Project Volvo 740, MOT - in the bag.

[danthecapriman]

Me & Mrs Crab sorted the headlining in my 760 for about £50, took a good few hours like but turned out GR14 in the end.

How come so many of these have problems with the clocks? What happens to them, dry joints or something?

No idea why the instruments are temperamental? I think it probably is just dry joints or something but old age, damp etc etc are probably all factors now. I seem to remember the electrics always being these cars main problem though.

 

I've read you can use a 940 headliner to fix these early 740's as some had a plastic headliner instead of the fabric type of the early cars. Estates are a lot easier to change for obvious reasons though. Depending how this car is I might look into trying this too.

[danthecapriman]

Yep, they had them vertical patterns of reflective striping for 200s and 300s as well.

That early 340 is gorgeous!

 

My old one. No reflectives though. It was a very late 1.7 with a cat and carb fed Renault engine.

 

 

It was mint too! One owner and only had about 70k miles on it when I sold it.

 

And here's my old 244, 79 V reg big bumper which had no reflectives on the front but did have red ones on the back.

 

[Richard]

How come so many of these have problems with the clocks? What happens to them, dry joints or something?

 

It was on mine, it behaved itself after I had reflowed every joint I could find. Another problem is that people use 501 (5W) bulbs and overload the tracks, either as an upgrade* or because they don't realise it's meant to be 504 (3W) bulbs.

[rml2345]

Another issue they have is that the heater trunking runs behind the instrument cluster which dries out the rather fragile PCB and leads to micro cracking in the tracks and temperamental instruments. Not helped by owners belting the top of the cluster to get them working again.

Odometer failure is usually the tiny cheese cog in the trip counter breaking, particularly if it's reset on the move.

[Shep Shepherd]

No idea why the instruments are temperamental? I think it probably is just dry joints or something but old age, damp etc etc are probably all factors now. I seem to remember the electrics always being these cars main problem though.

 

I've read you can use a 940 headliner to fix these early 740's as some had a plastic headliner instead of the fabric type of the early cars. Estates are a lot easier to change for obvious reasons though. Depending how this car is I might look into trying this too.

 

In 13 years of owning The Volvo, I have never had the instruments work properly 100% of the time, and that's after two replacement instrument clusters and several replacement individual gauges; the car's current cluster lacks a working clock and has a tachometer which under-reads once it gets past 2000 rpm.

 

I'm looking at eventually replacing the car's headlining with one from a late model sunroof-equipped 940, 960 or V90, which will allow me to fit the glass sunroof assembly from the donor car at the same time.

[danthecapriman]

Just bought some US front lights for this!

There were a few sets on Ebay US, some looked a bit shabby and incomplete so I threw caution to the wind and bought a complete refurbished set! More expensive of course but at least I know everything's there and they should work and fit with minimal hassle.

Also bought a pair of the correct RHD dip beam lights (the ones Junkman found from the other thread) ready for the conversion once the light units arrive.

 

All I need now is the car to fit them on to.

[MrDuke]

I've read you can use a 940 headliner to fix these early 740's as some had a plastic headliner instead of the fabric type of the early cars. Estates are a lot easier to change for obvious reasons though. Depending how this car is I might look into trying this too.

 

This is true. On a saloon you have to pop the rear screen out, but an estate can be done with a bit of bending and a lot of swearing. If you can find a hard 'liner to fit then it's a no-brainer really. Mine was held up by a random scattering of drawing pins, but there was one piece over the driver's seat that kept brushing the top of my head on damp mornings, and I never got round to pinning it up.

[rml2345]

You can get the 740 saloon one out without removing the rear screen but it's not easy and requires much dismantling. I'm not sure the 940 saloon one fits the 740 either.

The estate should be fairly straightforward by comparison but it's a bit laborious as in true Volvo fashion everything only comes apart in the correct sequence.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I got the headlining in and out of my 760 without removing any screens

[cms206]

The Council Estate has no headlining at all. Not even the biscuit to attach it to. Fuck all. Bare metal apart from the sunroof, and it has a corn plaster holding up one corner of it.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Minimad5]

Volvo is ace !
Reminds me of my old PRV V6 760

[danthecapriman]

I should be on for this very soon.

The current owner is going to the property tomorrow and is going to get the keys and logbook etc for the Volvo. I've also asked for a pic of the engine bay so I know which type of engine it's got (useful for ordering parts).

 

I'm thinking of ordering and taking with me:

New,

 

Battery

HT leads

Dizzy cap + rotor arm + set of plugs

Possibly a new radiator and antifreeze

Oil and oil filter

 

Also, I'll take:

 

Jump starter

Couple of Gerry cans of fresh petrol

A selection of WD40, oil, water etc etc etc

 

I'm going to need insurance and probably breakdown cover too so I'll have a look at that.

 

Anything else I'm likely to need?

I've not done a long distance collection, especially one with an untaxed unMOT'd car that's been sitting for some time so anything else I've missed?

[nigel bickle]

How good are the tyres? Perhaps a trolley jack ( sticky brakes) and a known good spare..

[nigel bickle]

And if you are going straight to Mot,new wiper blades...

[danthecapriman]

How good are the tyres? Perhaps a trolley jack ( sticky brakes) and a known good spare..

Good idea, I'll take my jack with me.

The tyres, look flat in the pics I've got but I'll have a pump with me anyway so I'll pump them up and see what they look like. If push comes to shove I'll just run the thing into a local fast fit tyre place on the way home maybe?

