| Motoring Discussion > Starting old car | Miscellaneous |
| Thread Author: MJW1994 | Replies: 69 |
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New Tue 3 Sep 13 21:00
Starting old car - MJW1994
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Hi all, At my grandparents place there is an ancient old Volvo estate badged 760. It hasn't been used for about five years they think and is stored in an old outbuilding. It is currently declared as Off Road just getting more and more dusty. If I wanted to try and get it going, what would be the best way? I assume the battery will be dead but what about the petrol, will that have decayed? Is there anything else that would help get it going? If it can't be made to go then they are thinking of weighing it in for scrap which seems a bit of a shame, beneath all the dust it is in good condition. Any ideas to give it the best chance of starting would be appreciated! Thanks Matt |
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New Tue 3 Sep 13 21:12
Starting old car - Robin O'Reliant
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Having bought a bike that hadn't been used for over two years I can tell you that the petrol will be something like white spirit by now. My bike ran, but sounded like it was about to blow itself apart. If it has carbs they'll need to be drained along with the tank. If you are prepared to do the work then borrow a good battery and see if it will start, but anything that's been standing for five years is likely to be a money pit, cars deteriorate quite rapidly if they are not used. |
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New Tue 3 Sep 13 21:20
Starting old car - -
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Check it has oil and water, if its got water then does it smell of antifreeze, if not then its probably wrecked but still worth a try. If its got oil and water connect jumper leads, turn on ignition, if theres enough fuel to fire up the pre pump and stop again once the system is primed (proving fuel supply) i'll bet it will start instantly. Once bought a P4 Rover 90 sitting on a trailer in the middle of a field, must have been there for years cos the weeds and shrubs and were as high as the car roof and the trailer tyres perished and falling apart. Put some tyres on the trailer and dug the thing out, splashed some petrol in the Rover and connected the jump leads and it fired up instantly to a quiet purr...then stripped it and banger raced it, yes i know and i wish i hadn't now but i was about 18 at the time and thats what i did then. |
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New Tue 3 Sep 13 21:28
Starting old car - MJW1994
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| Thanks, all good advice. I wouldn't know if it has a carb, I shall pop around at the w/e and have a look. Hopefully the tyres will pump up ok and aren't punctured. I would rather try and start it outside in case anything unpleasant happens. It's on the flat so it would be possible for a couple of us to push out, assuming the brakes haven't seized on. It has a towbar on the back so we might be able to tow it out. |
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New Tue 3 Sep 13 21:32
Starting old car - Number_Cruncher
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Getting this started will be the start of your problems. The 6 cylinder engines were very troublesome. The lower spring cups on the front struts were very prone to rotting out on these - new struts required if so. If it's truly pristine, contact the Volvo owners club, and snare a deviant. If it's not pristine, call the scrap yard. Either way, it becomes someone else's problem. |
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New Tue 3 Sep 13 22:45
Starting old car - Fullchat
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Remove spark plugs and pour a little oil down, turn over by hand. Drain tank and carbs. Fresh fuel. Check brake lines particularly rubber ones likewise engine/heater hoses. Brakes will probably have stuck on but may release with some movement. Clutch may have done likewise. Chock wheels and start in gear may release clutch. Battery will probably been cream crackered. Once up and running all fluids should be changed. Suspension seals may have dried out and could leak. Tyres could have perished and may have flat spots if stood in one position for too long. |
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New Tue 3 Sep 13 23:50
Starting old car - bathtub tom
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>> It hasn't been used for about five years Probably worth almost a couple of hundred quid from your local scrappy. Let's face it, if it's been unused for a few years, it's scrap value (why did they leave it there?). The tyres are probably flat-spotted, as are the wheel bearings. The brake discs and drums'll be full of corrosion, as will the cylinder bores (probably). I'll iterate, why did they leave it there? |
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New Wed 4 Sep 13 08:31
Starting old car - -
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It might have been left there because its probably the 3 litre V6 lump as used by Renault in the 25 and Pug in the 604 and as N_C mentions wasn't a good engine at all, but the biggest problem with them you needed to tow a fuel bowser behind, thirstiest vehicle i ever owned. Injection system was prone to problems too. Might be a 760 turbo with the badge missing, 2.3 4 pot, much better bet that. 5 years isn't a great deal if its been under cover out of the worse of the weather extremes. As said, if its in decent nick, and they don't really rust unless it got parked coated in salt underneath as winter ended, then a Volvo enthusiast might be very happy to pay better than scrap value to get it roadworthy again, especially if its the 760 turbo. One other thing, if its locked when you come to it, you will presumably unlock the drivers door to get in, make sure you remove the keys and/or leave the door open when you connect the jump leads. Fords in particular, but this can apply to any make, are notorious for triggering the central locking and locking all the doors with keys inside if you power up the central locking with the doors shut. |
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New Wed 4 Sep 13 08:58
Starting old car - Mike Hannon
