What are the possibilities with V-REx? Where can we get creative? What would Volvo have built if they were to reissue the 122 Estate wagon today?

 

There are several key constraints that we will need to live with. First, the construction of the original Estate wagon is unibody. This means that the body and the frame consist of a single unit. There is not a separate frame that the body sits on. So any changes to the body will have to consider the structural integrity of the car. Second, the car is very small with an engine compartment that is extremely narrow with limited depth. It will be difficult to stuff an extremely large engine into the shell without major surgery. 

From our perspective, there are some "for sure" things that Volvo would do.

From a drivetrain perspective, the original 86 horsepower motor would never fly today. Figure Volvo to at least put a 4 cylinder turbo motor into the Estate with a horsepower rating in the 260 horsepower range. That will give V-Rex a ratio of one horsepower for every ten pounds which is plenty to get moving. For a transmission, it's hard to beat a modern 8 speed automatic.

From a body perspective, today's look is sleek with few seams. Sometimes no chrome either. We happen to think that V-Rex will benefit from updated chrome bumper styles and retention of the stainless steel molding that runs down the side. The side moldings help define the flow of the body.

Beyond new style bumpers that are much thinner and wrap around the sides to offer additional protection, the front end rear end sheet metal needs to be completely reworked. Too many seams.Too many lights.  Too many parts that do not flow together.  Both the front and rear are missing valences to tie into the rockers and quarter panels. And the rear lift gate area is very busy with lots of seams, extra rear lights and an upper lift gate that wraps around the sides. Basically, every panel needs to be re-thought and cleaned up with an eye towards creating a modern, simple look. If we can compliment the underlying beautiful lines of  the Estate wagon we'll have a really cool finished exterior look.

One of the best ways to add in cool is to convert from a four door to a two door. The donor coupe is going to provide all of the exterior and interior metal required for the conversion. And it will look just as if it was coming from the factory.

The suspension, stance and wheels will need a complete overhaul. Adding a full coil over suspension on all four corners, with disk brakes and custom A-arms up front will be the start. We have to move the A-arms outboard in the front suspension in order to make room for the motor.  Once we get the suspension dialed in we will top it off with 17" wheels and a 2" or so body lowering. This will create a much more modern and aggressive stance. The larger wheels and tires  will require fender flares and they are on the list of changes as well.

The sides of V-Rex do not flow well in original form. In addition to fender flares, the rear quarter panel is substantially higher than the rocker panel. And there is no front or rear valence to tie into the front fenders and rear rockers. We'll fix all of that. 

For the interior, it all has to go starting with the dash. We'll find a cool dash that is much sportier, with a set of individual gauges. The remainder of the interior will be a leather and vinyl combination with all of the modern amenities present.