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We need more BEIGE, 83 242

James M

Unknown Member
Joined
May 2, 2017
Location
Davis CA
Introducing a beige 83 242 that I hope to keep a little longer than most of my cars, I have plans for a swap or two down the line. .<strike>Currently has a m46, b23 and no AC, just the way I like it</strike> B5234T5, T5 transmission, still no AC



I’ve been trying to get my friends into Volvos so they don’t keep buying ****boxes that I don’t want to work on, one is in a 244 I bought last year, another wants a 242. After looking for a car for him I bought this 83 242 from Luke, sitting since 2014 and a little smushed in the front but he threw all in the panels I needed. As soon as I saw it in person I knew there is a good chance I’ll have to find another one for him, I can’t pass up 172 rose beige (or any beige as I guess I can’t tell the difference).

In its napping place:




After getting the parts collected off the 244 next to it we headed home, the car drove quite well for something with 5 year old gas in it, barely any brake and crusty wiring

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Sunday I took the panels off and started repairs, looks so naked

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Pulled in closer to the garage and got a better look at the bumper support, pushed up nicely but only at the tip, core support back looked fine


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In the process I ran over the can of white lithium grease visible in one of the other pictures

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I found that bracing the lower core support with jack stands, putting a bumper shock into the mounting hole and standing on it, along with some hammer swinging and map gas did a pretty good job of rebending the rail back into place


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After straightening it out I wire wheeled the rusty spots and poorly painted them, should give me another 50 miles over bare metal


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Put the front end together and it was looking much better, need to get some bumper trim out of storage for it but otherwise much more complete

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Next was rear sets Luke included, old ones had seen better days at the hands of a long hair pup

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Door panels needed to be put on but didn't fit over the wood brackets made for the speakers, after trimming them down they slipped right on, definitely going to make some brackets for my wagon when/if I but speaker back in it

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Cleaned and deletriced all the crusty connectors. Fuses only worked at specific angles when driving it home and I didnt want to lose my lights. Ended up spending an hour or two chasing electrical issues to find it was bad connections at the bulb housings and intermittent bad connection from a bent fuse holder

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Took a break and went out, got back around midnight, planned on heading up to Chico in the 242 about 100 miles but was greeted with a nice leak under the car

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Slid under the car to find it was the hose from the sending unit to the main pump, the color (hopefully) coming from dissolving undercoating and gunk on the old hose, pulled the hose to find two holes worn in it, at the clamp and where it goes between the brackets for the tank
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No place open that sells hose and I tossed the old one I took of my wagon when I converted to a single pump, So I called it quits and drove up in the 245.


Let me know if its too picture heavy, focuses on little stuff too much or whatever. Recording what i'm doing makes working on it even more fun so I'd like to make it as readable as possible

<a href="https://ibb.co/TTqzN8v"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/KGzC8q0/20200201-170852.jpg" alt="20200201-170852" border="0"></a>​

Not really, I value the ability to work on the car this week dramatically more then sleep so I pulled everything out of the wagon, stole the hose out of it (I need a better one anyways as it sees full pressure from a bigger in tank pump) and threw it on. Why drive a perfectly functioning car when you just bought a new one.

<a href="https://ibb.co/wpJ8bYR"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/BT4v7wt/20200203-001907.jpg" alt="20200203-001907" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/pJN2cds"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/HnR76qM/20200203-003235.jpg" alt="20200203-003235" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/LYDZHWR"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/7jx1L5C/20200203-005111.jpg" alt="20200203-005111" border="0"></a>

Fired it up leak free and tossed the tools in the trunk. “Big enough to hide a body” - The guy who sold me my first 242

The 49er tape on the hammer is not mine I was rooting for the Chiefs

<a href="https://ibb.co/RS876Hj"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/SxSJmvf/20200203-010406.jpg" alt="20200203-010406" border="0"></a>

Got halfway out of the driveway and remembered overdrive didn't work driving it home, I was not excited to drive 100 miles in 4th gear, pulled off the boot to find the eco harness was decomposing nicely

<a href="https://ibb.co/7J6fmnm"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/27f94v4/20200203-012548.jpg" alt="20200203-012548" border="0"></a>

Touched the wires together and on came the light, soldered it up and nothing… pulled off the knob to discover it was unplugged as well. Threw it back together and after a few presses to free up the switch it worked

<a href="https://ibb.co/6BzcYgN"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/YZm42pb/20200203-014336.jpg" alt="20200203-014336" border="0"></a>


Left at 2:30 in the morning, got gas and crossed my fingers

<a href="https://ibb.co/ggQjq1D"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/BsvzWDg/20200203-022554.jpg" alt="20200203-022554" border="0"></a>

Drove up great, reminds me how relaxing these cars are when you maintain instead of mod, speedo is about 10mph off at 65, could use a center support bearing and I need to find quiet down the wind noise (looking at you leaky sunroof)

<a href="https://ibb.co/YWKh0GL"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/Mhj7BLC/20200203-042326.jpg" alt="20200203-042326" border="0"></a>

4:30 AM I ate half a box of Goldfish in the car and “day”dreamed about what to do with it.



For real this time: Let me know if its too picture heavy, focuses on little stuff too much or whatever. Recording what i'm doing makes working on it even more fun so I'd like to make it as readable as possible
 
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I like it, not too picture heavy. I like what you’re doing and the just ‘go for it’ attitude towards this 242. I love hearing stories about these cars sitting for so long and with very little amount of work, they just keep going...
 
I like it, not too picture heavy. I like what you’re doing and the just ‘go for it’ attitude towards this 242. I love hearing stories about these cars sitting for so long and with very little amount of work, they just keep going...

