I have an '84 245 that I am slowly trying to repair to perfection. I have the B23 running sweetly so I am not looking to stuff a turbo under the hood or do any performance modifications. It is an automatic and the transmission is in good shape. No major leaks or slipping in the gears. I have a love/hate thing with the transmission. It is nice to not have to shift gears, but I don't feel the ratios are the best for the B23 and I really like driving a stick.

My neighbor had an '89 245 mith the M47 transmission that I watched for the last 2 years. As far as I saw, he never abused the car, he never raced the engine, never even sped in any gear. He just used the car to putt around town. However, I also never saw him maintain the car or any signs that the 245 was taken to a repair shop for anything including an oil change. The car ended up in my local salvage yard this last week. Everything on the car is in poor shape (for instance, the hood and room look like they are in primer because there is no clear coat left! It all peeled away...) and under the hood is a greasy mess.

My question is: Is it even worth looking at this transmission? I have heard the M47s do not stand up well to abuse and high levels of torque. But can they stand up to years of neglect? It has been too cold to pull a sample of oil from the trans, so is there anything else I can check? I know the car is capable of running and driving, but I don't know when the last time all the gears in the transmission were used. As for the conversion, I understand the magnitude of the project with the axle and speedometer swap... My interest in this one stems from the fact Volvos are pretty rare in my area of the country...

Thanks,
Nick