1989 Volvo 340GL 'Fake'

1989(F) 340GL 1.7 'Fake'

Bought as a spare parts car, currently my daily driver due to engine failure on main car (see my other gallery). Idea was to keep it stock, that lasted 3 days, when I realised I had a spare Hella grill lying round.

Owned the car 3 years, now having been run for 6 months and 8,000 miles. As expected, having been laid up, a few things have needed replacing (including timing belt change done at the last Volvo 300 Mania meet, see picture!), parts from Volvos parts department for everything cost £450, which to get a car running spot on I'm chuffed with, currently it's running sweetly. Mileage to data 178k miles.

Tempted at the moment to convert to twin Webers or custom fuel injection, can't turbo this one as it'll become my road rally car, then hopefully a stage rally beast. Not sure about the latter, the car seems in too good shape to stage rally.

As I only have one car taxed and insured at a time, all get treated as workhorses that I can enjoy, hence the mods are (mainly ) to increase comfort and fun. I also compete in a local road rally series, so the current car at the time also gets to see some motorsport, and needs to be able to perform as such.

Update - Has now got several trophies to it's name, from autotests, slaloms and rallies.

Update Sept 2010 - Well, I've now owned her for 7 years and driven her for nearly 5. On the 1.7 engine she took me to several local Nav Rally wins, as well as a season with the Wessex Motor Club gaining maximum points and winning the season championship. She got to 210,323 miles on the original 1.7 engine at which point I swapped it out for a 2.0 16V from a Renault Megane. Work ongoing is creating a daughterboard for the stock Renault ECU to allow mapping, the prototype of which is currently fitted to the car.

Interior:

• Volvo R-Sport Momo steering wheel
• Econometer and Ambient Temperature dashboard gauges
• Voltmeter and oil pressure gauges
• Lambda gauge
• Kenwood head unit
• JBL 6 1/2" component front speakers
• Sony amp
• 10" Sub in custom designed 2nd order box, fitted to boot dimensions so as not to waste boot space
• Volvo 300 GLT rear seats, Fiat Strada Abarth Recaro fronts
• Electric Window conversion
• Nokia Bluetooth car kit
• Map light

Exterior:

• 2.0L 16V Megane engine with ECU tuned to application
• OEM Bodykit
• Ronal 15x7 Alloys from the 480 Haas Tuning kit
• Hella Light Grill
• Gaz adjustable uprated rear dampers
• R Sport Monotube front dampers
• Fully polybushed
• Colour Coded Snowcap
• Colour coded bumpers