New Volvo Shite

[scooters]

On Sunday morning I spent a couple of hours changing the alternator in the family T5. I've recently developed athritis in my hands as a symptom of the chronic illness that puts me in hospital every year for a month or two. This morning my hand are so bad that I can hardly hold a pen. It's made me realise that spannering isn't really an option for me until I'l able to invest in some top quality air tools etc.

 

Until then projects like the Lancia and the CX are out of the question.

 

This made me grumpy

 

so I bought another Volvo.....

 

This......

 

it's a 1982 244 DL 4 speed Manual saloon...

Volvos don't get more giffer than 240 Saloons and they don;t get more unforgivingly relentlessly old fart giffer than a DL 4 speed! How bloody minded did you have to be to buy one without overdrive? "What do you mean overdrive, thar doesn't drive faster than 50mph - what do I bloody well need overdrive for?"

 

What sort of miserable old sod bought this new on wonders?

 

Anyway, it it's redness and it's gear box miserieness I decided it would be just the thing -

 

so away with the Lancia, the BMW and likely and sadly the CX

 

And my fleet will now mostly comprise of:

 

850 T5 Estate

The ex Philsboro XM tdi

This spectacularly dull 244 DL! WITH oatmeal seats...OMG GR9 4 SUNDAY AFTERNN DRYVES AND FOR SITTING IN WILKINSONS CAR PARK SCOWLING WHILST WIFE DUZ SHOPPIN

[scooters]

from a serious point though - 

those of you who are unfortunate enough to know me well will know I have a serious soft soft spot for Volvo 200s, it's been a while since I flogged the Torslander to Sam Glover's folks.

 

From a serious point of view, Volvos and especially 200s are a delight to work on mechanically (apart from wiper motor replacement) as there is heaps of room in the engine bay and everything is so well screwed together and well built. Compared to italian or PSA chod or the parts bin nightmare of BL offerings they are a joy to work on. This is a consideration when regarding my hands, I still want to tinker but need to have something practical, easyish to work on that is a rapidly growing in popularity giffertastic classic.

[Mr Livered]

Looks absolutely lovely. Long may you continue to be able to tinker with this little honey.

[DVee8]

I put this in the ebay thread.

Well purchased there.

[scooters]

Carbstastic as well - so pash MPG!

 

can't wait to collect, put on the tweed hat, fill the Petersen with a nice aromatic shag and drive at 42MPH all the way up Carter Bar

[Shep Shepherd]

Flathood! :-D

[Junkman]

A how big amount of spannerage do these realistically require nowadays?

Is it more like an old Peugeot that just keeps going, or more like constantly needing petty bits sorting, which ultimately can become quite annoying?

[danthecapriman]

Nice! I love these old 240's, especially the early ones. I had a 'big bumper' 244, 1979 V reg 2.1 DL, same as yours with the 4 speed manual and remember thinking exactly the same about it!

I remember diving it at speed and the gearstick used to bounce and wobble around alot! I think its still around now aswell, in Scotchland last I heard (suprise suprise!).

I actually prefer Volvo saloons, they look much nicer than the estates imho. id have another aswell (but an auto!).

 

I never had any problems with mine, it just kept running and running. Never failed an mot in my ownership either, and it was an old car then. The only slight issues were blocked breathers which were easily sorted and the carb was a bit tempremental in cold weather but it always started. And rust on the rear wheel arches and back panel, not a problem when I had it but it was starting to look like a shed!

[scooters]

- mark my words - the fucking alternator will pack in with in month of my ownership - so the location of the alternator is a vital consideration..

 

with the 2.1 engine there are acres of space in the engine bay of a 244

[scooters]

I'm a big fan of the early 244s as well, a more bloody minded car than the 245 which was so much more practical, MIserable old giffers who bought them to love more than their wives seem to have gone for saloons - they have lead kinder and more pampered lives than the estates.

 

I had a mint 244 saloon a few years ago - a 1979 one which was a seriously lovely car - photos:

 

Didn't like driving this though as the early auto ones had pisspoor ratio meaning 70mph at about 60000000000revs.

