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Hi guys! the first few posts are going to be copy and pastes from another build thread i have on another forum, i decided to put a build thread up on here as there seems to be quite a bit more activity on this forum, i hope you enjoy the project! from 12/05/2019 Hi All, I started off with a free Volvo 940 that i got off a family friend after it started developing a fault he decided he had enough with it. The plan was originally to rip out the b200 and fit a b230ft. I bought a b230ft with an m90 and a few other bits i needed and decided to rip apart the engine to do a 'light' refresh (bearings rings etc.) well that has now got massively out of hand, i got hold of a 16v head and it all went downhill from there. Then i came to a decision that the 940 was ok for a bit of a mess around car but it really didn't look great in places and rust was starting to break through in certain areas and i felt it wasn't the right car to put my engine that i was building in to, in other words i really let myself get carried away with the engine. I decided that i would quite like to put my engine in a 240 as they are more classic in my eyes and i love the styling. Many hours were spent trying to find a decent car, i went to London and Glasgow to look at 2 245 estates but sadly both of them needed a good bit of structural/paint work and i found the same thing on most of the other Volvo's i enquired about in the UK. This led me to start looking abroad for 240's, after a bit of searching i kept seeing 242's pop up every now and then and i absolutely loved the look of them and the thought of having a 242 in the UK where they were never sold. I got 2 cars inspected in the USA but sadly neither of them were really what i was after (lots of rust and body work needing sorting). Meanwhile getting the cars inspected in USA i had my eye on a 1975 242 L in orange that was on auction in the Netherlands, the car never managed to meet its reserve price but i managed to get hold of the sellers phone number and come to an agreement on price pending an inspection. The car got inspected and a bit of rust was found underneath in 2 places but it was by far and away the best condition car i had seen, so i decided to go a head and purchase it. The car has just freshly arrived today on the back of a car transporter, she is a 2 (now 3) owner car with 174,000 km's on (108,000 miles) in the last 25 years the car has only covered 2,000 km and had a restoration around 15 years ago, anyway enough of the typing here are some photo's!           A couple of pics to show generally how tidy underneath is in areas ,the car has been really well coated in waxoil like protection in lots of places so it is in absolutely brilliant shape where alot of cars had rust:   So where does that leave me now? i have filled in the NOVA declaration today so now i need to prep it for MOT (fix the bits of rust underneath and some electrical issues) then get registration sorted to get a V5 and reg number. The engine build has had slow progress recently due to family problems and waiting on parts but it's not really an issue as i don't think the engine will be going in the car this year. I still have plenty of other bits i need to order before the engine goes in (suspension parts etc.) but for now my number 1 priority is to get the car on the road as it is now. I'll attach some smaller pics below of some of the work i've done on the engine.        I hope you enjoy reading this, i can't wait to have her registered and driving to get to some shows this year. |
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Last Edit: Jul 4, 2019 20:54:13 GMT by strettman
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14/05/2019
Hopefully later this week/possibly next week i'll get around to fixing some of the issues required for MOT here's a list of current issues:
Cut out rust and weld in new metal in 2 places on the floor pan
Inner tie rods
Dashboard electrics and lights aren't working
Remove the tow bar and electrics (the wires are just about completely corroded away and the towbar electrics are part of the MOT)
Replace a perished fuel pipe
Fit new RHD headlights when they come
Figure out where a water leak into the footwells is coming from (not part of the MOT but would like it sorted sooner rather than later)
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20/05/2019 A small update! I have had the 242 on the ramps at work and took the tow bar off, before:  After:  I managed to find the issue with the dashboard and lights, just a dodgy connection in the fuse box.  I also tackled the inner tie rods and tracking. These were surprisingly easy to change, i was expecting the track rods to be seized solid into the track rod ends but they just came apart like it was just fitted yesterday. They had a pretty decent amount of play in them so i'd imagine the steering probably felt very vague before they were fitted.  A picture to show what condition most of the car is like underneath:  I have found the cause of the water leak into the interior, it is the windscreen seal so i have just bought all the necessary trim clips and butyl tape to tackle this job, just need to get some tools together. It will be a few weeks before i do this however as the butyl tape is coming from USA Now my MOT list consists of: Cut out rust and weld in new metal in 2 places on the floor pan Replace a perished fuel pipe Fit new RHD headlights - at Volvo ready to collect when i'm free Fit a passenger side rear seat belt as for some reason it's missing. I'm hoping i might have a passed MOT by the end of next week, fingers crossed! |
