lasercowboy
My experience is much < many on this site, but I would say at this time of year you're pretty safe. The engine is non-interference so you're not too worried about a timing belt going, and even if the water pump goes you'll probably not overheat. Beyond that, I've lost an alternator (but there is a warning light combination for that) and I think that's about it! They're tough as old boots...
240
Great!
Seems like they're the only things that go wrong with these cars - my father used to have a 240 and after 520,000 kms, the only things that went wrong under his ownership were the water pump and alternator!
lasercowboy
I wouldn't recommend it, but my old housemate drove his 100 km home with no water in (the pump having failed that morning). It was UK winter, and there is so much space in the engine bay it effectively air cooled..
egads (she/her)
Sydney is close enough that you can run just on battery to Canberra so alternator shouldn't stop you either.
egads (she/her)
If you get into dramas post on the forums and we will come out of the woodwork to help out anyway. @Spac out in Yass should have a bunch of the parts you need too.
240
lasercowboy;55177 wroteI wouldn't recommend it, but my old housemate drove his 100 km home with no water in (the pump having failed that morning). It was UK winter, and there is so much space in the engine bay it effectively air cooled..
Wow - I bet there aren't many other cars that can do that!
egads;55180 wrote@Spac out in Yass should have a bunch of the parts you need too.
Thanks for that, I'll keep it in mind should I need parts.
lasercowboy
I would also echo the words of @egads - there is a huge amount of expertise and generous advice (even when I ask really stupid questions!) on this forum, with rapid response times and often offers of assistance with spares, etc. There's pretty much nothing that can't be done with these guys behind you!
240
I've come to realise that, just by starting this thread - the guys on here are a lot better than any other forum I've read, let alone used! So thanks everyone!
Major Ledfoot
240;55171 wroteIn your experience, are there any common-ish things that might cause it not to make the journey from Sydney to Canberra?
Fuel, fuel pump(s), fan belts, and fuses. Almost everything else will give you plenty of warning of impending doom via rude noises or erratic behaviour.
The "Loading" car appears to be located very close to the Hume anyway, and the trip to the ACT ought to pretty plain sailing once you're on it.
@Bennigee is in that general area too, and he has surplus 240 bits available - heh, I may be wrong, but I think he even has a straight spare door in that same colour.
240;55169 wroteHow hard would it be to put on a reconditioned rack?
IIRC
@Anthony (from Canberra) knows someone good who can help you out with a reconditioned rack if Ben doesn't have a spare.
240
Man, I love this forum! Thanks for that. You're right, not much should go wrong driving down the Hume, after all that kind of driving is a lot less taxing on a car than stop-start city driving. So hopefully I wouldn't get stuck anywhere!
Now I want to buy a Volvo if only just to have the support from this forum!
Slowbrick
My parents place is close to EagleVale. I think I even remember seeing that car getting around a few years/months back. I live in Newcastle but do come up and down quite often. Mike and Brendan are less close but could probably offer you a place to keep it temporarily until you got here to pick it up.
240
Thanks for that, I'll keep it in mind in case it could help me.
However, I'm not so sure about the car now, because I got another email from the seller and he said that the car was an auto (so he must have made a mistake in the ad). I'm really not keen on an auto, but $200 is very cheap (even if I have to spend another $100 or $200 in fuel, permits to get it here from Sydney). What are you thoughts now, with it being an auto?
(Here's the full email, by the way:
"Before we take this any further you need to realise that the car has now passed 3 months out of rego so the plates need to be returned.
The car is sound ideal as a daily drive. As this is what it was used for. You will need to replace the drivers side seatbelt latch stork as well as the tailpipe ( not muffler just end pipe). Also has big dent in drivers side door.
Its an automatic no slippage.
Car is a tank and very reliable.")
lasercowboy
Maybe that's too far from what you wanted? - it could be either auto or sedan, but both is pushing it far from your original brief. Do you now just want it because it's cheap?
FYI - i think most will agree here - as a pure driver's car, the sedan is stiffer, better weight distributed and handles much more nicely. The wagon is pure aesthetics/practicality. That said, for driving pleasure, manual is non-negotiable for me!
240
I was starting to think that - an auto sedan isn't very close to a manual wagon. So you're probably right about wanting it because it's cheap. But then again that's perhaps not necessarily a bad thing, for $200 one can't complain too much.
Thanks for the sedan/wagon comparison - the reason I wanted a wagon was for looks and practicality, but I suspected the sedans would handle better. If I was given a choice though, between a manual sedan and an auto wagon, I'd probably go for the sedan.
Perhaps I'll evaluate if it's worth the trouble of getting it from Sydney or not to make a decision.
Considering the things the seller has mentioned which will need fixing (missing centre console, power steering, end of the exhaust pipe, seat belt clip) how much do you think I'd need to set aside for getting it on the road (excluding rego of course) - would $300 be too hopeful?
egads (she/her)
Can you do the work yourself? That would be ballpark doable depending on how cheaply you can get a second hand non leaky rack.
240
I think I can do all of those things myself although I have no idea about the power steering, as I don't know how difficult it is to do or how to do it.
lasercowboy
If you want to go down that route, the instructions/diagrams are in the Volvo green book or Haynes manual... just looking for the right bit!
I'd be fairly sure that someone on the forum could hook you up with a decent used rack.
240
Which specific instructions in that PDF are the correct ones? I had trouble finding them, although I only skimmed quickly.
Would it be an option, depending on how bad the leak is, just not to worry about fixing it, and just top up the power steering occasionally?
If I buy the car that is - so maybe I should decide on that before worrying about the steering!
lasercowboy
Yeah sorry that was the wrong PDF - correct one available here, although in a stupid stupid online format:
http://www.volvotips.com/service-manual/volvo-240/Volvo-240-260-steering-repair-manual-part-1.html
I'm never a fan of relying on leaks not to get worse! If it is sufficiently leaky that the seller felt the need to mention it, it most likely needs fixing. You will find various opinions here as to whether remanufactured racks are worth the extra cost over a good salvaged one - I'd wager probably not.
240
I guess the steering doesn't look too hard to do, I have a friend who's a mechanic who could always help me out with it.
Good point about the leaks, although I guess if it's not too bad then it wouldn't need to be something I'd have to do straight away - or would it fail rego with such a leak?