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If the car has been stored in a dry building I think there is every chance it will come back to life without too much trouble and that a Volvo enthusiast will go for it if it isn't badly corroded - which is unlikely anyway. You could put some fresh petrol in it but I wouldn't worry too much on that score. Dip the oil to make sure it isn't like treacle - change it first if it is - and take the plug leads off before turning the engine over with a decent booster pack to get things moving before you try to actually start it (after putting the leads back on!). If it lives you can then move on to seeing if the brakes are free. If the handbrake has been on you will have complication on that front but I'd just 'suck it and see'. The other day I helped a friend wake up a 1998 Fiat Seicento that hadn't moved since 2005. I didn't put new petrol in it and the battery was showing 1.3 volts. Following the procedure above it came to life straight away and ran fine. The brakes were partly seized but easy to sort and I just topped up the tyres. When he saw it the local Fiat dealer, who supplied it new, nearly bit my hand off for it! Here it is: www.flickr.com/photos/64660965@N03/9668316285/ |
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New Wed 4 Sep 13 18:00
Starting old car - MJW1994
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| I have no idea why they left it. I will try and find out more at the weekend. |
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New Wed 4 Sep 13 19:29
Starting old car - Dave_
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The classic car magazines' recommended first step for resurrecting cars which have been locked away for 20, 30 years or more is simply to connect some jump leads and try to start it. If it works on dusty, rusty old Consuls and Vivas it'll most likely work on a much more modern 760. I'd agree with the Volvo enthusiast / scrapyard route though Matt, it really will be more trouble than it's worth for you to make it roadworthy again. |
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New Wed 4 Sep 13 19:42
Starting old car - MJW1994
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| Thanks. I am begining to take a similar view. I think I will set myself a slot of time, maybe a few hours, if I can't get it going then I won't bother. One of my older more knowledgeable mates has offered to lend a hand but yes we don't want to throw too much time at this. |
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New Mon 9 Sep 13 17:57
Starting old car - MJW1994
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Didn’t get much time at the weekend since on Saturday it was my parents’ 20th wedding anniversary which took up all Saturday and part of Sunday morning by the time the clearing up was done. Still finding beer bottles in all sorts of strange places but it was quite entertaining watching adults in their 40’s getting progressively more drunk… Anyway Sunday afternoon I went over to see the Volvo with my older mate Darren who is an air conditioning technician but also a good self-taught mechanic. He often is doing something to one of his various vehicles. We did not try and start the car at this stage since I was reluctant to use the Scenic to jump it but my mate can get a decent spare battery for next time. He thought it would be best to do some preliminary work on the car before trying to start it, some of which is what people have recommended here so thanks! This is what we did: We pumped up all the tyres, they are holding their pressure. They may have flat spots but at least we should be able to move the car. Fortunately the handbrake was not on and the car was left in PARK as it’s an automatic. With it in neutral we were then able to move the car a few feet by hand, it was a bit reluctant to start with and there was a sort of clicking sound and then it moved freely. The coolant was low but definitely some in the expansion tank indicating no leaks and a nice pink colour. The engine oil looked quite clean and about half way between the Min and Max, so no problems there. The battery was, as expected, completed dead. We removed the spark plugs. Three were easy but the fourth a sod. Typical. Some Plus Gas helped though. This Volvo has a four cylinder turbo engine, not the V6. While the plugs were out we gave them a quick clean. We took the air filter out, it was quite clean, but we tapped any loose bits out. A lot of the engine parts say BOSCH on them, I wouldn’t have a clue what a carburettor looks like but my mate said it’s Injection. The cambelt on these is easy to get at and Darren suggested taking the cover off to see what state the belt was in. He said it looked fine, there was no evidence of any cracking between the teeth, also he was able to put a socket on a pulley low down and turn the engine over a bit. And that was about all we had time for. Next time we will connect up a good battery, hopefully the dashboard lights and gauge will tell us how much petrol is in the tank. Hopefully not much so if we put a few gallons of fresh in the tank then if we can start it then it will begin to suck through the new stuff. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these Volvos before although Darren said his parents had a 940 estate about 10 years ago (he’s 24 now). He said the 900’s were basically the same car, the engines were different and the rear suspension was changed or something like that I think he said. I sat inside it, fortunately no rodents had made a home in it. It has leather seats which are extremely comfortable and electric everything. Time will tell how many of the gadgets still work. It even has air con although he reckons that will be shot. The roof lining has come detached in a few places otherwise the interior looks in good condition. The way the doors close and the general feel of the car gives the impression that this is a solid old thing. A car designed by engineers maybe, rather than cost-cutting accountants. I could not find any corrosion on the panels at all, although there is some blistering on the tailgate, showing a sort of white powdery surface underneath, Darren thought it was galvanised. Darren thought that the car had been well serviced when it was left locked away. I asked my grandparents why they stopped using it. It was at one time their only car but they wanted something smaller and bought a Golf automatic but kept the Volvo in case they wanted it again. My Mum (it’s her family) didn’t even know they still had the car! I think they were offered such a small price for it that they decided to keep it. Apparently the automatic transmission was a bit jerky when engaging Drive from neutral but the car was perfectly usable when retired. Darren thinks a gearbox oil change might solve it anyway. It’s got 190000 miles on the clock. Next visit we will try and coax it into life! |
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New Mon 9 Sep 13 18:01
Starting old car - PeterS
