79 244 DL Advice

[macles]

Hi,

Seen this car advertised and like the look of it. Always liked the shape of the 240, any advice on what to look for and what to pay would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C172322/

[Citizen.Agfa]

Originally Posted by macles

Hi,

Seen this car advertised and like the look of it. Always liked the shape of the 240, any advice on what to look for and what to pay would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C172322/

Just my opinion, but seems a tad pricey for what is, after all, a bog standard 244 with a fancy paint job and chopped springs.

Seem to remember this car being touted by the man who painted it, relatively recently; I'm sure fellow forum members will help me out here.

Look in the boot, under the matting, for signs of corrosion to the wheel well areas, also forward of the wheel arches. 244s of this vintage were not galvanised on the lower body as the last models were so are much more liable to corrosion there, and in the floors and sills.

No power steering so can be a tad heavy at parking speeds.

If it has the 4 speed box w/out o/drive then it will scream at motorway speeds.

Whether you decide to buy this one or not, there is a wealth of experience on the forum, and most peeps are only too happy to pass on tips, etc.

Good Luck, C.A.

[Moosejaw]

Think that was done by someone on RetroRides, but I do remember seeing it up for sale a couple of times recently.

My personal view (without seeing it) is that it seems a bit steep for a 'RR-style' car rather than a cherished classic, but that's just an opinion.

[redboy]

I think I remember it too in a magazine, and also when it was on ebay from its original seller. If you were looking for a 240 to modify and do up, you could do worse, as I bet that paint job would cost £2000+ if it was done properly. Indeed, if it was a very high quality respray, it could be worth the price. I'd avoid it if it has any bodywork issues though- make sure there is no filler around the rear wheelarches, window apetures, roof, or anywhere really- you'd NEVER get a match on a custom colour like that. Check also the panel behind the rear bumper- this rusts terribly and since its hidden, most people ignore it until the holes grow above the bumper trim.

I paid about the same for a very low mileage 245 of the same year. I think that although they weren't galvanised, 79-80 cars had better steel and paint quality than some of the later ones, and much better than very early 240's. You can expect to do alot of work to it in your first year- rad, water pump, brakes, clutch, head gasket, alternator, carb, anything rubber, windscreen seal, etc. The good news, is it should stay fixed after you get it in good shape. Look at the previous invoices for any new parts from the above list- and budget on anything you don't see a reciept for. 1979 was a long time ago. I think this is the main difference between an old and new 240- the length of time they've been on the road.

Also, make sure the dashboard works- I've been through 3 used speedos, 2 temp gauges and one fuel gauge. I think thats why they changed the instruments on later models.

Again- if its what you want and is a good car, then its a good buy. I'm sure that the previous owner spent way more than the list price on mods- just make sure they were done well and its not full of bondo. But if you're not bothered by the paint and lowering, think of what you want- economy- need overdrive. space- estate. speed- GLT. If you like the style, a similar condition car without the tricked outness would be about £800-1000 or even less if its being sold by the relatives of a deceased original owner!

cheers,
Brian

[john h]

I think I saw photos of this bodywork being done and it looked like a decent job. Can't fine them now.

You still need to check carefully tho, I can't be 100% sure it was the same car.

If you join retro-rides and put up a "info wanted" thread, I'm sure you would quickly be able to get in touch with the guy who built the car. Useful to talk to him, I'd say.

And I agree, it does look nice!

John

[macles]

Thanks for all the advice. Going to go see it tomorrow.
Will let you know how i get on.

[Stephen Edwin]

Not my style for a car, but it does look very nice for the style it is. As said above, if it is genuinely good throughout, and not just the paint, then the price isn't that high, and it is the asking price. And I agree, one has to expect and try to budget for, haggle for, some repairs in the early months of ownership. Even if it is only little things that the previous owner didn't notice or decided to live with.

Good luck if you do go ahead and actually buy.

[torsten]

That used to be my car, I bought it off here as a white 244 with a tow bar as the guy had no interest. I sold it to Nightmares Racing off RR who has created some amazing cars, Cortinas with vast US V8 engines etc and the idea was to put a T5 engine in. The money ran out unfortunately but the job done on this car was amazing, I saw it half way through the respray and as the engine & box were in such great condition they were serviced and left in place. The car was stripped to bare metal and resprayed, there was almost no rust as I remember but the bodywork was certainly entirely rust free when resprayed.
Make no mistake, a superb job was done by Nightmares Racing and a full descriptive thread was placed on Retro Rides and can be read there!

[Stephen Edwin]

Interesting thanks Torsten. I think any buyer now, even at a low price, needs to ask, is this THE Volvo car they want to buy? Because it has been committed to a modified future attractive and saleable to that market.