Just bought a Volvo 240GLT with 260,000 and full history. Any advice greatfully received!

Hi,

Just bought a 1988 240GLT estate like the chap in the last thread and have similar questions.

My car cost £300 and has done 262,000 miles with a full history. It has been serviced 39 times (exclamation mark and sharp intake of breath)! Seems to be the highest mileage GLT on the high mileage board??

I had been looking for a GLT for ages and could not find anything suitable. I don't care about mileage, but whenever I get a car it must have low owners and a FSH. When I saw this car in the local paper I was doubtful but went to have a look as it was up at £450.

Pulled up outside the cars home and the signs were good. Architypal old and perfect gentleman comes out and within minutes a test drive and haggle the deal is done and £300 changes hands(also paid for an online HPI whilst looking at the car-it was clear).

As per the last thread the car was absolutely filthy, had flat paint, wheels that were literally black, opaque windows and cigarette ridden interior. However after literally a days cleaning and polishing the car has emerged as rust free, dent free, completely unworn (literally as new) interior and it drives superbly with new tyres the previous owner had fitted and a "tight" feel to it.

Moral of story look past the filth, but check car thoroughly. For the paint Zymol pre wax cleaner got rid of the oxidised paint and the normal Zymol polish did the trick afterwoods. Autoglym vinyl and rubber cleaner dissolved the cigarette tar in one go and a jet wash got the engrained crud out of the hard plastic Volvo mats. Eureka a new car for £300!

It has had the timing belt changed. Advice re any known weaknesses that I can pre-empt would be a great help.

Kind Regards



Stuart

[Clifford Pope]

Rust is the only thing that matters in the end. All mechanical and electrical faults are curable, and if you are handy with swapping bits everything can be obtained quite cheaply.

It would be worth stopping and examining a rusty example some time to see the bits that go. I had an 83, and rust got to:
rear wheel arches
bottom of the front wings, where they join the cills
up round the top of the rear shock absorbers
front door pillars and where they join the cills.
front of rear wheel arches, just above the cills.
tailgate

Watch for water leaking in round the windscreen and ventilators. It would be worth pulling out all the carpets and linings, all the plastic chassis plugs, and cleaning out the debris and treating any rust.

I bought a five year old Torslanda 1993 with 180,000 miles. It is now on 295,000, so far rust free, and I use my experience with the older car to try and keep it that way.
Good luck.

[judgeman]

You Lucky, er, um, 240 owner!

Sounds ike you got yourself a top motor there. So for £300 you've got yourself something that's as good as any new car costing £15000+

Like has been mentioned, rust is really the only thing to be mindful of. Fred is suffering over the rear wheel arches, and a couple of minor spots elsewhere - the worst being a small hole in the drivers door sill. Fortunately the previous owner has caught this early and treated it, which although hasn't cured it, has certainly stopped it getting any worse.

Following my thread on the General Messages forum, I have today purchased myself a big tin of Waxoyl. Unfortunately B&Q Keighley seem incapable of customer service, and when I asked an assistant for Parafin, I had a blank look. Saying Parafin again had no effect, and an all encompasing wave of the assistants arm was supposed to lead me to where they have secreted it. Alas, even asking another assistant who appeared to know what parafin was I could not find any.

When I do get hold of some, I have been told that equal measures of Waxoyl, parafin, and engine oil will penetrate the rust and seriously reduce it's impact. Hopefully I'll have the potion made up tomorrow, and following a good clean of the inside of the rear arches I'll apply a liberal coating of this concotion.

Even though I have got hold of some spray paint (beware due to the environmental protection act, and solvent content, these cans pf spray paint for older cars are becoming harder to come by. If you think you'll need one in the future, get it now!) I'm going to speak to another paint shop to see if I can get a respray of the arches (cheap) after I have treated, filled, and primed them.

Other than that Fred is in remarkable condition, other than the grime. The outside cleaned up in one wash, and the garage I bought the car from is dead impressed (think they wished they charged me more for the car....) Unfortunately the drivers door electric window 'jammed' in the down position this morning. So making the most of the good weather (like I had a choice...) I stripped the door down, removed the motor and resoldered a dodgy earth connection. Whilst off I gave all door components a good check over and clean. A little rust on the bottom of the door, but nothing major. Loads of dust around the window switches, dismantled the drivers window switch, cleaned and put back together just to make sure, and now the inside of the drivers door looks showroom! I'm dead impressed. Just need some new speakers as the ones in at the moment are original, and just about knackered. It's the original factory fit stereo, which although not my minidisc head unit, is still a great sound.

Tried the neat Flash liquid on the headlining to remove the nicotene. Works reasonably well, will aslo try some sugar soap. Added bonus is that Flash smells sooooo lemony fresh that even if not bright white, it smells so much better!

Okay, so I still have loads of cleaning to do to get Fred as I want him, but it's cheap, takes a bit of time and effort, but I find it therapeutic - it also means I get a great car for next to no cash!

Where abouts are you based? I'm in Skipton North Yorkshire. I had earlier in the year tabled the idea of a summer drive in the Dales. I may yet end up getting my visa and going to work in Sydney. But if I don't then I'm still keen on the idea of a (June) meet where Volvo drivers can have a relaxing day in some beautiful countryside, and make new friends (and compare rust remedy stories etc.....!!!)

Chris
& Fred - 1988 240 GLT Estate 2.3ltr 165k
Previously
Henry - 1996 854 T5 S 134k
Sylvester - 1995 440 SE 2.0ltr 35k
Monty - 1995 440 Si 1.8ltr 70k
Vincent - 1985 340 GL 1.4ltr 144k
The Yellow Peril in Oz - 1982 244 GL 2.3ltr 250k

[James A]

The meeting suggestion sounds good. The Dales are a bit too far away from me and my 740 (The 700 series version of Fred, sans rust) as I live in London, though. I'm a Lancastrian at heart, however, as my dad comes from Colne (Not too far from Skipton) :)

P.S. Glad to hear that you have discovered the lemony fresh properties of Flash liquid!