Lovely old Ovlov 740 GLE Auto Estate - CRUSHED!

[dollywobbler]

Eh? Volvo four-pots sluggish? My old 740 had around 150bhp and went like stink - though it raised hell with the noise as the crappy plastic interior threatened to fall apart if the revs went above 3000rpm.

[Negative Creep]

My old 740 2.3 was painfully slow and never got above 15mpg

[dollywobbler]

I think it must have been broken NC - mine would top 30 with no issues at all, and never dropped below 20 even when towing a loaded car trailer! T'was a 2.3 with the slush box. Previous owner reckons he once got 37mpg out of it, and I can believe that. Amazing for a car with the aerodynamics of a shop.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I ALWAYS get 31mpg out of my 240, its a 2.0 with elec injection, to be fair it is a bit sluggish like. If i wanted to replicate a Ford V6 powerplant experience i'd simply keep the Volvo engine, but i'd plug the inlet ports with JB weld then redrill them to 5mm id, and have a Briggs + Strattton 2.5 hp cement mixer grinding away in the passenger seat area as I drove.

[Volksy]

If i wanted to replicate a Ford V6 powerplant experience i'd simply keep the Volvo engine, but i'd plug the inlet ports with JB weld then redrill them to 5mm id, and have a Briggs + Strattton 2.5 hp cement mixer grinding away in the passenger seat area as I drove.

[Guest]

This belongs to a mate of mine who resides in the West London/M40 area. It's a silver H plate 740 Estate with black leather, automatic - and it's the cleanest, most level old 740 I bet anyone has seen for ages. It's run out of MOT and tax and is due to be filled with old brake discs, exhausts etc and weighed in for scrap any day soon. It starts, runs drives and would probably sail through an MOT - no rot, no Catalyst bullshit. It's never been abused and I seem to recall it still had the supplying Volvo dealer number plates. The interior is exceptional.PM me if you want to buy it. The guy does not welcome dickheads or sightseers. You turn up with money, give it a brief inspection and take it away. No pics, but you know what these look like. Trust me, it's a very nice old thing. A pity to see it crushed but it's worth £130 as scrap.

Cant believe I'm typing this but its a waste if it didnt do a few laps of the oval first

[Futuramic]

 

They're all worthless scrap at the end of the day.

So why are you moaning about it being crushed then?

 

740s are not markedly better than 240s either - in fact IMO 240s handle better - 740s are just boats, you might as well have a Cadillac.

 

A Mk2 Ford Granada 2.3 or 2.8 was a far better car than either, but banger racers (and badge snobs) have killed them all off .

Hang on! The 740 is in fact one of the greatest cars ever built, and will corner fairly nicely if you know how to drive it properly. It came with a coil sprung rear end, with panhard rod and wnit-tramp bar as standard. A club rally type with an overpriced Escort would give his right testicle for such a setup. I will admit that the springs are a bit soft, but a 740 will dig in and hold a nice line through a corner if set up sweetly. Plus the gearchange is wonderful. I have never, ever got the wrong gear on mine and I snap it through fairly quickly when needs be.

[dollywobbler]

I didn't really own mine long enough to have too much fun but certainly in the wet, it'd hang the tail out and treat, yet remain composed and very controllable. Huge fun - in a Volvo estate! Drift wagon FTW. Must get another!!

[shite_meister]

 

 

A Mk2 Ford Granada 2.3 or 2.8 was a far better car than either, but banger racers (and badge snobs) have killed them all off .

The Volvos are pretty popular for racing now,you can even buy the parts to fit the Ford V6 into Volvos,could be fun for the road

The Ford V6 needs a chain adding so it can be used as a boat anchor.

 

Why you'd replace a tough Volvo 4 with a gutless, thirsty nail like the Cologne is beyond me.

Volvo 4 pots are pretty gutless (in standard form) whereas the Cologne is torquey but a bit unrefined.

 

Personally, I wouldn't entertain another Mk2 Granada unless it was the 2.8i, and I'd pick a 3.0 Mk1 Granada over a lot of cars.

 

A black Mk1 Granada 3.0 Ghia S manual preferably with the mega-rare aircon would quite probably top my "lottery winnings" car list. I know they made at least one as one was delivered to my dad's garage sometime in 1976. I drooled then and I'm still droolin' now.

There is over here a Mk1 Granny in that Roman Bronze (?) colour like The Sweeney used only this one is from South Africa thus as standard it left the factory with a 302cu V8 in the front, mmmmmmmmmmmmm m! man I'd polish that thing all day with my own man-wax if it were mine.

[outlaw118]

So is that a Perana then? Cool.....