Never ending front end !!

We are on our journey to come further with our front end.

But as you will understand the relationship with our front end is not as simple as it might seem.

Via a long and extremely sensitiv discussion with our colleague Mr Ola G We became the new guardians for the what once where a plain Volvo 140 front end. Here you see it in his all plastic super ligth and quick as a whiplash MB 190 SL

Ola has over a period of years developed this front end in all details. Created, optimized an fantastic front end. Ola is a Senior Chassis designer at Volvo Car Corporation a job which he combines with a private racing and chassis addiction. With such a journey and labour of love, ties a are developed and it became a very emotional moment when his front end moved to SSR World head quarter and partnered up with our Amazon. Not a dry eye was to be found in the garage. 

Of course careful evaluation and measurements where a part in our decision making. We didn't want to repeat the Jaguar XJS adventure.

Even if we promised to be gentle and not ruin what was developed over years, we immediately started to modify the front end for our purpose. Below it's mocked up on the building table to figure what to change.

Håkan milling away what we don't like

Back on the table now with Motor all though still waiting for the frame

Frame starting to come in to place Anders busy welding

The steering gear is a good one, Ola had a quick ratio Opel Ascona A from the 80's. The front end geometry is modified for this set up with a Ascona steering gear. We wanted a slower ratio for our purpose, I mean who want's a quick turn in + 200 mph, such a turn can turn in to a big surprise. Our good friend Mario Felker found a new steering gear from a std Opel Ascona Type A from the 80's by a Opel collector in Pfalz Germany. Very good and much appreciated. THX !!!!

Anders is testing the new steering gear

Here you see the modified and started to be good looking front end. Now lower but still treated with respect as agreed with Ola.

Lower control arms cleaned up and good looking.

Spindle cleaned up with hub, we will of course use new bearings and bushings just so you know.

Here it starts to be tricky we are planning to weld upper link arms in tubing to get somme more possibilities to adjust. We are a little worried that Ola will have a slight shock, This will call for our outmost diplomatic skills but sometimes you just have to let it go, Ola has to understand that his front end has grown up and is off to new adventures.

All in all, we have a good front end for + 200 mph driving!