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09/06/2019 So a reasonable amount of work has been done in the last 2 weeks fitting it in around my job. Welding has been done, i have no pictures of underneath as i'm terrible at remembering to take pictures as i work.        After the welding i fitted the brand new RHD Volvo headlamps, new section of fuel hose to replace a perished section and removed the single rear seat belt as it never had them fitted from factory - some one had a just fitted and aftermarket one to one side. I fitted a motolita wooden steering wheel with a snap off boss for extra security. ignore the mess inside, i still had to put all the interior back together after welding.  Once all that work was done it was time for an MOT and it passed with no advisories , the next day i got the insurance through VIN number sorted so i could then send all my paperwork off to the DVLA to get a V5 and reg number. Now i'm waiting on that before it's all road legal. I have also purchased some cheap black leather alfa seats for now as the 242 standard seats have collapsed and all the original springs in them have broken. Sadly the alfa seats have the logo's in the head rests but for now they shall do. I have made a bad attempt at making some seat adaptors and will have to completely re-do it before driving it but i now know exactly what i need to do so i will be getting on with them soon. I will also be picking up some black leather back seats soon so the fronts and rears will match, i will just have to do something about the door cards in the future.   All the bits came to reseal the windscreen so i started removing the trim around the windscreen and then this happened :eek:  I was following a Volvo guide and i levered it like it said but it broke under not much force, people have said old screens tend to be quite a bit more brittle. So i have ordered a brand new Volvo screen and hopefully it will be here in the next couple of weeks. As of late last night i have also finally rebuilt my M90 gearbox. I've fitted a brand new first motion shaft bearing and output shaft bearing and done the 3rd gear mod whilst it's been apart.  By my next update i hope to: Make the new seat adaptor brackets and fit the alfa seats and fit the black leather back seats Fit the new windscreen Have a registration number so i can go for a drive! Possibly make a bit of progress on rebuilding the 16v cylinder head and B230 block Thanks for reading |
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30/06/2019 The windscreen is in, the old screen came out so easy, it was held in with polyurethane sealant and the screen pushed out with very light pressure and then the actual sealant came off in one go too, much easier than if it was held in with butyl tape like it would have been from factory (although it probably wouldn't be leaking if it was held in with butyl tape). After the screen was out i was very pleased to see that there was a very minimal amount of corrosion behind the sealant, when i was pealing the old sealant off it pulled paint off in areas leaving bare metal so a small amount of prep work was needed prior to applying adhesion primer and butyl tape.       The car is currently sat like that with ratchet straps around the screen to get it to seal on to the butyl as much as possible, i need to check it doesn't leak and refit the surround when i get chance. I picked up my rear black leather seats the other week, they are in ok condition and cleaned up well but i had to sand and re-spray all the rusty buttons and the leather is quite scratched in places (doesn't look bad in the pics) so i'm going to try a leather re-colour balm. They should go nicely with the alfa seats when i finally get around to making the seat frames (that's a nice little story all on its own).  Before:  After:  I have made a small amount of progress on the engine too, the pistons and rods are in the block along with the ARP main studs and head studs. One of the main studs has a clearance issue with the oil pump exit pipe so abit of trimming is required there.    I'm still waiting for my registration document, i made a mistake and only sent a photo copy of the Netherlands export document but the DVLA requires the original so they refused my first application. I sent my re-filled application WITH the export document around 2 weeks ago now so i'm hoping it won't be much longer before i have a V5 with a registration number and i will finally be able to go for a drive! First job once i can finally drive her is to get her to my house so i can fabricate some alloy seat adaptors to get the alfa seats in and then enjoy for a short while before i start the next chapter. i tried removing the old NL sticker on the back, really struggled deciding on whether to keep it or not and i think old Vivian had already decided she wanted her home badge to stay. The paint behind it seems very soft (see the chips  ) and the adhesive won't react to a bit of heat so i'm unsure on what to do at the minute, it probably needs soaking is some sort of sticker/adhesive remover but i'll come back to that at another time.   Thanks for reading |
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04/07/2019 i had a mini project with the rear seats, this is how they looked when i got them:    this picture shows some of the scratching after loads of leather cream was rubbed in all over the seat.  this picture shows prep on buttons before painting.  now after respraying the rusty buttons, rubbing in loads of leather cream and recolour-er the seats look like this:    Absolutely chuffed with the results and should look great with the alfa front seats. Talking of the alfa front seats, i have started making my seat mounts mk2, the first ones i made were just an absolute mess and weighed a ton. These ones i have started to fabricate are made from aluminium and will hopefully do the job nicely. My first proper functional tig weld ever (still lots to learn, don't be too harsh haha)  a couple of pics to show how the frame looks, still alot of work to do to it before it is done, then repeat for the passenger side   Hopefully i will have these mounts made up in the next week or so Oh and some pretty major news, i have finally got my V5 and reg number so once my plates arrive i can go for a drive!!! Thanks for reading |
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Excellent work. Bookmarked  |
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The type of retro I prefer, the car remembered from childhood updated with modern driveline and functions.
