Where have all the 240s gone?

[240T]

Portsmouth Section were at a car show at Beaulieu on Sunday last weekend. I'd say about 3 or 4 people approached Steve Mogg and myself to ask the price of them, or where to source parts from.

Two people had GLT's, both in the mind of selling them - one was 80,000 miles one owner from new owned by a 92 year old, the other a >40,000 miler in anthracite grey with tan interior, also a one owner from new. I wouldn't say the majority of stashed away, just still in the hands of people who have owned them from the late 80's/early 90's and are suddenly needing to sell them, or incapacitated to drive them.

Tim

[123GT-AMAZON]

Hi folks


Well I'm now a lucky owner of a 240 GLT Estate with sweet black leather interior if I had not it would hve been broken and it's way to gd all it needs is a pair of rear arches and a windscreen it's a metalic dark grey one and I just had to rescue it or it would hve been parts .

It will be my back up car and something to use in winter but it's going to have a dam gd clean up and some wax oil sprayed in ever nook and cranny I can spray it into and also all up inside the chassis so well protected it shall be fit for road use again .

I will post pictures when I get it back to my yard and on the car hoist for full service ready for a m.o.t

Kind regards
Robert.w

[Clifford Pope]

The other side of the coin however is that it only becomes economically viable to start manufacturing the less common non-generic spare parts for a model once its price has passed rock-bottom and has started to climb. That only happens after numbers have been drastically culled.

You can't have it both ways - you either have lots of cheap cars and plentiful supply of bits as they get broken, but no market for new parts, or you have rising prices, remanufactured parts, a new generation of enthusiasts who find it worthwhile to do restorations, and a thriving future for the reduced numers of cars that are left.

The first phase suits impecunious enthusiasts and those who just like using old cars for daily driving at low cost, the second suits the better-off enthusiasts with money to spend maintaining their cars at something nearer original condition.
There's no long-term future for cheap old bangers and plentiful reclaimed parts except in an artificial situation such as in Cuba.

[OldBlueVolvo]

Originally Posted by Prufrock

My 245DL is currently sorned, I'm struggling to get it back on the road - lovely one owner car given to me by a family friend on the strict instruction I didn't scrap it.

Jon.

Is it just the ECU that needs fixing? I seem to remember you mentioning so once.

[Prufrock]

The ridiculous hybrid ignition system (Renix)...frustrating car, has been off the road an age now.

Thanks for the interest W.

Jon.

[940Graeme]

I've noticed this too - I used to see the odd 200 about, just being used, some obviously as daily drivers, but since having bought one myself as a daily, I haven't seen one!

Did have a nice wave from an early 740 the other day though!

[240T]

Originally Posted by 940Graeme

Did have a nice wave from an early 740 the other day though!

I've tried to wave at people in the past who are driving old Volvos.. I get odd looks!

[heckflosse]

Originally Posted by Prufrock

The ridiculous hybrid ignition system (Renix)...frustrating car, has been off the road an age now.

Thanks for the interest W.

Jon.

De- Renix at the earliest opportunity.
Un tres nasty piece of work.

[940Graeme]

Originally Posted by Tim Cornish

I've tried to wave at people in the past who are driving old Volvos.. I get odd looks!

Try using more than 2 fingers Tim........

[mylittletony]

^^ LOL

I reckon most of the remaining 240s were at retro rides, I must have seen 20 in the show field - almost common!

Saw John & Ste in convoy in the queue (John - is yours burning a little oil?), Greg (I assume) sporting some wiiiiiide steels, Antz, someone with a DIY flat front conversion etc etc.