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| Sounds interesting! Is it possible that the tailgate on the 700/900 series Volvo is aluminium, which might corrode in the way you described I think? |
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New Mon 9 Sep 13 18:10
Starting old car - MJW1994
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| It's certainly not rust in the traditional sense, it's a greyish white surface underneath. Next visit I will take a magnet and see. |
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New Mon 9 Sep 13 20:32
Starting old car - -
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>> Sounds interesting! Is it possible that the tailgate on the 700/900 series Volvo is aluminium, >> which might corrode in the way you described I think? >> Correct aluminium tailgate, IIRC the bonnet is too. Sounds very promising and the right engine too. The main differences between the 7 and 9 series was the SIPS (side impact protection system) and some other safety goodies and a much needed facelift especially to the front lights and front skirt area, otherise you'd struggle to tell them apart. As its a 760 if the rear dampers are shot then they are very expensive to replace, self levelling self contained Boge shockers, that pump themselves back up to normal ride height after a couple of bounces, very simple and clever, but once worn very expensive replacements. Springs softer than lower spec 7/9 series so you can't just bung on normal non self leveller rear shockers to cut the cost, you have to fit the correct springs too. Box probably needs an oil change. From the sounds of it this car should be resurrected and live on to fight another day. You were so right not to jump it off a Scenic, my mate blew the digi dash on his posh Laguna doing this, circa 600 spondulies. Last edited by: gordonbennet on Mon 9 Sep 13 at 20:36
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New Tue 10 Sep 13 01:10
Starting old car - No FM2R
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>>You were so right not to jump it off a Scenic I've heard this, and many other stories, about not jumping one car from another. I've been pretty cavalier about the whole jumping process from a variety of high tech, low tech, old, new, etc etc. so far [touch wood] without negative incident. Is this really a material concern or one of those details that might happen every million years or so? |
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New Tue 10 Sep 13 02:52
Starting old car - Lygonos
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Only issue I've had in past decade or so was once after jump-starting the FRV after the interior light had been left on overnight (thanks kids). Car started and drove after the jump-start but the electric windows didn't work until the battery was fairly recharged which seemed a bit odd. After a subsequent similar event I went to the local dealer and bought a second battery (I didn't have my jumpleads at home and we needed to head down to Ayrshire fairly pronto - was about 60 quid - nicely packaged in a box full of 'cat litter') and now have a 'pre-charged' battery ready to go in the house for the next flat. |
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New Tue 10 Sep 13 08:40
Starting old car - -
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>> Is this really a material concern or one of those details that might happen every >> million years or so? I know of several, the most expensive being the blown dash, it seems ot be the donor car that usually suffers. I keep a fully charged jump pack at home for such eventualities, swtiched so as it only goes live once everything is securely connected. On the other hand, our old Volvo 940 Diesel which has been used to jump start 24volt lorries among its constant (in my sisters hands) abuse as well as towing things that would make your eyes water, has never given a bit of bother and the Varta lorry size battery that must be 12 years old now doesn't show a sign of giving up, they really don't make 'em like that any more....hence my enthusiasm for the 760 thats been stood in the other thread being used again.. |
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New Mon 9 Sep 13 19:18
Starting old car - bathtub tom
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>> It was at one time their only car but they wanted something smaller and bought a Golf automatic but kept the Volvo in case they wanted it again. My Mum (it’s her family) didn’t even know they still had the car! I think they were offered such a small price for it that they decided to keep it. That's good news. At least it wasn't parked up because it had an expensive problem. |
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New Mon 9 Sep 13 19:22
Starting old car - corax
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Cleanish oil and coolant also sound good. Check the transmission fluid. It should be a reddish colour and smell sweet - not brown and burnt. If there isn't much fuel it might be a good idea to syphon it out before putting new stuff in. The 2.3 turbo engines are tough and long lasting, especially the red blocks. |
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New Mon 9 Sep 13 20:43
Starting old car - Lygonos
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I'd toss 500mls of decent oil in the top before spinning the engine - when it starts up (I bet it does) don't rev it for at least 30 seconds or so. If the turbo bearings are dry whirling them up to 100,000rpm before the oil gets flowing isn't going to be smart. If it does run job one is new oil and filter for the engine. I don't think ATF degrades with time in the same manner as petrol or engine oil, so it can probably wait a little as it may be a pain in the bum, and cost a little to replace (use decent quality ATF as I have found cheap ATF can be a bit crap in old autos. |
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New Tue 10 Sep 13 07:26
Starting old car - L'escargot
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>> I don't think ATF degrades with time in the same manner as petrol or engine >> oil, .............. I can understand petrol degrading because the lighter fractions evaporate but I didn't realise that engine oil degraded. How long does it take before it starts to occur? Last edited by: L'escargot on Tue 10 Sep 13 at 07:27
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New Tue 10 Sep 13 08:25
Starting old car - Cliff Pope
