Man, that thing is gold. Parts are pretty cheap and available. Finding such a clean car in the rust belt is impossible. It deserves some TLC. I'd budget $1k and bring it back up to spec. It's a pity that nobody at TFL can use a wrench.
Absolutely. I'm glad someone said it. These types of vehicles aren't something one should go purchase unless a) they know and can do the work themselves; or b) one knows a skilled mechanic who knows and appreciates the vehicle. Otherwise, yeah it'll be a headache.
@@eschuler6503man a Volvo 240 sedan is my daily driver, I rely on it, and I’ve been able to get by mostly with the help of RUclips. I’ve been able to do a lot of the work on the car, and anything I myself CANT do, local mechanics work on it for very cheap. If you had the tools and space you’d be all set, but these are really easy for non mechanics to own too. I love it.
Some notes: - Check and replace the PCV breather box for clogged material. That will cause extra pressure in the crank case and blow all of the seals. There is a flame trap too that needs to be cleaned/replaced. - The exhaust "dent" under the axle comes like that - I have heard many times the cat comes apart and clogs reducing power. Check the engine health with a compression test and see how it is. I'd bet it is fine. - All of the odometer gears go - The waterpump and timing belt could be done at the same time, the engine is non-interference and will not break if the timing belt goes. - Do those PS bellows when the tie rods get done, racks are really hard to find now and its just such an easy fix while you are in there. - Pretty much none of those oil leaks are serious IMO, check the fluids and send it. My 240 has more serious leaks in all honesty. - The front struts can be gone and you wouldn't know, they tend to ride well even if the struts are gone but it does feel better if they get replaced. - The gauges are not missing, just the plastic covers. Dealer options existed for gauge packages. Be happy this thing has no rust, it excites me just looking at it. It is damn near impossible to find a rust free car in New England.
@@shitloveaduck Facts. Otherwise it'll cost about the same as a new vehicle :D When dude said what the brake job would cost I'm just like LOL! Maybe about right if all four rotors are getting replaced (or did it have drums in the rear?), but otherwise it'd cost me a fraction of that under the shade tree... Not only that, but some of these guys are getting pretty shady now. My dad was told that his C30 needed a 'ballast' to fix one of the headlights which would cost ~$800, but we got a replacement led light on amazon and that solved the problem for less than $50.
@@Grey-Troll - You are so right. I do almost everything myself. After almost 60 restorations or custom builds, I can do an awful lot myself. Welding rust and bodywork in general is not my best skill,,, haha, but can’t do it ALL!! All the builds were for myself. I don’t do other peoples vehicles. I help a lot of family and friends. It’s a two way street. I have always had a lift or two someone can access at the ranch and now my hobby shops. I actually have 8 x 4 post lifts now. All for parking and not really for much else. I personally prefer my 2 post lift I use myself. If family or friends come over I do have on 4 post lift with the accessories to be able to jack up the front and rear to do all 4 tires or some suspension work. It can be a bother for access though. I’m spoiled I guess. I find I forget how lucky I am in some of my comments and say people could do work that isn’t so easy, like R&R a transmission or the like. A few hours for me to do, especially with my trucks. It’s all 1991 and older except for two F150 Lightnings, a 2002 and a 2004. Had a 2022, but it just wasn’t for me. Nothing wrong with it, I just didn’t like it overall. I sold it to a friend for my costs basically. Not into flipping for profit with new vehicles like that currently. Now if it’s one of my classics,,,,,,, haha. I have a 1981 Vette I built as my high school/college dream car, that I will NEVER get my $$$ back on, hahaha. I am keeping that one though. It’s kinda higher mileage with about 100,000 miles, but you would think it was on the showroom floor as it sits now. I got carried away with a refresh that turned into a restoration. If you’ve built your own vehicles or have friends that do, you understand. There always one that gets away on ya!! Heh heh. Brakes are bread and butter for shops like Toby. He is honest, but the shop rates are huge now!!! When I do my own, I get the rotors, because, why not?? The cost isn’t exorbitant and you generally are putting better than stock parts in anyways. Helped my nephews who both have 4Runners and the Catalytic converters went bad in them. There’s 4!! Two are integral to the exhaust manifolds. Toyota quoted $7,000 basically for the job with Toyota parts!!! We did them for a little over $2,000 each truck. Ridiculous!! There’s a lot of labour mind you. If I could save each of them $5K, why not? I had the time. They learned a lot, as they generally do when we hang out. It’s what Uncles are for!! Kinda.
@@fastinradfordable - Hahaha!! 9 actually. 8 to store my classic cars & trucks double height and a 2 post for active work I’m doing. I bought land in the 70s & 80s when I was pretty young and when I sold it about 3 years ago did very well. I paid for it physically as it was a ranch/farm of 8800 acres, & feedlot for 25,000 head of cattle. It’s a hobby that generally doesn’t cost me $$ when I treat the vehicles as assets. If I don’t, it’s a very expensive hobby!! Heh heh. I get the friends thing a lot!! Haha, but I have a very tight circle of friends already,,,, I’ll let you know if there’s an opening!! Heh heh.
Flame trap, flame trap, flame trap. Do the flame trap. Timing belt and water pump, do the front seals as well. Non interference engine. Did all this to my 85 during lockdown. If I can do it, anyone can do it.
Toby is FANTASTIC! Wonderful to listen to him. You have NO IDEA what a wonderful car that 240 is! NO IDEA. I've owned probably 25 and I prefer the wagon, but they will outlast anything you have now. They are so simple, reliable and DEAD DURABLE! I can't imagine life without a 240 in my fleet. At present, I have 5, 4 wagons and one sedan. You should take the time to learn to turn some wrenches and bring that sweet heart back to all her glory. It's not that far off, and your assessment of it being "worse than you thought" is a gigantic mistake and just a lack of experience. Those things are getting so hard to find now and I daily them constantly. I typically only own Toyotas as 240s. I know the 240 like no other car and they continue to excite me for their pure flawless design and incredible durability. You can do EVERYTHING you mentioned was "wrong" by yourself with simple hand tools. It's the VW of Sweden. Thanks Toby. First time seeing him and I was so IMPRESSED with him. He's REALLY good and just such a nice guy. I'd love to have him around all the time. Thanks guys. Don't give up on the 240!!