Keep sharing 😎
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So, my number plates came!!! i was unsure on whether or not to blank my number plate but the car is going to be at shows etc and people will be taking pictures of it anyway so i haven't bothered, it's quite a cool plate for a standard DVLA issued plate, looks like it says 'kleen' or 'seen'.   i had some spare time friday so i decided to finish the seat mounts, now the alfa seats are fitted and look great, in my eyes anyway haha.     Sadly even though old Viv has her plates i haven't been able to drive her yet, due to not having spare time after the plates arrived and also the 9 steering wheel bolts that hold the wheel to the boss are only screwed in a couple of turns because the bolts aren't really long enough so i have some longer bolts coming and then i can go for a spin. Thanks for reading |
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Last Edit: Jul 7, 2019 6:30:12 GMT by strettman
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Jul 27, 2019 21:55:00 GMT
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So it's been a few weeks since i updated the thread, mainly due to work and also enjoying the car! Here's a picture i took just after my first drive, i couldn't stop smiling the whole time, she got lots of attention and people asking questions when i was pulled up.  After going for my first drive i went for a few more small runs out but i didn't get many pictures, i was mainly building up my confidence in the cars reliability before i felt comfortable to go for a longer run out. After cleaning the car a few times i noticed there was quite a bit of etching in the paint from possibly being parked under a tree in the past? the etching was pretty much on any flat surfaces and looked like this:   So i decided to do a bit of a detail and 'paint correction' (could probably do with being done by a professional at some point but for now it's better than i was hoping for) I started of with a 2 bucket method wash using autoglym shampoo and a microfibre wash mitt, then dried the car off. Next step was to remove any residues and roughness in the paint using auto finesse clay bar and clay lube, i've used a clay bar quite a few times but the feeling of the paint afterwards is such a rewarding feeling when your hand just glides over it and it feels smooth like glass. The next stage was to use a light cutting compound and plenty of elbow grease (i don't feel confident using a machine to do this part) to get the etching in the paint out, thankfully it didn't take much cutting for the etching to come out.  After compounding i used auto finesse 'tripple' polish which brought out a great finish and i then followed it using bilt hambers double speed wax, i'm extremely happy with the end result and very impressed with the bilt hamber wax so far, for £15 it's an absolute bargain and beads very nicely. Here's a few pics of the end result and some beading pics:         After all that work i couldn't bring myself to park her back outside under a cover again without going for a nice drive so the next day i went for a nice drive up into the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors, accross to Whitby and a quick flyby Goathland on the way back home. The car performed faultlessly in the 110 miles done and didn't struggle too much on the steeper climbs, needless to say i'm absolutely over the moon so far with everything.          A truly stunning drive and i am so happy that this place is so close to home. On another note, i managed to get hold of a tachometer to fill the blank that is currently in my instrument binnacle from Sweden for £50 inc shipping which seemed to be about the going rate for them from what i had seen at the time. A few days after it turned up and funnily enough the night before the day i was planning on fitting it i came across a complete early 240 UK MPH speedo with a tachometer in by complete chance whilst looking at something else on ebay. It was cheaper than i bought the tacho from Sweden for inc postage! Needless to say, i bought it seconds after i saw it and it arrived today, the condition is great and from a low miler too. so i'm doing a bit of a '2 birds, one stone', i'm getting a tachometer and MPH clocks so i don't have to keep guessing that i'm doing the right speed in KMH haha. One thing i want to do before fitting is get the mileage to match what is currently on the car which is about 108,000 miles.  I haven't really updated anything on my modification side of things for a while but i can say that my garage currently looks like a part store for a 240 and i'm constantly adding to the parts to build what i want. At some point i need to do a spec list but for now i shall tease with a picture of one box i have received recently:  Thanks for reading. |
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Jul 27, 2019 22:10:50 GMT
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That is one fine motor vehicle you have there. I really like the model and how you look after it!
