240 General: going thru the faults slowly!

[knackernuts]

My '87 240 gl estate, much to the annoyance of lots of volvo owners, is one of the great unwashed! when I collected it on tuesday (looked shiny on ebay!) it had a liberal coating of ground-in grime all over. Now I have washed it the red paintwork appears to be quite lack-lustre and verging on matt pink! Has anyone any idea of a good cutting compound or polish that will fetch it back? have tried a few places with t cut, it takes ages but comes back, so its not past it! Also my headlamp reflectors are flapping around inside the lights, easy fix or new lamps? they dont appear to be corroded. All other problems I am working my way through, mainly electrical, but cured most of them by TOTALLY cleaning the fuse box connections and fuse holders, I also find the electric windows (front only ) actually work when the relay is there! (thanks to the honest bloke who sold it me ) So much for "everything works as it should mate"!!!

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

Once you have gone though that lot, you'll want to give her a good service.

Consider new dizzy cap, rotor arm, plug leads, oil and filter, air filter.
A clean of the crank vent system and ther pipes, the throttle body etc will also reap rewards.
Don't forget the timing belt - determine when it was changed last - if you can't do it soon as...

You may also find that your viscous coupling is shot.
New they are £65 from GSF or PFV. But maybe consider an electric fan replacement MOD - something I may contemplate for my GLT...

Once fully cleaned up look for and clean up your rust..

As for that paint - red is one of the more difficult to keep looking good.
Consider a clay clean and meguirs products.
Hve a look on sone of the detailing forums or search here for either meguirs or detailing and you'll find some good/excellent tips..

Luck with your little project..

Des. . .

[knackernuts]

Thanks for the pointers Des, will crack on looking tomorrow. I have only bought it as a stop gap while the body shop repair my zafira. gave us a courtesy car - 2 door clio! they said THAT was a family car! I have always had a soft spot for volvo's - I also own an 850 estate, see the 850 technical forum and you'll see why I aint using it! The 240 is that comfy to drive methinks the zafira will be leaving rather than the 240! Maybe an early amazon to keep them company?!!

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

Originally Posted by knackernuts

The 240 is that comfy to drive methinks the zafira will be leaving rather than the 240! Maybe an early amazon to keep them company?!!

I like our thinking...
You'll find the old 240's comfortable (orthopaedic designed seats and better than the 700's and 900s - designed for the smaller euro backside!!) and resilient.
Engine is pretty much bullet proof. A couple of rust points but otherwise a 27 year+ lifer..

Have fun..

Des. . .

[Glen Morangie]

Originally Posted by knackernuts

Also my headlamp reflectors are flapping around inside the lights, easy fix or new lamps? they dont appear to be corroded./

The headlamp reflectors are held in place by small white plastic clips, three on each side, which are a push fit onto the mount 'pins' - one of which is adjustable to give headlamp aim.

The reflector may have 'popped' off, or the clips may be broken, they are cheap from the Volvo dealer.

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

Apparently the reflectors on the 240's go south.
Best to get a good second hand set when you find them - trips to scrappers on the off chance of finding things will become a pastime..

I have read here that people have painted the reflectors and the results have been pretty good.. Searching the 200 forum will likely drag it up..

Des. . .

[JIM C]

One of my pals has a red F reg 240 and the flat panels in particular had lost there shine. What he did was contact a local bodyshop who cut back the paintwork and the difference was amazing. Cost £60.

[honestjoe]

Hi...and welcome to the wonderful world of the 240!...i bought mine which is a dl in 2002..some mots and it flies through...other years it has had a lot of work to get it through...i left the mot check much too late this year and paid a hefty price to keep my car...next year i will get it mot"d a month earlier than the expirey date in order to give me time to sort out any problems..with cars this age i suppose it must be expected..its all in the prep...they are fun to work on in most cases and can become quite an obsession as you fight to keep it on the road..i would not be without mine!!..there are huge amounts of imfo here to help you tackle most issues with the 240..but the best thing of all is...your not alone here!..i"m sure i can safely say were all mad about volvo"s....as to your paintwork..mine is also red and suffers as you describe from dull pinking of paintwork...i"ve just done my yearly proceedure...a good wash with a horsehair broom...let dry...and then the time comsuming bit...is t cut..you can do a panel at a time if you like..but life is short..so i manage to do the whole job in a day.(mind you my hands suffer as i hold a well deserved pint of guinness)..then a good wax..if you wash lighly on a regular basis and wax this will prolong finish and reduce the need to t cut...here"s a pic of the results...i must add i only do this once a year...enjoy being a volvo owner..very individual indeed!...cheers hj.

[JIM C]

Your estate is looking good. Worth all the effort. They have to be a classic.

[honestjoe]

Thanks jim...its far from perfect..i"ve also just cleaned out all the mud from inside the rear wheel arches in prep for the winter...after i swept up the mud was pounds in weight..this would remain damp all winter eating away at the arches...thanks again..regard hj.