices represent savings of approximately $1000 as compared to a new order of an engine with the same specs at current prices. Cash offers considered for immediate sale.
go to topMikuni Discount Offer 2010-06-28
We have a standing offer of 10% off the purchase price or free installation of any of our Mikuni Kits where we do not already have a documented installation of the kit on a particular car model.
This offer includes extra technical assistance ( including extra jets, fabrication of brackets, thorttle linkage, and air filter adapters if necessary, etc. ) where we do not already have installation and tuning documentation of the installation for that kit on that model. This offer is in exchange for photos and feedback from the purchaser that can be used on our website. Where the car is near us, we will do the installation free in our shop. Installations that we would like to do this year include: 4 carb kits on the TR3/4. 3 and 6 carb kits on the TR6. Installation of any of the kits on Datsun roadsters and Z cars, Jags, Austin Healeys and MGC, TVR, etc.
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New Programable 123 Distributor 2010-06-10
Our newest product is an innovation - a programable distributor for vintage cars - $445 as an introductory offer.
123ignition did it again ! If you want to tune your engine, or you have an engine for which there is no standard distributor available.....the new 123\TUNE is the answer ! By connecting it to a computer, the end-user can easily adapt the 123\TUNE to fulfill even the most demanding requirements. The unit offers two sets of curves that can be selected by placing 12 Volt on a wire from the 123\TUNE.
Here are all the features offered :
- rotation CW and CCW ( autodetect )
- for 6 Volt and/or 12 Volt cars ( autodetect )
- for positive and negative earthed cars
( 123\TUNE-8 is for neg.earth ONLY )
- two centrifugal advance curves
( 500 to 8000 rpm )
- two vacuum-advance and boost-retard curves
( 0 to 200 kPa or -30 inHg to +15 psi )
- two MAP-start fields
- two rev.limiters ( advanced random spark stealing )
- real-time tuning under keyboard-control ( ideal for working on a rolling road )
- rpm-stopwatch ( ideal for tuning using the road itself as a rolling road )
- luxurious import-from-file and export-to-file ( curves can easily be exchanged over the internet )
- electronic "dashboard" with :
temperature gauge ( selectable in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit )
manifold pressure ( selectable in Bar or inches Hg / Psi )
rev. counter ( 0 to 8000 rpm crankshaft )
spark-energy gauge ( primary coil current )
total-advance gauge ( in degrees crankshaft )
- available in 4- , 6- and 8- cylinder models with various sizes and shapes.
Computer Issues Resolved - We Hope 2010-05-14
Got the email program going again, on another computer. What started as a corrupted email program ended up with having to switch to a new computer system - new enough that none of the old programs worked with it - 32 bit vs 64 bit etc. So after a week of recovering data, transferring it over, downloading new drivers and programs, ( and trying to stay off the phone so I could get it done ) it looks like we have everything up and running again ( though the wordprocesses program shut down shut down this morning losing data again ) and are in the process of catching up on emails, orders, and shipping. Let me know next week - 5/17 if I missed getting back in touch with you.
go to topOur email program has crashed again 2010-04-30
Cannot currently recieve emails at our normal email address. We should have this corrected by Monday.
go to topFinally Back from Cal. 4/15 2010-04-16
Got back late Thursday night from the California trip. Well over 6,000 miles and no problems with the racecar, trailer or the tow car. Photos and story will be posted soon. Now working on catching up. The plan to relay email to me on the road and get some work done while I was away failed when the computer here went down after a thunder storm. Luckily not anything major, but we didn't get it back up until I got back.
The above photo was taken by Terry Smith, more photos taken by him and others will be posted in the Gallery section and as part of an aritcle on the trip. I will be doing both in sections as they are completed and the photos from various photographers become available, so you may have to check back several times over the next few weeks to see all of the photos and the full trip story.
go to topRace Trip Update - Volvo Challenge 2010-04-12
My son Brad and I left NY very early Thursday morning and did a very quick straight through tow arriving at Infineon Raceway( Sears Point, CA ) late on Friday. Gary Jebsen and I were the only East Coast drivers who made it ( at least with their racecars). There was no representation from the Midwest. The CSRG vintage race weekend had two featured Marques with their own race groups - Alpha and Volvo.
