It's really peoples minds that are disposible. People don't want to drive the same car from the cradle to the grave anymore. Even in sweden it's been a long time since you regularly saw these in traffic even though they used to be around 50% of all cars 30 years ago.Today you see more alfa 156's which I know is newer but also a very much lower seller.
I love my 240 estate. I bought it in 2007 with the intention of driving it round the Nurburgring, which we did in 2010, then on to Stockholm when the car was 16 years old. It didn’t miss a beat and a few years later I used it as my wedding transport. Fabulous no nonsense engineering with character and soul.
They are probably one of very few brands and models, that are capable of being passed down through a family. Most other cars will have ended up in the scrapyard or become uneconomical to repair.
Sounds like you brought a gem there. A guy I know had a 2008 estate an when your in it, it’s like driving on air. So smooth and comfortable. Brilliant motors!
I bought my first Volvo 240 in 1975; the other one in 1983, both sedans. I still got them and now they are both classic. During all these years they have served me well, never caused me any problems, always ready for a cruise throught town.
They never caused you any problems, really? Be honest. How many parts have you replaced? How many times has the engine failed to start? How many times has it left you stranded on the side of the road? Every Volvo owner I know has had some type of problem with their car, including my parents, who had a 1978 244 DL. As a child, I remember how often that car broke down and the number of times it was in the shop for repair.
Yes agreed. A style that if it were described to you, it would instantly put you off. However when you see these cars in the flesh they look incredible!
A very elegant design. Even today, people turn to see my 740. It doesn't have the exaggerated royalty of Rolls Royce. It has a sober and elegant royalty.
The Volvo 240 is definitely the best car I've ever had. I have 2 in the past, and had there after a VW Golf 1.8 MK2 but I got to miss driving the Volvo 240. So now I bought a really nice well-maintained 240 GL from 1990. And I'm very happy about it. It runs great, has great visibility on all sides and very comfortable, It is very reliable and cheap to repair because everything is easy to get to and it is easy to get spare parts. In addition, it is also much nicer than the new cars you can buy today. Modern cars usually have lousy rear views. However, many have a rear camera. But that's an extra thing that can break. That's why I love my Volvo. And it will follow me for many, many years
Replacing the interior fan blower motor requires dismantling the entire dashboard and most of its components. The 240 was practically built around the blower motor.
I have to replace the obviously noisey buggered fan motor in my 240 and I'm not looking forward to it. But there are several good RU-vid videos and when it's done it should last the life of the car. The first step is remove the front seats, OMG. I am approaching it as an exercise which I don't have deadlines for. The car is not my daily driver so I will have time to contemplate, think and appreciate the famous Volvo engineering.
@Greg Bloomfield I ran mine without the blower for three years, I had a new one in a box but allways put up the gruesom switch, and this is in Sweden up by the Finnish border where it often is -30 C some days of the winter. BUT, I installed Swedens last pair of scoopes for the air intake to the heater, and could get a deasent airflow above 70km/h, below that I had to open a window not to fog it up! ;) In the early 80ths I helped my father changing the heater element on his 240, the first switch took us 12 hours as we didn't know exactly how to do it, he tried to solder the leak.... and the next took us 6 hours.... The third and final, when he gave up and bought a new element took us 3 hours as we by then where professionals doing it! But the contorsion to reach under the dashboard and get the large heaterbox out on the passenger side was such a trauma that I never wanted to do it on my last 240! The 740 needs a couple of bolts and removing the glove compartment to change the fan motor in front of it. And yes, when bulding a 240, Volvo took the fan motor and buildt the car around it!
If you ever needed a definition for a car being built like a tank, it should be this! I remember my dad use to have these as a demonstrator when he worked for Volvo back in the 80s and 90s. I even thought they looked old fashioned back then but they had a charm about them that the newer models lost.
