I was bit by the LeMons racing bug about 2 years ago while working in Iraq. I had a lot of free time and too much boredom. Now that I have been home long enough to put my house in order (literally and figuratively), I went to an event and kicked the fever into overdrive. This is not a short-term commitment so it is time for my to start my obsessive planning.

For those who do not know, Lemons is a racing series for car valued at less than $500 (details on their web page http://www.24hoursoflemons.com ) excluding safety items. It is an endurance race that runs 14 to 24 hours in a weekend. It is also part carnival freak show, part race and part excuse to spend hours with other gear heads for a reasonable budget.

I am pretty sure I want to field a 240 but I need to figure out the details. As far as I can tell, the best combo would be a B23, M41 with a LH 2.4 and the shortest geared LSD I can get my hands on. Obviously, such a thing never came from the factory so I either have to build it or compromise. In that spirit, here is my thinking behind each piece:

240...plentiful in the local PnP's, lots of combinations available for suspension, later models avoid most of the rust but lighter and simpler than a 9/7 series. Arguably better brakes and balance than the newer RWD cars as well

M41...OD not needed, cross-member and driveshaft available for 240, I assume it can bolt up to even a B230 if I need to go that way.

B23...stoutest motor available for the 240 and avoids the complexity of a turbo and since this is an endurance race, better longevity while using less gas than a turbo. Hot cams that actually work well are available for the B23. Downsides are that it was never equipped with LH 2.4 and parts from junkyard sources are non-existent up here.

LH 2.4...I know it well. Parts are plentiful. Adaptable trim. Ability to eliminate the cold start injector so it can be wired to water injector.

Rear end...this should seem obvious but an LSD is always preferable in a racing situation but a welded diff would be acceptable for these races. Since the Volvo will never keep up on the straights with the higher powered cars, it needs to be able to drive out of corners so the lowest ration (numerically highest) is best within reason.

So, poke some holes in my theory. Give some helpful suggestions. Keep in mind, this is the planning and possibly collecting parts stage. The idea is to have a car to have fun with that by the third or fourth race can finish in the top 20% of the field. My goal is to field a car in the 2013 races in IL, MI and maybe OH.


Mike