 

And if you are going straight to Mot,new wiper blades...

I'll also get a set of wipers.

[eddyramrod]

Insurance!!!!!!!

[Jim Bell]

All you need is a big cigar to properly celebrate being such a winner.

[Guest Hooli]

So what's happening with the omega?

[greengartside]

We need a video of the first start too!

[danthecapriman]

So what's happening with the omega?

I've decided I'm going to leave that for the scrap man, just to upset you lot!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not really!

I'm going to ask the current owner when I'm up there what the score is with it.

I 'might' be able to do something similar with that too just to get it shifted off his driveway. If I need to buy it from him just to save it from death I'll do that and maybe MOT it myself and then move it on to a new victim afterwards.

 

I'm not 100% sure tbh yet regards to the Omega but rest assured I will abide by the Autoshite code and do everything I can for it! It's far from forgotten!

[danthecapriman]

We need a video of the first start too!

Absolutely!

 

I'm going to do the first start right too. I'll change the oil and filter and remove the plugs, squirt a few drops of oil into each bore and turn it over by hand just to lube everything up again. Then stick a set of new plugs in and go for the full fire up.

[nigel bickle]

I find a Fairy liquid bottle, half full of petrol helps you out fuel where it should be,accurately, cheaply, simply, helping to eliminate that issue quickly - or firing it up near immediately!

[danthecapriman]

I haz bin shoppin!

 

So far, I've got:

A new battery, not a cheap pos either but a Bosch 4 year warranty one.

Front and rear wiper blades.

Oil and oil filter.

Set of new spark plugs,

HT lead set.

Rotor arm.

Brand new radiator, which is being ordered in for the next day or two.

 

Also ordered a new cam belt and tensioner kit as there was a discount on. I'll not be changing this until it's back home and through the MOT but at least I've got one ready.

 

I just need a dizzy cap and I might take a new thermostat too so they're on the shopping list.

[alf892]

Yep.........I'd take all that new stuff too. Very sensible.

 

Then as soon as I got there I'd stuff the battery on, stick some fuel down the inlet (a la Bickle) and go for the start............like the over optimistic, overgrown kid that I am.

 

oh..........and if it started I'd be straight off down the road too.

[danthecapriman]

Yep.........I'd take all that new stuff too. Very sensible.

 

Then as soon as I got there I'd stuff the battery on, stick some fuel down the inlet (a la Bickle) and go for the start............like the over optimistic, overgrown kid that I am.

 

oh..........and if it started I'd be straight off down the road too.

I'm going to resist the urge to do that!

I don't want to damage the engine by just going for it. It's been sat idle for well over a year so all the oil will have drained off the top end, the rings/bores will be dry and the oil is probably minging and full of damp too so I'd rather take a bit of time to give it the best possible chances on starting it.

It shouldn't take all that much extra time anyway. I'm confident I'll have it running and moving within the day. The only thing that might cause grief is the brakes. If they are seized it's going to make things more difficult (and expensive!).

 

I'm also hoping it's not got much petrol in the tank. It's probably gone off a bit by now so it'll be easier to dilute it with fresh for the start. At least then it means I won't have to start pumping all the old manky petrol out.

Fingers crossed it won't be too badly rooted to the spot! A year and a half isn't all that long is it!

[oldcars]

Forgotten one very important thing. 

Make sure the Musketeer is on the back 

[cms206]

If it helps any I've gone out today and bought another 740 estate. Have you got this one back yet?

[danthecapriman]

If it helps any I've gone out today and bought another 740 estate. Have you got this one back yet?

How the hell do you manage to keep getting hold of them!?

I've been looking for ages and they seem near extinct now. Nothing ever seams to come up for sale anymore. I think most of the ones that have lasted until recently are ending up on the oval, especially since Granada's are now just about all gone.

It was just unbelievable luck this one came up and it was in the exact spec I want.

 

I've not got it yet, just need to get some bits and bobs together and arrange a day with the owners son to go get it.

[cms206]

How the hell do you manage to keep getting hold of them!?

 

 

Brrrrrng. Brrrrrng. "Hello, SVM HQ, Andy Speaking."

"Hello. My neighbour is scrapping a Volvo."

"Oh they fucking think so?! 80 quid."

"£100."

"Done. I'll collect it on Friday."

 

 

It needs a clutch apparantly. '87E manual Turbo estate.

[danthecapriman]

Brrrrrng. Brrrrrng. "Hello, SVM HQ, Andy Speaking."

"Hello. My neighbour is scrapping a Volvo."

"Oh they fucking think so?! 80 quid."

"£100."

"Done. I'll collect it on Friday."

It needs a clutch apparantly. '87E manual Turbo estate.

You make it sound so easy!!

 

When I sold my gold saloon I knew it was a dumb move and that I'd end up trying to get another one at some point. I wanted one but there was just nothing going anywhere.

It's always the way though, there's never anything available when your looking for one. Stop looking and there's shit loads!

It doesn't help though that I'm very specific with what I want: must be 2.3 must be auto must be estate must have good colour and interior. That does kind of narrow options down a lot.

 

I still can't believe this one came up, purely by chance and talking to someone about old cars. I don't normally get that sort of luck.

I won't be in any hurry to get rid of this one though! I'm going to spend a bit on it and make it a really nice one.