The choice of engine really depends on what type of driving you will be doing. If mostly short trips around town, I'd stay away from the Turbo since you'd never get it warmed up and if you did it needs a proper cooldown as well. Not the best choice for blasting from garage sale to garage sale.

The B234F is a sweet runner; more HP without the potental problems of a turbo. But it is an interference fit as mentioned. But so are most engines these days so you would be no worse off than if you purchased a newer FWD Volvo. I just changed the belts on mine for the first time. Not a bad job to do. The hardest part, actually, was getting the fan bolts and fan off! Next hardest was getting the A/C belts off. The actual timing and balancer belt change was relatively easy.

Mine is a stick shift and is a gas to drive. I don't know how an auto would be because it really only comes into its own above 2500 rpm. Automatics and engines with low torque at the bottom end are not good matches.

The B230F is a fine choice if you are just poking around town or are not looking for acceleration. Even if you are, why not start with a B230F and hop it up? I don't see why you couldn't get it up to about 150-180 HP if you can get it to breath better.

Anyway, see http://billgarland.mcmaster.ca/volvo/volvohome.htm for a database of what models were made when. It is seasonably accurate for North America. Let me know if you see mistakes.

Cheers,
Bill Garland