After arriving we got some sleep and had a good day of practice and qualifying on Saturday. The weather turned wet ( very, very wet ) on Sunday. After warmups ( an inappropriate term considering the cold rain ) the regular schedule was changed and compressed into two races. The Volvos and Alphas were combined into one group and all of the other cars into another. It was difficult racing with large standing puddles, water and dirt running down the hills and across the track, and very little visability. Volvos took the first 3 places against a much larger Alpha contingent. Cars with soft suspensions were generally faster than those with full race suspensions. Visability was a key element, and some cars went off the track just because they could not see where it was. After several accidents and off course excersions, the race was ended unber full course yellow. I was lucky to get third place - first 1800 and first of the cars with a full race setup - thanks to using borrowed windshield wipers from a spectators car and an old set of and rain tires from Gary Jebsen.
More on the race, including photos, when I get back next week.
JP
go to topGone for a Few Days 2010-04-08
We will be closed for a few days - 4/8 through 4/14 in order to make a race commitment - the all Volvo race at Sears Point - Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Cal. Assuming that we make it in time we will be joining a group of approx. 25 old Volvo racers for a fun time. It should be an interesting report when we get back. If you have a project or shipment pending, please be patient, we will get it out as soon as we get back.
go to topAnother Old Racecar Returns to the Track 2010-04-03
Steve Syson has not raced his 122 since the early 70s. For most of that time he did not even own it. He recently located it, bought it, and rescued it from a field in Arkansas. He reports as follows:
My car is rapidly approaching completion...
After a couple of decades under a tree in Arkansas, the bodywork was trashed and the whole suspension needed new Heim joins and bushings...
As well as slightly nicer wheels and tires....
Since it hadn't raced since 1975, not much worked....
The wiring and aeroquip lines were shot and the rear end had no gears....
The hydraulic clutch, brake calipers and brake lines were all corroded....
See attached photo for its as-received condition....
Absolute Engineering in Goleta has restored it....
They had no problems with a Volvo, since they specialize in tanks....
All the wiring and most of the plumbing is back in order....
It should be primed today and painted on Monday....
The engine from Vintage Performance is due to arrive on Tuesday. We hope to be at the all Volvo race at Sears Point Infineon Racectrack on Friday.
Stay tuned....
Steve
And with any luck I will be out there too.
JP
And this just in from Rick Hayden:
I co-owned this car in the late 'seventies in North Dakota, buying it from the fellow Steve sold it to, thinking to replace my ex-Rich Schnabel (IMSA/SCCA) 122. I decided to keep mine (Still have it as a roller BTW-brought us the 1988 Cal Club/SCCA GT-3 Reg'l C'ship) and part Steve's out. That Steve was able to gather it all back is nothing short of a miracle, as when it left my hands it was barely more than a tub with wheels.I understand Steve and this beast of his have a couple of SCCA runoffs under his belt; no small feat for a 122, even in Michael Schumacher's hands!Can't kill an old racing Volvo!
Spring and Summer Hours 2010-04-02
Starting in April we will be closed on Fridays. This does not mean that we will not be working, but with spring and the race season here we have to spend more time out of the office, in the shop finishing projects, and doing track testing and racing. Not answering emails and telephone calls on Friday will give us more time to work on your projects as little gets done when stopping to answer the phone every few minutes. As usual, please send an email if possible and if you call leave a message on our office line - 315 478 1229.This will usually mean that calls and emails will be returned the following Monday/Tuesday.
go to topMikuni 42 mm Carbs are Now Back in Stock 2010-03-05
Now available in limited numbers, we will be getting more each week.
go to topAdditions to the Mikuni Carb Section 2010-02-20
Added to the Mikuni carb section are Datsun 510 & 1600 installations, polished carbs, reduced prices on the Quad carb kits, and additions to the tuning instructions in the "Articles" section.
