new (to me) 240
 

Hey all. I just recently purchased a 1985 240 dl. I'm very excited about this car and I can't wait to start building on it. I wanted the opinion of some people who have owned this car as to what are some simple but effective ways to add to this car without a major spend down? All input is appreciated. Thanks!

repair anything thats damaged, like sagging seats, upholstry. keep your brakes, tires, shocks in good condition. if its an automatic flush the transmission and fill it with fresh ATF. replace any tired or crackign hoses under the hood.

if that has the 'tv panel' headlights (actually, I think those starded in 1986), consider getting new headlights if they are yellowed and dull. ditto if your tail lights are faded and cracked, new tail lights can make a car like new again.

replace any worn out exterior trim pieces. IPD has a kit of glue-on rubber molding to replace the belt strips that go all around the sides and back

if music is your thing, install a decent stereo, and some good speakers.

otherwise, leave it stock, especially if its a clean intact car.

Thanks a lot. For the year it is suprisingly clean inside and out. I will definately be replacing the headlights and tail lights because one is cracked. I've already put a system in it from my last car. I was thinking about switching all the wires. I read online that they uses biodegradable wires up through 85 or 86? Not sure if that's true but roger way it probably couldn't hurt

83-87 are the years with suspect wiring. some cars dont' exhibit any problems, others rotted away years ago.

I wouldn't just switch things unless you have a problem. replacement wiring harnesses are either unobtanium or rather expensive (some may still be available from Volvo, others definitely aren't, but there's probably 20 harnesses in that car at a few $100 each). rewiring the whole car from scratch? *EEEK* that would be a scary project. finding all the right oddball connectors, right gauges and colors of wiring, getting it all wired right? no thanks!

I agree, if no issues WHY put yourself through the torture? It's my understanding [and admittedly, pierce is WAY more experienced than I], that only the engine harness [under the hood] had issues? Mine's an '83 and other than a few areas where the wiring insulation is exposed under the hood, mine is in great shape everywhere else. I did splice a couple area that looked suspect during a no start diagnosis.

There's a few engine harness's on eBay at any given time. Most are used, updated replacements pulled from wrecked/junked cars for resale.

Best of luck with your "new" 240!

note that harnesses are year specific. some fit a couple years, but thats it. over the life of the 240's production (1974 to 1993), there were a continuous stream of engineering changes, several different EFI systems (K-jetronic, LH-II, LH-2.2, LH-2.4, LH-3.1), different ignition systems, etc.

in addition to engine wiring harnesses, another weak spot is the wires in the tailgate hinge of the wagons.

It is my understanding that the "biodegradable" wiring would break down faster when exposed to heat. This means that the engine wiring harness would show symptoms of this issue first. Turbo cars were worse than normally aspirated cars as there is more heat generated for these cars.

I would expect that by now - almost 30 years later - that other areas of the cars may start to show similar symptoms simply due to age.

Side note, I have a few friends that are trying to get me to cut my springs in order to lower it. Any experience with this? The whole idea seems pretty sketchy to me. I think I would rather wait and just buy coil overs.

to lower a car, you need springs that are shorter than standard... a shorter spring leaves less travel distance before it bottoms out, so for the same weight vehicle you need a stiffer/heavier spring to compensate. along with a stiffer spring, you need a heavier damper (shock absorber).

I wouldn't lower a 240/740/940 any more than the IPD Sport Springs (which is maybe an inch), and I would use those with Bilstein HD shocks to match. After you do this, you'll have a car that handles great, but rides harsher on less than perfect pavement, and will pick up interior rattles much faster. Having gone overboard in the past with suspension mods, I'd rather not do this to a daily driver. If you're building a track car, go for it.

you can mate those with the IPD antisway bars for improved cornering stance (less tendancy to lean on hard turns), actually, they suggest swaybars *first*, then springs...
200/700/900 Suspension Upgrade Stages


btw, these aren't really 'coil-overs', that expression refers to spring+shock combinations that are added as additional spring to an existing system. The front of a 240/740/940 is a mcpherson strut, which yes, has a coil spring over the upper part of the strut assembly, the back is completely separate springs and shocks.

if you really want a tight track car, you also replace most of the rubber bushings in the suspension with SuperPro poly bushings from Aussie.... accept no substitutes (chinese poly is junk). new steering tie-rods (inner and outer), new ball joints, springs, shocks, and sway bays. go to a 16" rim like the Volvo 'Virgo' so you can run a 205/50R16 tire. and strip the interior of your car of all the plastic stuff that will start rattling. your glove box mount screws will probably crack. if you've installed larger/heavier loudspeakers, go back and pot them in place with RTV (silicone rubber sealant).

Cool thank you so much. Very useful info. This is my first Volvo and I am kind of learning as I go. Input is much appreciated.