I would bet that if you pull the plugs out of it they are probably eroded to a huge gap. That and the fuel filter would be on top of my list of things to change that might help it actually make close to it's original power.
This is an absolute real life scenario, i mean most of the beaters i had cost about the same to buy and to patch up to drive around, so kudos for the great video! Awesome car btw, an old, simple, honest machine, i like that flavour too👋
Fyi TFL, you need to look at the oil separator on this. If that clogs, you’ll start leaking from everywhere and blow seals out… literally. It’s a common pitfall. Luckily not hard to fix.
Awesome inspection and video! Been following this (along with many other TFL cars/builds) for fun and it was entertaining to see the what the car really was 😂 keep doing these!
For power loss: check the airbox thermostat. It will pipe hot air into the intake and lean out the engine. Could also be a vacuum leak, MAF/MAP, or O2 sensor, or timing belt is on the way out and has skipped a tooth. It should have more power (though not gobs more... you'll struggle in the mountains).
I've owned a bunch of these over the years. Unless that exhaust is completely clogged, the engine being that down on power means it's probably missing compression on one or more cylinders. Curious if it's using oil. These cars are fairly heavy and are hard on suspension and brakes. Guessing up front you'll need at minimum control arm bushings and possibly ball joints. On the plus side, the B230F is a non-interference engine, so if the timing belt breaks, it just stops. Personally, I'd do the pads and rotors all around plus fluid flush and pray you don't have a bad caliper. Seems anywhere that uses salt, I've ended up replacing calipers every single time. That front left wheel sure sounded like it was dragging. You mentioned gauges in the interior, but that missing panel is just blank on the basic cars. You could get a clock in there on the older ones, or on the turbos, that's where the boost gauge went. Good luck with it--but that thing being so far down on power, I'd worry about that motor. Compression test that bad boy.
The bushings under my 1990 are all original and no sign of them perishing. My outer tie rod ends were done once 5 years ago. The ball joints were done 10 and 15 years ago, one at each time. Front struts were done once about 25 years ago. Shocks out back have been done 3 times. My experience is that the calipers need doing about every 150,000 miles. The calipers are not floating. The fronts are 4 piston dual circuit units made by Girling most often. Rear calipers are dual piston made by Girling. To put that into perspective, Arthur was bought new by my mother. She took delivery of him on January 17, 1990. He is now sitting at what we are guessing to be 619,000 kilometers.
This inspection turned out better than I expected. Front outer tie rod ends, brake pads all around, 1 rotor, maybe a right front caliper, a water pump, and probably a timing belt while your in there and a cheap catalyst and muffler. So for around $2,000 to $2,500 all in you have a reasonably safe daily driver. Maybe if you have any money left over, reseal the leaks on the transmission and replace the missing bits on the dash.
I would start with the check engine light? The 2 series got a self diagnostic socket starting in 1989 on the drivers side strut tower.All 89 thru 93 240s have this and they are all in the same location.
Seeing you guys get all these old 80/90s cars make me regret selling my 86 Buick Century T Type. It was an absolute beast! I live in LA so altitude isn’t an issue but I drove it from LA to Yosemite and back and it was a cruise missile! All original. Carving up the mountains and doing 100+ mph”down hill” on the grapevine even tho the speedometer stopped at 85ish.
I own two of these (a 1990 and a 1992). They are built to last if given just the basics. A little more of an investment, and you could have a car that would really take care of you. This one looks quite rust-free, which is the usual source of their demise. Their engines will just go and go and go....
Take a look at the flap inside the air filter housing, if you are not subjected to very cold temperatures get rid of the heater pipe off the exhaust manifold. That flap tends to stick in the open position due to a failed temperature sensor attached to the flap and this allows all that hot air into the intake. It tends to degrade performance and sometimes in hotter weather the engine will stall as it affects the MAF. Remove that flap and plug the hole were that pipe attaches to the lower part of the air box. Another thought is to remove the engine driven radiator fan and shroud replacing them with an electric fan, cuts down noise, reduces water pump load, helps the engine respond better to throttle input and also gives more room as well. Also the engine warms up faster. I did that to every 240 and 740 that had those belt driven fans. In a very hot climate one might consider keeping it but for most situations, especially colder weather it does really help. Volvo finally introduced electric fans on the 1993 940 series thankfully.
Just needs a good service, if you buy the parts and do the work yourself, the whole lot can be done for less than $300. The exhaust will be extra. I have had Volvos for years and that one is WAY down on power. Check the timing, plugs etc, they run forever if they are serviced regularly.
@@bobjohnson1587 in getting a Volvo 850T back to operational, it's a bummer how few mechanics want to mess with them. Peculiar, niche cars just aren't what makes the average shop money, so they aren't going to waste time learning about them.
@@bobjohnson1587 same. Such a mechanic has gotta be a little weird...not to mention well-compensated. With the major stuff done (timing, PCV, steering rack), I plan to do most of the future work myself...seems to be the only way to keep old Volvos on the road.
@0:35 If you bought a 240 with grandpa transmission, automatic and the venerable 116 horsepower version that is already borderline underpowered, no wonder the car struggles, considering the engine doesn't even have all its horses. 🤔
@@palebeachbum I remember it was an inline 4 cylinder without the turbo. Cant remember the actual displacement but it might have been the 2.3. By the time I had the car it was over 20 years old though and had lost quite a few ponies.
Anything bolted in are an easy fix. As for the engine, as long it is not burning oil, then leaks, worn valves and bad head gasket are easy fix. The most important are the body panels condition, less rust holes as much as possible, because body repair is much more difficult than most of the mechanical repairs.