go to topBack from a longer weekend then expected. 2010-02-20
Last week's trip took longer than expected, but finally back with 4 more engines on the trailer. There appears to have been problems with telephone messages left while we were gone, so if you tried to call and/or left a message last week, please call again or email.
go to topClosed for a Long Weekend 2010-02-14
We will be closed Feb 12 - 15th including a trip to pick up more engines to use as cores for our performance engines. We will be back late Tuesday.
go to topEngine Prices have been Updated for 2010 2010-02-04
See the engine section for details on price changes, including reductions for 2010.
go to topThe Push to Get Engines Done by Spring 2010-01-27
As part of the annual rush to get engines ready for spring, I picked up 8 more B20 cores on a 700 mile trip to Long Island on the 14th through 16th. Together with 6 we already had, that made 14 engines to take apart. Those are now apart, cleaned and are being sonic tested so that we can select the blocks to be used for our various engines based on cylinder wall thickness. The next step on the blocks will be align honing the mains. The cranks are being magnafluxed, checked for straightness, and being balanced. The rods are being reconditioned and ARP rod bolts installed. And I have quite a few heads to do.
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Engine Developments for 2010 2010-01-10
1) lower cost cranks and rods; 2) new cams; 3) mushroom lifters; 4) roller rockers; 5) new head configurations. These are just examples of new developments for 2010. Stay tuned for additional details.
In order to meet the need for parts, now that traditional sources are out of stock on pistons and other key engine rebuild parts, we will be stocking all of the parts needed to rebuild a B20 which we can sell individually or as a kit.
There will be price reductions on our stroker engines, both the 2.3 L and the 2.5 L , as volume purchasing of custom parts has allowed us to reduce our costs and these reductions will be passed on to our customers.
We are building several motors for rally and Carrera Panamericana use by our customers, and have used the opportunity to do some testing and development work which will have a positive impact on our pure street engines as well.
It should be an exciting year for engine development.
go to topHappy New Year!!!!!! 2009-12-22
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Best wishes to all of our customers and hoping you have a happy new year! Changes and updates to the website done during our "off week" will be posted during the first week of January. Included will be dyno charts and more racing photos. January and February will be spent building engines and porting heads so that we can get your projects finished by Spring.
John Parker
go to topCongratulations to Richard Bailey for his class win in the Carrera Panamericana 2009-11-26
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Richard finished 1st in "Historic A" in his 122 which featured a number of our products. Photos of his and other Volvos in the race have been posted in the Galleries section, with more to come.
go to topLimted Time Sale on Engine Parts and Component Kits 2009-11-26
Contact us to see if any of these specials are still available.
Reduced prices on the 2.3 L B20 engines, the 2.3 L component kit ( $350 off ), and/or individual orders for the rods and pistons in the kit are offered for a limited time. Discounts will depend on the which parts are ordered and the quantity, and will range from 10 - 20%. We are currently putting in orders to our suppliers for the custom rods and pistons we will need to build these engines for 2010, and can pass on our reduced cost based on a larger order. Discounts are also available on the parts for race and rally engines if ordered in the same time period. This offer is limited to those orders placed from Nov. 25th through Dec.15th 2009. Please email for details or to place your order.
December Hours 2009-11-04
We will also be closed from Dec. 22nd thru Jan 3rd.
go to topRace Head Improvements 2009-10-23
We are constantly improving our products - with some of the strongest efforts directed at our race products. This year our Volvo B20 head development and testing program produced big dividends - modifications that produced significant increases in power, verified on the dyno & on the track. These head flow improvements were applied to two of our older race heads with great results - dyno tested power increases of from 20 to 30 HP, without other engine changes. See the dyno chart below. These modifications have now been incorporated into the design of our current generation of B20 race heads. On the track the improvement is quite evident as soon as you open the throttle. The next step will be applying some of the same improvements to our street heads. Look for new versions of the Type III and the new Type IV heads in 2010.
The dyno chart below shows a comparison of power and torque at the wheels using the same race head before and after modifications. The solid lines are after modifications, the broken lines are before modifications. Red is torque, blue is HP.
