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CFlo's State of the Fleet Address

Here at the DT offices double-wide in the sky, it seems everyone has some sort of cool project car, wacky daily driver, or cheap performance machine. I think I might be the most deranged though, because at any given moment I need more than two full hands of fingers to count all the different project cars and needy old machinery sucking my time and attention. And I haven't lost any fingers...yet. Unfortunately I don't have the resources to write about everything I work on. This is where you come in!

DTO: Volvo 242 Turbo - Group A Evolution - A Legit ETC/DTM Touring Car

Ok, it may not be Thursday anymore, but here at DT any day is Thorsday! Today we have a special treat - the ultimate Volvo 240. Regardless of price range, how often does an original touring car factory racer come up for sale from the Swedish stalwart? The answer is... not very. In 1983 Volvo decided to take on the likes of BMW, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Jaguar and other sporting brands who competed in the top level of touring car racing (that's production based cars bombing around road courses, if you're not familiar). They kicked some arsel in both the DTM and European Touring Car series, as a full-fledged factory team. The cars made around 350hp from their 2.1L turbocharged and water injected 4-cylinder Redblock engines. Find this 1984 -86ish Volvo 242 Turbo Group A race car for sale in Falkenburg, Sweden for an unspecified number of suitcases full of Kronor... via racecarsdirect.com.

DT Gets Rad @RadWood2

This Saturday morning, we'll be firing up our DTM5 E34 project car and heading down to RadWood2, the show for '80s and '90s enthusiast machines at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim, CA. If Jalopnik's coverage of the inaugural RadWood in the Bay Area is any indication, this show is gonna be...rad.

Feel like you just can't wear enough hairspray on the weekend anymore? Looking for a chance to dust off that denim jacket and your best pair of jorts? Want to ogle a big variety of awesome and DT-worthy depreciated rides? Then this show might be a decent way to waste a Saturday.

It'll Make You A New Man: 1982 Volvo 242 GLT V8 Swap

I can't say enough nice things about the Volvo 240.  And this is entirely true because I'm afraid that if I say something bad about the 240 that DT's CFlo will run me down in a crosswalk with one of the dozen or so boxy Volvos that litter his driveway, yard, street, and surrounding community.  So anyway, they are the bestest cars that notalotta money can buy but even MORE better when powered with a Ford V8.  Find this 1982 Volvo 242 GLT V8 Swap offered for $3,500 in Baltimore, MD via craigslist. 

Get A Grupp (A): 1979 Volvo 242 DL

The boxy Volvo 200-series was first put into production way back in 1974 and it wasn't put out to pasture until 1993.  It was simple, safe, rear-drive, and economical, but sometime in the 1980s a few nuts decided to take the 240 racing....and today we've got a replica racer [ed CFlo: sorta-replica...as it's significantly different from the Group A touring cars Volvo campaigned in the 80s, except for the wing]. Find this 1979 Volvo 242 DL here on eBay offered for $8,998 buy-it-now or make-offer located in San Francisco, CA. Tip from Ayrton.

Boxy But Good: 1983 Volvo 242 Turbo 5-Speed

The Volvo 240/260 was a boxy sedan built for worldwide consumption starting way back in 1974 but inexplicably continuing through 1993.  Certainly the 240 evolved in the nearly 20 years of production, but for the most part it followed the same basic recipe -- a small 4-cylinder engine powering the rear wheels.  Nothing wrong with that.  Find this 1983 Volvo 242 Turbo 5-Speed here on eBay bidding for $1,225 with one day to go, located in Norman, OK.

Svart Bomber: 1981 Volvo 242GL Turbo

Boxy Volvo 240 såldes från 1975 till 1993 i många former / specifikationer, men ingen som "sportig" som tvådörrars turbomodell som badged som 242. Naturligtvis är sportig en relativ term, men 240 såg viss framgång i touring bil och rally på 80-talet; bara inte förvänta sig hård båten att köra som en Corvette och du kommer inte bli besviken. Här hittar du 1981 Volvo 242GL Turbo erbjuds för 36 558 kr i Scottsdale , AZ via Craigslist. Tips från FuelTruck.

Thorsday Thorvivor: 1984 Volvo 242 Turbo

Another Volvo...what is this, Thorsday?  Wait.  Yes.  Yes it is Thorsday.  This next Swede comes as a tip from J Jefferson who writes: This Volvo has less than 10% of the mileage I would expect to see on a 240 this old.  It’s got all the right options, and correct number of doors too!  Perhaps the colour is not so great… it seems more like that popular late ’70s malaise shade of brown, especially with the contrasting TURBO decal.  Then again, with the exchange rate the way it is,  where else can you find a $7500 (US) Volvo with only 18,000 miles on it?  Find this 1984 Volvo 242 Turbo offered for $9,850 CAD which is approx 150 Moose or 3500 hockey pucks or 75 cold/hard US Benjamins via kijiji.ca.

Shrink Wrapped: 1983 Volvo 242 DL

OK guys, I'm done fooling around. Time for a real throwback Thorsday post. Vince's smallblocked '75 242 from Tuesday was a good find, if you're into diving boards, poor taste, and carburetors. Today however I present the pinnacle of Volvo's two door 240 lineup - no, not a finnicky Turbo model - but an '83 DL - and a stock survivor at that. I'll explain if you keep reading. Find this 1983 Volvo 242 DL with 65k miles for sale in Los Angeles, CA for $4,600 via craigslist.

