This is a uniquely wonderful project car.
Usually, we don’t get all twitter pated over Volvos for reasons which should be obvious. Known for their innovative safety, boxiness, and overall soccer mom boring nature, Volvos aren’t really much of an enthusiast’s choice. However, as you’re about to see, that can be changed by someone with a vision, lots of extra time, and the determination to build a really cool car.
Shant Yazijian from Bells And Vaughn bought this 1962 Volvo Amazon with the full intention of just restoring it. The great thing about these Amazons is they look cool, having come about before the Swedes got into their weird obsession with all things block-like.
As these things tend to go, one thing led to another and suddenly Yazijian was figuring out how to wedge a Corvette engine into the little Volvo. It has been a labor of love transforming the little Swedish coupe into a performance monster. In fact, the project started back in 2017, so it was by no stretch of the imagination an overnight success. That should be encouraging for anyone currently feeling like they’re mired in a project which will never end.
image credit: YouTube
Overall, this is an incredibly clean build. While to anyone who knows classic Volvos this car has been seriously modified, your casual observer would probably think it’s only been somewhat customized, which seems to have been Yazijian’s goal.
Yazijian hasn’t been able to dyno the engine in its current setup, but he said when he used it in a Camaro drag car it was pushing well over 400-horsepower at the wheel. It’s been modified since, but it obviously is making plenty to get such a small, lightweight car moving in a hurry. In the video you can also see just how tight everything is under the hood.
Check out the video, which is packed full of info about this car, including all the little details about the powertrain and the interior. Plus you get to see this build in action.