I could tell by the way, he's talking that he doesn't know much. If at all about the Volvo 240, all Volvo 240s with a four-cylinder red block engine are non-interference. If that timing belt snaps it will be fine. You just need a new timing belt re-time the engine and you're done Volvo 240s to my knowledge never had side post batteries. Someone must have converted that to a side post because never heard of a Volvo 240 with a side post battery to my knowledge (there's any other Volvo 240 enthusiasts in the comments and know that Volvo 240s in the later years did have a side post. Please do correct me)
Tie rods are about $30 a pair, pads about the same. Rotors(Discs) are about $40 each. all can be done with basic tools. I'd let the shop set tracking/alignment. So $100 to fit everything and whatever the tracking costs. That's a lot less than your mechanic was quoting. Mine is a '77. B21a, Pierburg Carb and BW55 automatic, it will go over 80mph,but I won't! BTW the cold start hose should be the alloy springy type(like on an extractor in a kitchen)
This thing has fewer leaks at 257k+ miles than most Toyotas at 150k and the rear isn't covered in oil soot either. These old Volvos are fantastic cars. I miss my '85 240. Hard to kill them. The way it's so down on power and struggling badly on hills and the way it sounds makes me think the cactus clogged badly. That back pressure created puts a lot of pressure on the engine seals.
It shouldn't have side posts on the battery. The water pump is probably leaking from the seal above that goes to the head. Throw away the preheat hose, the thermostat fails and then the hot air cooks your mass airflow sensor. It should have a lot more power, these have a check engine light, it could be a knock sensor.
I had a 1987 240DL that I bought new. I put 85k miles on it and sold it to a friend. He kept it to a little more than 200k miles and he sold it. Neither of us had any problems with it. The car had the sharpest turning radius of any car I have owned. It definitely was not a speedster. Maintenance was pricey, as is the case for most European cars. But they were tanks and you couldn't kill them unless you really tried. They were known for their safety at the time.
love this channel and the cars you guys pick, but common lets face it, you gotta tell people that you cannot expect to drive a cheap old car like this today, they will always be unsafe, fail inspections and just a dead end overall. Maybe for a dealer and a person who car repair them, then yes, otherwise just a bad idea overall. BTW I drive a 2007 grand marquis, you cannot kill it.
You can easily verify the correct amount of mileage on that car with a special computerized box underneath the hood. Volvo specifically designed this computer for this purpose. Then you can replace the odometer gears inside the instrument cluster and adjust them accordingly.
Im jealous you guys dont have the Chrysler ignition system in this one. I've always heard the automatics are painfully slow but giving it new plugs, wires, cap and rotor might make a difference. I put the iPd vx cam on mine with the adjustable cam gear which helped bring more power down to the lower rpms so maybe that would help too.
Some of y'all need to wake up. They aren't going to fix this thing up to daily drive it. They might slap the cheapest set of brakes they can find on the front, but the rest isn't going to matter once they take this out in the country to hot dog and trash it. You heard him asking about cutting the exhaust off to make a "rally" type car, right? They bought this car for the views and likes, not that there's anything wrong with that. But don't kid yourself into thinking they're going to fix it all up.
make sure the drive shaft bearing has enough grease, these cars are the best engineered cars in the world ever; if your lucky enough to somehow have one, never get rid of it; yes check the timing belt but it can easily be adjusted through the rubber plug on the cover, loosen bolt and retighten it, 13mm i think, but i would take the cover off and make sure it's not about to break
I learned to drive on an '88 240 wagon (4spd manual w/electronic OD). The interior of your four year newer car looks idenitical to our '88. Hope you can get it sorted out!
@@bldontmatter5319 Ours had 188k on it when the odo stopped working (I hear a common issue with 240s). We had it a few years after, so not sure how many it ended up with. Suspension rust finally killed it. I was bummed when my parents got rid of it because I wanted it.
Running car for 500 you got your $s worth. I always budget at least 1-2k for any used car to get it up to snuff Most dont do any preventative maintenance they just drive them til they quit and patch it back together Its what 30 yrs old, gonna be plenty to fix....gotta love these kinds of cars to own them. Even low milers nobodys gonna hop into one and have it act like a new car.
Do the brakes and tie rod ends as cheap as possible. Then drive for a while to prove relative reliability. If drivetrain proven sound start tackling water pump and timing belt and belts and hoses as required. Spend what you would on a car payment a couple of times a year on engine tune parts and suspension etc. The car will be good after a couple of years and still relatively cheap. I daily a 240 and that’s more or less what I’ve done.
Honestly for a $500 s**tbox, adding brakes, tie rod ends, and the exhaust so it's safe and has a bit more power - why not? And you can address the various leaks later on - or just drive it til something blows up!
This mechanic is something. He does a fantastic inspection. Maybe when I buy a used car again. I should buy it from a dealer in his state. Then have him check it.
Something is def wrong, it should not be that gutless, i know these engines inside and out.... Just give it a "stage zero" tune up and cut those mufflers and cat out. could be plugged, that could be your power loss. Replace the PCV box and hoses as part of the stage zero tune up. check the timing and advance a hair or two.
The hot air intake is fairly useless IMHO. Although you do live in a cold climate. I live in new england. I've never had any problems and my hot air intake has been deleted.
Fabulous deal on a great vehicle. There is NOTHING wrong there that isn't covered under normal wear 'n tear + normal maintenance. Forget the cosmetics for now and fix what you need to fix under the hood and chassis. Note, insurance and license is rock bottom on these too.
That mechanic doesnt know his volvoes. All 240s are built like tanks, and if the timing belt breaks, youre not in trouble at all, as there is clearance between the valves and the pistons on those redblock engines. You bring a new belt in the glove compartment, it takes 5 minutes to change it if the old one breaks. The oil leaks he found is probably from the oil filler cap which is obiously leaking. Cheap fix. It needs new bushings in the front end. Easy fix. New water pump, cheap fix. Crank breather box is free to fix, just clean it. Here in Norway we know these cars and it would be a 4000$ car. 500$ is a steal, but you dont deliver a car like this to a mechanic, you fix it yourself
Do you really think it is nice explanation but nothing over that...? He could just put a screw(s) into the radiator shroud while talking and few other things instead of just talking and explaining regular/obvious slight imperfections due to the age...
Also, just while speaking of "Intelligent" speech, they could just order a new front pads and while the continuation of the "speech" replace those pads, even for $80 extra bucks of labor while having a show...
