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hacksaws project 245

H

Hacksaw116

New member
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Location
Santa Rosa, Ca
Hi everyone.

I bought a 1990 volvo 245 for $550. I plan to make it my project car and have fun with it. It is beat to **** and has a crushed in fender, but it is my toy. I am starting a thread to sort of document what my experience is as I fix it up, maybe someone can glean knowledge from my project so I would like to share. Or you can laugh at my misfortune along the way. Enjoy.
 
I was looking for a car locally and saw an ad for a 245 that needed to go asap. It was 800 bucks eventually dropped to 600 bucks to get it gone, but before I got enough funds scraped together it was gone. I was kinda bummed, but saw a cheap runner a few days later and many miles away. I went to my bank and got a loan for 2k so I could nab it.

I work in manufacturing so I come from the viewpoint that it is just a chunk of metal so I can cut weld and grind it however I want. I also have 2 other daily driver vehicles so this isn't my only mode of transportation.

So I said "**** it. Lets make this happen!!" And I rolled out with my buddy to pick up this vehicle that was listed at $1k but it got talked down to $550. During the test drive I turned it off, and started it again and it fired right up. Engine and drivetrain have miles on them but it still runs solid. I should say its a stock 1990 240 wagon for reference. (My last volvo project was an 87 760 turbo) it had a serious "clunking" coming from a dead rear passenger shock, but after the first awkward looks from other pedestrians and drivers I knew it was perfect. I paid for the mess, and drove ot to a nearby gas station. I had 104 miles to go to get this beater home and it just took a tank of gas and a quart of oil to send me on my way.

Halfway home I blew out a front passenger donut tire, but there was another donut in the car as well as the original flat front. Swapped tires and no start. Battery dead. Upon closer inspection the accessory bushings on the alternator were toasted so the alt slipped like a mofo and thus wasnt charging the battery.

Buddy had an appointment and so took my car and left me with his AAA card. For tje record AAA will not help you if you arent the cardholder and the carfholder isnt present. So I tell the AAA guy to try a d jump it and I van take it from there. She fired right up and I brought her home. For the record the AAA guy was very polite and helpful. So I finally got er home. Im writing this on my phone right now and I vant seem to post pics so Ill continue on the computer.
 
I'm on my computer now. And having another beer. So anyway I get this thing home and my first instinct is to get the alternator functioning so I can take it to the carwash and pressure wash the ****load of grease and dirt that has accumulated on this thing over the years so I can actuqally work on it. Yet to happen, but lets say over the last week I bought a **** ton of goodies from IPD including poly accessory bushings. I replaced 2 of the 3 poly alt bushings and got that ****er to charge the battery enough where I can start it a day later.

I am pleased to report today I got the rear seat mounted and it made a successful beer run as well as got us to and from a family park playdate. I'm a dad, a geek, and later on I love a good ale.

The car has yet to pass dmv, I have an appointment on thursday to make it mine officially. So until then I'm holding off on installing the poly front and rear suspension bushings, and the ipd springs and sways. As soon as its mine on the books I have on hand all the wear parts to make it roll. New wheel bearings front and rear, bilstien HD front and rear, the springs and sways and all poly bushings to hold it together.

Haters beware, I ordered all my stuff from IPD initially so I could ensure fitment on my vehicle. They made the site very helpful and intuitive, I'd rather support them with my business. Besides sweedish blue is a great color! (my 760 had red lowering springs from euro sport tuning which i dont think they offer anymore)
 
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I'm just here to help out
 
so to fix it i got this:
http://s1374.photobucket.com/user/h...40503_163735_zps5197d090.jpg.html?sort=2&o=12

I got 2 of the poly accessory bushings in so the alternator works again with one belt, and replaced the cap and rotor and spark plug wires so I could drive the family to the park for fun (in the new project car) after bending the rear drivers side seat mount square again so I could pop the rear seat back in and safely install the baby seat. That busted strut sounds like **** but I'm driving this ****er to work tomorrow so my co-workers can get a good laugh. Might have to pound on that ****ed up fender if it starts chafing the wheel, or just torch it!

Updates to follow as parts go in...
 
I'm the buddy BTW, I want to get credit ^_^

thing's roached right now, but James will make it into a fun runner for sure.
 
scared co-workers

I decided to drive the project to work today. I would be bumping Adam Sandlers "Piece of **** car" but all the speakers were forcibly removed. Wires still there with soldered contacts and all... As soon as I got on the freeway onramp I regret making this decision. The car was shaking and rattling violently as I got up to 55mph (13 seconds later) and I was sorta scared for my life. I made it to work in one piece, however the ride home might be on the backroads.

So of course I offer to drive 2 of my co-workers to go get coffee at our regular morning break time. At first one of my co workers was like "Quiet... I hear a clunking noise" and I assured him there was no need for being quiet, and that the clunking will make itself very apparent. One of the rear bushings is gone completely and the exhaust rusted off so there is a lot of clanking and shuddering going on as we proceed to head into town. By now they are laughing at my car and making jokes, so I decided to show them the awesome power. I floored it at a stop sign, and as the car sagged forward the awesome force of my mediocre acceleration caused the glove box to flop open whacking one of my coworkers on the knees. Yeah that latch doesn't work anymore...

So we rattle and clank our way to town and back, but when I offered to show them what the freeway experience was like they respectfully declined.

Good times continue... Put that on my tombstone if I don't make it home tonight.
 
will these fit my car?

I hope this will fit in my "trunk"
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[/URL]

Anyone else here down with 12 inch steelies? ;)

So yeah I made it home alive. I've got some wheel rub to deal with, gotta roll that crushed fender out for the hydras. I heard a baseball bat works good or I'll just chop it out if its threatening the cylindrical apparatus which propels me onward in space-time....
 


Today at lunch break I beat on the crushed fender with a crowbar a 2x4 and a sledge hammer for a bit (oh yeah an aluminum bat too). Now the rear door opens and more importantly it stays closed like it should. I was getting tired of that open air gap whistle when I was trying to deal with the no bushing shudder at 60 mph. Also, it dropped enough rust and dirt to farm some more kale in furrows in my friends driveway, so there's that... Tomorrow I think I'll tackle that RTAB thats givin me trouble. Poly time!
 
welcome to the boards and hello from another fellow SoCo bricker

also with the amount of body damage on this thing the obvious choice is racecar
 


I guess I can only post one link at a time from my sgs4. If this text field is empty I can paste but if it has text it tries to select. Testing 123
 
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