History
The car was built by the Volvo competition department and brought to Australia by British and Continental in Sydney. The car came equipped from the factory with 100 litre tank, close ratio box, 5.1:1 LSD, 100 litre tank, tacho, halda, sump guard, warm, torquey motor and some underbody strengthening. Its engine no is 2737 gearbox no 430476 chassis no 288942 manufactured 1/12/67 and "build card" - now on microfische with Volvo archives - has "racing car" stamped across it.
The car was imported by Swedish Motor Importers in Mascot, Sydney and remained with them until sold to Ossie Jackson on 28/8/69 (free 1000 mile service completed on 18/9/69). The car then finished with a class win and 11th O/R in the ’69 Southern Cross Rally; a tough event with international competitors in which John Keran drove the 142S to 6th O/R and 2nd in class to Andrew Cowan’s Austin 1800. Ossie continued to rally the car and then it passed through a couple of owners before being ‘laid-up’ for over twenty years. George Minassian bought the car and did a lot of restoration work before I twisted his arm and my wallet and completed the deal in 1999. Finally he agreed to sell it and I flew to the Gold Coast assembled the car in a week and drove it back home to Darwin. After some club racing the car entered a second career as a very successful tarmac rally car.
I began by modifying the suspension for tarmac and entered the car in Improved Production racing in Darwin. My goal was to have prepare the car for competition in Targa Tasmania. Finally, after two years co-driving for Barry Brookes in his Datsun 240Z, in 2003 the Volvo was entered in its first Targa. For the first two years at Targa the car was crewed by myself (Darwin based Education Director, Andrew White) and a good mate of mine, Insurance Executive, Bob Pettitt. For the next four years (2005 - 2009) new Washington-based economist, Ashley Yelds, joined me as co-driver. Across those years the car has been run as standard as possible with standard brakes and SU carburettors. We were not keen to undertake modifications beyond the original factory specs.
We entered Targa Tasmania because it is the ultimate tarmac rally for both classic and modern cars utilising the most demanding and rewarding roads imaginable.
Modifications
Group 2 Factory built rally car. 90 litre tank, larger valves, improved cam, cylinder head work, bored to 1990cc, underbody strengthening, Koni shocks, uprated springs, Factory tacho, Halda, close ration gearbox, 4.9:1 LSD,
