260 General: 265 GLE - Proud new owner

[Audrey Old]

As CTCN sez, be very careful with your pressure washer ! Our works car-club used to make a point of "doing our cars" every Friday lunchtime with the firms kit. Once my Amazon had to limp back to the car park on 2 cylinders cos water got to the leads, and another time I had to tow a friends classic Renault back cos it refused to start at all. We snuck a look in the dizzy cap mid-afternoon and found it full of condensation, so after a wipe it ran fine !

The trouble with the 260 range is the amount of alloy needing a polish (Steve 244 Fan knows how to polish Ally !) but it has very restricted access, with all those pipes and wires. Even doing a thorough degrease entirely by hand with the relatively accessible Amazon before an under-bonnet respray, it took ages, but sometimes sheer hard graft is the best answer.

Nowadays we only use the pressure-washer to remove road salt and mud from the underside and wheel-arches of the Amazon and 164, and then carefully so as not to inject water beneath the underseal; the under-bonnet bits we do by hand now.

Paul

[Martin Cox]

Looks nice and it certainly brings back a few memories for me. I had one of these myself in the very early 1990s Mine was first registered in 1982 or 83 I think but otherwise identical. Unfortunately I couldn't really afford to run it so it had to go. Even when in production, they were not at all common.

The V6 engines, with the exception of the later B280 version had a bad reputation for camshaft problems due, I believe, to barely adequate oilways to the camshafts. There was not usually any problem if the engine received regular oil changes with top quality oil and filters, but neglecting to do this could lead to sludge forming which often led to trouble. This was in the days before modern synthetic oils were in common use.

I never had any engine problems with mine and my parents had a couple of 264s with the B27E engine and they never had any trouble either. I always felt it was a much maligned engine but it won't tolerate the same abuse that a 4 cylinder 240 engine will.

I'd suggest keeping up with the oil and filter changes and you probably won't have any trouble either

Otherwise the rest of the body and mechanics are basically straightforward 240 series

[LankyTim]

A proper steamcleaner is great for cleaning underbonnet areas. It simply melts away oil and crud instantly. Pressure washers are no good. As long as the distributor and other electrical items have a plastic bag over them and are not directly steamed off ive nver had any problems. Engines come up like new!

Helps alot of the engines are running and hot as any stray water evaporates very quickly. Dont steam the exhaust manifold off directly either!


Its up to you if you want to steam the engine bay off, but ive never had a bad experience. Im sure someone somewhere has though.

*edit* dont do the radiator though. I blew the core out of an avenger once!

[minesa240x3]

Welcome to the volvo family,Nice first post too and the pictures are spot on,you are very lucky to have inherited such a classic model.As you can tell most 240 owners would quite like to own it including me,One thing is for certain once the routine maintenance is up to scratch you shouldn't have any problems.Regarding the poor lubrication to the cam most 240 owners tend to change the oil sooner than neccessary thus avoiding any problems.

Not only have you been lucky enough to own a great car! You are also IMHO a member of one of the best friendly resources for keeping it going.The folks on here are a really great bunch,except for the first poster to answer your post who won't be around for long,I'm sure if we ignore his childish behaviour he will eventually go away.If not then the powers that be will sort it.
Regards Brian.

[John Tancredi]

Originally Posted by Seb Spiers

So I guess what I'm looking for here is some advice on the wheels, and any other advice or ideas on the car in general.
Thanks

Hi Seb, try to keep it as original as possible... In the end originality always pays! If you do change anything, try to hang on to the original parts so you (or a future owner) can return it to factory spec.

Also, make sure you enjoy the car... "They don't make them like they used to."

All the best, John.

[JIM C]

I would agree I would try and keep it original/standard but I think adding GLT alloys would not detract from it and also the original wheels can be put back on. My personal view is that by adding the alloys will enhance the appearance of the car.
Best of luck and enjoy your 265.

[Matthews 855 T5]

I like it, my first Volvo was a 1982 265 GLE. It was silver and had the sunburst alloys. I was 20 years old and the insurance was 300pounds a year fully comp, not bad in 1991.

Yours is very rare as it is fitted with the manual/overdrive transmission, most were automatic. It should get around 27mpg on a run.

Period accessories are hard to find (like uprated Volvo cassette player - alloys etc) so I would enjoy it as it is and keep resolving the rust bubbles and oil changes.

Personally I like the patina of the leather but I would get a set of floor trays/mats to save the carpet. Does the small square steering wheel inset say 'VOLVO or Volvo GLE'? the latter is correct but its trivial.
Matt

[loki_the_glt]

Originally Posted by 16 yr with a 1980 244

Thats what i thought lol

Likewise - 240 was DL/GL/GLE/GLT, 260 was GL/GLE....

If you want to fit alloys, try to get a set of the turbine-blade style with the wheel-nut covers that a lot of 260s and 245GLTs had - the 262C style - since they'd be more "correct" than the Virgos that were usually found on 244GLTs. That said, you might just take what's available - it is YOUR car, not the property of 250 other people!

BTW, and totally unconnected with anything, GLH was a Chrysler Horizon (American hybrid thing with a Chrysler Europe body on a VW Golf MK1 chassis and a 2.2litre turbo4).

[Paul240480]

I think loki_the_glt is talking about 'Corona' alloys which were fitted to early GLE & (I think) early GLTs

I found a set of these last year for 80 euros from a chap in Jersey. Thought I'd got a bargain as they had a set of Michelin tyres with good tread. However they turned out to be 8-ply van tyres!

Great Car enjoy it & welcome to the forums.

PS: I hope that the amount of positive replies you have received 'negates' the first comment which certainly is not 'the norm' on this brill' forum.

[loki_the_glt]

Originally Posted by Paul Clark

I think loki_the_glt is talking about 'Corona' alloys which were fitted to early GLE & (I think) early GLTs

I found a set of these last year for 80 euros from a chap in Jersey. Thought I'd got a bargain as they had a set of Michelin tyres with good tread. However they turned out to be 8-ply van tyres!

Great Car enjoy it & welcome to the forums.

PS: I hope that the amount of positive replies you have received 'negates' the first comment which certainly is not 'the norm' on this brill' forum.

Probably - I remember two similar styles on some even quite late GLTs, with and without covers for the lug nuts; "Corona" would be a good description of them.