744 for sale.
 

Rare early car -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183321915664?ul_noapp=true

has many expensive issues that'll need rectifying if you want to make it a decent example.

J.

N.B it's a £500.00 car (at most).

Has an ambient temp guage, which I guess is pretty rare?

The ambient temp guage is very rare Ross, my 1986 745 has one*, and I managed to score a NoS one a few years ago.

J.

*factory fitted.

I email the seller and sadly the guage does not work on this particular car :(

Such as Jon?

I appreciate this is subjective, but-

1. Bonnet needs paint and the nsf wing looks like it does
2. Osf rear arch doesn't look at all good (is nsf one as bad ?)
3. Needs headlining-they all do unless it's been done-more difficult with s/r
4. Many minor dents around rear end
5. Seats need some attention (conditioner and elbow grease).

Has a cambelt sticker but when was it done ? In it's favour...an '86 C plate car is rare, a GLT rarer.

That's what I can tell from the photos.

J.

Thanks Jon, was wondering what your thoughts were. My views on what you've said :

1 & 2. Yes the lacquer has gone on the bonnet and the N/S/F wing, all the arches look a bit "odd", almost as if someone had previously fitted those chrome arch covers

3. "The headlining is also all still up as it should be" - that's what the seller says about the headlining. Looking at the photos and your comment, i'd have to say i agree with you, it looks line someone has pinned it up at the back end.

4. I only spotted one, just uner the O/S rear cluster. There appears to be a collection of scuffs/scratches along the rear panel just above the bumper though.

5. Renewing the cam belt is wise on any car unless you know it's been done. It's only an hours work plus the cost of a cam belt and given the mileage and age of the car and using 5 years/60k miles as a replacement interval (i believe that's correct but can't remember exactly) then it's either been done very recently or is due imminently.

With that in mind, i'd have no worries about buying the car, a bit of nice, genuine patina and changing the cam belt shouldn't put someone off running a classic as an everyday car, or even attending to these things over a period as a "rolling restoration".

HOWEVER!!!!!

What bothers me more are the following :

1. Signs of corrosion on the inner wings where they go between the suspension turrets and the front of the car. - Could mean a fair bit of welding in that area.

2. The earth lead going over the top of the cam cover instead of strapped to the cross member as it should be - it's obviously had some electrical problems and if that is the standard of electrical repair, i'd be extremely worried!

3. The fuel filter looks more white than silver, suggesting it's been there a very long time! In turn, that suggests a general lack of maintenance over the years so a lot of preventative maintenance would be needed as a matter of urgency.

On the bright side, the fuel gauge works! ;) :D

Obviously any appraisal is subjective unless you are appraising cars professionally then it has to be as objective as possible. My comments are also based on the appetite many have for spending money on 740s (there's little evidence for this, they are yet to become viable).

As for patina, I discuss this a great deal on another (not car) forum, patina is all well and good on a fine piece of furniture but this car, for me, doesn't have patina - I don't consider the paint problems patina nor the rusty arches. Plus there's little evidence of provenance, which is a shame as the GLT was only a 1985 and 1986 model year car - the exterior would mean i would walk away, plus I have a 744 !

J.

What all this has demonstrated Jon is that both of us have looked at the same car and come up with different reasons not to buy it. This has been done because of experience we have both gained over the years and evidence we know to be true, or very likely true given certain clues (eg the corrosion on the inner wings) so while it is subjective, it could also be objective.

Any potential purchaser would likely get a very good car and depending on how they viewed it, would either have a good base for a concours project (£££££ needed), a good, passable, everyday classic with a bit of urgent routine maintenance followed by a proper routine maintenance program or (god forbid) they buy it and just run it as is until either it or they fall off their perches.

I'm sure i've seen later GLTs than this but regardless of that, it's an early one and (for me at least) has the desirable auto-box, it's in original condition (hasn't had any paint work done yet), not modified (except for that aftermarket stereo) and is therefore desirable to certain people who want exactly that.

