hi, the aluminum valve cover with the ipd-volvo logo for the b18-b20's that is supposed to be so rare,does anybody have a general idea of how many may have been sold before they were discontinued? i was just curious how rare they really are.thanks, mike

Why do you want to DOWNGRADE from the stock one?

The tapered top on the stock one allows the oil bleed hole in the rockers to bounce oil back on to the valve springs to cool them & lubricate the rotating valve keeper area. No such thought put in to any of the cast alloy ones I have seen.

BEWARE of people selling overpriced JUNK. (Go have a look at a picture of vpd's personal race engine.)

Buy something usefull instead.

I just got one today, first time I see one "in the flesh" been tinkering with Volvo,s since 1978.

IPD can probably tell you.....

Over the years, I've seen dozens of them but then IPD is local. I would think that there were at least a few hundred of them produced. I've seen about the same number of them that said 'VOLVO' before they went to the 'IPD-VOLVO' ones. There was at least one other style they made (only ever seen two of them) that were 'IPD-Portland, Ore.'

I think the IPD-Portland, Ore. were the first ones, and were inspired by the really rare ones from Ellemann-Jakobsen (the speed shop that build engines for Volvo race cars before Volvo had the 'Competition Services Deapartment') and Ruddspeed of England.

I've seen various Volvo, IPD-Volvo and IPD Portland Ore. sell for as little as $100 and as much as $450. Hope this helps.

Chris