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>> >> but I didn't realise that >> engine oil degraded. How long does it take before it starts to occur? >> About 50 years in my experience. Don't worry about anything - just put in a couple of gallons of fresh petrol, connect up a spare battery, and give it a go. If it runs and moves you can then start thinking about changing the oil after it is hot, and doing all the other things like checking brakes, tyres, etc etc. This is a proper car built by a proper manufacturer, not one of these modern things that goes kaput if you leave it for 2 weeks in a carpark. |
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New Tue 10 Sep 13 08:35
Starting old car - Lygonos
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>>but I didn't realise that engine oil degraded. How long does it take before it starts to occur? Old engine oil obviously contains petrol, water, and various acidic residues which will affect the oil's ability to provide long term protection - the additive pack will be an unknown quantity. Manufacturers usually suggest a shelf life of 3-4 years for unopened packs of oil... but then they would say that, wouldn't they ;-) I certainly wouldn't change the oil before the initial start up - just toss a bit into the rocker cover to bring it close to max on the dipstick and give the valves some pretence of initial lubrication. |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 09:27
Starting old car - L'escargot
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>> Don't worry about anything - just put in a couple of gallons of fresh petrol, >> connect up a spare battery, and give it a go. >> If it runs ............. If it doesn't run, then a good squirt of Bradex Easy Start into the air intake should help. tinyurl.com/7l8222o |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 15:22
Starting old car - DP
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I bet it turns over for as long as it takes to pressurise the fuel rail, and then fires up like it was parked up last night. |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 17:15
Starting old car - MJW1994
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| We shall see at the weekend. My mate will be providing a good fully-charged battery that we will take along. I have found out that this Volvo uses 98 Unleaded so I shall have to find a garage that sells it and fill a couple of jerrycans. I will take a couple of pictures of the old car. |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 20:46
Starting old car - Victorbox
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>> We shall see at the weekend. My mate will be providing a good fully-charged battery >> that we will take along. I have found out that this Volvo uses 98 Unleaded >> so I shall have to find a garage that sells it and fill a couple >> of jerrycans. I will take a couple of pictures of the old car. So Shell V-Power will do. At least you can be sure that it won't contain any ethanol to affect the fuel system. |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 17:29
Starting old car - Manatee
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>>If it doesn't run, then a good squirt of Bradex Easy Start DO NOT SNIFF. (a bit like saying "do not press this button"). |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 19:30
Starting old car - MJW1994
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| Why? What's it likely to do beyond what most aerosols do? |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 19:40
Starting old car - Lygonos
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Be a good chap and video the start-up with a cameraphone. Would be more interesting than any of the guff on TV at the weekend! |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 09:42
Starting old car - Alanovich
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>> Be a good chap and video the start-up with a cameraphone. >> >> Would be more interesting than any of the guff on TV at the weekend! >> I'll second that request. I'd like to see some pictures of this old beast, I've quite a penchant for them. |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 21:41
Starting old car - Manatee
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>> Why? What's it likely to do beyond what most aerosols do? I'm really no expert. But I guess that the volatile propellent is the active ingredient for the dedicated sniffer. With Easy Start, the payload is considerably more volatile and extremely flammable. Top class sniffing I should think. |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 23:02
Starting old car - bathtub tom
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Who here hasn't sniffed stuff? The joys of doping tissue covered balsa in a small bedroom......................... |
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New Wed 11 Sep 13 23:10
Starting old car - Manatee
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| Are they still putting the dumbed down glue in Airfix kits? |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 06:21
Starting old car - madf
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>> Who here hasn't sniffed stuff? >> >> The joys of doping tissue covered balsa in a small bedroom......................... >> Ahh takes me back. Made my own diesel engine fuel with caster oil and ether which I bought from chemist.. Ether? Yes ether.. I just asked for it, they asked what for, told them and lo and behold a pint of ether.. Smelled lovely when burnt.. Methanol glowplug fuel smelt* not so nice... * (smelled?) Last edited by: madf on Thu 12 Sep 13 at 06:22
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 08:35
Starting old car - IJWS14
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>> Ether? Yes ether.. I just asked for it, they asked what for, told them and >> lo and behold a pint of ether.. >> >> Smelled lovely when burnt.. Reminds me of going into an old fashioned family run chemist with my mother for some salt petre (to make dethermaliser fuse for a model glider- used to induce stall to get the glider to come down) in October one year around 1970 - they sold us it after assurances that we would not be making fireworks and also asked my mother to sign the poisons book. |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 09:32
Starting old car - L'escargot
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>> * (smelled?) >> In British English, 'smelt' and 'smelled' are interchangeable as the past participle of 'smell', with 'smelt' being more common in current use. |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 13:27
Starting old car - madf
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>> >> * (smelled?) >> >> >> >> In British English, 'smelt' and 'smelled' are interchangeable as the past participle of 'smell', with >> 'smelt' being more common in current use. >> Thanks. I knew there would be at least one pedant on English as she is wrote :-) |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 10:58
