I am the proud owner of a 1988 Volvo 240 DL four door that I rescued from a neglectful home. It sat for 4 years before I bought it for $300. Why the great price and the long storage? It wouldn't start. A new starter and battery got her back on the road.

This car (I've named her Oona) was in need of minor TLC in a big way. After the starter and battery, I changed the oil and transmission fluid and cleaned the brakes (rust had started to form on some of the brake parts).

Some trim pieces were missing, so I went to my local "you pull" junkyard and started poring over the limited supply of 240s they have on site (two).

I lucked out this morning and found a 1987 240 that had just arrived at the yard (bringing the total to three). I was able to find a replacement seat back for my horribly mangled drivers seat (the former owner of my car had managed to break the top bar and lower crossmember and I was getting poked in the back). Now I just need to stretch my blue upholstery over it (it's gray). I also got replacements for my license plate light housings that have broken clips (they've been held up with electrical tape for the last two months), a new dome light housing (clips again), and two replacement side mirrors (the passenger side one is cracked and the housing is missing parts). I also got the instrument cluster out of it because my odometer has stopped working (the gear problem I have read about here) and there's a scratch in the plexi cover. The last item I got today was the power antenna to replace the one that was snapped off before I purchased the car.

I still need to replace the tires before they go flat on me (minor dry-rot), but I'm shopping for a deal and driving her only short distances for the time being. I also need to find both door map-pockets, a new center e-brake cover (small crack), front turn signal lenses (both have holes in them), headlight lenses (slightly foggy), and the exhaust after the muffler is slightly rusty so it's on my list. Eventually I want to replace the dash (two small cracks) and the driver's side back door (came from a junkyard apparently, and has some slight rust and does not match the paint color exactly). After that, a paint job will be in order...followed (I really hope) by a swap-out for a deisel engine so I can convert that to bio-deisel, or a full-out electric conversion. Lofty goals, I know...but I plan on restoring this car to mint condition and driving it for many years to come. I've received my first high-mileage club package, and I hope to log some serious miles in my favorite car.

I have lurked here for a while, and learned alot. I hope to learn more as time goes on, and perhaps contribute as well.

BTW, here's a picture of my baby...

 

welcome

 

Welcome. Before you spend the money on new headlights, try using Blue Magic Headlight lens restorer http://www.autozone.com/selectedZip,.../selectZip.htmI use it on my cars and it really works. May not look brand new but will look alot better.

 

Welcome.

 

Update: I actually ended up having to get the driver's seat out of the junkyard 240, and I'm planning on returning the passenger seat due to compatibility issues. I've installed the driver's seat in mine for the time being even with the slight difference in color and size. It's taller than the original seats, and dark gray instead of dark blue. I'm going to find a better driver's seat in the future, but this one will do for now. I have yet to install any of the other parts I got, because I've been re-decorating my house in a hurry in preparation for hosting a party at my house this Sunday.

I found the last bottle of this stuff at my local autozone hidden behind some carnuba wax. I will apply it sometime next week, and report back my results. It's got to be better than what they are now, at any rate.

I plan on doing all the minor things first, then tackling the odometer gear after printing out the instructions and praying a bit. If anyone has done this repair and has tips beyond the website everyone here references, please let me know.

BTW, every time I edited my original post, every apostrophe multiplied and refused to let me delete them. Problems with the forums' software, or a compatibility issue with firefox? I don't know, but it really irritated me that I could not delete those buggers.