The DL wasn't the bottom of the range for the 240 in the UK. During the '80s there was a model below the DL, called just the 240. It was very basic, while the DL, by that time, came with central locking and a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard equipment, the basic car only came with a 4-speed manual as standard, no central locking and, I believe, no power steering as standard. While I was at secondary school during that time, a friend's mum had one in white as she needed a large car that was only going to be used over short distances. The thing that struck me most about it was how loud the clicking of the seat belt warning lights was. The interior was also incredibly blue. Having had a 244 without power steering, I can say that they are fairly heavy on the steering but certainly not unmanageable... There was also the 240PS (police special) which was basically a GLT, but came with steel wheels, GL-spec velour front seats and a vinyl rear bench seat. It does rather seem that they also had a power boost courtesy of TWR, as they were definitely quicker than any production model 240, probably including the Turbo, a car that was never sold in the UK... The run-out model Torslanda special edition was actually a more basic variant than the DL that it replaced. By that time, the DL came with electric front windows, while the Torslanda only had manual windows all round as standard equipment. The Torslanda, however, did get the rather lovely cross-spoke alloys and black roof rails as standard, plus additional black body styling graphics over the standard car. The 240SE of that period was the higher spec in terms of interior and gadgetry, but only came with steel wheels and wheel trims as standard... Air conditioning was listed in the brochure as an available option on UK-market 240s, but it wasn't actually a factory option. The UK option for air conditioning was fitted by a company that made air conditioning kits for various vehicles, I believe the same people that made the kits for Land-Rover 90s and 110s. The air conditioning would have been fitted at their premises before the car was delivered to the dealer., though I don't know if any were actually sold with the option in period as it was an expensive option, well over £1,000. I did hear a rumour that one of Volvo UKs press fleet GLT estates had it, but I think the rumour is wrong as none of the tests the car was used for mention it or show it fitted. There is also supposed to be a GLE estate around that had it, but again there is no proof to back it up. The problem was that the factory air conditioning equipment went where the steering column and pedals needed to be on right-hand drive vehicles, which was similar to the issue that Mercedes-Benz had with the turbo-diesel W123 and W124 300 models, where the turbo occupied the space where the steering column needed to run, so we never got that model from the factory, though apparently a couple of the period turbo conversion companies did make a conversion for those cars that worked...
This takes me back. My dad had one when I passed my test in 1995 so one of these (manual 4 speed with overdrive) was my first car. Gotta say, pretty excellent first car! Learned a lot from that car, plus it was no slouch. Happy Times.
A couple I know from church have one of these, albeit in estate form. They bought it brand new in the late 80s and still use it as their everyday car. It's been garaged and loved all it's life, has over 200k on the clock, not one spot of rust, and has only ever needed servicing and the odd repair. The most dependable and capable car you could ever have. Old Volvo's never die, ever. Buy one and it's yours for life if you take care of it. Great review of a great car.
My family has been driving Volvos for 30 yrs. I have owned dozens of 200s, 700s, 900s, XC70s over that span. The 200 series is still my favorite and the first car I drove. I love the most about it, is not for it's safety but durability and ease of repairs. I have bought many poor neglected ones for couple bucks, Brought them home, evaluated, then would pull the parts needed to rehab them. I would drive it for a while until I found another rescue and would sell A previous restoration to friend or family member on the waiting list. Out of all my previous and current ones, my all time (and always will be) favorite car was my (RIP) `88 244GL; B230 with A cam. M46, metallic charcoal with originally tan leather interior completely converted to proper GL black leather and panels. OE Volvo guages: oil temp in F with correct oil pan sender, oil pressure, voltmeter, outside ambient temperature in F with correct sensor. Center armrest cupholders, power mirrors with OE wiring harness, switches and console. Power sunroof. Fog lamps. I had EVERY option listed in Volvo's 1983 accessory catalog which I still have. That one would make this one look like a DL. Sadly an old biddy made left turn into her rear quarter and totaled her. Current fleet of Volvos I own not including my family's. Another '88 244GL 187K '87 744TI+ M46 234K '89 745TI+ M46 165K '01 XC70 268K '01 XC70 245K
One year on family vacation the airport car rental place said we could upgrade for free to basically anything else they had available on the lot, including their top end Lincoln Town Car. I picked the Volvo 240, because this was 1992 and ten year old me knew that this was a chance to experience a living legend. My sister resented me for making her look like a dork on vacation, my father hated the huge rear headrests and the RWD made my mother nervous (especially when we drove over the Sunshine Skyway Bride in a Florida rainstorm), but I certainly enjoyed it.