If i had the room, i'd probably put in a starting price bid just because i've never owned a 744 but i don't have the room so i won't - so there! :tounge_smile:

Someone will probably buy it and cherish it, maybe even sort the bodywork out, i hope it gets a good home anyway! ;) :D

Being pedantic, or accurate - your choice.
 

You haven't Dave.

For the record, this - style - GLT was only available for the 1985 (the 740 launch year) and 1986 model years.

The later GLT had the 900 front end and was a completely different car.

J.

Talking at crossed purposes Jon - i was sure the GLT model was carried on after the early ones, i didn't necessarily mean in the same nose-cone though.

You've put my mind at rest though, i was worried the GLT had been dropped completely! :err:

Not really Dave, I was just ensuring that I was being accurate. The GLT (like we've been discussing) did not appear as a facelift model but it did appear as a 900 lookalike with a different engine.

So in a sense it was dropped (twice), but only briefly.

Both are rare, the earlier one the rarest.

J.

P.S I'm off fishing tonight, have a good one.

So what about the 740GLT 16v that was sold pre facelift ? Im thinking 89 / 90 models.

Summat fishy goin' on 'ere!

https://timhullbailey.files.wordpres...3/11/fishy.jpg

:bricks:

Looks like she went for nearly £800 in the end.

Have you seen this Ross?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-VOLV...K/292651238299

Low mileage and looks pretty nice and above all, has the 170bhp B280E V6 engine under the bonnet! ;) :D

I have but it is a flat front model I want 🙂
Also not sure I want the fuel bills 😲
And I know of a lovely ‘44 I have my eye on 🤫

Fuel Bills? :err: :nah:

More economical than the B230E that you were looking at. :thumbs_up:

I had 3 740GLEs, all estate and auto with the B230E engine the same as the one you were going to bid on. Depending on where i drove from normal running about round here to a long run, i'd get anywhere between 23-25mpg round here to 35mpg on a run.

The 760GLE, also auto, estate but with the B280E engine instead, 25-26mpg round here and up to 37mpg on a run. A few months back i went down to Crawley and back via Croydon and the M25 including a mobile car park near Heathrow on the way back (530-600 ish in the evening) and it returned 33mpg including some high speed driving as well.

The answer to "Why?" is simple - the V6 produces more torque so is better matched to the weight of the car so doesn't have to work so hard.

Trouble is if you go for a flat-front V6 B28E, it won't have the benefit of Volvo reworking the engine so won't be as economical, in which case you'd be better off with the B230E instead. ;) :D

I don't have the torque figures for the 760 V6 to hand but the figures for the B230 are as follows -

B230K - 192nm @ 2500 rpm
B230E - 190nm @ 3300 rpm

These are Volvo's stated figures. Given what you've said Dave there's not much in fuel consumption terms for the increased complexity of the B280 over the B230, especially over the very simple B230K - which has always been my preferred choice in the 740.

J.

For comparison Jon :

B280E : 240Nm @ 4500rpm

B280F : 235Nm @ 3750rpm

B230ET : 260Nm @ 3400rpm

B230FT : 242Nm @ 3300rpm

Worth noting all of these are Bosch LH-Jetronic as opposed to the K-Jetronic of the B230E

Weird that that particular 760 is back up for sale at £1800, I nearly bought that very car from the same seller for £800 a few weeks ago! I passed in the end as the body was a bit too tired (needs a respray as has significant paint fade which doesn’t really show up in these pics and will need to have several dents sorted to make it nice) but it’s a great car otherwise. I was sorely tempted!

When i saw your post, i thought you had accidentally added a "1" to the price Phil - when i posted the link it was advertised at £800, NOT £1800!

Puts a different complexion on things, if the paint is faded as you say then it may clean up with a mop but if not then it's another couple of bags of sand for a respray.

Realistically dude, do you think you can daily a 760 these days?

I don't see why not, depends on your mileage though to and from work and a few other things but no different to a 740 in that respect.