A PETROLHEAD who bought an old Volvo for £700 has turned it into “something extraordinary” using 3D printing and fine-tuning.
Jacob Maller took on the Volvo 850R as a tribute project to its rallying history, including its stint in the British Touring Car Championship under former F1 driver Jan Lammers.
TopGearThis Volvo 850 was built as a loving tribute to its racing ancestor[/caption]
Petrolhead Jacob Maller picked it up for £700TopGear
TopGearHe and Top Gear’s Rob Dahm took it for a spin[/caption]
Jacob took Top Gear’s Rob Dahm for a spin in his amazing project car.
He told him: “Three years ago I bought this car for £700.
“This is kind of a British Touring Car Championship tribute build.
“In 1994 Volvo actually raced an 850 station wagon against racecars and there’s this iconic shot of the car on two wheels – I wanted to build that.
“This is not a replica, that car had a lot of crazy trick stuff on it, but I wanted to stay true to the spirit of that car.”
He used factory parts from other Volvo models, including the C70 convertible, to kit it out after buying it as a clapped-out old banger.
Amazingly, some of the throttle and body components have been 3D printed from custom designs to give his motor a unique edge.
The engine actually came from a custom Volvo that had been crashed, before Jacob snapped up the wreck to harvest for parts.
He even added electric power steering to make it easier to handle around a track.
Taking the tuned-up Volvo for a spin, Rob exclaimed: “If you close your eyes, you’re back in the 1994 British touring car.
“That is so cool.
“It’s just fun, this is just a fun car.”
Social media commenters loved the kooky project.
One wrote: “One of my favourite builds on the internet.”
Another added: “I love everything about this.”
And a third swooned: “One of my dream builds.”
It comes after a student created the world’s fastest toy car – with a top speed greater than what you’d see on UK motorways.
Meanwhile, you can take a look inside Wheeler Dealers host Mike Brewer’s car collection, stored inside a “secret cave”.
TopGearAmazingly, some parts of the car are 3D printed[/caption]
Volvo entered an 850 in the 1994 British Touring Car Championship, under the guiding hand of F1 veteran Jan LammersRex Features
TopgearRob said the new version sounds just like the real thing[/caption]
TopGearJacob emphasised his desire to capture the ‘spirit’ of the original[/caption]