Starting old car - bathtub tom
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>>Ether? Yes ether.. I just asked for it, they asked what for, told them and lo and behold a pint of ether.. Some years ago I was making model hot-air balloons fuelled by meths burner. Went into local chemist for a bottle, they put it in a paper bag. "Don't bother to wrap it, I'll drink it straight from the bottle" I said in jest. Had to go to DIY shed for the meths. |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 09:27
Starting old car - L'escargot
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>> Who here hasn't sniffed stuff? Me. But the next time I need to get my Bradex Easy Start out for my mower I'll squirt some into my air intake. Last edited by: L'escargot on Thu 12 Sep 13 at 09:27
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 09:58
Starting old car - Dog
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You're 'sposed to squirt it onto a kerchief and then sniff that, according to Lud. :} |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 00:58
Starting old car - Armel Coussine
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| Easy Start and similar products consist essentially of ether. It used to be said that cars that needed it in the first place became addicted to it, because the ether dissolved oil on the cylinder walls and made the compression deteriorate further. |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 08:40
Starting old car - IJWS14
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>> Easy Start and similar products consist essentially of ether. It used to be said that >> cars that needed it in the first place became addicted to it, because the ether >> dissolved oil on the cylinder walls and made the compression deteriorate further. >> There used to be stories told in the old British Rail maintenace sheds about when BR introduced diesel trains and lubricating oil became available for "foreigners" There were a number of engines scrapped because the additives in the oil for the diesel locomotives dissolved the coke build up present in most petrol cars of the time (1960s). |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 09:10
Starting old car - Number_Cruncher
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Interesting that it's not the V6 - a much more useful motor car, and more likely to be worth spending some time and effort on. I wouldn't consider using easy start. Fuel injectors usually atomise the fuel very well even if the engine cranking speed is a bit low. I might be tempted to crank over until the oil lamp goes out with the fuel pump fuse temporarily removed, to get some oil round the engine before it fires. |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 11:21
Starting old car - Armel Coussine
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| N_C may be wrong about the V6 - I wouldn't know for sure - but he's certainly right about everything else. |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 11:28
Starting old car - Number_Cruncher
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It's just possible that I may have been ambiguous!, and expressed myself badly. The V6 is waste of time and effort. The four cylinder engine is much more useful. |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 13:33
Starting old car - Armel Coussine
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>> I may have been ambiguous! Yes, I did misunderstand, got it the wrong way round. |
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New Fri 13 Sep 13 08:20
Starting old car - Cliff Pope
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The V-6 suffers badly from blocked oilways and breakdown of lubrication to the camshafts even in a running car. Probably standing for 5 years is a certainty for adding to that problem. But the 4-cylinder is bomb-proof and goes on forever. When you get it going consider an early cambelt change. |
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New Thu 12 Sep 13 11:46
Starting old car - L'escargot
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>> Why? What's it likely to do beyond what most aerosols do? >> It's what it doesn't do that's important. Paint aerosols clog up the inlet filter ~ and the nostrils! |
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New Mon 16 Sep 13 20:06
Starting old car - MJW1994
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Good news and bad! Good news: We got the car going with surprising ease. We didn’t jump the car in the end, as the battery is easy to access on this old Volvo and with the old one completely dead, we just swapped them over, probably took less then two minutes. Darren took the old one away as he’s got some sort of special charger that does a de-sulphating process (I think that’s what he said), he thinks there is a chance it may be recoverable. It’s worth a go he thought, rather than just automatically scrapping it and he’s in no hurry to have his one back. We did not do any more preparatory work except top the oil up to the max level on the dipstick and bring the coolant up to the Min mark. We had probably done more than most already, it was now time to see if we could coax this 26 year old piece of Swedish engineering out of its deep sleep. There was a bit of loose trip by the pedals that we removed as it looked in danger of obstructing the pedals. The plastic fixings seem to have just had enough after all these years. Easy fix sometime though. When we connected up the good battery and turned the ignition on, there were clicking and buzzing sounds for a few seconds as various relays were woken up from their prolonged inactivity. There was a sort of moaning and groaning noise from behind the dashboard for a few seconds, air circulation flaps moving maybe? Dashboard lights came on and the fuel gauge moved and settled at just above the red which was great news. I had brought along 20 litres of fresh 98 Unleaded and initially we poured 10 litres into the tank and then we rocked the car a bit to mix it all up. I wanted to push the car outside for the start-up but there was quite a lot of junk in the way we would have to move, also it was hammering down with rain on Sunday and I didn’t want the car to get wet prior to being put back in its bed. I was worried it might all go up in smoke, Darren just laughed and told me not to worry. I am perhaps too risk averse… The building is well ventilated so no chance of any exhaust fumes either. I took along a fire extinguisher though. Only one thing left to do – jump in and turn the key! I left that to Darren so I could do a short