As recently as 10 years ago I would’ve assumed a passing Volvo PV was of US origin. They lines just look so classically American, while the scale gives their home continent away. That, along with their tie-ups with Ford over the years leaves me OK with Detroit power plant swaps. In this case, we see the Chevy 2.8L from an S10 swapped in, backed by a 700R4 automatic. Ok, not the most thrilling combo, but still a certain upgrade over the B16 the car originally came with.

This capture captures the essence of what we want to feature: something different, kinda crappy, but potentially awesome and cheap. This will never be a prize-winning show car, nor will it be the fastest anything ever, but the seller’s taken what was likely a crusher-bound classic and upgraded it with a number of meaningful tweaks that get the job done and nothing more: fiberglass rust repair, four-wheel discs, 2-speed electric wipers, etc. On the other hand, it’s a rolling mile-long to-do list, with a few mandatory items at the top (e.g. leaking brake fluid, front end wobble, hideous rear wheels). Might as well as a T-5 swap to the list while we’re at it.

It’s sitting at $2500 as I type this, which might be a steal or a total rip-off depending on a million details to be revealed in an in-person inspection. I nominate our other Bay Area Hoon to go take a look, what say you Jim?

1958 Volvo PV 444 for sale – eBay Motors