Hi folks.

I've purchased a 1986 240GL with 34,000 miles (or 55,000km as I'm in Australia). It has some cosmetic issues, but overall is in excellent condition, being garaged all its life. The previous owner drove it so little, that in the two years he's owned it he hasn't changed any oil/fluids/belts/etc. The owner before that died. Any previous service records were lost.

It has power steering and (I think) an AW71 auto gearbox. (How do I tell!? It has PRND21 + overdrive button.) No other options though, like aircon or electric windows, like the auto insurance websites here claim it should have.

You can view it here if interested:
Volvo 240 GL (1986) 4D Sedan 4 SP Automatic WHITE | eBay

I paid less than that thanks mainly to three different "individuals", the owner said wasted his time and offered him peanuts.

Anyway, I'm wondering what preventive maintenance you guys would do if you'd just bought such a car. i.e. I'll be replacing all oils/fluids/timing/fan belt/s... But I'm thinking along the lines of - would you put synthetic oil in the engine/auto/power steering?

And what detailing products to use on the paint/bumpers/rubber?

(I have a 1978 244DL that hasn't been garaged in years, but still has an *UN*cracked dashpad because it has never had chemicals on it. Should I start now with the new 240?) The reason I ask is, years ago it became a popular belief here that Armorall products CAUSED surfaces to dry out and crack when you stopped using them. I don't know if this is true, or just urban legend. But it has worried me ever since, what I should use.

Thanks for reading...

 

Looks nice.
I'd change the fluids and inspect this and that as I don't believe in unnecessary work.

As far as protective products like Armorall, I think the biggest problem was that many applied them too liberally without wiping them down and removing the excess preferring instead the "wet" look. That, I heard, is what caused problems, but who knows?
I'd use "quality" products but I doubt anyone can say with certainty how a product will affect a material years down the line...

 

I'd be paying special attention to all the hoses under the hood. even fi it hasn't been driven, those hoses dry out and crack. vacuum lines, heater lines, radiator lines, etc.

if it sat for many years undriven, then was filled up and run, odds are the gas tank had some nasty varnish in it that may clog up the fuel filter. I think I'd run several gas tanks through it with some Techron style fuel injection cleaner additive, then plan on replacing the sock in the fuel tank, and the main fuel filter.

oh. its probably an AW70 gearbox. the AW71 was a heavy duty version used mainly on the turbos. There's a name plate on the side of the transmission that would have the part number and type.



thats one of the years known for 'bio degradable wiring', I'd be checking all the wiring under the hood for cracking insulation.

 

Use Meguiars products to clean/recondition rubber an plastic. You guys have that down under, don't ya? If not, just pour some Fosters on it, I hear that's Australian for beer.

Regarding ways to find out what your vehicle came from the factory with, anyone know of a website where you enter your VIN and it breaks that all down for ya?

 

Because of the low mileage and the fact it has sat for a long time, I'd do a 100k service on it and would definitely replace the timing belt.
Armor all type products only cause issues when they are applied to very old, dried up materials, then never reapplied again. It softens the material a little, then it shrinks back again, causing the cracks.
However, most materials were about due to crack by the time Armor all is used anyway, so it's not really the product that causes the problems, it just gets blamed.

 

Thanks for the replies so far. I've had a closer look under the hood and there's no wear/cracks in the rubber whatsoever. The car came with a box of spares including all belts and both radiator hoses. So I'll keep them in the boot (trunk) just in case. I think it was regularly driven, but only short distances. I'll still put injector cleaner through it though. A mechanic I know gets a more concentrated version than we can buy retail.

I had a look at the gearbox but couldn't find any model number. I'll probably find it when it's on a hoist for the first time. The reason I suggested AW71 was, the car came with a booklet titled, "Where Your Money Goes..." It's a kind of "congratulations on your wise purchase" type of thing... Anyway, it states Australian models came with one of the following gearboxes:

1. 4 Speed manual plus overdrive
2. BW55 Automatic (DL models)
3. AW71 Automatic (GL & GLE models)

No mention of AW70, so maybe Australia missed out!?

I didn't want to get too carried away tugging at the wiring just in case, but what I did check seemed in excellent condition. Maybe Australia missed out on the cracking insulation too?

Yes, we have Meguiar's products. Never have liked beer much though. But Fosters... Blech! Goat urine would nearly be as palatable, LOL!

Yep, a timing belt was definitely on my list.

I noticed a few things I'd appreciate some help with if you guys know any of the answers:

1. There's a small clock next to the felt-lined open box in the dash. That clock is totally dark at night. Is it supposed to have a light?

2. I'm sure I've seen stereos fitted into that felt-lined box. How do they fit them, when the top of one side of the felt box is curved and not square?

