Originally a UK native, I moved down under around six years ago because a) I’d found myself a lovely Aussie girl and b) I never was a big fan of the seemingly eternal dampness. Like many British children, I spent some of the best years of my childhood being ferried around leafy Sussex in the back of an aging Volvo – a white 1980 244 sedan, registration number GPN 5V.
I know the car had the 2.1 litre (B21) engine, blue upholstery and a driver’s door which was a slightly different shade of white to the rest of the car. She a was a sturdy old girl and only ever let us down once when she suffered a split cooling hose on the motorway. According to the UK DVLA, she was last taxed back in March 1991 – a mere couple of months after my parents sold her on. Eleven years seems like such an unnaturally short lifespan for a Volvo…
Fast-forward twenty six years and the Volvo bug has never left me. I have eyed up every 240 that I have seen ever since, knowing that one day I would probably cave in and decide to cram one on to my ever-shrinking driveway.
That day has come.
Enter the gold brick…
The decision to invest in a Volvo 240 was made, like all the wisest of decisions, over a few beers in the pub. I have a 1977 Triumph 2500 project in the garage but felt like I needed something a little more modern and robust which could be used regularly, as opposed to just on high days and holidays. Also on the list of criteria was the fact that I wanted something to which I had a connection from my past as well as being readily available in Australia (which ruled out most of the cars my parents or I had ever owned back in the UK). The new car needed to have good club/online support and, in order to help sell the idea to the wife, be increasing at least slightly in value. The Volvo 240 was the obvious choice.
Whilst I was in no particular rush and had set myself up for the acquisition of the car to be a medium-term goal, searching didn’t take very long as the very next day after mentioning being on the lookout for a 240 to a Saab-loving friend, he forwarded me an email from a Volvo-specialist in Adelaide listing a number of 240s he was looking to sell. I made the call and popped out a few days later to take a look.
He had some interesting 240s to sell – including a lovely 1980 wagon in slightly sunburned red and with all the chrome trimmings, a 1985 non-running sedan with a lot of surface rust and a 1992 burgundy GLE wagon with peeling clear coat and a blown engine (which he was in the process of replacing). The car that stood out though was a 1992 gold wagon with a tan interior.
The bodywork was mostly sound, with only a couple of minor dents, a relatively minor scrape on the nearside rear wheel arch and a ding next to one of the tail lights to show for its recorded 350,000km. The few smaller dents would be able to be addressed successfully and fairly cheaply by a paintless dent removal specialist, whilst the wheel arch scrape and dent next to the tail light will need some paint. I’ll get some quotes for this as time and funds allow.
The rear bumper is also cracked and missing some trim. I will hunt down a good replacement next time I’m at the breaker’s yard.
The interior is presentable and relatively tidy but a little on the grubby side. A good clean will do the world of good – I have my trusty Autoglym Interior Shampoo ready for this task – it has never failed to impress me with its grime-removing power, even on some of the disturbingly filthy heaps I bought during my student days. As seems to be common with the older Volvos, several bits of plastic trim are cracked or missing (including both door pockets), these will be added to my list of things to watch out for at the breaker’s.
The dash, somehow, has not succumbed to the relentless Aussie sun and is un-cracked. As much as I dislike them, I might invest in a dash mat to use in summer so I can hopefully keep it this way. The odometer doesn’t work so I will need to replace the gears but according to the mileages shown on the service history that came with the car, this looks to have happened in the last year, so the car’s true mileage will be only very slightly higher than what is shown.
The seats are in good condition with no rips or burn marks and will look great after a clean, although the foam in the driver’s seat definitely feels like it has travelled 350,000km so I’ll aim to do something about that in the medium term. Whether that involves sourcing a better second hand seat or replacing the foam in the existing seat will become clearer over time.
The luggage space is in good shape and just needs a light clean and vacuum – it doesn’t appear to have been used and abused as a tradie’s vehicle or load lugger. The optional sixth and seventh rear seats are fitted under the boot floor, and the original Volvo jack and warning triangle are still present in their underfloor storage compartment.
Mechanically the car is very good – having received some love and attention from the Volvo specialist before he sold it. I have history showing that in 2017 the car had a replacement radiator and thermostat and in the last couple of months was treated to a new cam belt and tensioner, new crank seal and front seal, new oil and filter, new drive belts, new oil cap seal, replacement AC condenser (I can confirm it blows icy cold), five new tyres and a few assorted bits of trim.
On the to-do list are front and rear brake pads, air filter, fuel filter, rotor arm and distributor cap, and a small leak from the transmission cover gasket. The underside of the bonnet also needs degreasing – presumably testament to why the new oil seals were required. There is also a small leak from the exhaust which will need to be addressed.
The driver’s door hinge has also cracked, meaning that the door will not hold open if required. I will be on the lookout for a suitable replacement (from the rear door) at the breaker’s.
