Nice work! They've got a nice looking shnoz that model.
What's next?
What's next?
Welcome the Sports Biscuit
Well, I've got to get the tacho set properly and for some reason the idle is high.
Well done, doesn't look any different, except for the snazzy mirror. Doubtless the ride will be improved.
Looking more the buttered Sports Biscuit now.
Looking more the buttered Sports Biscuit now.
So in keeping with its 'shabby sheik' looks I fitted a period Recaro seat today. It took a little bit of fiddling round, but I had two passenger seat bases and between them I managed to bolt it in. It is slightly low at the rear, but next time I have a bit of time I'll adjust it.
I also fitted an under bonnet light. I didn't think much of these, but last night went out and opened the boot, to find they do spread a bit of light at night, so the front one has gone in. When I gave it a clean I realised it has a mercury switch - which I doubt you could get away with now days.
Anyhow, it works well and the thing I love about restoring cars is the little things - and this is one of them!
Next up was a test drive and happily the coolant gauge reads accurately - I've now got to adjust the tacho but at least it is all there.
I also fitted an under bonnet light. I didn't think much of these, but last night went out and opened the boot, to find they do spread a bit of light at night, so the front one has gone in. When I gave it a clean I realised it has a mercury switch - which I doubt you could get away with now days.
Anyhow, it works well and the thing I love about restoring cars is the little things - and this is one of them!
Next up was a test drive and happily the coolant gauge reads accurately - I've now got to adjust the tacho but at least it is all there.
Sports Biscuit, what a trimmer.
Love the spots of surface rust around the front screen and the leading edge of the bonnet.
Evidence of a driven life.
The Recaro is in a deserving spot for sure, though the passage of time hasn't been kind to the material.
Love the spots of surface rust around the front screen and the leading edge of the bonnet.
Evidence of a driven life.
The Recaro is in a deserving spot for sure, though the passage of time hasn't been kind to the material.
Yup, its seen a bit of the whether, but that is what I like about it!
2 months later
So I've put a set of Cibie Oscar Supers on the front of the Sports Biscuit and took it to the annual car show at Ross, lifted the bonnet as a bit of a joke, only to be surprised by the amount of people who were keen to have a look under the hood. So many people owned Volvo's or serviced them back in the day, that it attracted quite a lot of interest!!!
Recaro looks good, just needs a seat cover!
What's the tachometer doing to not read accurately? There isn't much to them so if it's not working Its more likely the signal.
High idle will be vacuum leaks from the multitude of hoses in the engine bay. Plus the fuel injector seals.
What's the tachometer doing to not read accurately? There isn't much to them so if it's not working Its more likely the signal.
High idle will be vacuum leaks from the multitude of hoses in the engine bay. Plus the fuel injector seals.
Happily tacho fixed and vacuum leaks sorted!!!
a month later
So I've added some driving lights to the Sports Biscuit!
Sweet! Funny on the rego document the colour options...beige, cream, fawn and tan. Splitting hairs there I'd say. Oh, and I think it's "shabby chic" unless you're thinking it's a dirty Arab leader (sheik) LOL!
Yup, my wife suggested it was beige - I responded I've never owned a beige car and never wood!
Is that a delightful play on words or did you mean "would"?Tassie6er;110930 wroteYup, my wife suggested it was beige - I responded I've never owned a beige car and never wood!
You could say that...
5 months later
So, it has been a while since I've given the sports biscuit a bit of work. So it all started with the dreaded heater fan dead disaster. Needless to say, it was a Saturday of a fairly easy weekend and given I had a spare motor, I went for it:
The only problem being, when I got the motor out, I realised the spare one I'd purchased many years ago on Gumtree, did not fit as it was out of a 740, so I was left with this:
Undaunted by the fact the interior resembled that of a car in a wrecking yard, I ordered the fan and decided to fit a set of Koni's and King's springs I had sitting in the shed:
I've replaced springs and struts in 240's before, but have always ended up removing the strut and then fitting the new ones, but this time I actually read my Bentleys and found you don't need to remove them completely, but can disconnect the strut at the top and then swing it out:
Given that I'd disassembled the interior and ripped out the suspension (all under the guise of waiting for parts....) it was only logical to me (perhaps not my wife) that while I was at it I would remove the intake manifold to decarbon it. My car has done about 375,000 and despite exterior appearances has been very well maintained, but I just couldn't get the idle right. Given the mileage, I am building a new motor for it, but in the meantime, thought I'd tidy up the intake. So I got the inlet manifold decarboned and while I was at it, fitted new (decent) injector seals as well as gave the air-plate unit a good clean:
I think our dog Ralph had the right idea:
And just to add to it all, I thought if I had gone this deep, it was also time to fit the stereo properly. My vehicle has never even had a radio fitted and so over time I've accumulated the bits to fit a period unit - including getting the head unit reconditioned and an aux in plug fitted.