Ah bit of a mistake getting a 240 with the autobox. They didn't come with the turbo at all, since the auto gearbox couldn't handle the power (156hp..), so they're ALL pretty anemic. And that Borg Warner gearbox design is well, old. And it kinda sucks. If i remember correctly there are some type of brake bands in the box that need to be replaced and or adjusted, or the box will just slip and slip til kingdom come. The engine, being a Volvo will most likely be pretty solid. I'd check all the vacuum hoses for cracks. Oh and remove all the EGR stuff. No seriously, take it off and throw it away. It never did ANY good for the environment and it WILL clog the engine up. At the very least clean the system out thoroughly, and change the hoses! They clog on the inside too! So even if they look good they might not be. And don't worry too much. In my youth i had an even older, Volvo 142, the predecessor to the 240. The condition was kinda similar to this, i.e mostly junk. But the faults that the mechanic points out here can be easily fixed, or simply ignored. A couple new brake pads for the front, a couple bucks, no biggie. The leaky head gasket has probably leaked for a few years, and it will probably work fine for a few more, cheap fix otherwise too. The tie rods could be replaced for cheap, sure. But the ones on there will last a long good while too. If your feeling lucky you could even heat them up and give them a wack with a sturdy hammer = no more play. These cars are basically tractors (my 142 for instance shared it's engine with the Volvo T20 tractor), and they work best when treated as such.
They actually did sell 240 Turbo automatics, in the states anyway. I agree the manual trans is a better match to the n/a engine, but like 95% of US 240s are automatics.
@@therealcarlmarti For real? My old 142 would slip it's auto (same box). And that had a bog standard b20a in it. Can't even begin to imagine what a bw35 with a B21et coupled to it would even be like? 🤣 Best box for the "leaning" Volvo's, is no doubt the 5-speed M90H from the 940, solid as a rock. Should be relatively easy to find too.
you got a good deal; Its going to take time and a money, do all four brakes at once . Project car for someone who wants to deal with it, and your mechanic is spot on . ace
Gut the cat. It's probably clogged. Its a great car. Glovebox not broken, these aren't missing gauges just missing plastic cover. The tach is worth 1/5 th of the value of this car lol.
The fact that he says this 240 is on the edge of not being a tank shows he doesn't know the brand. Same drivetrain (b230/b23) for 20 years, how would an 85 be a tank and a 93 not?
@@Elvarg I couldn't find him on Google. There is a place called Volvo Car Clinic, though. Maybe he had second thoughts about "etc" and changed his business name.
my volvo 740 , same engine, was the car i learned to wrench on, stupid simple. go to harbor freight and spend $300 on tools, a jack and new jack stands. Theres nothing on that car you can't do. No excuse not to.
Man, that thing is gold. Parts are pretty cheap and available. Finding such a clean car in the rust belt is impossible. It deserves some TLC. I'd budget $1k and bring it back up to spec. It's a pity that nobody at TFL can use a wrench.
Absolutely. I'm glad someone said it. These types of vehicles aren't something one should go purchase unless a) they know and can do the work themselves; or b) one knows a skilled mechanic who knows and appreciates the vehicle. Otherwise, yeah it'll be a headache.
@@eschuler6503You dont even need to be a skilled mechanic. All you need is a basic understanding of car mechanics
@@t16205 And all the proper tools and equipment. And space to perform the work. Not how a lot of us want to spend a Saturday afternoon.
@@eschuler6503man a Volvo 240 sedan is my daily driver, I rely on it, and I’ve been able to get by mostly with the help of RUclips. I’ve been able to do a lot of the work on the car, and anything I myself CANT do, local mechanics work on it for very cheap. If you had the tools and space you’d be all set, but these are really easy for non mechanics to own too. I love it.
@@eschuler6503 Not everybody has a garage!
However most people can take it to a shop that is about $40 an hour!
Some notes:
- Check and replace the PCV breather box for clogged material. That will cause extra pressure in the crank case and blow all of the seals. There is a flame trap too that needs to be cleaned/replaced.
- The exhaust "dent" under the axle comes like that
- I have heard many times the cat comes apart and clogs reducing power. Check the engine health with a compression test and see how it is. I'd bet it is fine.
- All of the odometer gears go
- The waterpump and timing belt could be done at the same time, the engine is non-interference and will not break if the timing belt goes.
- Do those PS bellows when the tie rods get done, racks are really hard to find now and its just such an easy fix while you are in there.
- Pretty much none of those oil leaks are serious IMO, check the fluids and send it. My 240 has more serious leaks in all honesty.
- The front struts can be gone and you wouldn't know, they tend to ride well even if the struts are gone but it does feel better if they get replaced.
- The gauges are not missing, just the plastic covers. Dealer options existed for gauge packages.
Be happy this thing has no rust, it excites me just looking at it. It is damn near impossible to find a rust free car in New England.
Yeh thats a good car.
What causes the odometer to stop working is to reset the trip while the car is in motion.
This
And it has the tach, which is a neat option, and sells for 100 bucks easy on eBay.
A 240 with bad struts rides fantastic on gravel roads. It just ”floats” along
Everyone needs a mechanic who goes through everything with them hands on like this if they don't do their own work. Nice comprehensive inspection!
So true!! One further, if you don’t do your own work, vehicles like these are not something you should purchase.
@@shitloveaduck Facts. Otherwise it'll cost about the same as a new vehicle :D
When dude said what the brake job would cost I'm just like LOL! Maybe about right if all four rotors are getting replaced (or did it have drums in the rear?), but otherwise it'd cost me a fraction of that under the shade tree...
Not only that, but some of these guys are getting pretty shady now. My dad was told that his C30 needed a 'ballast' to fix one of the headlights which would cost ~$800, but we got a replacement led light on amazon and that solved the problem for less than $50.
