Category: Planning

After recharging my battery and re-gapping my plugs I found that the rear-most plug wasn’t going in all the way when I attempted to hand tighten it. Are the threads crossed? I couldn’t tell. The plug hole is very close to the firewall making it hard to to see what’s going on in there. It’s possible to get a chasing tool that would straighten out the crossed threads, but I’ve been warned that using such a thing would run the risk of depositing metal shavings into the block which would be not good. I’m waiting to get my hands on an endoscope so that I can better see the situation before I do anything. I’m hoping the threads are just really dirty and this situation can be solved with a good brush cleaning.

As most people who are close to me know, when I go my final resting place will be within a barrow where I will be laid in a stone cyst with all the things I need for the next world set around me. I’ve thought a lot about the particulars of this (maybe a little too much) but what I’ve never really given a thought to is how I will be transported to this grand eternal repository. This is no longer a worry. I present to you, the Volvo 240 hearse!

I even found some old sales literature here. “Classic lines and dignity” – I like the sound of that!

My efforts on the car have recently been stymied by the fact that certain parts for this car are forever on backorder. A number of things I’ve ordered have been sitting with a status of “PROCESSING” for several weeks, and while I’ve been in contact with the vendor and know they will indeed one day arrive that day is still at least a week in the future. So until then all I can do is search for things to fix. One such thing is the hole through which the radio antenna will emerge. I have the parts for that one, but a previous owner just butchered this hole.

I have little experience with fixing cars and even less with body work. Turning to a much more knowledgable friend, I asked for suggestions and he explained “dolly spoons” to me. Of course neither he nor I have a dolly spoon, so I’m going to have to get creative with how to get something of substantial mass behind that hole against which I can then hammer the edges flat. That would have been easier this past long weekend except for the fact that it rained like the dickens. So until some new parts come in and the weather improves I’m stuck just looking longingly at my car out on the curb.

I’ve had the car for a little over a month now. It’s time for a status update!

Of all the originally identified issues, the following have been addressed and fixed:

1. Odometer fixed
2. Hood release handle works
3. Front driver side door’s latch works on the inside
4. Rear driver side door’s latch works from the outside (replaced handle)
5. Interior got some cleaning (still needs more though)
6. Front doors missing panel pockets purchased and will install when doors are sorted out
7. Broken radio antenna mast removed and and proper new one purchased
8. Front driver side door speaker cover replaced
9. Glove box hinges replaced (still need to source a better latch)

Almost to double digits. Not too shabby. In addition I also have accomplished the following:

1. Headlights now match and are the car’s original type
2. New grille
3. Replaced some of the missing plastic body hardware
4. Fixed the rear seat release latch
5. Water damaged door panels fixed and ready for installation

My focus is currently on getting the headlights going and the doors all back together. The final door will be the rear hatch, but that’s a whole other challenge.

I noticed recently that my car seems to have two different styles of headlight lens. I looked it up and found that one is a version for the American market and the other for Europe. The two territories have somewhat different rules about headlights so they needed different equipment. The first is the American and the second European.

Since I have one of each I find myself in the fun position of getting choose the one I like better.

Having owned the car for a few days I’ve really only had the chance to give it a mostly visual once over. From that I’ve gathered a task list of issues that I know will need to be addresses before the car will be able to pass a legal state inspection. A quick list includes:

1. Odometer broken (apparently it stopped working about two years ago)
2. Left turn signal bulb is failing
3. Windshield wipers only work on high and don’t return to bottom when turned off
4. Hood release handle only works occasionally
5. Front driver side door’s latch doesn’t work from the inside
6. Rear driver side door’s latch doesn’t work from the outside
7. Rear door hatch non-functional
8. Brake pads need replacing
9. All fluids will need to be flushed and changed

In terms of purely visual problems, the obvious ones include:

1. Interior needs serious cleaning
2. Emergency brake cover is destroyed
3. Front doors missing panel pockets
4. Front driver side door’s latch plastic casing is broken
5. Radio antenna mast is broken (also not original)
6. Front driver side door speaker is broken and missing cover
7. Glove box is missing a hinge
8. Rubber seals for the door windows are cracking and need to be replaced
9. Window tint film needs to be removed

I actually already ordered a hinge from the glove box from eBay so that problem is on its way to being crossed off the list already. Most of the rest I will need to source from existing cars or also buy only as I come across them.