And what'd they do to get it?

This is why a turbo is so attractive, as parts are relatively cheap, and much of the process is DIY-able.

To really get a "lot" of HP out of a NA red-block, it's basically tear down, blueprint, and rebuild, but very carefully... and a machine shop will have to do most of the work. Phil Singher wrote an interesting article, perhaps a year ago, on getting 200+HP out of a B18 or B20. Not in depth, but really impresses upon you the cost of such a build.

-Ryan
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Athens, Ohio
1987 245 DL 314k, Dog-mobile
1990 245 DL 134k M47, E-codes, GT Sway Bars
1991 745 GL 300k, Regina, 23/21mm Turbo Sway Bars
Buckeye Volvo Club

+1. Get the right junkyard motor (90+ is good, 93+ is better) and you can get 250 - 300 hp with a stock head and bottom end.

To go up from there you'll likely need custom rods and pistons. And a very well worked head. Or a 16V head. That'll get you to 400 - maybe even 500 hp (with a literal fortune in supporting mods, from stem to stern, not many stock parts will survive that. Trans, rear axle, rear suspension)

Of course, such a car isn't really daily drivable any more.

And of course, with a HUGE budget and a pure drag race focus, I think the Hunchback Racing car has something like 1000 HP.
http://www.hunchbackracing.se/

Volvo block, Volvo 16V head. Might be where the Volvo parts stop on that car...
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'63 PV544 rat rod, '93 Classic #1141 245 +t

Howdy,

Normally aspirated? I've researched the performance capabilities of the B21/23/230 in depth.

For a streetable 8V red block, about 160 HP from a normally aspirated engine is a realistic goal. That can be accomplished during a rebuild with about 12 hours of head work, selected camshaft, and a proper header. That is about the limit of my ability to build myself in my garage and that is my personal goal for a normally aspirated engine.

Above that power level the dollars per horsepower begin to increase exponentially. Start with a 2.5 liter marine block. Add long rods, increase the bore and stroke to achieve at least 2.8 liters. Use offset crank pins to get there. Of course you must use lightweight components, bigger valves, huge turbo and intercooler, larger intake runners, bigger injectors, MegaSquirt, high energy ignition, about 60 hours of head work, and pay someone who knows what they are doing to put it all together for you. It all gets very expensive in a hurry.

There are several tuners in Sweden getting insane HP from the red block engines. There are special (read very expensive) racing heads that have arrow straight intake and exhaust ports that are the foundation for 400+ HP bored and stroked normally aspirated engines. Add turbos of outrageous capabilities and the sky is the limit.

There are those over at turbobricks that have dyno sheets to prove in excess of 450 HP out of an 8V red block. Want more? Install a 16V head. Run 20 + PSI of boost with alcohol injection, water injection, boost retard, etc...

But that is just the beginning. That kind of power will break everything in a Volvo drivetrain. Improved clutch, hardened transmission, usually requiring an adapter to install, bigger diameter driveshaft and beefier rear gears and axles will be absolutely necessary.

Then you want all that power to turn and stop on command. Add more money.

Speed can be purchased. How much do you have to spend?

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Mr. Shannon DeWolfe -- (I've taken to using Mr. because my name tends to mislead folks on the WWW. I am a 52 year old fat man

Another way I've heard it said---"speed cost money---how fast do you want to go?"

i'm interested in how to get 160 horses in an NA. would you elaborate on that?

Well, there are a few avenues to follow. In this thread,

http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=92984&page=2

Paul Grimshaw writes:

Remove the MAF screens and mod the air box.

4:2:1 collectors will give you good torque, whereas 4:1 will produce better power at higher rpm. The most efficient primary pipe length for a B230F with a VX cam is 3.54 feet (based on calculations in which the cam's exhaust duration is 236.20 degrees, an engine with a 3.15 inch bore and 3.78 inch stroke, a head with an exhaust port diameter of 1.49 ins, operating at peak torque, in which the a gas velocity of 1351 ft/sec.). This means that the collector will be located close to where it must join the input flange of the cat.

This mod will easily put you into the mid 160 bhp range, a power level that the ECU and injectors can easily handle.

That is not my opinion. That is what Paul wrote.

But, that is not all. There is more to do to achieve the 160 HP mark and there is a bunch of snake oil to avoid. Earlier the discussion had turned toward what must be done as opposed to what doesn't work at all. Paul has a low tolerance for those who want to put a cone fileter and 3" exhaust on and then do 12 second ETs. Forget the cone filters or even a "performance" filter. Modify the air box to pull fresh air and leave it at that. The intake manifold has to be extrude honed to move a bit more air. The stock throttle body will support the 160 HP goal. Beyond that level, a bigger air door will be required.

The intake tract has to be opened up and shaped at the bend and the bowls have to worked to unshroud the intake valve. Leave the rest of the head alone. When the head is installed, the quench area needs to be in the neighborhood of .030". Any closer is asking for disaster using stock internals. Plane the head to achieve roughly 10:1 SCR using flat tops with a tiny bit (.003-.004") of stick out. No more than that or the timing will have to be pulled back so far that it defeats the purpose of increasing the SCR. When this motor nears it's sweet spot on the VX cam, the DCR will more than make up for the lack of any cranking pressure.

Use a high energy ignition system. Paul says to fuel it with the stock LH system; it can handle it. I have no reason to doubt that. But, my motor will be going into an older car. I intend to run carbs early on and then work on a MegaSquirt system over time.

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Mr. Shannon DeWolfe -- (I've taken to using Mr. because my name tends to mislead folks on the WWW. I am a 52 year old fat man