Raymond,

A red engine car is basically any of the 4 cylinder overhead cam engines that Volvo used i.e. B230, B23, B21. You find them in ALMOST all of the 240's and all of the 700's and 900's so long as they are 4 cylinder, with the exception of the B234 16 valve engine. I guess technically it is a red engine but it is more of a red headed step child than anything else. The models all have the red cast iron bottom end.

When you hear someone refer to a "white" engine they are talking about the late model engines like the 960,850,S70,S40,60, or 80. These engines have no paint on the block so they are left in the white. In the manufacturing realm any metal that is left unfinished is said to be left in the white.

So with that info, my wife has an '89 740 and the kids have all got 240 wagons. The middle child has a 240 diesel so technically she is not a card carrying member of the red engine society, but she sure wishes she was!

Popping noise from the rear when taking off from a stop huh? My first suspicion would be either the rear trailing arm bushings (most likely) or the locating arm bushings. Those are the top two noise makers back there. You'd be suprised how much you can quiet things down just by rolling under it and putting a wrench on everything and tightening it all up.

Mark