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🇿🇼Kingludba🇬🇧
Part of things
If in doubt... flat out !
Posts: 975
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Jul 27, 2019 22:48:52 GMT
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Spending my saturday nights in reading builds like this........yip I'm getting on a bit.....thank God. Nice work. Ive always wanted a 300 series volvo to play with.
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`99 BMW 528i auto - current `01 Merc C320 - Gone `01 Forester S-Turbo - Sold `89 BMW 320i Convertible - Sold(shoulda kept it ) `88 Toyota MR2 T-Bar - Sold `89 BMW 325i touring - Sold `89 BMW 535i - Let her go too early `85 BMW 320i 2 door - Rust = character `00 Subaru Impreza Turbo wagon - Sold (engine failure) `93 BMW 325i - Sold |
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thats in amazing condition.. looks like you are doing right by the old thing too.
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'80 s1 924 turbo..hibernating
'80 golf gli cabriolet...doing impression of a skip
'97 pug 106 commuter...continuing cheapness making me smile!
firm believer in the k.i.s.s and f.i.s.h principles.
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Jul 28, 2019 19:36:46 GMT
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Alfa front seats and leather rear seat looks great, maybe respray door trim in black now too?
Interesting project.
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194? Willys Jeep MB 1965 Volvo 544 Special 1968 Opel Rekord 1975 Opel Kadett Estate 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E 1985 Datsun 720 King Cab 4x4 diesel 1997 Volvo S70 2.5SE (ex. "Volvo544special65" - changed to more reader friendly username.  ) |
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Jul 28, 2019 19:48:34 GMT
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Alfa front seats and leather rear seat looks great, maybe respray door trim in black now too? Interesting project. Thanks, i had a go at destitching the alfa logo's out of the head rests but it didn't look like it was going to come out very well so i left them alone. the door trims are definitely something that need doing in the future whether it's spraying or replacing. i keep checking tradera and the like for 242 door cards but haven't found anything yet, if you happen to come across any that look in decent shape in black do please let me know, i don't actually know if they did the early door cards in black come to think about it. |
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Jul 28, 2019 22:15:43 GMT
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Yes they did, but you can use from any model year, and even 1974 142, doubtful if you can use 67-73 because they have vent windows and the door is a bit different around them. Of course I understand that it is hard to find 2 door parts in the UK at all. In the rear I think you can use any model year 142, or at least from 1972 on (they may be a bit different in cars with static seatbelts up front now when I think about it). But even in Sweden decent interior parts for the 240 are getting rare... en.bildelsbasen.se/Here you can search swedish junkyards.  242 GT parts would be cool, with their orange striping that should match your outside, but forget about finding them today.... My suggestion of spraying was simply because there is getting hard to find good parts in Sweden, it's probably very hard in the UK where the 142 only was sold for a short time and the 242 not at all. :/ But I will keep an eye on it. |
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194? Willys Jeep MB 1965 Volvo 544 Special 1968 Opel Rekord 1975 Opel Kadett Estate 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E 1985 Datsun 720 King Cab 4x4 diesel 1997 Volvo S70 2.5SE (ex. "Volvo544special65" - changed to more reader friendly username. ) |
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Jul 29, 2019 20:30:24 GMT
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Yes they did, but you can use from any model year, and even 1974 142, doubtful if you can use 67-73 because they have vent windows and the door is a bit different around them. Of course I understand that it is hard to find 2 door parts in the UK at all. In the rear I think you can use any model year 142, or at least from 1972 on (they may be a bit different in cars with static seatbelts up front now when I think about it). But even in Sweden decent interior parts for the 240 are getting rare... en.bildelsbasen.se/Here you can search swedish junkyards. 242 GT parts would be cool, with their orange striping that should match your outside, but forget about finding them today.... My suggestion of spraying was simply because there is getting hard to find good parts in Sweden, it's probably very hard in the UK where the 142 only was sold for a short time and the 242 not at all. :/ But I will keep an eye on it. Thanks for the info, that GT interior would be pretty awesome, shame they are so hard to come by and probably cost a small fortune when interior stuff like that comes up for sale from them. I remember reading a while ago about 142 stuff fitting, like you say though there isn't many over here. My best option is really as you suggested with spraying, definitely something i need to do at some point. |
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) and the adhesive won't react to a bit of heat so i'm unsure on what to do at the minute, it probably needs soaking is some sort of sticker/adhesive remover but i'll come back to that at another time.
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