My God I remember these . My father was a country Veterinary Surgeon . He had two 240deluxe one after the other.Did big yearly mileage and both cars were very reliable if not much ,if any, fun to drive. Come October winter tyres went on and these old buses got him everywhere . He would never have a Land Rover as he said they were so uncomfortable, cold and slow !
one of my favourite cars of all time. I was given a 240 DL estate in the mid 90s. It stank of wet Spaniels, but it was adorable to drive. The 240 was a car that you wanted to take on a proper road trip. Fuzz Townsnend when he was a proper journalist reckoned you could get 40 mpg. I couldn't. Excellent video as always
Volvo - “boxy but there are good “ , bought mine new in 89 , wouldn’t part with it. We toured Europe pulling a 4.5 m caravan. I plan to take it back to the factory in Gothenburg and up to the North Cape next year. Apart from servicing items all it’s needed is a radiator.
Old school Volvos are boxy but they're good. That was the line from the funny movie with Dudley Moore (forgot the name of it). The p2 era changed Volvos into the strong-shoulder look. Now we have the Thor's hammer era.
My dad progressed to a Volvo 245GLT Estate when he got promoted at work , when we were kids . It had a certain smell to it , but I loved it . Any excuse to go for a ride in it with my parents I took it . When I turned 16 my mum would let me drive it around the car park at her place of work , it was such a easy car to drive . I'd love one now I'm in my fourties , unfortunately the wife hates them . But I'd love to have one for a weekend just to relive child hood memories again.
That’s my childhood right there! My folks had a Y Reg GLT... it even got blindsided by a Astra at traffic-lights... Astra was a total right off. Volvo soldiered on for another 10 years! Awesome motor!
My dad and my uncle both had 240 estates - we had a GL, my uncle a GLT. Both tremendous cars. Built like tanks, and very comfy. We ended up keeping ours for 14 years - and it was still immaculate when it was traded in for a V40. Great, over engineered and impeccable cars. No car maker today would be able to make an even remotely affordable car as well as these old 240s.
My brother-in-law had an early 80's 240DL. One day he was tailgaiting a large Pontiac land yacht while towing a large and heavy fiberglas boat. He rear-ended the Pointiac and "totaled" it while the boat jumped off the trailer behind him while still attached to the post and winch and landed on the trunk. The only damage to the Volvo was a scratch on the trunk. Built like a bank vault!
I have to say I absolutely love these old Volvos, Honestly ok they are quite square but to me I think Square gives you more space in volume. Hubnut also would love this car simply because it has Headlight washers. Of course with these Volvos They are the sort of car you can crash And still drive home in it with proberly a broken headlight and a few scratches. Good luck to the other car what ever it maybe it will be totalled against one of these. Finally Dont see all that many 240 saloons around now more likely to see an estate. And I have been in one a few years back when I got a lift off of a Friends dad and in all honesty i am surprised you do not need a special licence to drive one. The space in that estate you could proberly fit your house in it. What a Great video. Really enjoyed this one 👍
Unfortunately Ian isn't a huge fan of the 240 or the 740. He did quite like the Amazon though iirc. I on the other hand love them. I have an '82 DL (and yes, she's big, slow and ponderous, but I'm no boy racer so she suits me lol). They are surprisingly easy to drive, very well made and hold up well against tin worm but sadly it's banger racing that finished off most of them - they were so popular due to their size and strength that some meets banned them or made them compete in their own class. Values are now finally rising so good solid cars at least should be safer from a date with the dirt oval.
I've been lucky to have owned a 740 turbo estate, a Merc w123, a Saab 900 and a Honda Legend. I love proper, well-engineered old smokers. Just need a 240 to complete my bucket list now.
The 240 was one of the best cars build ever. I had two of them and loved them. Great cruisers on trips from Denmark to Spain. Now I'm on a Saab 9-3 from 2000, great car too
I'm probably gonna buy a Volvo 480. That thing is so 80s that I can't even begin to fathom. Pop up headlights... :) I already have an S60 D5 from 2003, and that thing is pretty large. I'm thinking of getting a smaller one, but an older one, as well, so 480 fits the plan. :)
@@furiousdriving Of course you love the Volvo. Volvo is, for anyone, like Steve Jobs' reality distortion field. When you enter in a Volvo, you'll not want to drive another car. Ever
I absolutely love my 240. It's one of those sort of cars that I didn't get until I bought one for myself, and then ended up wishing i'd gotten into one much sooner. I've had a few examples now along with a modified 740 Turbo which was a riot.