sharp exit if need be. However it was all very uneventful, almost disappointingly dull. A fair bit of time on the starter was needed (about ten seconds, maybe a bit more, possibly 15) but then it just grumbled into life, a bit rough to start with having been woken from its sleep, but then it settled down. We left it to idle for a few minutes to get the oil circulating through the turbo and ensure the fresh petrol was getting through. We then we raised the revs a bit to about 2000rpm before letting it idle again. We did that a few times. We kept an eye on the temperature gauge but there was no problem. It seemed to heat up quickly but never got above the mid-point position. The heat from the cabin vents was impressive in a very short time, presumably to deal with those harsh Swedish winters. The car moved forwards and back a foot or so ok, that’s all we could do without moving lots of clutter. While the engine was idling, we checked the fuel pipes for leaks but all was fine. We also checked the electrical items. Wipers front and back OK, including the headlight washers. Unfortunately and mysteriously one of the front indicators is missing although the bulbs are still there. All four electric windows work, central locking fine, electric sunroof was a bit reluctant but did open and close. It became smoother after several more opens and closes. Some lubrication should help there. All important lights work. One of the adjustments on the electric seat doesn’t work (it clicks but the motor doesn’t do anything) and then a dreadful crisis – the radio doesn’t work! Not bad for a car built in 1988. There is no rust at all on the panels. There are no dents or scrapes, although there is a 12 inch scratch on the front passenger door but Darren thinks it would polish out if someone wanted to bother. The interior has been saved by the fact that someone sensibly left all four windows open a bit and the outbuilding is draughty. Strangely there was a little mould but only on the seat bases but it cleaned off easily. The car does not smell damp at all. While the engine was idling I wiped some of the dirty off the seats with those leather wipes you can buy in any car shop. Underneath the bonnet everything is easy to get at, some thought has gone into laying things out properly to make servicing and repairs easy. The bonnet itself is a very solid piece of metal, it is supported by two gas struts which are a bit weak now. I’m not surprised – that’s a big heavy bonnet! To me the engine seems noisy and not particularly smooth but Darren knows about these cars. It’s a B230ET apparently whatever that means, with its roots in the 1970s, not particularly refined by modern standards but provided it has oil and water they are virtually indestructible according to him. The lower part of the engine is painted red, presumably why they are known as red blocks! None of this came as any surprise to Darren, he has resurrected cars that have been dormant for much longer, including one or two kept outside in all weathers. Also being an old Volvo helped he said, this generation of Volvos were built to last with a lot of good quality German components. Certainly under the bonnet most of the kit seems to be BOSCH which according to him is a good make. That is where we have decided to leave it for now. Another time Darren wants to get underneath to make sure there is no serious corrosion. If it looks ok then he will check the brakes over, change the engine and gearbox oils and brake fluid and take it from there. Assuming there is no serious corrosion then this old Volvo still has life in it and we may consider getting it a MoT. We have not decided what we will do with it but it still seems to have some life left provided there is no serious corrosion and the brakes are not in need of too much work. Provided the MoT does not throw up any nasties then this car will not be scrapped by us. Bad news: I am sorry there is no video since both my phone and watch went AWOL. I was out on Saturday evening as someone was leaving from work, I wasn’t intending to have much to drink but you know how these things go…I spent ages trying to think where I might have left it but it was all a bit hazy in the cold light of day. This was my second smartphone this year…one reason why I always get a PAYG cheapie. What happens is I get distracted and put things down and then forget where they are. Darren only had a basic phone and brother who has a decent smartphone was away on a camping trip (a very wet trip I should think…ha ha!). In the end they turned up at work, I went to the gym on Friday and left them in the changing room. They were handed into Lost Property. To be honest you’ve not missed anything, it was an uneventful occasion, no banging, clattering, hissing or smoke, just an old Volvo grumbling back to life surprisingly easily and quickly. However instead I have got a few pictures for anyone interested, using an old digital camera I was given ages ago. They are not great I’m afraid, the lighting wasn’t good and I had to climb over quite a bit of clutter to get some of the shots. And the raw smell of a cold engine with an un-catalysed exhaust… a new experience for me! I thought there must be something wrong with it but Darren said it’s fine, he’s used to that smell as he has an old 1960s Landrover as one of his hobby cars, a funny looking old thing with headlights set really close together. As well as the old Volvo, there are some Landrover Discovery photos taken by one of my Uncles in late 1989 as he said a small number of people were invited by a dealership to a pre-launch inspection and test drive. He got in since the people he was lodging with were Landrover customers. They are not great quality since I had to scan them. Best wishes Matt Engine www.dropbox.com/s/309czzonv920d0r/Volvo2.JPG First class comfort, 1980s style www.dropbox.com/s/gv5rp9k891ot9qi/Volvo.JPG No need for those jump leads www.dropbox.com/s/1isit7edg3ty108/Volvo3.JPG Bit dusty but paint still shiny underneath www.dropbox.com/s/6hbf34d9tkdku9q/Volvo4.JPG Red light on the door edge a neat touch www.dropbox.com/s/xz8691eum7wy77y/Volvo5.JPG Airfilter, not Turbo! www.dropbox.com/s/e9rrv3le1u0ka7l/Volvo6.JPG Own up, who nicked the light? One for ebay maybe. www.dropbox.com/s/pm2gccirj5rb6df/Volvo7.JPG A healthy 12.27v got the old girl back into life www.dropbox.com/s/db4yxz21ukoe2tt/Volvo8.JPG In happier days (scanned picture) www.dropbox.com/s/y79r8lq1rn2duqt/Volvo9.jpg Landrover Discovery pre-launch for selected customers late 1989. They have been scanned so quality is a bit poor. www.dropbox.com/s/e75vp37vsly52nu/LR1.jpg www.dropbox.com/s/61cpl7sd6dsk9bc/LR2.jpg www.dropbox.com/s/pg0mj8en3kijcub/LR3.jpg www.dropbox.com/s/jmalrm9cpqmahw6/LR4.jpg www.dropbox.com/s/x7dx8ns0o7ts0mo/LR5.jpg www.dropbox.com/s/vg8079b6xtpaota/LR6.jpg www.dropbox.com/s/b5ypdm97fex9ay5/LR7.jpg www.dropbox.com/s/v2ypnesby69lhuz/LR8.jpg |
