So I've made lots of threads about my car but I haven't really talked about it yet. It is a 1989 Volvo 240 DL, with the "powerful" B230F engine (114 hp/136 lb.ft.) and the somewhat rare M47 5-speed manual transmission. It recently hit 160,000 miles and still runs strong.

Car was originally on the East Coast and then trucked to California for the 2nd owner, making me the 3rd owner. Despite it being an East Coast car, it has no signs of rust. All of the previous owners truly cared about this car, and the amount of money spent on parts (judging from the maintenance records) sure is a testament for their love for this vehicle. I hope to continue this good maintenance so the next owner, hopefully a Volvo enthusiast, will have a great car.

I'm still bad with Volvo color codes, but here it is. I nicknamed it "Smurf Blue" and my friends get a good laugh out of it.







Messing around for a second.



After cleaning the headlights, PlastiDipping the grill black, and taking the hubcaps off, here is how it currently sits.



My plans for the car:

• PlastiDip the steel wheels white (everybody does black, I want to try something new).
• Hella 500FF (or similar) driving lamps mounted on the front bumper.
• Prancing Moose badges on both fenders, and one on the rear section where the license plate is located.
• Swedish "S" oval sticker for the rear section, where the license plate is located.
• Hopefully Volvo Polaris rims if I can find cheap replicas. Maybe BBS RS replicas too.
• Swedish front plate, but an older pre-EU one, not the current one.

And that's it so far. Thanks for reading.

 

That is a beautiful car. Diggin' the color.

 

car looks good, but please put the hubcaps back on til you get new wheels...without them it just looks ghetto....

why not plastidip the hubcaps charcoal grey until you get the new wheels?

 

Clean car. I'm jelly over the original paint.
Take off the rubber foam pad at the top of the fire wall.
It is ruining the appearance.
Test a small area first. It's Sticky.

Good luck finding a set of Polaris for cheap.
Most of them are are $2000 for a set.
The replicas are just over $1000

 

Well, I really want the wheels to be white, they'd be unique and different and would resemble the rallycar look that a lot of Scandinavian Volvo's have.

Anyways, I was playing around in Photoshop. What do you guys think looks better? White steelies or white hubcaps?




I think white steelies are the best option.

 

White steelies

 

tossing out an alternative, silver steelies. like the color most of the volvo alloys are painted.

 

p.s. that car is crying for new headlights and corner lights. and lining things up right.

 

I tried that Turtle Wax headlight restoration kit, and while it made some difference, they still appear fogged. The corner lights actually appear all right, but new head lights are a must, but that's when I get more money. My plans are to (finish) the white PlastiDipped wheels, get some Hella 500FF auxiliary driving lamps, some Prancing Moose stickers, and then I'll want new headlights and new tail lights as well, but in total that would be $200 USD...

 

I used one of those kits on my wife's camry, with my cordless drill-driver. less than a year later, they looked just as bad as before, so I said screw it, and ebay'd me some 'Depo' brand chinese replacement lights. they were exact replicas of the original, fit right in. I've used these on Volvos too. they are less than half the price of the Cibie big panel lights, and they are pretty darn close to identical.

Feb 2012, my wife's 2004 Camry, with like 120,000 miles. parked outside.


after polish:


March 2013, same car. original lights are on the ground, new ones installed.

 

I think I might just do that. Thanks for the advice.

I did the front half of the wheels today...

 

the aussie's got 240's where the 'hockey stick' trim on the top of the bumpers was all blacked out. also the side trim strip, and the windshield frame and rain gutters.

that would look pretty sharp with what you're doing there.

 

Finished all four wheels.



I'll be honest I'm not very happy with the results. Due to the PlastiDip sticking to the masking tape, the edges of the wheel (around the lip) are already peeling. And the rims are already dirty and I'm afraid to wash them since PlastiDip needs several weeks to fully cure. I think next time I'll just spraypaint them - spraypaint is much more durable.