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B20 Pistons now in stock. 2009-10-09
Stock type Volvo B20 pistons no longer available through the usual US sources are now in stock. We have located and imported several sets in popular oversizes. They should be available here by the 3rd week of October. If there is sufficient demand we will keep several sets in stock. Contact us by email for details.
go to topComputer Problem 2009-09-23
The computer problem that wiped out emails received before 9/23/09 has been mostly fixed, with recovery of the emails but not the indication of which have been answered. So if you are waiting for a response from a recent email, please resend as we may have missed it. .
go to topVintage Performance 1800 returns to the track - new photos included 2009-08-24
Finally back on the track in October - the familiar silver/grey Vintage Performance 1800 has finally finished undergoing a much needed body and paint restoration. After a further delay to take care of teething problems with the mostly new engine, we made it to Watkins Glen Oct 16 - 18 with the Vintage Racing Group. Its kind of a strong hint that the racing season is coming to a close when its snowing when you arrive at the track.
The car may now look "new", but underneath it's the same car we have been racing since 1989. With a couple of track sessions this fall used mainly for testing, we have a full season of racing planned for 2010. Photos of the car's original construction and the recent restoration will be available on this site soon with a few excerpts shown below. The ground work has now been done for a full season of racing next year, with the first events only 4 months away. See you at the track.
The photos below show the car as we found it in 1989, as it was last raced, and undergoing body work in August, 2009. A close look at the "last raced" photos will give some idea of why some of the bodywork was necessary. Over 75 race weekends, including more than 300 track sessions and over 2000 individual laps, takes a toll over the years. There ended up being a lot more that needed fixing then we estimated so it took a little longer than planned.
Below are photos at Watkins Glen this October. After moving up through the pack to 4th place, a broken axle ended our chances of winning. Maybe it was the additional power, or just that we have been racing on that axle since 1990. In any case, it is all part of the process of finding out what still works and what does not, what needs improvement and what does not. Adding power can have a ripple effect, causing problems that were never there before when the stresses were less. So the first races back after making significant changes are always part of the tesing process.
2010 Update -- After taking everything apart, it turned out that the axle broke when the transmission locked up. Everything else was in good condition and worked perfectly during our first event in 2010 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Cal.
go to topFall Hours 2009-08-03
The office and shop will continue to be closed on Fridays thru October.This does not mean we are not working, just not in the office. If you have to get hold of me regarding our weekend activities while we are closed, try my cell phone 315 440 6560. As I will usually be in areas with very poor cell service, do not assume that I will get messages right away.
go to topParkhurst's Supercharged Hotrod 1800 ES 2009-07-20
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New photos of this customized 1800 are in the Customer Car Gallery.
New Printable Catalog - Price List Added 2009-07-12
The old pricelist has now turned into a really cool printable parts catalog. Its the "Printable Price List" shown at the bottom of the products listing.
go to topAdding Products - Tell US What You Need 2009-07-09
We are adding more stock type Volvo engine parts to our inventory as they become unavailable in the US from other sources such as IPD and Volvo dealers. Engine bearings, oil pumps, and cast B20 and B21 pistons are currently being added. We will soon have updates posted on pricing. Let us know what parts you would like added to our inventory.
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Looking for Customer Feedback on the New Website 2009-07-07
Tell us what you like about it, what you don't, and what you would like changed. We would like to make it as user friendly as possible and include as much useful information as possible. Thanks to our site designer, Steve Berry, I can now make daily changes to the site, in order to keep it up to date and keep you better informed. Even the old articles, like the "Vintage Volvo Perfomance" series is being updated with new information, new photos, and additional parts that are coming out soon. So expect something new every few days.
go to topNew Gallery of Old Race Photos 2009-07-06
A new section of photos of Volvo racers has been added to the photo galleries. Most of these are old photos and in many the driver, track, year, and photograpgher are unknown. Your help is needed in providing this information. More photos are wanted, so if you have any, please email them to me.
