In 2014, a dream was born in Lagrange, Ohio, when an enthusiast looking for a sleeper autocross car decided to open up his laboratory and mash up a magical mix of the best from Sweden and America. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when Gothenburg meets Bowling Green in a lab, look no further. Over the course of 1.5 years, this eager mad scientist spent over 1,900 hours creating what is now dubbed the “VolvoVette.” [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. Yes, FREE! If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article. One may require two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]
Over seven days and seven nights, 19,907 curious enthusiasts on the Bring a Trailer online auction platform tuned in to watch the madness, and the end result and reaction to the hammer price is almost as interesting as the creation.
Here is the recipe for the mash-up of vehicles and parts that RottinCowGarage began his Frankenstein project with:
- Add a large dose of the Gothenburg base–a 1990 Volvo 740 GLE Wagon
- Prepare to pull the Bowling Green powertrain and underpinnings–enter a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
- Hack, cut, and weld, said Volvo to accept what makes this Sleeper special
- For some kick, spice up the 5.7-liter LS1 with a Trick Flow 550-horsepower top-end kit
- Grease things up with dry-sump lubrication
- Not too hot, though–a Griffin radiator will help cool this soup down
- Expel the fumes from this brew! The custom dual exhaust with Borla mufflers should do the trick
It’s time to step into the laboratory to see how this Frankensteined recipe became a $16,000 track monster of a meal.
1) Add a large dose of the Gothenburg base–a 1990 Volvo 740 GLE Wagon
From Volvo’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, to America’s autocross courses. She’s a bit weathered on the outside, but isn’t that the point of a sleeper? The Y2K C5 wheels are the only exterior clue, unless your keen eye spots that trick custom side exhaust.
2) Prepare to pull the Bowling Green powertrain and underpinnings–enter a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
According to Carfax, the donor C5 was a 2004 Convertible out of California, showing four owners and a branded/salvage title. But here is what the scientist was really interested in, and according to the history report, the last reported miles were just a tick over 13,000.
The C5’s six-speed manual gearbox, a limited-slip differential, staggered wheels, electronics, and instrumentation were retained.
3) Hack, cut, and weld, said Volvo to accept what makes this Sleeper special
As noted in the listing, “A C6 anti-lock module and QA1 coilovers were installed along with front and rear anti-roll bars, and a roll cage has been added inside along with a pair of front bucket seats, G-Force multi-point harnesses, and a cargo-area-mounted fuel filler feeding a custom fuel system.”
4) For some kick, spice up the 5.7-liter LS1 with a Trick Flow 550-horsepower top-end kit
According to BaT, “The 5.7-liter LS1 V8 has been modified with a Trick Flow 550-horsepower top-end kit including a hydraulic roller camshaft and GenX cylinder heads, as well as an Aviaid dry-sump lubrication system, a cold-air intake, and a Griffin aluminum radiator with dual electric fans.”
5) Grease things up with dry-sump lubrication
6) Not too hot, though–a Griffin radiator will help cool this soup down
7) Expel the fumes from this brew! The custom dual exhaust with Borla mufflers should do the trick
The BaT Community Sentiment–What a Deal!
The Final Stats & Some Irony
- 17 Bids
- 19,907 Views
- 1,054 Watchers
- 89 Comments
- Winning Bid & The Irony: $16,000 by dontdriveboringcars
- Link to original listing
Let’s Go Racing!
Well, would you pull the trigger on a sleeper like this, or go a more traditional route?!? Are you CORVETTE OBSESSED like we are? The team of renowned authors and contributors at CorvSport hopes you sense our passion for the iconic Corvette, and our vast database of articles and guides should prove it–5000+ features since Scott Kolecki founded CorvSport over 15 years ago! Join the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 169,000 followers (50,000 since January 2023!). Meet other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello. This is Douglas B. signing off–click here if you would like to view more of my features.