Thanks, Glad the 3 mile long post isn't too much
They do just keep going, It went from a napping in the grass to driving 100 miles by pretty much just cleaning stuff
 
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Very sweet whip. I love the color and B23 + M46 combo as well. The amount of pics is perfect, can?t wait to see what else happens!
 
Found a set of rims last night, listing stated they where 5x108 14inch enkei 92 rims. Was skeptical, didn't think they where ever made in 5x108 or 5x4.25

Picture from listing, they are silver but looked goldish in this picture to me
<a href="https://ibb.co/gTVLv47"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/0MtRBsX/enkei.jpg" alt="enkei" border="0"></a>

Went to the ATM and pulled out 160, got to the rims and he accepted an offer of 140 but only had 120 :wtf:, paypaled him the difference and went back to the ATM to find my $40 still sitting in the cash slot, lucky me

<a href="https://ibb.co/V9YMsdF"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/GpQCqXZ/20200203-220827.jpg" alt="20200203-220827" border="0"></a>

Test fitted them back at the apartment and HEY, they fit! Not sure if mesh rims are liked around here but I love them, have a set of 15" enkei 92 rims on my datsun and have always wanted them on a volvo. If only someone had a set of 15 inch Multi X rims for my wagon

<a href="https://ibb.co/gTYQHMk"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/FwpcNbR/20200203-234133.jpg" alt="20200203-234133" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/nkMtqmh"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/f0dLVFm/20200203-232832.jpg" alt="20200203-232832" border="0"></a>

Specs seem to be 5x108, 14x6 et26, they are pretty damn close to the ear(?) on the rear caliper. Think ill have to get ~5 mm spacers to bring it closer to Volvo spec.

<a href="https://ibb.co/yQCwx5S"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/tJ671cX/20200203-232944.jpg" alt="20200203-232944" border="0"></a>

Was hoping to get a set of tires put on and try to mount them today to test for rubbing. Went to a local tire shop and called a few more, best quote was $370 for a set of aspen touring tires mounted and balanced. <s>Thinking</s> Ill order a set of Federal SS595 tires online and find a place that doesn't charge $72 to mount and balance 4 tires that arnt even on a car.


Ordered the tires and spacers, should be here by early next week
 
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Thanks for all the love on the car, glad to see Beige is well liked, looks so good on these cars in my opinion.


It's a great starting place. I think I have both of those front bumper corner trims if you don't have a set.

I have the bumper trim I just have to get it out of my storage unit next time I'm down in Davis, you never know how important they are until they are missing!
 
Yep those enkeis were made in 5x108. Find a hispanic tire shop in your arear Should be able to get them mounted for about $40. That's what I pay(mount & balance). I just take my wheels and tires and watch them like a hawk to make sure they don't damage wheels. Would of been sweet to find a set in 15s but still cool wheels.
 
Yep those enkeis were made in 5x108. Find a hispanic tire shop in your arear Should be able to get them mounted for about $40. That's what I pay(mount & balance). I just take my wheels and tires and watch them like a hawk to make sure they don't damage wheels. Would of been sweet to find a set in 15s but still cool wheels.

There used to be a place that would for ~40 but the owner changed management and they bumped up there prices. 15s would be nice but I like the way these look
 
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Tires arrived and got mounted, cost more then I would like but at-least they are on. New tires are 195/60r14, much smaller then before but I like the look of the rear. The front is way to high, either gonna chop some springs or look for just a front set of lowering springs.

<a href="https://ibb.co/HBfqb4r"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/17tTPQ9/20200207-162525.jpg" alt="20200207-162525" border="0"></a>

<a href="https://ibb.co/W3KDHLP"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/xs5m2Nf/20200207-162640.jpg" alt="20200207-162640" border="0"></a>

Finally washed the car, de-greaser and hot water from a pressure washer took off half a decade of gunk and moss, really looks great but needs waxed

Before:
<a href="https://ibb.co/rZKRP5L"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/JzWwLrb/20200207-133107.jpg" alt="20200207-133107" border="0"></a>

<a href="https://ibb.co/L5frSL0"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/ZmCSdnf/20200207-133128.jpg" alt="20200207-133128" border="0"></a>

After:
<a href="https://ibb.co/9N9NXFM"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/s2v2S0B/20200207-135307.jpg" alt="20200207-135307" border="0"></a>

After the wash idle was a little irratic and I could hear a strange noise, took me a second to spot it but the cap was cracked, full of water and arcing inside, replacing it made a world of difference

Crusty aluminum for you:
<a href="https://ibb.co/sFNQMB5"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/sFNQMB5/20200207-135500.jpg" alt="20200207-135500" border="0"></a>

Replaced the voltage regulator within the cluster, fixed my gauge issues and somehow my wipers and door chime, but that might be unrelated.

<a href="https://ibb.co/RbbBY9S"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/B33rctP/20200207-140753.jpg" alt="20200207-140753" border="0"></a>

Grabbed some armrests from the PnP, old ones where cracked and felt like they where about to tear in half every time you grabbed them. Got some trim for the window handles and finally bolted the drivers one in

<a href="https://ibb.co/qCkG5Cj"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/ScRTrcy/20200207-125021.jpg" alt="20200207-125021" border="0"></a>
 
I have a bunch of brown interior pieces if you need any. Window crank handles, head rest, passenger side armrest etc.

I got good stuff from the picknpull, the armrest in the pictures is the old one. Just need a second door interior handle bezel but Jack keeps grabbing them all!

Off to the pnp again tomorrow, maybe ill find one there
 
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