I've always said that three Volvo's aren't enough, so on the morning of the 19th of December I flew down to Sydney and picked up a 1975 245DL... feel free to skip the story and go straight to the pics!
Around May last year I started posting wanted ads (with varying success) on Gumtree that said I was seeking an older 2 series Volvo wagon with a body in good condition but with optional running gear. My intention was to combine my favourite pieces of RWD Volvo's:
An older 2 series wagon body;
and a later 9 series turbo engine.
I posted a wanted ad on OzVolvo a couple of months later and got a couple of responses. Problem being that while the cars where what I was looking for, they were down past Sydney about 14 - 15 hours away. After ringing and asking around for vehicle delivery quotes and working with the potential sellers (thanks again guys), I figured that it would be too much hassle and $$$ to get a car delivered to me that is worth less than the delivery price, and the fact that delivery guys are rough bastards.
So a bit more waiting.
Not many responses to any of the ads out on the various channels, so around September-ish I decided that I'd make a road trip and pick up the best looking wagon I saw in the time I was looking (sight unseen apart from pictures).
However, due to work and uni commitments I wouldn't be able to pick the car up until work knocked off around mid December. Luckily the seller was very generous and held onto the car till December, and delivered it to Sydney for me (big thanks!).
Here's a couple of pictures I took on the trip home:
After re-learning how to drive a manual car in the back streets, I headed towards Tamworth... He's a pic in the hotel parking lot:
Left Tamworth super early. Got a good pic of the car on the way home:
There seemed to be a couple of spares in the back of the car...
Almost a perfect garage;
Super clean engine bay;
There isn't any rust to fix, and I'm still tossing up the '93+ B230FT swap.
I'm planning on keeping it pretty much the way it is (ha ha), however I added a GT front spoiler:
Removed the electric fan and put the viscous fan back in.
I've put some lower springs in the back, and just waiting on some ipd braided brake lines to turn up and I'll do the front springs at the same time.
The wheels (and truck tires) are a bit too 'industrial', so I went to the local shop and considered some multi-x's, bathurst globes, steelies, etc. But I was recommended this which I think would look good:
Here's how it sits today: