Hey y'all. First post around here since i'm thinking of/already have acquired a 1987 Volvo 740 turbo sedan. Previous owner is unfortunately someone who used it as "just a car" and didn't do much upkeep, leaving it a little dilapidated at it's current 232K miles. If I take this on, I'm already looking at a small laundry list of items:

Minor engine refurbish
tires
all radio components
Diff rebuild
window motors
moonroof repair
brakes&rotors
replacing all/most of the vacuum lines (which I can't find diagrams for)
new lamps&lights all around
and a healthy bit of spit-shining and detailing on my part

Not only am I looking for any advice or tips on how to make this better or easier for me, but also curious if I'm getting myself in over my head with this project. I'm certainly not an automotive dunce. The car itself has a solid body behind it, and the B230FT I know has a reputation for being a hearty SOB of an engine. She may have yet more gremlins hiding away, i've only just repaired the actuator bolt on the A/T shift linkage yesterday to get it moving on it's own.

I'm willing to take this on because of the reputation Volvo holds for safety, reliability, and in this case ease of repair to most of the car itself. Tips? Comments? Advice? All of it's appreciated. Thanks folks, drive safe out there!

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Do you have the car or are you thinking about getting it?

 

You are not over your head BUT if you do all that you'll be spending quite a bit. If you do the labor yourself, and hunt junkyards you should be OK... Also, a good thing about Volvos, they are always better than you think-my experience anyway... Good luck!

 

If you get the car, buy a Bentley's manual if you can afford it; a Hayne's or Chilton's if you can't. Read through the manual and familiarize yourself with Swedish ingenuity. If you do the labor yourself you will be fine. I have no clue what is meant by a minor engine refurbish but if you first attempt to renew the items that have been neglected under the hood you will be well served. Turbos generate lots of heat; vac hoses really suffer. Since they also carry positive pressure under boost, it's doubly important none are leaking.

 

The 1987 turbo has the old wiring harness, which becomes baked and loses its insulation, leading to gremlins. Be sure to check the wiring in the engine compartment for worn insulation. Also, the Hall sensor (on the distributor) can give out. Check for oil on the bottom of the Hall plug; if there, you'd better replace the distributor gasket (large green one). Otherwise the oil wears away the insulation on the Hall plug and will short out the Hall sensor, leaving you stranded. More info, including a no-start guide for 740, at www.stepbystepvolvo.com.