8 Cylinders, 6 speeds, 2 doors: 1975 Volvo 242

The Jan Wilsgaard designed Volvo 200 series was a boxy sedan sold starting in the 1975 model year for the US market.  This makes the pre-smog test required 1975 model year the most desirable for a Californian, not just because you can shoehorn a Pratt and Whitney turbofan under the hood, but also to avoid the nuisance associated with bi-annual emissions check. Of course, you'll find the loose nuts behind the wheels at DT will lean toward the swapped examples, so find this 1975 Volvo 242 with Chevy 350 V8 and 6-speed manual offered for $5,700 in Topeka, KS via craigslist.  Tip from FuelTruck.

Simple Driver: 1979 Volvo 242

The Volvo 200 series was launched in 1974 as an updated version of the rugged 100 series and subsequently over 2.8 million of the boxy sedans were sold to folks around the globe before production ceased in 1993.  Today, a good used example won't win many automotive competitions, but it will provide a great building block and alternative to something beige.  Find this 1979 Volvo 242 offered for $2,400 near Minneapolis, MN via craigslist.  Tip from Gunther.

Volverhauled: The Former DTPC's Interior & Exterior Makeover

Words and most photos by our friend Karl.

I’ve been along for the ride (literally and figuratively) for most of the post-DTPC transformation work that my brother has been doing to this car. Since the last update was posted, Alex was putting in some pretty serious hours at work, which left little time for any progress on the 242. He collected parts but never had time to install them. It sucked to see that he really wanted to improve the car, but never had the time to give it the attention it deserved. It was getting to a point where I think he felt overwhelmed by the to-do list in his head.

Ed: This is where we pick up in "the car formerly known as the DTPC" saga. Last we heard from new owner Alex, he had thoroughly rebuilt the suspension and made his own custom wheels.

Come Join DT This Weekend at Coffee & Cars with Pelican Parts

Nothing better to do this Saturday morning than gawk at other people's cars? Yeah, us neither. That's why we'll be heading down to the 2nd-ever Coffee & Cars with Pelican Parts, a low-stress gathering of SoCal's finest Euro Trash. Come join us, have a brew (of the hot caffeinated morning variety), let us gawk at your cars, and you can make fun of ours.

DTPC Volvo 242 Update! Suspension, Wheels, Tires, and Stuff.

Editor CFlo: I sold our original Volvo 242 project car to a friend almost one year ago. Since then it has undergone quite the transformation. Below is the first installment in a series updating us on the beast, in the words of owner Alex B. 

Since buying the '83 Volvo 242 DTPC I have been using it every day to commute to and from work. Except for an early episode involving a complete failure of the braking system (big thanks to CFlo for leaving me with that undocumented easter egg) [ed CFlo: Hey...I told you that front caliper was starting to seize up!] the car has been very dependable.

First order of business upon taking ownership was replacing some regular maintenance items and taking care of a few small projects CFlo hadn't gotten to; water pump, belts, cam cover gasket, radiator hoses, thermostat, along with some other odds and ends.

5k: Seller Submission: 1982 Volvo 242 DL

If you've noticed the regular posting of the 200 series Volvos on this site, it isn't because we have some kind of contagious Volvitis...no...it is because the tank-like 200 series are equipped with rack-and-pinion steering, rear wheel drive and 4-wheel disc brakes at a front drive econobox price point.  You can certainly call them boxy and slow, but what they lack in dynamics is more than made up for in character.  Find this 1982 Volvo 242 DL offered on eBay for $2,995 or best offer, located in Rockledge, FL with 2 days to go.  Seller submission from JPB.

5k: Track Rat 302: V8-swapped 1979 Volvo 242GT

How many V8 Volvos does it take to get to the point where DT readers are tired of them? The world may never know. The "V8lvo" as the genre is called is kind of its own thing - on the fringe of Volvisti beyond the turbo 4-cylinder fans and way past the stock freaks lies the realm of unholy unions between Swedish unibody steel and American iron. But why not? Volvo was traditionally westward-looking with its American inspired designs; if only they'd had a proper Yank engine to drop in their tanks from the factory, we wouldn't have to scour the web for homebuilt creations. But variety is the salt herring of life. Find this 1979 Volvo 242GT with Ford 302 V8 swap for sale in Calgary, Alberta (Candinavia) for $3800 CAD via the beyond.ca forums.

5k: Råtta Rod: 1980 Volvo 242 Chevy V8

16-Nov-2013: The internet pundits who say the automotive culture in America is dying have got it wrong, dead wrong.  Yesterday's V8lvo was a 10 second auto-trans equipped drag-strip predator, and today's is a 1/2 price ugly duckling with a 5-speed manual and bad attitude.   Either show that ingenuity, resourcefulness and alcohol run deep in the heartland of freedom.  Find this 1980 Volvo 242 with Camaro V8 for sale in Grass Lake, MI for $6,000 via craislist.

Update 10-Apr-2014: This car is now listed for $4,500 buy-it-now on ebay from the same seller.  Tip from Andy L.

0.5k: Mossy Unicorn: 1975 Volvo 242 DL

It's not often that a single car gets a multitude of DT's infamous badges applied, but when we find one that's a Unicorn, Some Assembly Required, and a Thorsday posting all at once, it's hard to resist. By unicorn of course we mean a seldom / never seen model or variation, which might cause some readers to scratch their heads in consternation. Surely a plain old Volvo 240 is no unicorn? Usually true, but this 2-door is the very first model year which has a few unique traits as well as the main attraction: it is smog exempt in CA. Find this 1975 Volvo 242 DL for sale Snohomish County, WA for $500 via the turbobricks forums.