@@Grey-Troll - You are so right. I do almost everything myself. After almost 60 restorations or custom builds, I can do an awful lot myself. Welding rust and bodywork in general is not my best skill,,, haha, but can’t do it ALL!! All the builds were for myself. I don’t do other peoples vehicles. I help a lot of family and friends. It’s a two way street. I have always had a lift or two someone can access at the ranch and now my hobby shops. I actually have 8 x 4 post lifts now. All for parking and not really for much else. I personally prefer my 2 post lift I use myself. If family or friends come over I do have on 4 post lift with the accessories to be able to jack up the front and rear to do all 4 tires or some suspension work. It can be a bother for access though. I’m spoiled I guess. I find I forget how lucky I am in some of my comments and say people could do work that isn’t so easy, like R&R a transmission or the like. A few hours for me to do, especially with my trucks. It’s all 1991 and older except for two F150 Lightnings, a 2002 and a 2004. Had a 2022, but it just wasn’t for me. Nothing wrong with it, I just didn’t like it overall. I sold it to a friend for my costs basically. Not into flipping for profit with new vehicles like that currently. Now if it’s one of my classics,,,,,,, haha. I have a 1981 Vette I built as my high school/college dream car, that I will NEVER get my $$$ back on, hahaha. I am keeping that one though. It’s kinda higher mileage with about 100,000 miles, but you would think it was on the showroom floor as it sits now. I got carried away with a refresh that turned into a restoration. If you’ve built your own vehicles or have friends that do, you understand. There always one that gets away on ya!! Heh heh.
Brakes are bread and butter for shops like Toby. He is honest, but the shop rates are huge now!!! When I do my own, I get the rotors, because, why not?? The cost isn’t exorbitant and you generally are putting better than stock parts in anyways. Helped my nephews who both have 4Runners and the Catalytic converters went bad in them. There’s 4!! Two are integral to the exhaust manifolds. Toyota quoted $7,000 basically for the job with Toyota parts!!! We did them for a little over $2,000 each truck. Ridiculous!! There’s a lot of labour mind you. If I could save each of them $5K, why not? I had the time. They learned a lot, as they generally do when we hang out. It’s what Uncles are for!! Kinda.
U have 8 lifts?
Wanna be friends?!?!😁
@@fastinradfordable - Hahaha!! 9 actually. 8 to store my classic cars & trucks double height and a 2 post for active work I’m doing. I bought land in the 70s & 80s when I was pretty young and when I sold it about 3 years ago did very well. I paid for it physically as it was a ranch/farm of 8800 acres, & feedlot for 25,000 head of cattle. It’s a hobby that generally doesn’t cost me $$ when I treat the vehicles as assets. If I don’t, it’s a very expensive hobby!! Heh heh.
I get the friends thing a lot!! Haha, but I have a very tight circle of friends already,,,, I’ll let you know if there’s an opening!! Heh heh.
Maybe Toby should go to the auction with you guys.
Flame trap, flame trap, flame trap. Do the flame trap. Timing belt and water pump, do the front seals as well. Non interference engine. Did all this to my 85 during lockdown. If I can do it, anyone can do it.
How is a 240 not a tank?! For me, anything that isn’t a redblock wasn’t built to last.
Why would Toby hate you, he is laughing all the way to the bank.
Toby is FANTASTIC! Wonderful to listen to him. You have NO IDEA what a wonderful car that 240 is! NO IDEA. I've owned probably 25 and I prefer the wagon, but they will outlast anything you have now. They are so simple, reliable and DEAD DURABLE! I can't imagine life without a 240 in my fleet. At present, I have 5, 4 wagons and one sedan. You should take the time to learn to turn some wrenches and bring that sweet heart back to all her glory. It's not that far off, and your assessment of it being "worse than you thought" is a gigantic mistake and just a lack of experience. Those things are getting so hard to find now and I daily them constantly. I typically only own Toyotas as 240s. I know the 240 like no other car and they continue to excite me for their pure flawless design and incredible durability. You can do EVERYTHING you mentioned was "wrong" by yourself with simple hand tools. It's the VW of Sweden. Thanks Toby. First time seeing him and I was so IMPRESSED with him. He's REALLY good and just such a nice guy. I'd love to have him around all the time. Thanks guys. Don't give up on the 240!!
I would bet that if you pull the plugs out of it they are probably eroded to a huge gap. That and the fuel filter would be on top of my list of things to change that might help it actually make close to it's original power.
This is an absolute real life scenario, i mean most of the beaters i had cost about the same to buy and to patch up to drive around, so kudos for the great video! Awesome car btw, an old, simple, honest machine, i like that flavour too👋
Fyi TFL, you need to look at the oil separator on this. If that clogs, you’ll start leaking from everywhere and blow seals out… literally. It’s a common pitfall. Luckily not hard to fix.
Hmm never heard of that.
@@Dankcatvacs it’s everywhere in the redblock forums. Early vacuum system
Awesome inspection and video! Been following this (along with many other TFL cars/builds) for fun and it was entertaining to see the what the car really was 😂 keep doing these!
For power loss: check the airbox thermostat. It will pipe hot air into the intake and lean out the engine. Could also be a vacuum leak, MAF/MAP, or O2 sensor, or timing belt is on the way out and has skipped a tooth. It should have more power (though not gobs more... you'll struggle in the mountains).
I've owned a bunch of these over the years. Unless that exhaust is completely clogged, the engine being that down on power means it's probably missing compression on one or more cylinders. Curious if it's using oil. These cars are fairly heavy and are hard on suspension and brakes. Guessing up front you'll need at minimum control arm bushings and possibly ball joints. On the plus side, the B230F is a non-interference engine, so if the timing belt breaks, it just stops. Personally, I'd do the pads and rotors all around plus fluid flush and pray you don't have a bad caliper. Seems anywhere that uses salt, I've ended up replacing calipers every single time. That front left wheel sure sounded like it was dragging. You mentioned gauges in the interior, but that missing panel is just blank on the basic cars. You could get a clock in there on the older ones, or on the turbos, that's where the boost gauge went. Good luck with it--but that thing being so far down on power, I'd worry about that motor. Compression test that bad boy.
The bushings under my 1990 are all original and no sign of them perishing. My outer tie rod ends were done once 5 years ago. The ball joints were done 10 and 15 years ago, one at each time. Front struts were done once about 25 years ago. Shocks out back have been done 3 times. My experience is that the calipers need doing about every 150,000 miles. The calipers are not floating. The fronts are 4 piston dual circuit units made by Girling most often. Rear calipers are dual piston made by Girling.