My Dad owned an 84 240GL. The only time I got to drive it was picking him up from the pub 😂 I remember huge thick doors, and it feeling slow and heavy, but was roomy and comfy
You wouldn't be seen dead in a Volvo 240 because you could just walkaway after crashing one. Volvo upped their game with the 850. You just can't kill them.
The 240 GLT Estate was one of the best cars I have ever owned. Solid, handsome, reliable, timeless, classless and classy. Why did they ever stop making these? Twenty five years later I bought an S60 SE.... Not very impressed, and certainly not as solid inside.
Had a 360 Glt. When you blipped the throttle the whole car rocked from side to side. Cracking car. Built like a tank and shifted too. Leaf spring suspension at the back.
I've had four volvos in my time one 145 three 245 and I loved them, now here's something you might be interested in I took the propshaft of one 245 and cut the uneversal joint off at the gearbox, then I got a gearbox from a hillman hunter with overdrive, welded the u joint back on then got a gear stick from a triamph stag with the overdrive button on the top, run the wire down to the overdrive so I now had a car with 4 gears plus overdrive on third and fourth, and I didn't have to press the clutch because it did it automatically baught it for 250 quid and sold it for 850.😂😂😂
Great Review... a joy to watch! I love the Volvo flying bricks.. I owned one in 1993 that had 300,000 miles on it and despite burning a bit of oil was fine.. I truly regret selling that car. Poor fuel economy is the only downside to these that I can think of.
It's a doddle to work on unless you're disconnecting the engine from the gearbox in situ. You have to bend a spanner if you're doing that. Just for one bolt if I remember correctly. You CAN throw them through corners by the way. It needs a little finesse but it's possible.
@@furiousdriving Nope they don't feel like they want to. You just have to trust the car. Put it into the turn and it'll surprise you. I usually drive mine slow through the turns, but every now and then I want to have some fun and I can tear up the backroads. They have a ton of body roll, but only to a certain amount. The amount of body roll you get in a slight turn is the same as you get in a sharp turn. After the initial lean they hug the road. It took me about a year to get used to, but now I know how it performs and it doesn't scare me anymore.
When you look at what Volvo pushes onto the unsuspecting public today it is no wonder they have lost their credibility. This is such a great car. I suppose we were sick of seeing them at the time but we miss them now. Visibility, headroom, quality, solid build and safety too. Completely agree about the 90's. Thanks for the review. Cheers.
I have lost count of the number of times I watch this particular video. I love the GLT and the alloy wheels are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Thank you for letting me see this wonderful car
I remember my father’s friends 76 240 first battery from new lasted 8 years in mild west of Ireland, unheard of then when battery’s 2 to 4 years max life then. Every thing about 2 series Volvo’s were over engineered.
I had two of these, a DL, D 650 RAW and GL, G 23 ADX, and the second one stayed with me till it was 21 years old. I wish I still had ADX. Best car I ever had, though my 04 Mini One is also rather good. Bought it for £400 which is crazy, because it is mechanically perfect as a car with 130,000 miles can be. It passed the MOT last month with one advisory for surface rust on the rear sub-frame. My 21 year old Volvo had no rust anywhere, and the underside was still clean and bright at 120,000 miles. I sold it for scrap value of £160. The new owner parked it outside their house and never used it. The car was stolen and used for a ram-raid, and burned out. Such a sad end for such a brilliant car. As I said, I wish I had kept in. During my eleven years ownership, it cost me one bill to re-bush the back axle. £167 including VAT apart from the annual MOT and brake pads. She used two lean on corners, but you soon adapted to the weight. In fact it could be hustled in extremis, but it did not tempt that sought of driving. Best car ever made in my humble opinion, even if the Mini One is a safer handling machine ... Great video. Thanks from George
I Had a 240 GLE and it was terrific, It was big, comfortable and solid! Mine was an auto and it surprisingly quick! I loved it. When that one went I had a 740 for a few years. I still love the marque to this day. Sadly not owned one for several years now.
Brilliant! Always had a real soft spot for these. Having spent some of my childhood in an H-reg Estate in the mid 90s traveling through France, I thought they were and are awesome. They seemed to be classy and also classless at the same time. They appealed to such a broad spectrum of society that there were no stereotype owners as such.
