Viewing advice

[bpc]

Hi All,

Im going to view a 1986 240 GLE auto on Friday. Has 117k miles on the clock and one previous owner.

Anything in particular I should look out for on tis model/year?

Also - what would be considered a fair price? Photos make the car look better than average.

Failing this one, I've spotted one on ebay which looks clean as a whistle, but at £6k feels steep.

Thanks

Ben

[Moomoo]

Originally Posted by bpc

Hi All,

Im going to view a 1986 240 GLE auto on Friday. Has 117k miles on the clock and one previous owner.

Anything in particular I should look out for on tis model/year?

Also - what would be considered a fair price? Photos make the car look better than average.

Failing this one, I've spotted one on ebay which looks clean as a whistle, but at £6k feels steep.

Thanks

Ben

Apart from the obvious, sills, wheel arches and door corners, look up under back bumper and inside the tray under the rear floor , at the box section that holds the back door latch.
As for the 6k one, ouch!
There's a sweet 740 on fleabay, in Weymouth. Long way from you!

[bpc]

Thanks for the pointers! Yes, the £6k car will likely be there this time next year.

Only thing I can see from the pics that stand out as odd is the rear clusters don't match., One has a chrome strip running horizontally and one doesn't. I'm a bit of a perfectionist so this would really annoy me - is that easy to fix?

Link below to the car:

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/...2#&gid=1&pid=6

[Moomoo]

Originally Posted by bpc

Thanks for the pointers! Yes, the £6k car will likely be there this time next year.

Only thing I can see from the pics that stand out as odd is the rear clusters don't match., One has a chrome strip running horizontally and one doesn't. I'm a bit of a perfectionist so this would really annoy me - is that easy to fix?

Link below to the car:

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/...2#&gid=1&pid=6

Oh, that one.
Aye it's been on a while. I suspect it's fine. As a saloon I'm less sure of rust traps. Seen some spare wheel hole horrors!

In truth , I thought l might have a look at it myself!

That is 'til i bought my estate!

[bpc]

Id prefer a manual truth be told, but I just sold on a XC70 in a very similar colour so feels nostalgic.

Looking at the pic of the tail lights and its already got me OCD'ing!

[bpc]

Not keen on the 3-4 year laynover eitherr:

Date tested
14 October 2021
PASS
View test certificate
Mileage
117,170 miles
MOT test number
9667 6702 4351
Test location
View test location
Expiry date
13 October 2022
Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):
all components under side of vehicle under sealed
What are advisories?
The MOT test changed on 20 May 2018
Defects are now categorised according to their severity – dangerous, major, and minor. Find out more

Date tested
9 February 2017
PASS
Mileage
116,576 miles
MOT test number
2424 7539 5326
Test location
View test location
Expiry date
8 February 2018
Date tested
26 January 2016
PASS
Mileage
115,115 miles
MOT test number
4141 5171 7069
Test location
View test location
Expiry date
25 January 2017

[loki_the_glt]

Originally Posted by bpc

Thanks for the pointers! Yes, the £6k car will likely be there this time next year.

Only thing I can see from the pics that stand out as odd is the rear clusters don't match., One has a chrome strip running horizontally and one doesn't. I'm a bit of a perfectionist so this would really annoy me - is that easy to fix?

Link below to the car:

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/...2#&gid=1&pid=6

It's difficult to see for sure but, if there are satin-black dividers between the various lenses then it's from a GLT; all other 240 saloons should have a chrome strip there. (I'd be interested in it if you do go for the car, and think I've got a chrome strip version in my spares stash to swap.) Interestingly, you can see another 240, that looks like a GLT, in the background of the shot taken from the rear offside three-quarter of the car; that might account for the oddball taillamps.

More importantly, the engine's a B230K so it's essential you check when the timing belt was last replaced as that is deifnitely an interference engine and valves will get bent if the belt snaps (a friend had this happen to his B230K) and that head is difficult to come by as it only served for one year. The ATF fluid, coolant, oil and brake fluid are all obvious candidates for checking. There are numerous threads detailing ATF replacement if you need them.

It's interesting that there's a shot of the near-side rear passenger door opening but not the off-side - tin-worm perhaps?

[bpc]

Thanks Loki,

Thats really helpful! I think the rear left cluster looks like satin black and the right side chrome?

On the engine/Belt - I can see a receipt for a change but no date, but this would be pre 2018 as was completed in Surrey and the car is now in Newcastle.

Another thing that jumps out is why the car was bought in Croydon, lived in Surrey but has an MOT in Dalry (Scotland) all under the same ownership.

Engine wise, and of course with proper care in the past and future, what engine (based on model years?) would prove the most reliable/strong? Had enough time under a landrover 2.5n/a to but the weakest one going.

[loki_the_glt]

Originally Posted by bpc

Thanks Loki,

Thats really helpful! I think the rear left cluster looks like satin black and the right side chrome?

On the engine/Belt - I can see a receipt for a change but no date, but this would be pre 2018 as was completed in Surrey and the car is now in Newcastle.

Another thing that jumps out is why the car was bought in Croydon, lived in Surrey but has an MOT in Dalry (Scotland) all under the same ownership.

Engine wise, and of course with proper care in the past and future, what engine (based on model years?) would prove the most reliable/strong? Had enough time under a landrover 2.5n/a to but the weakest one going.

Croydo to Surrey isn't a great leap; although Croydon's a London borough it's really in Surrey; the Dalry Testing station is more of a puzzle but could be legitimate - e.g. the owner was up (working?) there for long enough for the car to need testing.

The B230K isn't a bad engine per se, but the timing belt issue is the critical one -after whichever of 5 years or 60,000 miles comes up first it has to be changed. The B230A has a less useless carb (a Pierburg 175CDSU) that can be switched for a Stromberg equivalent while the B230E has Bosch K-Jetronic FI. The problem is that the B230K can't easily be converted but would have to be replaced. A common fix is to remove the Pulsair set-up (I nearly wrote "junk") completely and blank off the various plugs.

[volvo always]

I had a 1986 740 estate with B230K and it had the pierburg 2B5 carb. Owned around 2002 to 2007. (£425.00, in 2002)

Had running issues for a while, stalling out. Advised by Volvo dealer carb knackered. Advised to fit a webber and had it installed by a local garage. Phoned to say, carb fitted but stalling out! Phoned back 30 minutes later to be told your fuel pump relay was duff! We have fitted a new one and all good.

Sure enough, ran well but not pleased with main dealer who refunded the £150 diagnostic charge.

Ran well for so long but the Weber carb jets used to block up, even with 2 fuel filters. Rev counter would rev wildly and bounce from 2-4,000rpm and spluttering and misfiring when done a 3 hour drive. Cleaned them out on the hard shoulder and all was well.

Got gradually worse and even cleaning didn't work, so, in the end never got to the bottom of it. At the time lived in rural France and needed a reliable car. Bought a new corolla hatchback in 2007. While waiting for 2 weeks for the new car the 740 ran perfect!

When we left, we sold the Corolla and bought a 1989 240 GLT auto estate in 2009 for £350). In the 10 years and 72,000 miles, had no issues with the K jet mechanical injection or engine. Sold a few years ago at 234,000miles and now have a 1996 940 LPT estate on 206,000.

The 740 was my very first car and still have a soft spot for them. Think the 740 saloon looks better though.
Being free of rot is the big plus. My 740 needed welding on passenger outriggers a few years after buying. Check very carefully for rust as the 240 needed outriggers welding twice in 10 years.

Probably as said, up there for work or visiting family and realised MOT was due?


James.