Collected - 1987 Volvo 740 GL

[HillmanImp]

Volvo 1987 range has arrived. Many thanks @Tenmil Socket.

Here it is in my new folder with the Volvo travellers guide. 

I like this illustration on the 360, showing how I'm able to move around people AND luggage in different configurations. 

I assume if you had a 340, ski-ing was just a dream. 

Also arriving in the post at the same time was the owners manual that was found when clearing out the previous owners house. 

Looking at the fuel ratings though, I notice my 230K used to be recommended on 3 star petrol. 

So I'm wondering if I should be putting the fancy fuel in a Texaco if it used to need the lower octane shizzle when new?

[HillmanImp]

Just going to bump this as it was a genuine question about the fuel. 

I think higher octane fuel is harder to burn isn't it, so by putting it in my Volvo am I giving it a hard time considering the owners manual suggests it prefers lower octane stuff? 

I have been putting it in because I thought it would be better but I'm now thinking I should use the cheaper stuff. 

Ignoring the ethenol of course. 

I'm probably over thinking this TBH. 

[Sigmund Fraud]

12 minutes ago, HillmanImp said:

I think higher octane fuel is harder to burn isn't it

No, it's just less likely to self-ignite by being compressed.

How quickly a fuel burns when ignited (by the spark plugs) is a much, much more complex affair. My understanding (and a chemical engineer may correct me) is that modern fuels are actually easier to burn than what was around in the 1980s.

[HillmanImp]

Probably all the ethenol 'innit (no idea if that's right, just guessing). 

Probably alright using a bit of both still. Was just wondering if I should stick to the cheaper stuff. 😂 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I wouldn't worry at all about the effects of E10 on the engine - those redblocks are not exactly known for being fragile.

The main question is how the fuel system components will tolerate it - yours is a carb (IIRC) which should make it less of a nightmare to fix than a Jetronic, but the whole point of driving a bloody Volvo is to not be constantly worried about breaking down.

[HillmanImp]

17 minutes ago, Sigmund Fraud said:

the whole point of driving a bloody Volvo is to not be constantly worried about breaking down.

Yeah, its been like that with every Volvo I've owned except this one. Always teetering on the edge of something going wrong. 

Although (not wanting to jinx it) its not actually broken properly yet. 

[danthecapriman]

Volvo’s of the era are ok running on ethanol blended petrol. E10 is perfectly fine for them without worry.

I run mine on E10 without any additives and it’s fine, although mines a K-Jet car. I still give it a fill of the high octane stuff when I can though, probably pointless really, but it definitely seems to run better on it.

[captain_70s]

I run mine on E10, at 25mpg pottering around locally it’s all I can afford!

[HillmanImp]

Just popped out to see if I could see the northern lights (I couldn't) but did think the Volvo looked pretty cool. 

[HillmanImp]

Does anyone know where the idle adjustment screw is on a Pierburg carb on one of these. I can't figure out if I'm being stupid or blind.

[Sigmund Fraud]

 

[HillmanImp]

On 29/09/2024 at 21:20, Sigmund Fraud said:

 

I still can't find the fucker. 😂 

It can stay as it is until I save up for a weber conversion. 

[HillmanImp]

Clean pass this morning. 

They commented that it went straight through the emissions, so the Pulseair™ 1980s style emissions cheat is working even if it makes the car run like shit. 

Its definitely coming off when I can get round to it though. 

[HillmanImp]

Is a year since I bought this. 

The reason I know this is because I got a call from my insurance company an hour ago telling me the cover had lapsed and asking if I wanted to renew it. 

Not much to add really on the car though. Been a perfectly adequate car that plods on regardless (fate now tempted). 

I will need to start looking at some of the issues and rust at some point though but as long as it can rattle on a bit longer whilst I sort out another few bits and bobs elsewhere it should be grand. 

[MAF260]

On 06/01/2024 at 16:03, HillmanImp said:

 

and the original for sale advert:

 

£8995 in today's money is about £25k. That was quite a dear car when he bought it as a similar age/mileage car now can be had for around £17k.

[HillmanImp]

4 hours ago, MAF260 said:

£8995 in today's money is about £25k. That was quite a dear car when he bought it as a similar age/mileage car now can be had for around £17k.

This car was actually the £7,695 one on the left which is actually £17k, so probably quite similar to today surprisingly. I'd have thought modern cars were much more expensive. 

[stuboy]

On 25/07/2024 at 23:56, HillmanImp said:

Just popped out to see if I could see the northern lights (I couldn't) but did think the Volvo looked pretty cool. 

very nice

[HillmanImp]

Went down to Ladybower today for a ride. 

Was quite eventful on the way down as the brakes went. 

The brake fluid poured from a split hose on the caliper onto the already hot brakes causing a bit of smoke. 

Then to top everything off, when getting back in the car I sat on my glasses. 😂 

Went for the ride and then got collected and brought home. 

Will have a better look tomorrow when the weather is hopefully a bit nicer. 

[N Dentressangle]

Somewhere, the private equity bastards who own the AA and RAC have wax dolls of several of us they're repeatedly stabbing with pins

Fuck em.

[HillmanImp]

5 hours ago, N Dentressangle said:

Somewhere, the private equity bastards who own the AA and RAC have wax dolls of several of us they're repeatedly stabbing with pins

Fuck em.

To be fair, this is my first proper breakdown in 6 years. 

Thing is, for the last 5 years I've been using Autoaid and haven't had to do a single call out. 

6 years ago, when the 944 chewed up its accelerator cable I was using Start Rescue, which is who I'm using again this year. 

I bet they're thinking, 'we need to stop covering this chump that keeps making us drag his old crappy lumps of junk home', when in fact its not that common, its just when I use them. 😂 

[HillmanImp]

Think I'm gunna fix this and move it on. 

It's been bugging me a for a while that I can't really keep up with the day to day maintenance on it, which isn't great when it's my main car. I have other cars that I actually want to work on and enjoy going out and tinkering on. At the moment my main car is stopping me doing that as in the rare moments I've got some time to go outside and work on cars its always the Volvo wanting me to tinker with its bits instead. 

When I got it I hardly drove anywhere but now I have a new job where I have to go into the orifice a fair bit and Imp Jr is well into his mountain biking so I'm always off somewhere and with the mileage I'm suddenly doing it's gonna start showing. I need something that'll eat up the miles a bit better, you know like the Audi A6 I sold to buy the Volvo. 🤣

So my next job is to put the Visa back together and move it into the garage. Then I need to move the Volvo onto the drive to fix a few bits on it as a 2nd car. 

Once that is done, I need to sell it to pay my credit card back for the next financially ruinous motoring decision.

I might have a change of heart but once I get an idea in my head, that's kind of it. I love the Volvo and it really did suit my circumstances when I bought it but they've changed and I think it probably needs someone better suited to it.

[HillmanImp]

Part 1 of plan completed.

I've done this on the stealth as the garage had been used as a gym for the last couple of years. 

Before:

After:

MrsImp is going to do her fucking nut when she comes outside. 😂 

I might pretend I sold the Visa to buy me some time until she opens the garage. 

The frigging new arm on the Visa fought me all the way this morning. Had to basically remove absolutely everything to force it on but its on and the car is in the garage so YAY!

And now all the cars at the house fit on the drive. No road overspill. 

Edit - been outside with MrsImp. 

You could see the cogs moving, she recognised something was different but I don't think she clicked what it was but my doomsday clock has moved a few seconds nearer to midnight. 

Another edit - the game is up. I forget to get ImpJrs bike out if the garage this morning and she had to go in and get it. 😂 

I'm in bother.