240 General: going to view a 240 advice wanted.

[ukfirebird]

hi chaps,

im hopefully going to view this 240 and would like some advice as to what i should be on the look out for. and anything i should be listening for whilst the car is driving.
also its done 140k what is the life expectancy for a clutch on these cars
many thanks
steve

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1992-VOLVO-240...QQcmdZViewItem

[Mike1967]

Ian Hutchinson or Mike brace are the 240 gods on here . Im sure they will give you advice here when they see your post .

Looks a nice car .

[brens-s80]

Hi,

I did a quick search of this forum and came up with several links but this may be useful as a starter

link1

you can also search here using the search facility to delve even further into this murky/possessiveness world of the 240 ownership .

Mind you there is/was a lovely red saloon going in the for sale section on this board I wish I could afford/run it in addition to my own 240glt as well mustn't hoard:

link2


the best of luck it looks like a good one ( which ever you go for ).

brendan

[Velorum]

I have just been looking through the forum for links to post but Brendan has beat me to it!

If you have any particular queries or concerns re the car once you have seen it just post them here..............

[LankyTim]

Rust is the main concern really. Check the door pilars and tops of the sills in the door shuts, a favourite rot spot that is often bodged with filler. Rear arches can also suffer and are often scabby but usually not beyond redemption.

Another rot spot that really needs checking is a bit tricky to see. Open the trap door in centre of the boot floor in the estate models and run your fingers carefully under the tailgate landing panel. If youre lucky you wont find any crust or corrosion but theres a very good chance you will. If you can feel rust holes with your fingers theres a very good chance that the area behind the rear bumper will also be rotten although youll need to remove the bumper to see for sure. All of this area is hidden and is only found by a dedicated rust hunter. Luckily as the area is hidden from view repair is straightforward by means of patching. Ive recently had the rear of my 245 repaired after an initially sound area of body turned out to be riddled with rust! As far as I know, saloons dont suffer in the same way as estates in this area. It really is a weak spot on an otherwise excellent car.

[Velorum]

Sorry, forgot to say earlier - check that the heater motor is working OK on all 3 settings - replacing it can be a bit if a major operation.

If its not then double check the fuse box (which tends to get neglegted causing a number of glitches - twidling the fuses round usually works as a temp measure - emery paper the contacts when time allows). If not the fuses then the motor is suspect. There are a number of posts archived on the forum re what is involved in replacement.

[honestjoe]

Hi..looks a nice car...a t cut will put a rose tinted glow to the proceedings...your still buying an old car so buy with that in mind and be prepared to spend to enjoy the unrivaled joy of owning a true classic...good luck!!..regards hj.

[Solaris]

Take a look for any leaks and check all electrics. Make sure the tailgate electrics work. Like others have said check the heater fan works on all speeds.(pita to change). And of course take the car for a spin listen for any odd sounds (failed wheel bearings or grinding brakes) Make sure the transmission shifts nicely (there usually bulletproof though). It is a 15 year old car so there are bound to be some issues but they are remarkably reliable and well built.

[ukfirebird]

many thanks guys for all the info.
well i went to view it.
it needs a front tyre, it deffinatly needs one new headlamp and possibly two, as there is a hole in the other headlamp which was obviously done by a stone. It will need two rear shocks as it sit's low and the guy said it rubs when you have people in the back, also when i was checking the history, it had it's 100k service and it says cambelt still not changed, when i asked him if it had been done he said 'no, it will need one immediately', im not sure i would want to drive it to be honest as it has 140k+ on the clock, so from what i can gather it has never had a timing belt fitted since it left the factory. is that possible with kind of milage?

[jetronic63]

Doesn't sound too bad - headlamps are easy to fix. The rear of my saloon was sagging due to a lot of towing and this turned out to be tired springs rather than shocks so you may need to budget for a set on the rear. Cambelts are every 48K I think but double to around 98K on later cars - either way, this one would appear to be well overdue and would be a priority. Either way, all these are easily and cheaply fixable and you would have a smart motor - good luck !