To put that into perspective, Arthur was bought new by my mother. She took delivery of him on January 17, 1990. He is now sitting at what we are guessing to be 619,000 kilometers.
I’d bet the cat is plugged or falling apart preventing exhaust from exiting, very common on these
I HAVE WORKED ON HUNDREDS OF THESE CARS, VERY UNCOMMON TO SEE A WEAK CYLINDER, ACTUALLY I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED ONE WITH LOW COMPRESSION
Any plans to do a road trip in the 2cv, beetle, mini, and the Fiat? Maybe throw in the buhanka. Maybe a miniature rally?
I really hope so. That would be an awesome series
for sure but the fiat immediately broke down so we’re waiting to get it fixed 😅
I don't know why I like these old beater videos so much, but I do. Great video guys
This inspection turned out better than I expected. Front outer tie rod ends, brake pads all around, 1 rotor, maybe a right front caliper, a water pump, and probably a timing belt while your in there and a cheap catalyst and muffler. So for around $2,000 to $2,500 all in you have a reasonably safe daily driver. Maybe if you have any money left over, reseal the leaks on the transmission and replace the missing bits on the dash.
Probably less than that from IPD. Thos emissions dash pieces are for option instruments so they can just get those too
@@Cryo_Gen Probably a lot more from IPD! Go with RockAuto instead!
I would start with the check engine light? The 2 series got a self diagnostic socket starting in 1989 on the drivers side strut tower.All 89 thru 93 240s have this and they are all in the same location.
Seeing you guys get all these old 80/90s cars make me regret selling my 86 Buick Century T Type. It was an absolute beast! I live in LA so altitude isn’t an issue but I drove it from LA to Yosemite and back and it was a cruise missile! All original. Carving up the mountains and doing 100+ mph”down hill” on the grapevine even tho the speedometer stopped at 85ish.
I bought an old Maxima for $3k, it needed about $1k of parts. Now it's great! Probably another 30-50k miles without any major replacements.
I own two of these (a 1990 and a 1992). They are built to last if given just the basics. A little more of an investment, and you could have a car that would really take care of you. This one looks quite rust-free, which is the usual source of their demise. Their engines will just go and go and go....
I am wanting to say a version of that car came out in 1966 and they were made until 1993. Those cars were TANKS! Great video!
Take a look at the flap inside the air filter housing, if you are not subjected to very cold temperatures get rid of the heater pipe off the exhaust manifold. That flap tends to stick in the open position due to a failed temperature sensor attached to the flap and this allows all that hot air into the intake. It tends to degrade performance and sometimes in hotter weather the engine will stall as it affects the MAF. Remove that flap and plug the hole were that pipe attaches to the lower part of the air box.
Another thought is to remove the engine driven radiator fan and shroud replacing them with an electric fan, cuts down noise, reduces water pump load, helps the engine respond better to throttle input and also gives more room as well. Also the engine warms up faster. I did that to every 240 and 740 that had those belt driven fans. In a very hot climate one might consider keeping it but for most situations, especially colder weather it does really help. Volvo finally introduced electric fans on the 1993 940 series thankfully.
Those bricks starts at 1000euros in Finland and they arent even roadworthy...
Just needs a good service, if you buy the parts and do the work yourself, the whole lot can be done for less than $300.
The exhaust will be extra.
I have had Volvos for years and that one is WAY down on power. Check the timing, plugs etc, they run forever if they are serviced regularly.
With all due respect it would’ve been nice to have someone more familiar with these cars . He missed some key issues in my professional experience
Yes, he didn't seem very knowledgeable about that make/model. He didn't even know the engine was a non-interference type.
@@bobjohnson1587 in getting a Volvo 850T back to operational, it's a bummer how few mechanics want to mess with them. Peculiar, niche cars just aren't what makes the average shop money, so they aren't going to waste time learning about them.
@@lutherabel2618 Sadly, I know of only one 'mechanic' who is stupid enough to want to work on my "peculiar, niche" car. lol
@@bobjohnson1587 same. Such a mechanic has gotta be a little weird...not to mention well-compensated. With the major stuff done (timing, PCV, steering rack), I plan to do most of the future work myself...seems to be the only way to keep old Volvos on the road.
@0:35 If you bought a 240 with grandpa transmission, automatic and the venerable 116 horsepower version that is already borderline underpowered, no wonder the car struggles, considering the engine doesn't even have all its horses. 🤔
you can put spacers on the PS pump and bring it forward, run a different belt down to the crank pulley
I had an 84 240 DL and going uphill was always fun. Just get in the far right lane and watch all the normal cars pass you.
Did the '84 have the 2.1L? I had an '85 with the 2.3L and it had plenty of grunt for hills.
@@palebeachbum I remember it was an inline 4 cylinder without the turbo. Cant remember the actual displacement but it might have been the 2.3. By the time I had the car it was over 20 years old though and had lost quite a few ponies.
@@radseven89 if it was a turbo, it was definitely a 2.1L turbo. That engine and the non-turbo 2.1L were replaced by a normally aspirated 2.3L.
Great old beater car, fun watching these videos! Get the safety items solved, and maybe do the exhaust. Then see what the beater can do!
great inspection - but - that car is rust free - where I live most are rotted out - well worth saving
Anything bolted in are an easy fix. As for the engine, as long it is not burning oil, then leaks, worn valves and bad head gasket are easy fix. The most important are the body panels condition, less rust holes as much as possible, because body repair is much more difficult than most of the mechanical repairs.
I could tell by the way, he's talking that he doesn't know much. If at all about the Volvo 240, all Volvo 240s with a four-cylinder red block engine are non-interference. If that timing belt snaps it will be fine. You just need a new timing belt re-time the engine and you're done Volvo 240s to my knowledge never had side post batteries. Someone must have converted that to a side post because never heard of a Volvo 240 with a side post battery to my knowledge (there's any other Volvo 240 enthusiasts in the comments and know that Volvo 240s in the later years did have a side post. Please do correct me)
You are right on all counts. The Red Block is non-interference except for the later DOHC versions.
Yes, that technician wasn't that knowledgeable.
