I am thinking of getting one of these estates to add to my collection of cars. I am looking for one of the last made in 1993. On Autotrader the best ones seem to be a long way from home so I shall have to keep looking.
The CBCB seems to focus on the poor driving experience but I'm not bothered about that, I just want one for its classic 'built like a tank' qualities and keep it in good condition for years to come.
Does anyone have one and any particular points of weakness I should look out for - apart from obvious age related issues on a car which is going to be at least 13 years old?
I was thinking of a Torslanda model with nice leather seats.
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I learned to drive in a 1979 244DL with B21A 2127cc motor and four speed gear box.
Lurchy-lurch handling and with only four speeds and the aerodynamics of a house brick, noisy at speed, but I'd happily give it garage space now if it were still "in the family".
Avoid models with white or yellow paint.
Hard to keep shiny as it oxidises very quickly and white 240s in particular rust the most quickly.
Suggest you search the archives and if necessary repeat your post in the 200 Series forum to be found at www.volvoclub.org.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=11
Good luck.
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Great car to do lots of motorway miles in. Tailgate rotted badly on mine, also the sills had been patched before I bought it. Good dependable cars.
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2 Dirty VW diesels and a Honda with an 18 inch blade
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Tailgates are a known weak spot on these.
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I had one from 1986 (new) until it was written off by wife, with me in the passenger seat at 125k miles. If it hadnt been the Volvo I probably wouldnt be writing this.
Things to watch
Rust in sills and A pillar by door hinges. Mine rusted in the floor pan transversely under the drivers seat due to a water leak from o/s rear door. the MoT tester had never seen one like it, and it was well hidden under the original underseal.
Rear suspension link bushes can go soft and break up even if not used for towing. I renewed twice at 60k and 120k.
Watch the spring trays on the Macph struts for rust.
Cambelt history is important, mine broke at 60k (due at 56k?) but I got away with it altho the 230A engine is not valve safe.
The breather pipework and filter is not adequate and requires cleaning out regualrly.
I would suggest buying a precat version as this then avoids potentail expensive cat problems.
At about 14 yrs it cost me a radiator but otherwise was mechanically very original and engine/gearbox would have been good for a lot more miles, on original clutch.
Best of luck in finding a good one.
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pmh (was peter)
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Sorry not owned one myself but can testify to the "built like a tank" qualities...
A mate of mine had a 1975 estate in our first year at Brighton Poly (as it was known in 1991). I had previously thought they were horrible things but grew to respect it, with the 2.1 litre engine his was quicker than you would expect, and the RWD and high profile tyres made for "entertaining" handling.
On a couple of occasions when parking it in an underground car park, instead of braking he would roll it into the reinforced concrete wall at 5mph, to get an entertaining reaction from any passengers who had not been in the car before. And the car never appeared the worse for it.
It came a cropper one night on a country road, we left the road at speed, and skidded along in a ditch with the car on its side for 30 yards.
There were 7 of us in it, 2 with seatbelts, and only 1 of us had to go to hospital to have some minor cuts cleaned up. It was a write-off, but after towing it home it still drove fine round his field the next day. The way the panels had crumpled, it looked like they were made of thicker steel than was used on many of its contemporaries...
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Agree you should go to a Volvo forum. I ran a 1984 estate from 1987 for about three years and it was a great family load carrier and holiday car for travelling in Europe. It was a carburettor model, however, so not relevant to the later ones. I seem to recall that early 240s had an interim five-speed gearbox that could fail at high mileages and could not be replaced by later 'boxes. Again not relevant if you buy a Torslanda. Maybe it wasn't a fantastic handler but I don't remember being at all bothered about it and it shared garage with a Lotus Plus 2 at that time. The six cylinder 164 was, however, a definite non-handler, especially on ice. One of those in TE form followed the 240 and was quieter and more pleasant on a motorway or trunk road cruise, despite being six years older.
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I had a 245 estate on an A plate as a Co. car. I hated it, it was dog slow, unreliable suffered valve stretch twice, not unknown apparently. Was an auto 2.1L & was incredibly thirsty. I inherited it when I joined the co. & was glad when I was made redundant 12 months later so I didn't have to drive the POS!
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pmh wroted.....................
.............The breather pipework and filter is not adequate and requires cleaning out regualrly
its exactly what i remember about them as well.......
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What I didnt say was that it handled like a Morris Minor in the wet. On roundabouts the tail would hang out, and you could just keep it there with judicious application of the throttle! I will never forget the face of the service manger at its first 1000 mile service when I described the handling like that!
Other things that I haver remembered.
The Stromberg carbs have an appetite for diaphrams (splitting with age), so keep a plastic bag in the boot for emergency repairs.
The pipe leading into the front of the back box can collect moisture and rot out prematurely from the inside. Poor layout and design
Even so, I would describe it as reliable throughout its 15 year life and very maintainable and not expensive when you do your own maintenance.
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pmh (was peter)
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Many useful comments, thanks.
I shall have a good look around when I get back from holiday. There are a few nice ones on Autotrader but they're too far away. I am not in a hurry, I shall wait for a nice local one - I want the best Torslanda I can find.
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