Finally... My First Volvo
The fascination began way back in early 1976.
I'm not sure when they started running, but I began to notice commercials for a car from Sweden called the Volvo. In these commercials, they touted the car's safety, by doing things like driving them off of a waterfall and then starting the car up and driving ashore. The only other European imports I had familiarity with were Volkswagens, Mercedes Benz and Porsches (I come from a racing family and we had a good relationship with Brumo's Porsche in Jacksonville). These Volvos weren't much to look at, they were boxy and lacked the refined aerodynamics I had come to expect with some imports, even at age 13. Still, they attracted me.
My friend Shean Toney's father bought a 245GL wagon that year, and finally I had the opportunity to ride in one. It was different to say the least. My mother had an early seventies Delta 88, and my father a brand new Grand Prix. For being smaller than both, the Volvo seemed solid. From that point on, I knew my first car would be a Volvo.
It wasn't. My first car ended up being a 1975 AMC Pacer X (the silver sport model, if you can imagine that), followed by a 1976 Peugeot 504 wagon. Because fate had placed me on the lower rungs of the economics ladder during the eighties, a Volvo would never enter the picture. I went through Datsuns, Toyotas, Fords and Chevies, but not a single Swede in the lot.
When this year arrived, though, I guess I snapped. I was doggedly determined to at last have a Volvo. What I had in mind was a diesel wagon, and in my mind I always pictured it being blue-gray. Didn't matter the year. Just a diesel wagon. Well, a diesel, though any Volvo would do. Again, it was not to be.
The car I spent most of this year with was Enid, my 1986 Chevy Celebrity Eurosport. Not a bad car, a little big for my taste but she ran fine up to the point where she didn't; her transmission bought the farm in early September and thus the car had to be scrapped. I got $25, which I converted into a telescope (another blog). The unexpected death of Enid meant a search for another car was a necessity, especially with my return north.
That's when my first Volvo finally entered my life.
This car appeared on Craigslist for the incredible sum of $350. It was actually one of the Volvo models I was most interested in as a teenager, a 264GL (I had wanted a 262 originally, but the Bertone styling came with a heftier price tag. Besides, even then I knew I'd be carrying things, though at that time I was sure it'd be stuff like keyboards, guitars and amps). This one is a 1978, and you'd think for that price I'd be getting a clunker. Externally, she is pretty rough. But, she only has 45300 miles on the odometer; mechanically, she is extremely sound.
Here's the story. This is only a two owner car. The first owner bought her in the spring of 1978, a mature woman. As the old saw goes, she literally drove the car only for shopping and local running about. Sometime in the mid eighties, she backed into a garage and damaged the rear and hatch. The car was only run intermittently after that and finally parked around 1991. There it sat until this year when the owner, now in her eighties, donated it to the Salvation Army. They restored the car enough to make it sellable. Its next owner purchased her in September, but due to a family emergency had to return west where the motor vehicle laws are more stringent, so the car had to be sold yet again. That's when I found her.
The years of sitting idle have taken their toll on this car. The finish is faded, the metallic sea green pitted and chipping in spots. There is rust in a few places, and of course the aforementioned rear end damage. The interior was left to deteriorate as well, the seats torn in numerous places. On Sunday one of the hood hinges broke due to it seizing and rust. Still, mechanically, she runs. The engine sounds good, strong, and there are plenty of horses still under the hood. The transmission fluid does need to be drained and the filter replaced. But aside from cosmetics, this car has plenty of potential. In short, I have a new hobby; restoring my car.
"Inga" (a good Nordic name for a car from Gothenburg), my first Volvo, arrived 28 years late. Like me, she's a little rough for wear. And like me, she still has plenty of miles to go.
My first Volvo. I'm happy.
I'm not sure when they started running, but I began to notice commercials for a car from Sweden called the Volvo. In these commercials, they touted the car's safety, by doing things like driving them off of a waterfall and then starting the car up and driving ashore. The only other European imports I had familiarity with were Volkswagens, Mercedes Benz and Porsches (I come from a racing family and we had a good relationship with Brumo's Porsche in Jacksonville). These Volvos weren't much to look at, they were boxy and lacked the refined aerodynamics I had come to expect with some imports, even at age 13. Still, they attracted me.
