For those of us who are passionate about cars and the culture surrounding them, vehicles can often feel like family members. To some, this may seem strange, but not to Kalle Larsson.
Kalle, a 29-year-old automotive technician and dedicated Volvo enthusiast, has owned more than 20 cars from the Swedish automaker. However, this 1987 Volvo 740 GL holds particular significance. It was first purchased by his late grandfather, Stig Larsson, brand new.
Kalle’s earliest memories of the Volvo are of his grandparents picking him up from daycare. After his grandfather passed away when Kalle was almost five, the car was passed around the family.
From a young age, Kalle dreamed of one day reclaiming and restoring the Volvo in memory of his grandfather. Shortly after he got his driver’s license, a family member offered him the car and Kalle accepted without hesitation.
Although the Volvo had been used daily all its life, it was in decent condition. Kalle’s first move was to freshen up the exterior.
He completed a USDM Volvo front end conversion, fitting Volvo add-on bumpers, Maxton side skirts, a Volvo Turbo grille, Volvo 760 tail lights and a ducktail spoiler. Door handles and black trim from the slightly more luxurious GLE version of the 740 were added before the car was given a full respray in Volvo 600-3 ‘Grabeige’ paint.
Unfortunately for Kalle, his beloved Volvo was stolen in 2023. Luckily, it was recovered after the rumor went around in the Swedish stance community, but many parts had been removed. A small miracle: the wheels remained intact.
Kalle suspects that the thieves forgot to remove the hubcaps from his BBS RS wheels. The rims have been upgraded from 16 inches at the front to 17×8.5 inches and at the rear to 17×9 inches.
There is a new one in the trunk Airlift performance 3P air suspension (the original Air Lift setup Kalle had was also stolen) and a 15-inch BBS RS face bolted into the wooden boot floor. There’s also a cherished photo of his grandparents, taken when the Volvo was in their possession.
The chassis has been refurbished with new bushings, an adjustable rear brace and custom mounts for the air suspension, complemented by J-Spec shocks up front and Bilstein shocks at the rear.
It took a lot of effort to get the car ready for the summer 2024 show season, especially when it came to the interior.
When the car was recovered, the Nardi steering wheel, steering column components and center console were all missing.
Thanks to the support of the automotive world, Kalle managed to restore the interior using used parts, as it proved almost impossible to find new parts.
Besides the wheels, the only part of Kalle’s car that wasn’t stolen was the engine.
Volvo’s original B230F engine features a ‘531’ cylinder head from a 740 Turbo, with larger ports, improved flow, larger valves and VX3 camshafts.
All other components are genuine Volvo parts that have been refurbished to look like new. The cables are neatly concealed in the mudguards, so that the engine compartment looks neat.
Kalle’s ten-year journey in his grandfather’s car was filled with highs and lows. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. Now Kalle can once again cruise the streets of Sweden in the car that holds so many cherished memories.
Alen Haseta
Instagram: hazeta