So, whilst it’s early days, all in all I’m pretty happy with my purchase. Now I just need to clean out some garage space for it and pick off the to-do list bit by bit.Watch this space.
I know the car had the 2.1 litre (B21) engine, blue upholstery and a driver’s door which was a slightly different shade of white to the rest of the car. She a was a sturdy old girl and only ever let us down once when she suffered a split cooling hose on the motorway. According to the UK DVLA, she was last taxed back in March 1991 – a mere couple of months after my parents sold her on. Eleven years seems like such an unnaturally short lifespan for a Volvo…
Fast-forward twenty six years and the Volvo bug has never left me. I have eyed up every 240 that I have seen ever since, knowing that one day I would probably cave in and decide to cram one on to my ever-shrinking driveway.
That day has come.
Enter the gold brick…
The decision to invest in a Volvo 240 was made, like all the wisest of decisions, over a few beers in the pub. I have a 1977 Triumph 2500 project in the garage but felt like I needed something a little more modern and robust which could be used regularly, as opposed to just on high days and holidays. Also on the list of criteria was the fact that I wanted something to which I had a connection from my past as well as being readily available in Australia (which ruled out most of the cars my parents or I had ever owned back in the UK). The new car needed to have good club/online support and, in order to help sell the idea to the wife, be increasing at least slightly in value. The Volvo 240 was the obvious choice.
Whilst I was in no particular rush and had set myself up for the acquisition of the car to be a medium-term goal, searching didn’t take very long as the very next day after mentioning being on the lookout for a 240 to a Saab-loving friend, he forwarded me an email from a Volvo-specialist in Adelaide listing a number of 240s he was looking to sell. I made the call and popped out a few days later to take a look.
He had some interesting 240s to sell – including a lovely 1980 wagon in slightly sunburned red and with all the chrome trimmings, a 1985 non-running sedan with a lot of surface rust and a 1992 burgundy GLE wagon with peeling clear coat and a blown engine (which he was in the process of replacing). The car that stood out though was a 1992 gold wagon with a tan interior.
The bodywork was mostly sound, with only a couple of minor dents, a relatively minor scrape on the nearside rear wheel arch and a ding next to one of the tail lights to show for its recorded 350,000km. The few smaller dents would be able to be addressed successfully and fairly cheaply by a paintless dent removal specialist, whilst the wheel arch scrape and dent next to the tail light will need some paint. I’ll get some quotes for this as time and funds allow.
The rear bumper is also cracked and missing some trim. I will hunt down a good replacement next time I’m at the breaker’s yard.
The interior is presentable and relatively tidy but a little on the grubby side. A good clean will do the world of good – I have my trusty Autoglym Interior Shampoo ready for this task – it has never failed to impress me with its grime-removing power, even on some of the disturbingly filthy heaps I bought during my student days. As seems to be common with the older Volvos, several bits of plastic trim are cracked or missing (including both door pockets), these will be added to my list of things to watch out for at the breaker’s.
The dash, somehow, has not succumbed to the relentless Aussie sun and is un-cracked. As much as I dislike them, I might invest in a dash mat to use in summer so I can hopefully keep it this way. The odometer doesn’t work so I will need to replace the gears but according to the mileages shown on the service history that came with the car, this looks to have happened in the last year, so the car’s true mileage will be only very slightly higher than what is shown.
The seats are in good condition with no rips or burn marks and will look great after a clean, although the foam in the driver’s seat definitely feels like it has travelled 350,000km so I’ll aim to do something about that in the medium term. Whether that involves sourcing a better second hand seat or replacing the foam in the existing seat will become clearer over time.
The luggage space is in good shape and just needs a light clean and vacuum – it doesn’t appear to have been used and abused as a tradie’s vehicle or load lugger. The optional sixth and seventh rear seats are fitted under the boot floor, and the original Volvo jack and warning triangle are still present in their underfloor storage compartment.
Mechanically the car is very good – having received some love and attention from the Volvo specialist before he sold it. I have history showing that in 2017 the car had a replacement radiator and thermostat and in the last couple of months was treated to a new cam belt and tensioner, new crank seal and front seal, new oil and filter, new drive belts, new oil cap seal, replacement AC condenser (I can confirm it blows icy cold), five new tyres and a few assorted bits of trim.
On the to-do list are front and rear brake pads, air filter, fuel filter, rotor arm and distributor cap, and a small leak from the transmission cover gasket. The underside of the bonnet also needs degreasing – presumably testament to why the new oil seals were required. There is also a small leak from the exhaust which will need to be addressed.
The driver’s door hinge has also cracked, meaning that the door will not hold open if required. I will be on the lookout for a suitable replacement (from the rear door) at the breaker’s.
So, whilst it’s early days, all in all I’m pretty happy with my purchase. Now I just need to clean out some garage space for it and pick off the to-do list bit by bit.Watch this space.
