roof racks
 

Hi, does anyone know if a 240 series roof rack will fit a 140 series ie 245 to 145 ?

regards

[QUOTE=145estate;2709312]Hi, does anyone know if a 240 series roof rack will fit a 140 series ie 245 to 145 ?

regards[/QUOTE

If you are thinking of the full-length rack with wooden slats, then yes, it will. I inherited one on a used 145 that I also successfully used on a later 245. It carried a small dinghy with ease. Unfortunately, it would not fit my later 745, being about 4" too narrow. I passed it on to another member of this forum several years ago now.

Regards, John.

Do you mean the specific Volvo accessory roof rack for the 245 and 145?

In the Volvo 140 accessory brochure that I have, the pedestal mounting point in the roof for the pedestals at the back of the rack on the 145 appears to be right in front of the hinges for the tailgate. In the photos that I have seen the mounting points for the rear pedestals on the 245 all appear to be a couple of inches forward from the rear tailgate hinges.

The physical appearance of the 245 rack is different that the 145 rack so the 245 rack is not a simple carry over from the 145. The 145 factory rack in the 1971 140 brochure had a series of long pad things that attached to the roof between the main rails of the rack. Neither the 145 rack or 245 factory rack had any wood rails on them so perhaps the North American wagons received different parts than the GB estates.

The interesting things is that I know my friend's 145 had a 'naked roof' - no receiver points in the roof sheet metal and my 745 definitely did not have any receiver points in the roof and all the 245s I remember seeing did not have receiver points in the roof. This leaves the possibility that the factory roof rack was a drill to fit option which means that you could be free to position it wherever you want. Presumably Volvo provided instructions that positioned the mounting pedestals where there were roof reenforcements. If that is the case then based upon the pictures the pedestals on the 245 rack may not land at the correct spacing for the 145. You would need to measure the pedestal spacing on a 245 rack and compare it to a 145 rack to confirm that the pedestals are going to land in the correct positions.

Volvo also offered gutter mount roof racks for the 140 and 240. The gutter attachments to the roof are interchangeable; but, as I recall the racks had a fixed width. According to the specifications the 140 is 0.6" wider than the 240 so a 240 gutter mount rack may not be a perfect fit on a 140.

If you are just looking for period correct appearance, then the fixed mount factory rack may do the trick. However, if you are looking for load carrying capability I think you will find that they are inferior to the racks using the gutter attachment points, the gutters probably being the stiffest part on a 145 roof. Aside from that, the whole idea of drilling holes into the roof after the roof has been painted just strikes me as an open invitation for rust, particularly in a climate noted for rain.

If you are looking for utility, I would just go with some Thule or Yakima gutter mount roof racks. I have some ancient Thules that have done duty on my 242, my 745 and now do occasional duty on my 142.

I have an aluminium full length rack that I originally had on a 245 and it fits fine on my 145 now.

thanks for the feedback guys....basically looking for a vintage 145 rack with the wooden slats if possible, just wondered whether the 245 ones iVe seen would fit
thanks again

I have one, needs new slats and painting. If you want it £30 and you arrange a courier to collect.

That rack looks to be a gutter mount rack which would definitely be interchangeable. The 145 and 245 Volvo Accessory racks in North America were all permanently screwed into the roof like this:

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars...amily-machine/

Note the strips installed directly on the roof below the rack. Once this rack is installed, you are stuck with it.

You can buy new ones that are the same design as mine for €430. http://www.hukebasart.nl/huke/?Imperiaals

6 leg 240 roof rack fitting conundrum
 

I've just picked up a second hand 6 legged aluminium roof rack I bought on eBay for £78, listed as for a Volvo 240.

I picked it up from the vendor at the weekend in my 1993 240 estate but I couldn't get it to fit. The roof rack was too wide but about an inch and I had to dismantle it to take it home. There were no obvious ways to adjust the width or angle of the feet so they fit into the gutter. The vendor was confident it had been with a 240, but it was something they'd inherited with an old house and I'm wondering if they were mistaken.

So...
1. Is it perhaps for a 700 series? I recall they also had a six leg roof rack. Is their roof wider?
2. Is there a way of adjusting it?
3. Is it just bent? If it is, it appears to have been bent in a very even way, because it seems to be a very tidy one to me.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Good evening, Richard,

1. I doubt that the rack is intended for a 7 series car. From memory, my 145 / 245 rack was rather more than an inch too narrow to fit on my 745. I think the later car was more like 4" wider than the earlier ones.
2. If it is a similar rack to the one that I had, then no, it will not be adjustable for width. I suppose that one could always cut it and insert extension pieces, but that seems a bit drastic and I don't know of anyone who has successfully done this
3. It is possible I suppose, but I think it unlikely unless someone was attempting to use it on a car for which it was not intended.

Regards, John.