I had a 240 GL estate back in the 90s and I lusted after a GLT but couldn't afford the higher insurance at the time. One of my favourite cars. Old Volvos and old Rovers. Heaven!
Dude we LOVE your channel. We just got a 1993 volvo 240 with 157 k miles. Super black. Just learning the 1993 era Automatic , Overdrive is a trip. We live in Del rey California near 405 freeway hills. We play at jam nights and carry music equipment sometimes. Need some juice to keep up with the 405 late night autobahn. Ha Ha.
This might be a bit of a stretch,but this Volvo makes me think of it as a Swedish Humber,large,not particularly fast,yet roomy and ever so comfortable.I've never owned a Volvo but after watching this I wouldn't say no to one.A really nice car.
Definitely a car built to last for the times and when Volvo promoted safety. My parents had a 1983 4 door Diesel assembled in Halifax Nova Scotia and kept it for 16 years with no major problems other than a temperamental power antenna. A strange mix of luxury appointments such as heated front seats, power windows, locks, antenna, trunk release, A/C but mated with a manual gearbox and manual crank sunroof and manual side mirrors. Had approximately 87 hp and was never driven in the winter. Alloy wheels similar to the GLE version. A great car.
I have a 740 and it´s so comfortable to drive! Even if i was removing panels to do some electric repairs in the interior and then i put the screws not wll fixed, because of it's marvellous suspension it will not make any noise at all. you can have several loose or not well adjusted parts and you will not notice it when driving. News: I can start my 740 with my cellphone! App + bluetooth + Arduino + relay module
I owned a 1984 240DL auto between 1988 and 1991. It never missed a beat. It remains one of my absolute favourite cars that I have owned. In DL auto form, acceleration was indeed negligible, but once up to speed, it was an excellent cruiser and relaxed with that overdrive 4th gear. I'd love another, especially a GLT!
Lovely review of an iconic motorcar. Highway milage should be about 35 mpg on a long run. That example is just nicely broken in. My 90 wagon is at 400,000 miles, and still no creaks and rattles. Air conditioning and cruise control were both dealer installed options, so can be added. One reason for the handling is the Panhard Rod on the back axle. Stiffer antiroll bars are available along with many other upgrades. Anyone buying a 240 has to remember that the Estate used many different parts, starting with the tyres.
@@Landie_Man Thanks for the correction....except he said "cloudy" not "rainy". So the song you refer to might have been the one Matt *meant*...but it wasn't the one he said. Either one works in the context.
@@Landie_Man From now on, each time this tune comes on, it's going to remind me of a silver Volvo 240 GLT, thanks to this video. Some tunes do remind me of certain cars. I don't really know why. Am I mad or what?
I used to see so many of these; ridden in a few in my lifetime, impressive, solid car. Wouldn't mind getting one. The SUV crowd would never appreciate something like these older Volvos.
I had one of these in college - mine was a manual 4-speed with electric overdrive. With snow tires and sandbags in the back, it was unstoppable even in more than a foot of snow....
Lovely vid! Here in Finland even the 240's are getting rarer and a good one might cost many thousands of euros, but yes if you see a car that's still is on daily drive and is almost 30 years old, it's a Volvo.
Awesome looking car! I remember when Volvo cars looked like this. At the time, I didn't find the 240 series very attractive. At the time, I found the Volvo 740 series more attractive. Nevertheless, I find them both more attractive than what's being sold today, even by Volvo.
Funny after 3 240 series, 1975, 1981 and 1983 and a 93 850 I've ended up again with Volvo - 2017 S60 T6 R design drive E and I LOVE IT! Easily the most fun car I've ever had and probably the safest.
When i was a teenager in the late eighties my dad had a silver GLT. I absolutely despised it. Every element of the fun of driving was missing. He replaced it with an Audi 100 2.2E on BBS RS alloys and all was forgiven.
