Joe,

Are both Volvos DL, that is a 242DL and a 244DL or is it a 240DL. Are they both Automatics? What engine is in each one? I believe that all would be interchangable, but you'd be up for a lot of work.

Just measure the location of the Engine Mounts, for starters. Are they the same and are they the same mount. I have seen a lot of Volvos at this one particular wrecking yard over a 4 years period. The early ones look pretty much the same, inside and out. Very minor variations. I would start inside, with all the wiring harness, pulled through the firewall, from inside the car, maybe dashboard too. Remove and replace the Engine and Gearbox. As one post said they are unibody construction. Like Henry Ford, all this crap comes off an assembly line with holes and cutouts, but end up as DL, GL, GLE, or whatever. The 1979 242DL and 1981 244DL, uses the same hood and trunk and doors. Maybe the locks are different or the glove box. They rebadge that crap put different upholstery in it and ask more money for the same car. Under the paint and glimmer, it is a 244DL.

On a not so funny note, I had a similar experience with my ex-wife. Once driving my Mom's car in town, I saw my vehicle passing through an intersection 90 degrees to me and it was her and her cowboy boyfriend at the wheel, before we were divorced. On another occasion, at night, I passed this similar-looking vehicle, at night, on a dark road. I was in a BMW. Suddenly this vehicle was tailgating, though I was doing 55mph. I sped up. The vehicle sped up and continued tailgating, in an intimidating manner. I went faster. Cat and mouse games. The BMW with its 3.2L straight six was very fast compared to the vehicle with the V8. I rocketed away at 100mph, put some miles between us, then coasted back down to 55mph. Guess who was on my butt? Wish had a rocket launcher. Turned out it was an off duty Reserve Police Officer trolling for trouble. You know, to create something to make himself look good, hoping to become full-time. There was a road block, ahead. I stopped and this vehicle pulled up right behind me. I was ballistic out of my BMW and asking what the hell was going on. I was shocked to see a dude get out of the car, instead of my ex-wife. Well, I explained my side of it to the road block cops. They issued me a speeding ticket. The next morning I called, spoke to his watch commander, and a Lieutenant, because I was going overseas and wanted to pay the speeding ticket. The next day, a Sergeant came to the door and asked for the speeding ticket and said to forget about it, offering an apology, and that the off duty Reserve Police Officer was suspended, because he has done this before, and has had complaints. Amazing story, huh? Cops and wanna be cops, they are a different lot. No gun and no badge and I suspect you would see the lot wearing tutus. My younger brother retired from the police, was always a crier and whimp, when he was a kid. He got picked on a lot and I was always defending him in fights, at school. His badge, gun, and authority, transformed him.