Hey Guys,

So I have decided that I need to upgrade from my 06 VW GTI to a nice old Volvo 240 . I have been searching the classifieds for that great bargain and stumbled across one for a 1976 242DL. I emailed the seller and he mentioned the car only has 66k on the clock (sweet) but is not running and will need a paint. From the pictures, yup, it will need a paint as its been sitting in the California Valley sun for too long.

He is assuming the fuel pump is gone as he can get the car to start up by using starting fluid in the intake.

So with these things in mind, he wants $500 for it, that doesn't seem too bad. However, its far from perfect and I'll probably need to pour my life savings into it.

However, sorry for the long start to this post, one thing I was looking at was interior replacement parts. And that is the problem, I am having difficulty finding some basic things such as carpet. I see plenty of 240 4 door and wagon carpets, nothing for the 2 door. Also items such as door panels (the ones on there are cut up from some big speakers :-S) are also looking like there impossible to find.

Question is, would the carpet for a 4 door 240 fit with a little messing around or is it really a no go? Same for the door panels? And what about the headliner, difficult to replace?

Thanks Guys!

 

Your best bet on interior plastic parts is likely to be a junk yard. The headliner is do-able but I had mine (another car) replaced by an auto upholstery shop because I wanted it right. It came out perfect.

 

Congratulations, you've got the second oldest Volvo of any active member of this board. The second oldest used to belong to 78vovlo244, and I do believe my '75 is the oldest.

Now, it's worth noting that my five-hundred-dollar Volvo was running when I got it. On two cylinders, but still running. Although the paint on the hood was pretty messed up, but nothing that a can of rust-o-leum and a horsehair brush couldn't fix. Of course, 66k is about 600,000 miles less than what I have, so 500 might be a fair price. Those door panels are going to be tough, they only made the 240 coupes for seven years and they weren't common. Unfortunately I've got the same condition you do, someone hacked away at the passenger's side door panel, probably for quite some time before realizing he couldn't get through the peg board the door panel comprised. Fortunately he didn't try on the other side. Seventies Volvos are showing up in junkyards more and more these days, what with some of them being almost forty years old, so your search shouldn't take too long.

Also, good luck with the fuel pump. The 1975-1978 Volvos used a single exterior fuel pump that I don't think is made anymore.

 

Hi, I am from Portugal and I had last week buy a 242DL of 1975, so as I understand it's also dificult find parts in America?

 

I had one and had no problem finding parts except for the driveshaft. But I did eventually track one down. The engine is the same model they used in the 140, they made millions of those.