Main differences of a later ‘facelift’ 740?

[bob12]

Originally Posted by kelvinp

I've got a 1990 745 (SE) and have nearly been caught out with the front indicators and the wiper blades, I guess that people don't realise that they are not all the same.

The only thing I've not quite worked out yet is what colour the bumpers should actually be, were they black when new or did they fade to/were grey from new?

Catalyser does sound posh, mine's the B200F auto and certainly won't set the world on fire, for fuel economy it's not much better than my 2.5 V6 MG, but wouldn't be without the usefulness of having an estate.

Saab 5" headlight wiper blades do the trick , but I use the same metal and just re-rubber with those cheapo £1 packs of replacement blades cut to size. You get about 6 out of a pack!!

The bumpers should be black but they are a pain in the posterior!! The plastic degrades with UV light and goes to a grey colour (as are mine at the moment!). The best treatment is to use a hot air gun on them (very gently) and, wonder of wonders, they change back to black. Other remedies are rubbing with peanut or other oil, but the black effect doesn't last that long. Things such as Simonize 'Back to Black' are useless.

As to performance mine turns in very acceptable mileages per gallon in the mid 30's to 39/42 mpg, but it is manual on the M47 box. To the surprise of a lot of BMW and Audi boy racers it can keep up with modern cars on a motorway ... oops I didn't say that. The cat is still the original one!!

Bob

[bob12]

...... and my final word on this ... here as a bonus are a couple of pics of of my H reg later 1990 745 facelift breaker. Although not in the pic the car shows the part of the further morphing into a 900 with all the faux chrome work gone being replace by dull black trim. The wing mirrors have not yet changed!

Best wishes to all for Christmas and the New Year,

Bob.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by bob12

What you have to remember is in 1990 that the front end was quite a radical style change from the then current 'square look' at a time of transition when the 850 (Renault collaboration) had just been introduced, and the 740's were morphing into the 900 Series to get the product range sequence numbering 'sorted'.... and Volvo were hemorrhaging money.

When you look now at the front end lines of most modern cars you can see that the 700 Series facelift of the 1990's actually carries a likeness to modern front end styling with the bonnet line and a gap between the headlights and grille although today's style the lines are far, far more sweeping.

As you can guess I actually like the front end lines of the 1990 700 Series facelift.

Bob

The front end of your B200F looks like it has a nod towards the S/V70/90 and 850 ranges in a "planned family identity" kind of way Bob. Moreso than my 1988 760 Facelift :



That's more like the rest of the facelifted 7xx range launched in 1990 and then the 9xx after.

Originally Posted by kelvinp

I've got a 1990 745 (SE) and have nearly been caught out with the front indicators and the wiper blades, I guess that people don't realise that they are not all the same.

The only thing I've not quite worked out yet is what colour the bumpers should actually be, were they black when new or did they fade to/were grey from new?

Catalyser does sound posh, mine's the B200F auto and certainly won't set the world on fire, for fuel economy it's not much better than my 2.5 V6 MG, but wouldn't be without the usefulness of having an estate.

The good thing is the B200 lump will probably outlast the KV6, Catalyser was just a short way of saying "catalytic converter" and if your car is pre-1992, you can legally remove the cat and gain some useful mpg and bhp with improved throttle response. Convert it to LPG and you can legally remove the cat from a post-92 car as well!

[Pete940]

I'm sure they've used a few different plastics for the bumpers over the years. Many 1990 models have grey looking bumpers. My 1988 740 has darker and smoother black bumpers than my 940.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Pete940

I'm sure they've used a few different plastics for the bumpers over the years. Many 1990 models have grey looking bumpers. My 1988 740 has darker and smoother black bumpers than my 940.

It doesn't help when previous owners change things they shouldn't either - look at the body coloured door mirrors on mine in the post above.

[kelvinp]

Originally Posted by bob12

Saab 5" headlight wiper blades do the trick , but I use the same metal and just re-rubber with those cheapo £1 packs of replacement blades cut to size. You get about 6 out of a pack!!

The bumpers should be black but they are a pain in the posterior!! The plastic degrades with UV light and goes to a grey colour (as are mine at the moment!). The best treatment is to use a hot air gun on them (very gently) and, wonder of wonders, they change back to black. Other remedies are rubbing with peanut or other oil, but the black effect doesn't last that long. Things such as Simonize 'Back to Black' are useless.

As to performance mine turns in very acceptable mileages per gallon in the mid 30's to 39/42 mpg, but it is manual on the M47 box. To the surprise of a lot of BMW and Audi boy racers it can keep up with modern cars on a motorway ... oops I didn't say that. The cat is still the original one!!

Bob

Seems the 1990 cars are worst affected for the bumpers. I have used bumper paint but with limited success so when the weather gets better I will strip them right back and try again with them, although might try the hot air gun trick for starters.

I think I get mid 20s mpg but a lot of that is around towns and it's quite a lump of car for a 2.0L auto to haul around. Don't tend to do a lot of long runs but any car will be better then, but like my MG ZT I didn't buy it for the fuel economy and my 745 was my dad's which I kept after he passed away and he would use it for pottering around town but the estate is useful for shifting big bits for cars and buses that I'm involved with.

[Laird Scooby]

Something else that is good for reviving plastic unpainted bumpers is WD40 - spray it on and let it soak in then wipe the excess off a few days later.
I tried it on my mower grassbox, originally black plastic that had been sun-bleached to a very pale grey. It's black again now after living through this summer outside after the WD treatment!

[AllHailKingVolvo]

The bumpers of my 1990 744 were sunbaked almost white when I got it. I fed it with WD40 for weeks which helped, then finished and sealed it with Gtechniq C4. Outrageously expensive but made my plastics look like new, absolutely brilliant stuff. Really made the car look lovely, great finishing touch.

[loki_the_glt]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

It doesn't help when previous owners change things they shouldn't either - look at the body coloured door mirrors on mine in the post above.

And the Exxon Valdez, my 1997 estate, has been retrofitted with early 940 lamp clusters to give a second rear fog lamp and orange-coloured indicator lenses fore and aft. I also used Tamiya Clear Orange to paint over the clear indicator repeater lenses.

To paraphrase the model railway community: it's my car.

[bob12]

Originally Posted by Pete940

I'm sure they've used a few different plastics for the bumpers over the years. Many 1990 models have grey looking bumpers. My 1988 740 has darker and smoother black bumpers than my 940.

They have only got 'grey looking' bumpers Pete because of the UV derogation. They all came out new from the Ghent factory as black.