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.
