Volvo 240DL - best car in the world(?)

[peranders]

YouTube - GRYNCH - "My Volvo" (Official Music Video)

It could be a commercial but it's not.

BTW: I have a Volvo 745DL -91 Only a clutch is changed.
http://www.bilkompaniet.se/beg/lista_700_900.asp

[Charles Darwin]

I've seen a 240 where the rear indicator lens was cracked at the top and was 3/4 filled with water submerging the bulb completely. It still worked flawlessly!
My first car was a '84 760 Turbodiesel, a very good car indeed, particularly the engine but Volvo bought that engine from VW who used it in the LT35 van. It was almost as good as the Mercedes 280TE (W123 model) that replaced it.

[john blackburn]

Hi peranders.

With your location I would think it is a given that you are in the Volvo camp.
You can not be far from the Torslanda Plant.

The 240s are robust cars engineered from what is a by gone era now.

John

[peranders]

You are correct. I'm living rather near the plant.

[cyclotronguy]

My 240 GL failed first time, 2 short blocks from the dealership with less than 3 miles on the odometer... the start of a trend which would frequently repeat.

Cyclotronguy

[awedio]

YEEEEEEESSS!!! The Volvo 240 is the BEST car ever. I gave my first ('86) away at 313K miles... still being driven by a friend. My current one (a '93) is at 214K mi. and just getting broken-in...

Love the video - love my Volvo.

[vinylkid58]

Originally Posted by Charles Darwin

My first car was a '84 760 Turbodiesel, a very good car indeed, particularly the engine but Volvo bought that engine from VW who used it in the LT35 van.

They sold the diesels over here without the turbo, big mistake. They were noisy, underpowered and smoked like an old locomotive. I wonder who the marketing genius was for that one.

Jeff

[Charles Darwin]

Strange thing to do removing the turbo.
With it that engine was powerful, frugal and surprisingly silent. Most thought it was a petrol engine!
I got mine to 125mph, at 80mph it returned 50mpg and I frequently drove off in 3rd without noticing.

But a friend of mine just sold his '83 Mercedes 240D with over 800k miles on it. It aced every annual emissions test.

[soekris]

I'm a Volvo fan too, my first car was a '74 164E, great engine, next was a '86 240 GLT, blew the engine and put in a used Turbo engine, added an intercooler and turned up the pressure, had some of the greatest fun in my life when my swedish tractor ate a Porsche 911 with a yuppie in it....

Now drives a V50 2.4, will stick to Volvo's for a long time, especially after I got twin boys.

Soren

[indianajo]

Here are a couple of vehicle tests that many cars can't pass. Lay an 8"x8" railroad tie on the road (20cmx20xm) across your path. Put on your seat belt. Clear the area. Get your car up to 60 mph (100 kph) and drive across the railroad tie. Stay in your lane. See how far you can go without replacing any tires. A year? No alignment required? okay.
On 3/4" glare ice (2cm) at 10 deg F get your car up to 25 mph, 40 kph. Pull a Volvo 240 out in front of you about 60' or 20 m away. Stop without spinning. Still have a whole car?
Participate in a 15" per hour rainstorm. (40 cm/hour). Drive in water over the drive tunnel of your car. Do not stop until at work and then after work, home. You may change the engine oil, transmission fluid, differential fluid, brake fluid, coolant afterwards. Start and drive the car the next day. How many years life did you get after that.
At 25 mph (40kph) run over a bottomless pothole 1' in diameter that exits to the river bank. Still driving?
At 40mph miss T-boning a car by driving over a 5" (12 cm) vertical curb with all 4 wheels locked up. Drive on to school and then home. You may pause to knock the dents out of your wheels with a 5 lb sledgehammer and air the tires back up. With these "repaired" wheels, how smooth is your car at 60 mph (100kph)?
I have done all these in my '59 Ford. I'm still driving it.