Welcome the Sports Biscuit

Tassie6er

For those of us here in Tasmania, most will know there is a never a 240 series from my house. Currently I've got Bruce Lee, which is a 245 GL in duck egg blue that I got from Mark at Berry's, made mechanically sound and now lives with a friend of mine. Bruce comes home every few months to get a bit of care and attention. Recently I purchased Verdi Amego, a 245 L from 1979 in a striking colour of Green. I tidied it up made it roadworthy and gave it away because I really didn't need it and besides, tucked away at friends house I had my latest addition tucked away for a rainy day - I don't know if it is raining, but the opportunity came to finally liberate it and bring it home, so I'd like to introduce the Sports Biscuit, a 1978 244 DL in manual with a mere 375,000 kilometres on the clock - sold new by Bessant Motors Volvo and maintained by them until they turned into Pride Auto where it was last serviced at 371,000 kilometres in late 2009. Just after that it was driven to Performance Automobiles in Hobart and traded on a new Volvo. I bought it off the salesman who traded it for the princely sum of $250. It is painted in fetching biscuit and has no options fitted, not even a radio, so I think the sports stripes in chocolate really lift the car. Anyhow I'll tag a few tassie friends who between have helped me out with a few parts @carnut1100 @bigal @GingerNinja @jackafrica @Major Ledfoot @volvodriverman and of course @Angus242164 (while not Tasmanian, has certainly posted a few in my direction).

Anyhow, here are a few pictures.

deleted_user_1622

Hail Sports Biscuit, choice of champions and 244 lovers everywhere.
Wonderfully patinated, great number plate too, quite possibly its original.
The dark choccy interior has worn well.

Congrats on the score, a deserving survivor. If able to assist, simply holler.
The crease in the rear quarter appears to be the major bodily blemish and nearly ( except for the sports stripe) unmolested. That sports stripe is divine, particularly the run of black under the bonnet, sensational!
It's a ripper @Tassie6er.

Tassie6er

Thanks @jackafrica I'm pretty chuffed with it and yes the plates are original - even have the Bessant Motors Volvo numberplate frames - everything I've pull off it so far has been marked Volvo, right down to the alternator belts! And you're welcome to kick some tyres any Saturday!

bigal

They look like 5.5" wide steelies! Where'd ya score those!

What a beauty. Tacho, manual and fuel injection! Score.

Ex850R

Ripper!
Plans?

GingerNinja

Nice. More 240s around Hobart is always good. What are you going to do with it?

Tassie6er

In theory I'm going to enter it in Peking to Paris 2019....

At this stage, I'm just trying to get it roadworthy.

Anyhow, I've done the timing belt, water pump, front calipers, discs and pads, rear discs and pads, bleed brakes, air cleaner, oil change, oil filter, coolant change, new drop tray, thermostat, Wipers, replaced headlight and yes @bigal those are the ones from your wagon, now with a complete set of supercars including spare (I lashed out).

I also put in new alternator belts, replaced seat belts, mounted battery, checked the horn and got the brake lights working! Anyhow, the only thing I have problems with are the reverse gate lock out and a snapped centre support for the exhaust. Anyhow, I took it for a spin and it drives well - quite peppy - obviously a few extra horses will go well.

carnut1100

Niiiiiiice!

Tassie6er

Happily after a weekend of hard work - passed!

bigal

Congrats!

Big drive coming up this weekend?

volvodriverman

All hail sports biscuit!

Tassie6er

Thanks @volvodriverman - @bigal I'm off to Philip Island Historics next weekend, so I've got to get the race car ready!

GingerNinja

Woah woah woah, hang on........ race car?

Tassie6er

This one - not a Volvo but I kind of like it!!

Tassie6er

So, I took the Sports Biscuit for a drive today and ducked into the hardware store to find someone else had taken the wheel!

bigal

Haha I bet that made people take a 2nd look.

Major Ledfoot

Tassie6er;101173 wroteThis one - not a Volvo but I kind of like it!!

IIRC that's the Schnitzer 635 that Peewee Siddle imported in about 1985 to do Sandown and Bathurst.

Tassie6er

Well, a replica there of!

Tassie6er

So, I've been in Melbourne for a few days and while I was there took the opportunity to go to Jolly's You Pull It, Pick-A-Part and Imlachs. Between them they had a 1991 240 GLE, a 1979 244 DL and 2 1985 240 GL's so I managed to get just about everything I needed which included:
- A dash - my one is stuffed - the replacement is in better condition, but will need some repair.
- An instrument cluster - for some reason I've been cursed with the inaccurate temp gauge in this car and Bruce Lee.
- Front and rear sway bars and mounts from the 1991 GLE
- Replacement under dash felt for the drivers side
- Replacement washer bottle
- Front left wheel arch liner
- A tool roll
- A number of switches and so on.
Needless to say, I can't wait until Saturday to fit them!

Tassie6er

So I fitted the front sway bar, the inner guard and the instrument cluster, happily I also managed to fit a passenger side rear vision mirror!