My friend Shean Toney's father bought a 245GL wagon that year, and finally I had the opportunity to ride in one. It was different to say the least. My mother had an early seventies Delta 88, and my father a brand new Grand Prix. For being smaller than both, the Volvo seemed solid. From that point on, I knew my first car would be a Volvo.
It wasn't. My first car ended up being a 1975 AMC Pacer X (the silver sport model, if you can imagine that), followed by a 1976 Peugeot 504 wagon. Because fate had placed me on the lower rungs of the economics ladder during the eighties, a Volvo would never enter the picture. I went through Datsuns, Toyotas, Fords and Chevies, but not a single Swede in the lot.
When this year arrived, though, I guess I snapped. I was doggedly determined to at last have a Volvo. What I had in mind was a diesel wagon, and in my mind I always pictured it being blue-gray. Didn't matter the year. Just a diesel wagon. Well, a diesel, though any Volvo would do. Again, it was not to be.
The car I spent most of this year with was Enid, my 1986 Chevy Celebrity Eurosport. Not a bad car, a little big for my taste but she ran fine up to the point where she didn't; her transmission bought the farm in early September and thus the car had to be scrapped. I got $25, which I converted into a telescope (another blog). The unexpected death of Enid meant a search for another car was a necessity, especially with my return north.
That's when my first Volvo finally entered my life.
This car appeared on Craigslist for the incredible sum of $350. It was actually one of the Volvo models I was most interested in as a teenager, a 264GL (I had wanted a 262 originally, but the Bertone styling came with a heftier price tag. Besides, even then I knew I'd be carrying things, though at that time I was sure it'd be stuff like keyboards, guitars and amps). This one is a 1978, and you'd think for that price I'd be getting a clunker. Externally, she is pretty rough. But, she only has 45300 miles on the odometer; mechanically, she is extremely sound.
Here's the story. This is only a two owner car. The first owner bought her in the spring of 1978, a mature woman. As the old saw goes, she literally drove the car only for shopping and local running about. Sometime in the mid eighties, she backed into a garage and damaged the rear and hatch. The car was only run intermittently after that and finally parked around 1991. There it sat until this year when the owner, now in her eighties, donated it to the Salvation Army. They restored the car enough to make it sellable. Its next owner purchased her in September, but due to a family emergency had to return west where the motor vehicle laws are more stringent, so the car had to be sold yet again. That's when I found her.
The years of sitting idle have taken their toll on this car. The finish is faded, the metallic sea green pitted and chipping in spots. There is rust in a few places, and of course the aforementioned rear end damage. The interior was left to deteriorate as well, the seats torn in numerous places. On Sunday one of the hood hinges broke due to it seizing and rust. Still, mechanically, she runs. The engine sounds good, strong, and there are plenty of horses still under the hood. The transmission fluid does need to be drained and the filter replaced. But aside from cosmetics, this car has plenty of potential. In short, I have a new hobby; restoring my car.
"Inga" (a good Nordic name for a car from Gothenburg), my first Volvo, arrived 28 years late. Like me, she's a little rough for wear. And like me, she still has plenty of miles to go.
My first Volvo. I'm happy.
posted by Robert at 10:06 AM
2 Comments:
Old rear wheel drive Volvos are great for in a pinch and fixing up. Best of luck, but make sure to be religious about fluid changes with the prv motor. Join the sbricks list, I'll see you there!
- iantm from fritter
Don't give up on the diesel idea, although the US never got the 940, there are still a few 740s to be had. They come equipped with the legendary d24 engine, which was imported from VW and was used to power their LT vans. Quite economical and terribly addictive. You may have seen Tom Bryant's name on the bricks list - he is a specialist rebuilder of the d24. Great blog on the restoration of a 740 TD by Ross Winberg on volvoturbodiesel.blogspot.com
john (wembley)
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