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New Mon 16 Sep 13 21:24
Starting old car - Lygonos
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Nice one. 180bhp or so when in fine fettle, I'd imagine insuring it for yourself (assuming you are 19) will be astronomical - good car to get a bit of spanner experience on though! |
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New Tue 17 Sep 13 08:13
Starting old car - Cliff Pope
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>> I'd imagine insuring it for yourself (assuming you >> are 19) will be astronomical - >> Not necessarilly. My daughter found that insurance on a 25 year old Volvo was much cheaper than on a small modern hatchback. Perhaps they are so lacking in street cred that no young person will drive one, so in consequence never have an accident to bump up the insurance statistics. |
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New Tue 17 Sep 13 08:25
Starting old car - IJWS14
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German components.. . . . One of Volvo's advertising campaigns around this time was that their cars were more British (at around 70% IIRC) than some "British cars" - I believe the comparison was a Luton built Vauxhall. There was also a time when Volvo didn't provide radios but you bought your own (late 70s/early 80s) but this may be just after that. Remember my father fitting a radio to a new 240. He also had a 940 diesel (same car different engine/trim) which was nice and comfy but a pig to drive with the turbo lag). |
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New Tue 17 Sep 13 09:20
Starting old car - Alanovich
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I like that motor, very very much. If I didn't need the economy of diesel, I'd have one as daily driver like a shot. Looks like it's on pretty immaculate condition, considering. Especially the interior. Love it. Want it! |
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New Tue 17 Sep 13 09:52
Starting old car - Roger.
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We always regretted selling our 740 Estate, E200TWR, just before we went to Spain. . It was a 2 litre non-turbo with injection and it was quite economical for a car of its size & weight. (30mpg) We used it for standing at antiques and collectables fairs. It held a 6 foot folding table , four folding bookshelves, all our stock in banana boxes, our clothing etc, and also for a while towed a caravan for staying away at Newark & Exeter! When we bought it, for £4000, from a neighbour of my late father-in-law, it was immaculate and low mileage too - a beautiful car. I changed the oil and filter myself, every 6000 miles, using Mobil1. We babied it and it rewarded us by never giving a moment's trouble. We sold it for a paltry £600 in late 2000 to a dealer who not only knew me, but also knew we were going abroad. :-( I did a reg check a few years later and it was still on the road. |
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New Tue 17 Sep 13 10:22
Starting old car - DP
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There is something very likeable about big Volvos. Just a general sense really that they have been designed by people who actually use cars day to day. Comfy seats, low noise levels, hard wearing interiors, a decent turn of speed when needed but don't "tug at the leash" or egg you on. Just beautifully made, thoroughly designed motor cars that are a pleasure to drive. Not exciting or thrilling, just thoroughly pleasant. Still miss my old S60. |
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New Tue 17 Sep 13 10:25
Starting old car - corax
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It'll be thirsty, but who cares when the car isn't costing anything to buy. Not that you'd want to, but those red block engines can be tuned to ridiculous levels without breaking, all forged internals, and they can put the power down being rear wheel drive. Corners might be a problem though. Seats look very enticing. Built for proper sized frames. |
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New Tue 17 Sep 13 10:37
Starting old car - Fenlander
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>>>We used it for standing at antiques and collectables fairs. I have fond teen memories of riding in Mr F senior's Volvo 145E as he travelled the country buying/selling antiques. It had the classic 1/2" tube dealers roof rack which covered the whole roof and was dead flat apart from a short lip at the front to stop huge bits of furniture flying off. Later on in life there were lots of 740/760s in our local fen villages, they were almost standard for the trailer towing horse owners and served them very well. I looked after a couple of 740s (petrol and diesel) for a while more recently and always found them a little barge like to drive if their loadspace wasn't essential to you. |
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New Tue 17 Sep 13 11:37
Starting old car - Cliff Pope
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>> >> >> and always found them a little barge like to drive if their loadspace wasn't essential >> to you. >> Yes, but like the 240 an incredibly manoeuvrable barge. The wheel base is relatively short for a car of that size, and the steering lock is the tightest short of an old -style cab or a Triumph Herald. I can often nip into spaces that defeat a smaller car, and most recently did a 3-point turn in a narrow road in a line of stuck traffic at an accident. As I looked back I could see a chaos of other cars painfully executing 7-point turns or trying to reverse several hundred yards to the previous junction. I could see people thinking "How did he do that in that old barge?" Also of course you can easily see each corner of the car. |
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New Wed 18 Sep 13 23:19
Starting old car - Avant
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Yes, I remember that splendid turning circle on old Volvos: strangely the modern Volvos I've tried (although I've never driven a V70) are very poor in that regard. Was it FWD that spoilt it for Volvo? It can be done with FWD: my Octavia is pretty good and the A4 Avant I had a few years ago was even better. SWMBO's Mini Roadster, on the other hand, needs more space to turn than the Skoda. |
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New Thu 19 Sep 13 09:37
Starting old car - DP
