A flying brick!

[JohnK]

So, last week I killed the old Almera I had. Absolutely hateful car and one I was not going to repair when it conked out on me, in the outside lane, at rush hour.

 

I sold it for £150 on eBay as a non runner. Fun times.

 

I needed replacement - well I didn't, I had 6 cars and a truck still. But I had a parking space and an active insurance policy. The Almera had been used to haul tat. I had looked at a Transit for sale here as a replacement, and also a ZX diesel. However, something cropped up which I just had to have.

 

Now, at £240 this isn't the cheapest car I've bought, but equally isn't the most expensive! MOT until July, loads of bills for previous work etc it's a good machine.

 

The dash lights are sketchy however:

 

 

Retro stereo content breaks up the dash in the dark

 

 

I took it shopping ...

 

 

And because I've grown so attached to it already, I took it for a pint:

 

 

It's done around 250k, it doesn't feel it though. 2.0 manual.

 

I've yet to see this car in the light, so the list will grow, but provisional list to work towards is..

 

1) interior needs a good clean - lad who had it before me used it as his work hack so it smells of oil & grease. Very much like my Transit Recovery truck!

 

2) sort the faulty dash lights

 

3) the front wings have some rust - O/S minimal, bit more on N/S, surface only so will just flap wheel it back, treat and touch in

 

4) run It for month or so and if all still ok bang in for mot

 

5) after mot I will give it a belt change and also do the clutch (it's right at the top of travel)

 

I've had a few Volvo's in the past - 440, 460, V40, 2 x S40's and a V70. I miss the V70 as it was such a useful car for my needs, so this 740 will fill that void.

[trigger]

Are you sure your not Scottish?

[JohnK]

If you want me to be Scottish trig, I'm sure I can buy a kilt. Just for you...

[Bucketeer]

Please, pretty please with icing on top, can number 6 on your list be 'ditch the wheel trims, pronto'.

[TRW]

Does the mileometer work?

[JohnK]

Bucketeer - I've already got a set of GENUINE740INNIT wheel trims on their way to me from the bay of E.

 

TRW - yes the Mileometer works, although it appears to have had a clock change in 2011 and subsequently is only showing 50k!

[Cavcraft]

6) Set sat nav to Scotland

[drum]

Bargain!

[Bren]

Does it have cruise control? if so check it now.

 

You might find that the car heads towards Gretna Green......

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I watched 'the theory of everything' at the pictures the other night and was mega chuffed to see Stephen Hawking going on holiday in a mid-blue 740 estate of approximately D-reg vintage (though equipped with a dateless personal plate). A car for winners!!!!

[danthecapriman]

Very nice. Looks pretty decent in the pics.

 

I believe these are fitted as standard with a kilt, should be in the glovebox!

[JohnK]

I've made an executive decision.

 

Tomorrow I need to do a 320mile round trip (work)

 

The Escort and 190E are out the question - no fuel in the tank. These two have full tanks. I know which will be rolling tomorrow ...

 

[HMC]

What a bargain! Being a GLE I half expected alloys rather than the placca trims

[beko1987]

That blue blob looks horrible next to that volvo!

[JohnK]

Just to add as well, the reason I have much love for these.

 

I was born in May 1989. At the time my dad had an '87 'D' 740 GLE. The first car I EVER went in was his 740. Incidentally, he previously had an '86 'C' 740 GLE which he flipped three times as a 9 month old car and walked away unscathed. I think the sturdy Volvo 740 is the reason I am here today ...

[cms206]

If it's a 2.0 on steel wheels it'll be a GL or an SE. GLEs were 2.3 only.

 

There remains only one thing to say...

 

SVM APPROVED

[Tetleysmooth]

Hope you bought that on Burns night.

[jonny69]

GR12 interiar pix m8

 

With your photo skillZ, just add some ropey bird in white suspenders with fake curly blonde hair and this thing would make an epic dogging wagon at Chobham.

[JohnK]

Looking at the logbook I can confirm it is a '740 SE', although the boot badge states GLE. Must have had a replacement boot at some point, although I've had a good check over today and no obvious signs of accident damage. Probably rust related.

 

So, had chance to have a good look around it in the light this morning. It's not a bad old bus to be fair. Underneath looks in order, it's had some welding in the past by the seems of it around seatbelt anchorage points and suspension mounting points, nothing overly untoward and repairs are of a decent standard so I will underseal and get in with it.

 

Masses of paperwork - confirms it had a head gasket done at 194k, I think that's common on these? I need to look through in more detail as I'm hoping I will find evidence of a recent ish belt change which may move that job further down the list...