 

really well screwed together cars when you look at some of the other chod that was being peddled at the time

[danthecapriman]

I'm a big fan of the early 244s as well, a more bloody minded car than the 245 which was so much more practical, MIserable old giffers who bought them to love more than their wives seem to have gone for saloons - they have lead kinder and more pampered lives than the estates.

 

I had a mint 244 saloon a few years ago - a 1979 one which was a seriously lovely car - photos:

 

Didn't like driving this though as the early auto ones had pisspoor ratio meaning 70mph at about 60000000000revs.

 

really well screwed together cars when you look at some of the other chod that was being peddled at the time

 

That looks very similar to my old one, same colour but without the black roof. The reg of my old one was CRL 99V, someone on here bought it, then it went to someone else who repaired and sprayed it. It ended up with later plastic bumpers, alloys from a GLT, side trims removed and smoothed over and a blue metallic roof. I think its been plate raped now though as last time I saw it, it had a different reg number. Not my cup of tea tbh, I like things standard but at least it kept it on the road and away from the oval!

 

It was a great car, I got a 740 saloon a bit later on then sold the 244, in hindsight the 244 was a much more solid car. absolute piece of piss to work on (only just behind a pinto engine for that!). This thread is making me want to go on ebay and get another!!

[scooters]

That looks very similar to my old one, same colour but without the black roof. The reg of my old one was CRL 99V, someone on here bought it, then it went to someone else who repaired and sprayed it. It ended up with later plastic bumpers, alloys from a GLT, side trims removed and smoothed over and a blue metallic roof. I think its been plate raped now though as last time I saw it, it had a different reg number. Not my cup of tea tbh, I like things standard but at least it kept it on the road and away from the oval!

 

It was a great car, I got a 740 saloon a bit later on then sold the 244, in hindsight the 244 was a much more solid car. absolute piece of piss to work on (only just behind a pinto engine for that!). This thread is making me want to go on ebay and get another!!

 

 

go on...you know it makes sense.....give in to your inner old giffer.....start confiscating the neighbour's kid's footballs....grow roses......smoke a pipe.....wear slippers......time for a moustache?.......start to moan....a lot.....drive more slowly.......buy a 244......buy a 244........go on...you know you want to....

[Spiny Norman]

Lovely. I spotted that one on Ebay too and marvelled at its extreme boggolux spec list. Surprised it's got a rev counter though.

 

Mechanically these old buses are virtually indestructible, it's anything made of plastic you have to watch on them as all the wiring connectors, trim clips and door bins disintegrate if you give them a sharp glance.

 

Well bought, one of the early facelift models by the looks of it.

[Felly Magic]

That 244 is just a sexy beast of a car. When Ovlov knew how to make ultra simple, and ultra nuke proof cars

[scooters]

Lovely. I spotted that one on Ebay too and marvelled at its extreme boggolux spec list. Surprised it's got a rev counter though.

 

Mechanically these old buses are virtually indestructible, it's anything made of plastic you have to watch on them as all the wiring connectors, trim clips and door bins disintegrate if you give them a sharp glance.

 

Well bought, one of the early facelift models by the looks of it.

yeah,

fortunately, with the carb it means it won;t suffer from plastic rot in the EFI etc.

this is a good thing!

 

The fragility of the plastic is more of an age issue than a manufacturing one - these were pretty solid and the plastic has lost strength as it has aged. 

This one has more in similar with the old late 144 I had than it does with 1990s 240s.

 

Minimal electrics and its not a bad idea to slowly start to replace all connectors with soldered joints - its the sort of giffer activity to fil in winter evenings to avoid speaking to the family

[scooters]

I'm a huge fan of the boggolux level - I've always liked the steel wheels on these - no nonsense functional and miserable

[DodgyBastard]

Fancy this for around £100?

 

DSC_0032 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

DSC_0029 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

DSC_0027 by srblythe, on Flickr

[danthecapriman]

That orange one actually looks better than my old one, except for the front end damage! much less rust! Id love one in that colour though, or that mustard yellow shade they used to have.

[HMC]

Fantastic! great fleet youve got scooters

[rml2345]

Minimal electrics on an old Volvo is the best thing to have as the mechanicals almost never ever need more than routine servicing. I saw this one on CouponPamphlet and had to have a long lie down afterwards...

Top Volvoing Scoots man.