I would probably do the timing belt for safety sake but at least its a non interference engine. At the very least a close inspection.
Tie rods are about $30 a pair, pads about the same. Rotors(Discs) are about $40 each. all can be done with basic tools. I'd let the shop set tracking/alignment. So $100 to fit everything and whatever the tracking costs. That's a lot less than your mechanic was quoting. Mine is a '77. B21a, Pierburg Carb and BW55 automatic, it will go over 80mph,but I won't! BTW the cold start hose should be the alloy springy type(like on an extractor in a kitchen)
This thing has fewer leaks at 257k+ miles than most Toyotas at 150k and the rear isn't covered in oil soot either. These old Volvos are fantastic cars. I miss my '85 240. Hard to kill them. The way it's so down on power and struggling badly on hills and the way it sounds makes me think the cactus clogged badly. That back pressure created puts a lot of pressure on the engine seals.
It shouldn't have side posts on the battery. The water pump is probably leaking from the seal above that goes to the head. Throw away the preheat hose, the thermostat fails and then the hot air cooks your mass airflow sensor. It should have a lot more power, these have a check engine light, it could be a knock sensor.
My 240 is a DL wagon with 619,000 km on the clock. It takes 17 litres of fluid to flush and bleed the brakes.
I had a 1987 240DL that I bought new. I put 85k miles on it and sold it to a friend. He kept it to a little more than 200k miles and he sold it. Neither of us had any problems with it. The car had the sharpest turning radius of any car I have owned. It definitely was not a speedster. Maintenance was pricey, as is the case for most European cars. But they were tanks and you couldn't kill them unless you really tried. They were known for their safety at the time.
Did you guys think to check the air and fuel filters, maybe also the tank filter?
love this channel and the cars you guys pick, but common lets face it, you gotta tell people that you cannot expect to drive a cheap old car like this today, they will always be unsafe, fail inspections and just a dead end overall. Maybe for a dealer and a person who car repair them, then yes, otherwise just a bad idea overall. BTW I drive a 2007 grand marquis, you cannot kill it.
Love these series of videos keep them coming
You can easily verify the correct amount of mileage on that car with a special computerized box underneath the hood. Volvo specifically designed this computer for this purpose. Then you can replace the odometer gears inside the instrument cluster and adjust them accordingly.
That is a crazy cost to do tie rod ends on this car. It’s super simple.
Im jealous you guys dont have the Chrysler ignition system in this one. I've always heard the automatics are painfully slow but giving it new plugs, wires, cap and rotor might make a difference. I put the iPd vx cam on mine with the adjustable cam gear which helped bring more power down to the lower rpms so maybe that would help too.
they haven't checked the air filter yet. either
So blessed with the dynamic duo
Its interesting to see older cars with some fight left in them. Can’t get enough of watching you guys mess around with older cars
Some of y'all need to wake up. They aren't going to fix this thing up to daily drive it. They might slap the cheapest set of brakes they can find on the front, but the rest isn't going to matter once they take this out in the country to hot dog and trash it. You heard him asking about cutting the exhaust off to make a "rally" type car, right? They bought this car for the views and likes, not that there's anything wrong with that. But don't kid yourself into thinking they're going to fix it all up.
make sure the drive shaft bearing has enough grease, these cars are the best engineered cars in the world ever; if your lucky enough to somehow have one, never get rid of it; yes check the timing belt but it can easily be adjusted through the rubber plug on the cover, loosen bolt and retighten it, 13mm i think, but i would take the cover off and make sure it's not about to break
Not as bad as I was expecting.
It amazes me how many reckless killers there are driving with absolutely no brakes. Smh
have a beautiful day Everyone ✌️
Time for the Rock Auto complete economy brake kit.
I learned to drive on an '88 240 wagon (4spd manual w/electronic OD). The interior of your four year newer car looks idenitical to our '88. Hope you can get it sorted out!
I had an 85 with that trans. Nice car
I've seen these with 500k+ miles with original drivetrains here in the states
@@bldontmatter5319 Ours had 188k on it when the odo stopped working (I hear a common issue with 240s). We had it a few years after, so not sure how many it ended up with. Suspension rust finally killed it. I was bummed when my parents got rid of it because I wanted it.
My $2000 Volvo 240 wagon is turning into a $6000 Volvo.
Title of the video didn't match the contents of the video
New heavy duty brakes all the way around, new heavy duty suspension, swap in a 5.0L small block motor, HD, tranny & rear ended go out have s’more fun
Running car for 500 you got your $s worth. I always budget at least 1-2k for any used car to get it up to snuff
Most dont do any preventative maintenance they just drive them til they quit and patch it back together
Its what 30 yrs old, gonna be plenty to fix....gotta love these kinds of cars to own them. Even low milers nobodys gonna hop into one and have it act like a new car.
Do the brakes and tie rod ends as cheap as possible. Then drive for a while to prove relative reliability. If drivetrain proven sound start tackling water pump and timing belt and belts and hoses as required. Spend what you would on a car payment a couple of times a year on engine tune parts and suspension etc. The car will be good after a couple of years and still relatively cheap. I daily a 240 and that’s more or less what I’ve done.
Honestly for a $500 s**tbox, adding brakes, tie rod ends, and the exhaust so it's safe and has a bit more power - why not? And you can address the various leaks later on - or just drive it til something blows up!
its also popping the timing cover off to see the condition of the timing belt , it looks easy enough.
Double that to pass emissions in Boulder. That cat isn't going to be cheap.
Its also illegal to just remove the cat
This mechanic is something. He does a fantastic inspection. Maybe when I buy a used car again. I should buy it from a dealer in his state. Then have him check it.
Yup. Volvo 240s are terrible. Definitely don't buy them. Sell them for cheap (to me). Escape the headache!
Toby is awesome!!
Something is def wrong, it should not be that gutless, i know these engines inside and out.... Just give it a "stage zero" tune up and cut those mufflers and cat out. could be plugged, that could be your power loss. Replace the PCV box and hoses as part of the stage zero tune up. check the timing and advance a hair or two.
The hot air intake is fairly useless IMHO. Although you do live in a cold climate. I live in new england. I've never had any problems and my hot air intake has been deleted.