Happily, since then the car has slowly come together. The heater fan now works! And thanks to @Angus242164 I've managed to get most of the heating unit vents to open and close when they should.
So here are a few pictures of the finished goods - the idle is now perfect and it doesn't get lumpy when it is hot, the heater fan works, suspension is great (as not only does it have new shocks and springs, but I've upgraded the sway bars with later model ones) and now the stereo looks as though it has been part of the car since new:
Anyhow, next steps are to fit a lsd I've had built for it, put in a M46 overdrive gearbox and finish the 2.3 B23E motor I'm building for it! Never a dull moment with the Sports Biscuit!
The only problem being, when I got the motor out, I realised the spare one I'd purchased many years ago on Gumtree, did not fit as it was out of a 740, so I was left with this:
Undaunted by the fact the interior resembled that of a car in a wrecking yard, I ordered the fan and decided to fit a set of Koni's and King's springs I had sitting in the shed:
I've replaced springs and struts in 240's before, but have always ended up removing the strut and then fitting the new ones, but this time I actually read my Bentleys and found you don't need to remove them completely, but can disconnect the strut at the top and then swing it out:
Given that I'd disassembled the interior and ripped out the suspension (all under the guise of waiting for parts....) it was only logical to me (perhaps not my wife) that while I was at it I would remove the intake manifold to decarbon it. My car has done about 375,000 and despite exterior appearances has been very well maintained, but I just couldn't get the idle right. Given the mileage, I am building a new motor for it, but in the meantime, thought I'd tidy up the intake. So I got the inlet manifold decarboned and while I was at it, fitted new (decent) injector seals as well as gave the air-plate unit a good clean:
I think our dog Ralph had the right idea:
And just to add to it all, I thought if I had gone this deep, it was also time to fit the stereo properly. My vehicle has never even had a radio fitted and so over time I've accumulated the bits to fit a period unit - including getting the head unit reconditioned and an aux in plug fitted.
Happily, since then the car has slowly come together. The heater fan now works! And thanks to @Angus242164 I've managed to get most of the heating unit vents to open and close when they should.
So here are a few pictures of the finished goods - the idle is now perfect and it doesn't get lumpy when it is hot, the heater fan works, suspension is great (as not only does it have new shocks and springs, but I've upgraded the sway bars with later model ones) and now the stereo looks as though it has been part of the car since new:
Anyhow, next steps are to fit a lsd I've had built for it, put in a M46 overdrive gearbox and finish the 2.3 B23E motor I'm building for it! Never a dull moment with the Sports Biscuit!
Looking good, and glad I was able to help out with the HVAC bits. I wish I had time to work on my own!
That engine has an ID plate on it that shows it was a Volvo change over reconditioned unit at some stage, so it's likely done much lower k's than the rest of the car, but a B23E should still wake it up a bit.
That engine has an ID plate on it that shows it was a Volvo change over reconditioned unit at some stage, so it's likely done much lower k's than the rest of the car, but a B23E should still wake it up a bit.
@Angus242164 - the things you learn - I haven't compression tested but there is a moderate amount of blowback through the system - not a lot when I pull the oil cap off and no smoke under load - so it seems a sound motor but as you say the B23E should give it a bit of go!
5 months later
Soooo, as some of you will know I have a race car, but it's not going so time to take the Sports Biscuit racing! I went to an MGCCT event at Baskerville to run a super sprint - 4 timed laps against vehicles that do a similar time. Anyhow, I was pretty consistent, if nothing else - running 1.18 to 1.19 for most of the day. For a relatively bog standard car, it is not a bad time out of the box. Car is running standard tune - uprated sway bars and koni's - but clearly the rear springs are too tall, with the rear end skipping constantly, while the inner wheel would spin up - so next up, lowered rear springs and time for the LSD to be fitted - while it will never be a race car, the good thing about track activity is you learn about set up and helps make for a great road car!
. I've got some in car footage - if I can work out how to post it, I will!
. I've got some in car footage - if I can work out how to post it, I will!
Sounds like fun. How often do they have these?
What size rear swaybar are you using?
Baskerville is fairly small with some tight corners, you could opt for a smaller rear bar and make some improvements on corner exit.
Baskerville is fairly small with some tight corners, you could opt for a smaller rear bar and make some improvements on corner exit.