3. The car came with a red locking petrol cap but no key. It has the part number 1325003. Below that there's a four digit number, then a space, a single digit, another space then two more digits. Like this: xxxx x xx. Are these numbers used to get a new key cut? Or will I have to buy a new cap + key.

4. The two black plastic covers that cover the inside of the tail lights are cracked. Does anyone know if you can buy new replacements? Would new ones only crack again no matter how gentle I am with them?

5. On the driver's (right hand) side of the car, there is a clear plastic clip thingy, about three inches long, sticking out of the side of the bottom of the windscreen. I thought the previous owner might have stuck it into the windscreen sealant himself, to hold some kind of pensioner parking permit. But where it sticks out of the black plastic cowling that covers the pillar, a piece of the cowling is cut out that looks like it was done at the factory. Is this clear plastic clip supposed to be there?

6. If I empty the auto gearbox, should I replace it with a synthetic?

7. Where the accelerator cable comes out under the hood (before it curves around the "throttle circle"), there was half remaining of a pointy rubber "cap". (It looks like the top of a rocket.) I think it's there to keep dirt out of the acc. cable!? Anyway, I touched it and the remaining half just fell off. Is this something that can be replaced? And if so, how do they get it over the lead terminator on the end of the cable... i.e. Is it less brittle when it's new and it just stretches over the lead end bit - or - does it have a cut down one side so you can just press it over the cable, instead of disconnecting the cable and sliding it along?

8. In Australia our unleaded fuel now has ethanol. I've used unleaded for years in my 1978 244 with no problems. Can I use in in the 1986, or should I only allow premium unleaded in its tank?

 

yes.

I prefer mounting the stereo in the lower space in front of the shifter (can't be stolen if the car is in park), but I believe the auto stereo places should have (or be able to get) an adapter for that odd hole to fit a DIN stereo. for sure, get the wiring harnesses that hook up to the factory wiring

I'd just get a new cap. a locksmith might be able to pick the lock, remove the cylinder, and rekey it to match your regular keys, but bleah.

good luck with that. I'd probably put them back together as best you can, maybe some mylar tape and ABS cement, or something, and be careful with them.

thats for holding parking passes and such.

I'd just use a good grade of conventional ATF. if its been a long time, you probably want to give it a thorough flush as simply draining an automatic only gets about half of it out.

the original bit is stretchy rubber. no idea if those are available as replacement parts.

all our US fuel is 10% ethanol now (groan). our 87 hasn't seemed to mind it.

 

Family man, regarding #2, I want to do the same thing. But I have been finding my storage box to top pretty useful... I'll do some research into it, maybe a company like Crutchfield offers an adapter to fit up top. But I would also want to retain the storage pocket, and move it down, so.....

If you discover anything please do share!

 

The main reason I wanted the stereo higher, if I get a CD player, I think I'd have to move the selector out of park to put a CD in. I've also seen some that take DVDs with video screens that eject in/out. But when I looked at the dash today, I realised the top of the dash sticks out quite a bit. So it would probably be in the way of a slide-out screen.

Yeah... The car came with a user manual and stuck inside it is a numbered tag that must have come with the keys when the car was first purchased. The manuals says if you take that number to Volvo you can get another key cut. So I was hoping the second number on the fuel cap was a number for a key.

Thanks for all the other info.

 

Yeah, I vaguely remember seeing something years ago. I didn't pay much attention at the time because my 1978 didn't have the top box. Of course being in Australia, the dash is reversed. But I think I remember you just reversed the plate the other direction.

Does anyone happen to have a link that shows how to remove the clock/temp/etc. pods from the dash?

 

yeah, you do need to take it out of park to swap the CD.... I guess I don't spend much time sitting in a parked car listening to tunes anymore. my daughter uses her ipod for her tunes, jacked into the stereo (almost all new stereos have an headphone jack on the front panel nowdays). You -can- take the car out of park with the engine off, by sticking your finger in the slot at the back of the shifter track, and lifting up on a switch lever inside, just remember to set the parking brake if you're going to leave it in N or 1 or something to mess with the CD...

 

I found this for the USA folks:

Edit: This link allows you to mount a stereo in the upper dash storage pocket.

VO3135B - Scosche Car Vo3135b Upper Dash Kit For 1973–1993 Volvo 200 Series - SCOSCHE

I *think* this next link turns the original stereo slot/hole behind your gear shifter into a storage pocket.

http://www.autotoys.com/x/product.ph...tid=20316#tabs

 

that first kit looks like its for an old school radio with **** mounting, and not a modern "DIN" mount. that second kit turns the extra stereo hole on a newer volvo into a pocket (like, the 960 and 850 had a double-high stereo from the factory, you can mount a standard DIN in the top half of the double-high space, and put this pocket below it so you have a place to stick a few CDs or whatever.