• RWD
  • Mark's awful 1979 242GT

So Ive sold a few of my expensive cars lately due to lack of use, price inflation (I guess that only happens once or twice in a car tragic's life) as the utility to capital outlay ratio just wasnt there for me anymore (yep Im an accountant).

So in my mournful state the family is out for dinner on Saturday night and I see this sad and sorry 242gt across the road. Wife spots the glance and says "no way keep walking". So I "go to the bathroom" during dinner and clock that it is definitely a 242gt. Then I am very keen to pay the bill and the waitress kindly lends me a pen and paper, I sneak over the road to leave the note and hear "what are you doing" being shouted across the reasonably busy road. Look across at wife with 4 sugared up children trying to get into her car..... not popular.

A few days passes and I get the text from the owner. Someone hit it during the night, insurance has paid her out but hasn't written it off on the system, so I now have a rough as guts 1979 242GT with my utility to capital outlay ratio restored and I my car karma is at peace again....







Looking forward to see this car being brought back to its former glory :D
Glad to see it's been saved. Looks like a good Project!


not something I was expecting from a $200 volvo......
Holy crap! 5 grand to do a B23E? I'm in the wrong business.
@egads recon (apparently) still factory number on block. Gee if i knew volvos are that expensive i would have stayed with the italian stuff! :-)
83 bucks for a dipstick??

Hell, you can have a whole B30E and BW35 (with 2 dipsticks) for $150...
Ive felt terrible about this all day. The lady i bought it off was a really nice genuine person. She said it had had some engine work done recently which i just assumed meant had the oil changed not this and the bill itself, im not a mechanic but it seems on the, er, high side.

Well part of buy deal was i would restore so thats what ill have to do. Tx for the qtr panel Andy!
Cool. Did Andy sell you a quarter panel? If he sold you the RH one I might be interested in the LH one.
@Andy
@dcw242 yes. He said he lost your number so ping him on his mobile.
Awesome, I don't have his number, Do you? I could PM him on here too.


Its on his original post so i dont think im breaking any privacy rules!
OK cool thanks. What did he charge you for the RH one?
About the same as the whole car and he didnt throw in a $7k rebuild either! Seemed fair.
3 months later
Gents

Im getting started on the 242gt resto and wouldnt mind some advice!

Front End

The car has a torn front cross member when the ds lower control arm got shoved. I am guessing but if someone can confirm please, that a front end suspension from an 87 245 is a straight swap?! I found a guy wrecking one today and that seems the easiest and cheapest way of doing it.

Gearbox

The 242gt is an Auto. Having never driven an auto 240 i assume this isnt a good thing! Rico will cry but the 245 being wrecked also has a m47 gearbox and pedals etc etc. Should i just bite the bullet now and just put an m47 in it????

Probably more goofing around than economically sensible but i do like the car and it does have that $3k engine rebuild that the previous owner paid $8k for so im punting for the most over-capitalised 242 on the planet.....

Cheers and tx mc
BW35 is shit. Fit the M47