Seriously?

[Laird Scooby]

Wouldn't be surprised to learn the speed cable was disconnected 90% of the time and only refitted for the MoT Alan. Known many people pull stunts like this, especially those that think they may have bought a car that will be desirable in the future!

In fact, if you look at the interior shot, the wear on the gearlever and steering wheel suggest more like 250k than 50k miles!





Choke lever/handle suggests a lot of use too!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Wouldn't be surprised to learn the speed cable was disconnected 90% of the time and only refitted for the MoT Alan. Known many people pull stunts like this, especially those that think they may have bought a car that will be desirable in the future!

In fact, if you look at the interior shot, the wear on the gearlever and steering wheel suggest more like 250k than 50k miles!



Choke lever/handle suggests a lot of use too!

You know Dave, I think you are right. I recall it was pretty common practice in the 1980s when cars had mechanical speedo drives. The general state of the car doesn't look like a 50,000 mile in 40 years one, the steering wheel and gear lever look more worn than those on the RB.

So, all in all not such a good buy at a mere £3,500! I rather hope we don't see it on the forum in a few months with a hapless owner having shelled out that much and so looking for some help welding up all the rust on the cheap :-(

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

You know Dave, I think you are right. I recall it was pretty common practice in the 1980s when cars had mechanical speedo drives. The general state of the car doesn't look like a 50,000 mile in 40 years one, the steering wheel and gear lever look more worn than those on the RB.

So, all in all not such a good buy at a mere £3,500! I rather hope we don't see it on the forum in a few months with a hapless owner having shelled out that much and so looking for some help welding up all the rust on the cheap :-(

I think you've just about summed it up there Alan, the steering wheel and gear lever look worse than in mine which has done 228k (and counting! ) and although the brake pedal rubber looks virtually unmarked in the photos, mine is on the point of needing replacement so guessing the mileage of this 244 is 250k, that would be about right for the brake pedal rubber.

On a slightly tangential note, i'm hunting down a later 960 steering wheel to retrofit on mine, planning a refurb of it as it should be leather bound (mine isn't! ) but trying to find one without an IED in it (airbag) is proving tricky!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

On a slightly tangential note, i'm hunting down a later 960 steering wheel to retrofit on mine, planning a refurb of it as it should be leather bound (mine isn't! ) but trying to find one without an IED in it (airbag) is proving tricky!

That's interesting Dave, I'd forgotten about the IEDs fitted to cars these days, that is another reason to stick with older cars. I'm guessing that removing the IED (safely) from a later steering wheel would be a non-starter?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

That's interesting Dave, I'd forgotten about the IEDs fitted to cars these days, that is another reason to stick with older cars. I'm guessing that removing the IED (safely) from a later steering wheel would be a non-starter?

Well not quite Alan, they're held in by special security screws as by rights, they should be replaced every 10 years (i think that's stretched to every 15 or 20 now but was 10 last time i knew for sure) so it's entirely possible to remove the IED and just have a horn pad. The drawback might be it would be soft in the middle but i daresay i could find something to fill it. Likewise the "SRS" embossing on the pad front.

Would be easier to find the non-SRS horn pad and just fit that instead.

[Othen]

That B230e motor and manual box from Londonderry is down to £120 now:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-240...53.m1438.l2649

... had it have been an auto I'd probably have bought it and paid the shipping.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

That B230e motor and manual box from Londonderry is down to £120 now:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-240...53.m1438.l2649

... had it have been an auto I'd probably have bought it and paid the shipping.

Obviously not meant to be that one then Alan!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Wouldn't be surprised to learn the speed cable was disconnected 90% of the time and only refitted for the MoT Alan. Known many people pull stunts like this, especially those that think they may have bought a car that will be desirable in the future!

In fact, if you look at the interior shot, the wear on the gearlever and steering wheel suggest more like 250k than 50k miles!

Choke lever/handle suggests a lot of use too!

I noticed the brown 244 didn't find any buyers at £3,500 (hardly surprising) and is now inviting auction bids:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293944186...m=293944186204

... that is a much better acid test of the motor car's value, it will be interesting to see what it goes for this time next week (nowhere near £3,500 I think).

Bidding is currently at £510.

:-)

[Laird Scooby]

It's already up to £520 Alan - starting price £500 but i wonder how many of the bids are shill bids to push the price up? It's only been listed for ~10 hours and it's unusual to get bids that quick unless people are looking for it to place a bid.....................


....................... not that i'm a cynical old git or anything but the reserve isn't met yet.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

It's already up to £520 Alan - starting price £500 but i wonder how many of the bids are shill bids to push the price up? It's only been listed for ~10 hours and it's unusual to get bids that quick unless people are looking for it to place a bid.....................


....................... not that i'm a cynical old git or anything but the reserve isn't met yet.

Often people place bids just to register an interest and so track the item Dave - it isn't going to sell at £520 I shouldn't think. I have also heard of sellers using dummy accounts to push the price along (I think illegal under eBay rules, but I've sometimes suspected that with things I've been interested in) - I'm certainly not accusing the seller of doing that in this case.

I noticed the motor car had a reserve price, it will be interesting to see if the seller has put it ridiculously high (like £3,500) or just something sensible in case it doesn't get much interest (like £1000). I suppose up to about £800 it might attract interest from the banger derby fraternity, above that it would have to be one of us that wants to either restore it or make it a good runner.

It will be interesting (to me) to see where the market is for cars like this. Just a year ago I bought the RB for a couple of grand, but that was a running and riding motor car with 8 months MoT and a bit of history from the past 10 years. This one needs serious welding and complete recommissioning, the mileage is probably a bit suspect and it is a low specification car, so given that one would have to put its value below £2,000. To its credit though, it is a 1980 car so it will be MoT exempt and will qualify for historic vehicle status (and so be tax exempt) in 3 months time; that may make it a few hundred more attractive?

I'll track this one and see what it goes for (if it sells) - watch this space.

Alan

PS. I'm curious about what this car sells for. It strikes me that it is probably about the same as this one that we saw a couple of times on the forum:

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=310781

... from memory it was sold by a chap in Scotland, then re-advertised just a few weeks later by a chap who said his wife didn't like it. That car needed a fair bit of welding (in the same places as the brown car) and I think went for £1,250. In that case I'd say the right price for the brown car would be something between £1,250 and £2,000 - depending on how much interest there is. At that sort of price it would be worth making a good runner (I suppose the welding and recommissioning might cost a grand, without a respray), but one would have to seriously want a low spec 244 to undertake a full restoration on it. Anyway, time for Bob's first walk.