 

 

Inside - first main job is to give it a thorough clean. There is no damage it's just generally grubby. I'm a sucker for a clean interior. Anyway I found some copper, haven't counted it yet but this car now cost me LESS than £240. I can live with that

 

 

Headlining - I knew about this from the advert, it was sagging so previous owner ripped it off. Backing is all still there, so I will remove, re-cover and then re-fit

 

 

Wiper missing - it's actually inside the car so when I get a moment I will investigate why it's not attached and repair/bodge/replace as necessary

 

 

Rear light lens to be sourced

 

 

Minor rust on O/S/F wing. And a poor touch up from somebody with silver paint

 

 

Looks a bit more sinister this side. I will butcher this at the weekend to see what it's like underneath

 

 

Otherwise just needs a good clean up. Still doesn't look too bad for an unwashed banger though

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seats are mint underneath the seat covers...

 

 

I love this photo - the 190 is 2 years newer but looks an age apart in my opinion...

 

 

Now question time - these instrument clusters I understand fail regularly is this correct? I have evidence in the history that a brand new cluster was fitted at just shy of 200k. Now we are at a point, as in the original post where the dash lights don't work too well. Can these clusters be easily dismantled and repaired, or is it easier/cheaper just to source another one (and hoping it all works properly!!) ?

 

It's now bound for a 160 mile trip to Birmingham and then back up tonight. If anybody sees me on the side of the A1(M), M18, M1 or A38 looking radged, feel free to beep and laugh...

 

John

[cms206]

2.0s have interference engines so if theres no evidence of a belt change it's best to schedule one in. The 2.3s are non-interference so quite happy no matter what happens.

 

rml2345 is the SVM's resident cluster-un-fucker so he'd be worth a nudge. Out of interest, does the rheostat work at all? Resetting the trip computer seems to play havoc with the odometer, my '89 GLE has been on 235k for it's last seven MOTs or something stupid. Mine has just done a head gasket but it ran fucked for months.

 

Rot is fairly uncommon on the late 80s Belgian built 740s though front wings - normally ahead of the front wheels - front crossmembers and tailgates do corrode. The tailgate on estates is aluminium so the paint falls off.

[cms206]

Oh, yeah; they eat brake calipers for a laugh. Think theres something stupid like 12 different possible combinations and they're not interchangeable.

[oman5]

Re. Instrument panel lighting, they ALL do that. Take the cluster out, you can normally see the problem, ie signs of burnage/meltage on the printed circuit. Blob of solder will sort it. If not, it'll be the rheostat fucked. Take wires off an bypass it.

[rml2345]

Instrument cluster illumination can be as easy as replacing the bulbs as few folk ever bother. Beyond that it's either dodgy connections or a break in the printed circuit. In my experience soldering repairs are really a very last resort unless you're some sort of soldering wizard. A new cluster shouldn't need soldered I'd have thought and rheostat problems aren't common in my experience.

To keep the odometer and trip working never reset it on the move as it eats the tiny plastic cog in the mechanism which is £30 and a fiddly bastard to fit.

They're not especially prone to OMGHGF but it's not unusual either and as Andy said the 2.0 is interference so a timing belt is a GR14 idea.

It looks a nice old thing and I hope it serves you well.

[JohnK]

Think I will whip the cluster out at the weekend and dismantle it to see what the problem is. Was like being in a disco driving tonight, they've started flashing on and off now!!

[twosmoke300]

Hope you bought that on Burns night.

Wee sleeket cowrin timorus beastie !

 

 

Excuse the spelling

[Shep Shepherd]

Volvo 740s are really fantastic!

[Richard]

Think I will whip the cluster out at the weekend and dismantle it to see what the problem is. Was like being in a disco driving tonight, they've started flashing on and off now!!

 

Get yourself a supply of 504 bulbs before you do. IIRC four of them provide the dashboard illumination, there are £2.08 for 10 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291203523502Don't be tempted to put 5W 501s in, that's how the tracks get burnt out.

[garethj]

I had a 740 GLE, a 2.3 with the 4 speed + overdrive and it was marvelous.  When people see it on the road they think it's a big car so they often let you through, the reality is that it's narrower than a new Fiesta, has a brilliant tight turning circle and visibility of all corners is wonderful so you can manouvre it like a driving god.

 

Hope it snows this week so you can really enjoy it

[scruff]

I can't get over how cheap these things are. Tempted!!!

[JohnK]

Pointless update - but, who said cheap cars are unreliable?

 

720 miles so far this week since Monday and it just keeps on getting better.