My
"Sven-Göran", a 240 GL sedan, was born at the Torslanda plant in
May
1987, the year my father bought it. He drove it for 123,000 km (76,000 miles)
through the
years until the spring of 2002, by the time it was replaced by a
Peugeot 307. At
which point Sven-Göran moved in with us.
There is nothing really special about
Sven-Göran. Except.... The initiated few
will appreciate the fact that this car looks almost like it did when
brand new.
Outside. Inside. Underside. Engine compartment. My father has put a lot
of
effort into upkeeping over the years, including a full anti-rust
treatment
every four years. Always garaged when not in use. No scratches, chipped
paint,
dents or faded interior.
There are mainly two reasons for
this: First and most important - my father
being the perfectionist that he is and always has been. Second - the
price paid
in '87 says a lot. As cars in my country is regarded by the government
as a
heavily punishable luxury, car taxation is taken to the extreme.
So having
done the offense of getting a car, you'd better make it last as long as
possible. In the seventies/eighties/early nineties there were few
better
starting points than a Volvo 240.
Still isn't, come to think of
it.
Why
do I love the 240 series cars?
Well,
if one can give reasons for love, here are a few:
- It
is solid and well built.
Engine,
transmission and drivetrain are next to indestructible.
I
would not call the 240 exceptionally reliable
though, I find durable
being a better word.
- Parts
are plentiful.
Keep
in mind that the 240 was built over a period of 18 years (1975-93), and
second-hand and aftermarket parts are normally cheap and easy to find.
Here in Scandinavia where the 240 was a top selling car you will find
240 parts "behind every bush". Go for a walk in the woods, and you
shall find.
- Many
of us find the classic and un-cluttered lines good looking. Take a look
at most Japanese cars from the same era and you might get my point.
So,
what are the cons?
- RUST!
The
body is prone to leaking, particularly in the windshield/firewall area.
Water may hide under the carpets. And seep into the sills. And create
all sorts of disasters as it passes the fuse box. If you find a
rust-free one, do everything you possibly can to keep it that way.
- The
electrical system could have been better. Relays may need resoldering
on the oldest cars. The fuses corrode if left unattended. And so on.
- The
car appears to be built around the heater fan. A repair involves a
total tear-down of everything between the front seats and the firewall;
a ten hours job at the shop. If you D-I-Y, multiply by the usual
factor. It took me a weekend to do mine.
- With
its stock chassis, the 240 sways quite a bit in the turns. It also
tends towards understeering. Volvo did in fact design the 240 this way
for safety reasons: If you push it hard, the swaying will tell you to
back off. If you don't, the car will hit with the crash zones first. If
you want a sharper handling car though, the obvious upgrades are
heavier swaybars, gas shock absorbers and harder(/shorter) springs.
These rather easy fixes will make your car take the turns a lot
flatter. The challenge is to choose components that will give you the
intended balance between handling and comfort. Me, I'd go for handling.
But this is also the wifemobile, need I say more? Politics, always
politics.
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Please feel free to drop me a line! Erling Brox