Fabulous deal on a great vehicle. There is NOTHING wrong there that isn't covered under normal wear 'n tear + normal maintenance. Forget the cosmetics for now and fix what you need to fix under the hood and chassis. Note, insurance and license is rock bottom on these too.
That mechanic doesnt know his volvoes. All 240s are built like tanks, and if the timing belt breaks, youre not in trouble at all, as there is clearance between the valves and the pistons on those redblock engines. You bring a new belt in the glove compartment, it takes 5 minutes to change it if the old one breaks. The oil leaks he found is probably from the oil filler cap which is obiously leaking. Cheap fix. It needs new bushings in the front end. Easy fix. New water pump, cheap fix. Crank breather box is free to fix, just clean it. Here in Norway we know these cars and it would be a 4000$ car. 500$ is a steal, but you dont deliver a car like this to a mechanic, you fix it yourself
There is a place called IPD specialist for parts.
The mechanic needs his own series/regular feature on the channel - esp the auction series!
Great communication and information from Toby. Great mechanic on explaining the information.
Do you really think it is nice explanation but nothing over that...? He could just put a screw(s) into the radiator shroud while talking and few other things instead of just talking and explaining regular/obvious slight imperfections due to the age...
Also, just while speaking of "Intelligent" speech, they could just order a new front pads and while the continuation of the "speech" replace those pads, even for $80 extra bucks of labor while having a show...
Just attach that cold air intake pipe with a zip lock, at least it will be held attached and not loose. Com'on
First thing on those oil leaks would be replace/clean the whole pcv system.
Lots of people have LS or small block Chevy swapped these.
Ah bit of a mistake getting a 240 with the autobox. They didn't come with the turbo at all, since the auto gearbox couldn't handle the power (156hp..), so they're ALL pretty anemic.
And that Borg Warner gearbox design is well, old. And it kinda sucks. If i remember correctly there are some type of brake bands in the box that need to be replaced and or adjusted, or the box will just slip and slip til kingdom come.
The engine, being a Volvo will most likely be pretty solid. I'd check all the vacuum hoses for cracks. Oh and remove all the EGR stuff. No seriously, take it off and throw it away. It never did ANY good for the environment and it WILL clog the engine up. At the very least clean the system out thoroughly, and change the hoses! They clog on the inside too! So even if they look good they might not be.
And don't worry too much. In my youth i had an even older, Volvo 142, the predecessor to the 240. The condition was kinda similar to this, i.e mostly junk. But the faults that the mechanic points out here can be easily fixed, or simply ignored.
A couple new brake pads for the front, a couple bucks, no biggie. The leaky head gasket has probably leaked for a few years, and it will probably work fine for a few more, cheap fix otherwise too. The tie rods could be replaced for cheap, sure. But the ones on there will last a long good while too. If your feeling lucky you could even heat them up and give them a wack with a sturdy hammer = no more play.
These cars are basically tractors (my 142 for instance shared it's engine with the Volvo T20 tractor), and they work best when treated as such.
They actually did sell 240 Turbo automatics, in the states anyway. I agree the manual trans is a better match to the n/a engine, but like 95% of US 240s are automatics.
@@therealcarlmarti For real? My old 142 would slip it's auto (same box). And that had a bog standard b20a in it.
Can't even begin to imagine what a bw35 with a B21et coupled to it would even be like? 🤣
Best box for the "leaning" Volvo's, is no doubt the 5-speed M90H from the 940, solid as a rock. Should be relatively easy to find too.
Wonder how much boost it could handle🤔 4:56 posi and maybe a 100 shot of giggle gas!
"Everybody needs one of those cars"? Hell, I have five!!
I wonder how heavy that Volvo is because my 1999 Corolla has 120 hp with an intake and goes uphill just fine
Approximately 3000 lbs.
Great inspection! Whish 1/3 of mechanics would do just that!
you got a good deal; Its going to take time and a money, do all four brakes at once . Project car for someone who wants to deal with it, and your mechanic is spot on . ace
Gut the cat. It's probably clogged.
Its a great car. Glovebox not broken, these aren't missing gauges just missing plastic cover.
The tach is worth 1/5 th of the value of this car lol.
2:53
Since when is Subaru German? 🤣
Not sure I would trust a mechanic that cannot tell a German and Japanese car apart.
13:45 heated air intake is to prevent carburetor icing up around the venturies.
It's fuel injected.
@@Radsinqer oh, lol! In the carb days of ol' this was what heated air was used for.
Lol I had an 87 244 with over 700k on it original head gasket too
If you can stop the right front tire, the left side should stop, too. LOL
Calling this one "not like the old ones" i mean, what models are he even refring to being more durable than a 240? the 140? the pv?
Well, considering everything, it really is not bad at all, it should be fixed!
Try and trade the Volvo for, what looks like, the first gen Chevy II on the hoist beside it.
Superb cars, ive had 3 . Comfortable reliable. Whats the point of Thisblog?
These are not interference engines. Unless someone has installed a high performance camshaft.
timing might be off
19:09......yes.....
The fact that he says this 240 is on the edge of not being a tank shows he doesn't know the brand. Same drivetrain (b230/b23) for 20 years, how would an 85 be a tank and a 93 not?
Toby needs his own show. What a character.
Volvos etc in durango Colorado is an amazing volvo only mechanic in the state
If he's Volvo only why did he put "etc" in his business name?
@@Ijusthopeitsquick call him and ask him instead of being a smart Alec on RUclips
@@Elvarg I couldn't find him on Google. There is a place called Volvo Car Clinic, though. Maybe he had second thoughts about "etc" and changed his business name.
13:23 Is that straw?
That lack of power could be costly! $650, might be the tip of the iceberg.
Any video with Toby in it, I hit play.
He got his money back on just those ecodes, brand new those headlights are like 400 bucks
Damn I paid 1500 for a Volvo and it didn’t run at all. I think it’s a steal.
my volvo 740 , same engine, was the car i learned to wrench on, stupid simple.
go to harbor freight and spend $300 on tools, a jack and new jack stands.
Theres nothing on that car you can't do.
No excuse not to.
Seems like a solid car.