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The S60's turning circle was positively supertanker-like. It remains the only car I've had that wouldn't make a U-turn at the end of our close in one go. Both current cars manage it easily. |
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New Thu 19 Sep 13 10:18
Starting old car - corax
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>> Was it FWD that spoilt it for Volvo? A combination of a 5 cylinder engine plus gearbox mounted transversely leaves little room for the steering linkage. |
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New Sun 22 Sep 13 20:31
Starting old car - MJW1994
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I was at a bit of a loose end on saturday afternoon so decided to go along and see the old Volvo again. My mate Darren was not able to go this time as he was on one of his Imprezza outings but instead I went along with one of my uncles. This uncle is one of dad’s brothers, he works away abroad doing contract work, coming back for a few weeks every few months. We rent his house for a cheap rate on condition he can stay when he returns for his breaks, although we are negotiating to buy it off him as he wants to downsize. No rent is cheap enough with him around :-). Anyway he was slumped in the arm chair drinking beer watching some trashy TV, only getting off his backside to go out side for a smoke so I encouraged him to come along, which he reluctantly agreed to. Darren had sourced a second-hand front light unit so we put that on. I think he said it came from a 900 but it would fit. What a brilliant piece of design, one clip on the inside of the bonnet and the whole unit slides out. The bulb holders require a quarter turn to secure and then you slide the unit back in, ending with a typical Volvo solid-sounding click as it secures in place. Sixty seconds or thereabouts, job done. Other manufacturer’s please note!!! Darren had already warned that the air conditioning will be shot, apparently the gas that these old 1980s systems use is no longer permitted and to use the new gas would mean upgrading the system - too much work and expense on an old car. So it was decided to remove the belt to the compressor which uncle did and while he was in that area gave the other belt to the alternator a quick tighten as it was squealing a little. Not bad but worth doing. Now that looks better with a ‘new’ light and alternator belt being tightened: www.dropbox.com/s/oboeq3wcntry51m/Newlight.JPG We didn’t do anything else on this occasion, it was a social visit as much as anything, although I found out a bit more about the car’s history. The car was originally registered to a company in Bristol and the service record shows they put about 60000 miles on it in two years. It then was bought by its first private owner who only kept it for a year. It then was bought by my grandparents on my dad’s side of the family who kept it until about 2007. Oddly they then sold it to my grandparents on mum’s side of the family who still own it, although other family still used it occasionally if they needed a large car for some reason. The service history is complete, the early days at Volvo dealers and then an independent. The folder is full of old bills, I struggled to find any bill for something that wasn’t routine. It seemed to have an appetite for brake discs but apart from that I could only find a replacement radiator, rear wiper motor and rear shocks (expensive!) as items beyond service items. It seems to have got to its 190000 miles with surprising ease. In the boot there is this under floor storage area where we found some old newspapers, dated April 1992. The front cover states “21 seat majority for Major” and “Kinnock to stand down as Labour leader”. The spare wheel and jack plus original Volvo tool kit are all there. We then headed for home content that we had done a few small things, I had learned a bit more about the car’s history and entertained uncle for a few hours. Surely better than watching TV drinking beer? :-) |
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New Sun 22 Sep 13 21:05
Starting old car - Lygonos
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>>In the boot there is this under floor storage area where we found some old newspapers, dated April 1992 My friend bought his first flat in 1999 from a chap in his mid-80s who had lived by himself his whole life in the flat. Underneath the ancient looking carpets was the underlay: late 1930s Evening News. The floorboards in the bathroom needed destroyed though, as many years of a single man with a dodgy prostate had saturated the newspaper and carpet around the porcelain! |
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New Sun 22 Sep 13 23:20
Starting old car - henry k
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>>Underneath the ancient looking carpets was the underlay: late 1930s Evening News. >> In six months time I will be again working on my daughters flat. Three years ago I bought a lot of loft insulation but there was no time to lay it. I did however discover that the one/two inches of existing fibreglass is on top of several layers of newspapers all dated IIRC a similar era. It will be an interesting read them when I start the job again. There is a lot there as the flat loft is the whole area of a large old four floor semi. I assume the newspapers were an attempt at free insulation. |
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New Mon 23 Sep 13 08:40
Starting old car - madf
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| When we bought our 1820s house - some 30 years ago - the floor of one upstairs bedrooms was lined with 1932 newspapers- faded , torn and very dirty.. |
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New Mon 23 Sep 13 10:43
Starting old car - zookeeper
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| me n a mate whilst demolishing an old garden wall found an old penny dated 1831, when we were rebuilding the new one we left a new one dated 1996 |
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New Mon 23 Sep 13 16:31
Starting old car - Ted
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I inherited a chest of drawers from me old mam. Inside it was a copy of the Manchester Evening News. 2nd August 1940. Headline... Hamburg port blasted to ruins, bombs rain on Bremen, Leipzig battered. Also.....2 men killed on HMS Alcantara. One, Lt R.W.Pickersgill was my uncle. Germans shower first leaflets on Britain. Italians thrust into Egypt. Big front page advert for Guinness , remember ? the smiley face in the foam ! Large white loaf at 3d, wrist watches at 47/6d.......you can still get them for that on the market. not gold, though ! Ted |
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