JJs Project Thread - 240 GL Estate
 

Thought I’d do what I normally do with cars and that’s track my work on the car :)

Self indulgent some may say but forums are so much better than places like FB for capturing info and if my posts help just 1 person then that’s a win.

So before I start, a bit about me.

Bristol based middle aged and married with a kid and I’m a big kid really.

I’m an aero engineer and I love all things tech and mechanical.

I have a pretty big Tamiya RC collection and at the moment 4 cars on my drive which the missus thinks is a massive problem.

Cars I currently own:

2006 Smart ForFour BRABUS - 1.5 turbo. highly modified. Mapped to 210bhp, lowered, paddle clutch, lightened flywheel, stainless exhaust, big brakes etc etc.

2010 Smart Fortwo cdi - 800cc turbo. Mapped, lowered, widened

2021 Peugeot e208 EV - standard at the moment but small body kit to add when the weather gets better.

and the reason I’m here….

1989 Volvo 240 GL estate 2.0L 5 speed

Picked it up Saturday. Bodywork is ok but there are some rust patches that need sorting but nothing too major.

All interior has been stripped, electrics fixed, heater refurbed, seats and carpets cleaned and like new, cam belt and aux belts done, windscreen replaced, headlights refurbed, plugs/oil/coolant all done.

So runs well. Collected from London, drove to Ipswich to collect a 3rs ROM of seats and then back to Bristol - so a 400mile trip to get used to it :)

So pics from the day I picked it up

https://i.imgur.com/W91PXHcl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rvlTuXyl.jpg

My list of jobs….


Rust treatment
Stone chip paint
X Sun visor clips
Rear speakers
Replace front speakers
Rear hockey stick and clips
Wing mirrors
X Rear bench
Side light bulb
X Dash bulb
Washer bottle
Mist jet washers
Mats
Door pockets
Steering wheel glue / drill


JJ

He’s a handsome fellow! Biased opinion!:teeth_smile:

Hope all goes well.

Andrew.

Thanks - sorry the images are so big. On the forum I run with this software it auto resizes. I’ll see if I can remember the coding to shrink them :)

JJ

Some pics of the work done by the previous owner

https://i.imgur.com/j4ajQfol.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/h1Xnv7ql.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5Wemur0l.jpg


And the rust

Rear arches are pretty good

https://i.imgur.com/psjPooYl.jpg

And the 1 bad area

https://i.imgur.com/5Nj7zaql.jpg

JJ

It’s odd how some 245s rot out on those rear corner and some just don’t.

I always thought it was the rear corner aerial leaking but mine has one and it is perfect but injected with waxy stuff now.

Sounds like you’re the man for the cure.:teeth_smile:

So this evening I’ve been looking at the under bonnet light - what an amazing little device.

Gravity assisted mercury filled switch that activates the light when the bonnet angle is enough! Wow this needs rescuing :)

So checked the bulb continuity - ends corroded but cleaned up

Looking at the light unit itself - very corroded/oxidisation and just can’t get continuity end to end. In fact I can barely get continuity on the initial tab 2mm apart.

https://i.imgur.com/RgU5fRKl.jpg

So needs a clean up…… I’m getting out the Cola :)

Soaked each end for an hour and it’s much better (I assumed the mercury switch was water tight because of the mercury)

Looks much better now but still struggling with continuity

https://i.imgur.com/6laq14dl.jpg

So I stripped it down further - removing the whole mercury switch from the light unit and then the mercury unit from the switch

https://i.imgur.com/edKg6mel.jpg

Tested the mercury switch and it was working ok.

Lots of cleaning of the metal with contact cleaner, grit paper and a craft knife to get good contact surfaces meant I started getting continuity across more of the light unit

Switch unit first

https://i.imgur.com/sjjuRwdl.jpg

Then the whole unit

https://i.imgur.com/uqC9Gevl.jpg

So now I know the light unit works as it should - time to try and work out if there is power to it under the bonnet hahaha

JJ

Well I’ve tried as much BB code as I can to make the images smaller but just can’t work it and I run my own vbulletin forum - so the owners must have the code disabled :(

JJ

I think you are using Imgur to host your images? If you select the 'Huge thumbnail' option in the sizes box (bottom right hand corner) rather than the original before copying the image it will come out about the right size for these pages.

Good thread.

Alan

Hey Alan,

I use the imjur app so only get the option to copy the link. No size options at all :(

I’ll see if there is an upload option to minimise the size but I don’t recall one

JJ

Good morn,

Is that an app on a cell phone (I didn't know there was one!)? It may be that you would have to use the web version to get the resize. You may see the control in the bottom right of the box:

https://i.imgur.com/Kv7BdgSh.png