go to topClosed July 3, 4 and 5. 2009-07-02
We will be closed July 3, 4, and 5 for the 4th of July weekend. Back on the 6th. Have a great holiday weekend.
go to top63 P1800 For Sale 2009-06-18
Photos now posted in the Products/Cars section. One of our customers has asked us to sell his P1800 that is currently in our storage garage. He lives outside of the US and has decided that the cost of transporting the car is more than he wants to spend. The car is in decent running condition, although it has not been on the road in several years. It has a new interioror and comparatively new paint though there are areas that need some additional work. The body is basically solid with no obvious rust problems. Not a show car, but could be a fun daily driver in its present condition, while needing some body and paint work in the future to bring out the car's potential. See photos in the Products/Cars section. Email me at jparker3@twcny.rr.com for details. $5200. Sold for $5,000.
go to topMGB Dyno Test Posted 2009-06-17
Finally got a chance to do a dyno test of the 79 MGB with the Dual Mikuni Carb Kit. 95 HP at the wheels! That's as much as Moss Motors gets with their supercharger kit. This car originally had a single Zenith Stromberg carb. The Mikuni carbs were added as part of an engine rebuild so we did not get a chance to do a before and after test . ( Using Moss Motors dyno tests as a comparison the rear wheel HP is almost double the stock engine output. ) Other changes besides the carbs include a "fast road cam" , head porting, and a header. The car is very responsive and really fun to drive. The dyno results show why. As the car was very sensitive to timing changes and had the stock distributor, I would be looking to get another 5 HP or so with a distributor like the "123" where we could get a more accurate high energy spark and could control the timing advance curve.
In the chart below, the blue line is wheel power. Red is wheel torque. Black is power at the crank. All are with STP ( Standard Temperature and Pressure ) correction factors. During the course of 11 runs we gained about 10 HP with changes in jetting and timing. Torque at the wheels peaked at 93 ft lbs at both 3500 and 5000 rpm, but was essentially a flat curve between those peaks. Engine power reached 130 at 6200 rpm, with the "at the wheels" figure being 95. More complete data is available for anyone who is interested.
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Website Updates 2009-06-16
Work on the new website continues, with new items being added on an almost daily basis. The newest are articles on head porting and head identification.
go to topPrice Increases 2009-06-15
While we still have products that have sold at the same price for more than a decade, last week we had to increase the prices on several products in order to pass on cost increases from our suppliers. While we had been able to hold the line on prices for several years, when our re-order cost for some items was higher than our listed selling prices we had to make some changes. Another issue is that several of our normal suppliers are no longer carrying many of the stock parts for the B18/B20 and B21 engines. Although I am sure that we will find other sources, this may mean temporary delays and further price increases for the individual parts and for our engines.
Let's hope that these trends are temporay.
John Parker
go to topEngine Block Water Leak 2009-05-22
After 8 years, an unusual problem in one of our B20 race engines - a pinhole internal water leak from the cylinder water jacket into the lifter gallery. Right now we have no idea what caused it, but are at least happy to have solved the question of why there was water in the oil.
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Looking a lot like a spitting cobra, the photo at left shows the pinhole leak - its the white line in the middle. It took almost 40 lbs. of pressure on the system to make the leak into a spray so that we could see it.
go to topThe New Recent Developments section is under construction 2009-05-19
go to topSupercharged 1800 owners go to Spain 2009-05-01
- Is it just a coincidence that two of our supercharged 1800 owners are going to Spain for the next 2 weeks?
- Including our site administrator Steve Berry just as the new site is going online ?
Use of Mikuni HSR carb kits spreads rapidly 2009-05-01
With over 100 of our Mikuni Carb kits sold, we now have Mikuni Kits in the cars listed below. All owners have been surprised and amazed by the improvements in throttle response, power and fuel economy.
Volvo 544
Volvo 122
Volvo 1800
Volvo 140
Volvo 240
Mini Cooper
MGB
Supercharged MGB
TR4
TR6
Datsun 510
Datsun 1600
Sunbeam Alpine