'90's the BEST decade EVER?? ..... #OOPS! ...... #FAIL! ;-) Loved the Volvo's, had half a dozen, all 7 - seaters .... Sooooo reliable, comfortable and faster than the Volvo-Trolls could possibly imagine. Holidays always a breeze with ALL the suitcases strapped to the roof and 7 kids crammed into the inside and no problem with the handling either :-) Had to give up on Volvo's when in the 90's they STOPPED all other Motor Factors stocking Volvo parts and our Local parts department would NEVER answer the phone, you HAD to go there, wait in a long line to get served, only to find they hadn't got it ...... AARRGGHH!!!!!!! :-(
I bought one of these for £200..it was sat in a stables covered in hay and horse crap..i cleaned it up and she lasted a decade for me without issues...super cars.
Oh Mr Richardson! Must you continue to tempt me with your nostalgic classic car videos? This one is particularly difficult as my mother owned a 1989 Volvo 240 GL Estate (with a catalytic converter) from 1990 to 2001, so I know these cars very, very well indeed. The GLT was always a bit out of reach....
Available only til '85 in U.S. The chassis was still punched for it til '93. You can retrofit it. Diesels had it on passenger side. You can move ECU to fit if you can find correct vet/ cover.
I had a 145 seven seater for 14 years whilst the children grew up. Cost $5000 Au. 2 litre, manual, , twin strombergs. When she got up up to 100klm an hour , that is when it started to take off. I let the comments roll off my back driving a Volvo. Safest car I have ever owned. Sold for $2,500 after over 300,000 miles. Still going strong. Safety Yellow. Lol. Having 4 wheel disc brakes and precise steering and just the feeling of solidarity gave one confidence .
I am driving the next Bertone Volvo, the 780. I was never into Volvos but it is a rare car and one was on sale in my town. They are cheap nowadays in the US. The 2.3 L turbo is thirsty (21 mpg) but the car is rattle free and worry free at 250 000 miles.
It's fun to see Volvo 240 outside Sweden. The export models seem to have all the goodies. In Sweden they mostly were low spec, ordinary peoples cars'. Even state companies and authorites (telecom, police, armed forces) had them as service vehicles. It was a common post car on rural routes. If I remember correctly the last postal service 240 retired in 2010, after 17 years of hard work. My Volvo 240 was a service vehicle for the telecom monopoly and after various deregulations subcontractors for 22 years before I bought it. It's thus not a chic car as it may be abroad and you'll mostly find them as daily drivers on the country side. I still stumble over them almost daily.
"This car won't notice whatever it hits" True, ask motorcylists from the seventies. Many of whom got mangled by one of these. I like the car though. And, yes, I rode a bike. Good oine as usual. Don't know why I missed this earlier? Oh well, all caught up now.
I had the estate version brilliant car, I ran a gardening business at the time and I wanted at van and a car the Volvo suited beautifuly car took some hammering from me and just Kept going
I have had 4 Volvo's! A 265gle estate, that drank oil and petrol! A 960 24v that ate it's cam belt and subsequently its engine. Another 960 that I loathed, and finally a 740 estate that I liked until it's ECU packed in leaving me stranded!! Why did I bother! I bought a Granada and never looked back!!! You have to laugh 😉
Also the bread crumbs that fell out from under the drivers seat at the foam support was breaking up.Those huge headlights did'nt give out much light either
Wow! I used to have one of these, I bought it for £250, spent £150 on brake flush, oil, water and filters change then sold it on for £900. I loved the car, it was like driving an arm chair on wheels but the fuel economy was diabolical. Not matter how carefully I drove I never got more than maybe 22MPG, I suspect that was down to the underpowered 2.0 engine which was carbed not injected. Mine was a manual not an auto, I hate to think what MPG an auto returns.
GLT had 2.3 l engine with Initially 140hp and was dialed down to 138 - nice black trim it still has nice lines..I can guarantee much fun had with a manual gearbox. AC was an option that Volvo Concessionaires delayed.
My mum got fed up with her's drinking petrol like a drunken sailor so had a Nissan diesel engine with a manual gearbox swapped in. Turned a lovely driver into an agricultural tractor that couldn't be driven for more than 20 mins before your head would explode. My mum has always been mad. Love her though.
furiousdriving You absolutely sure? My 1989 does, but the bulbs tend to go and it has to be dark for you to be able to see the lights as well. I've fitted LEDs now.
I live in Victoria Australia, I have a 1983 240 GL with 140000 k, this car has factory air conditioning and cruise control. The engine is a B 23E and trans AW70. Car drives and feels as you describe. Cheers!
