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Should I dismiss a 240 with a cracked airbag pad?

cookieboy

cookieboy

Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2009
Location
CA
So there's a 240 with a salvaged title for sale at a small dealership but I noticed that the steering wheel pad where the airbag is was cracked in a few spots and I could see the airbag through the cracks. Is that something that I need to be overly concerned about and can it be addressed inexpensively or should I walk away ?
 
cookieboy said:
So there's a 240 with a salvaged title for sale at a small dealership but I noticed that the steering wheel pad where the airbag is was cracked in a few spots and I could see the airbag through the cracks. Is that something that I need to be overly concerned about and can it be addressed inexpensively or should I walk away ?
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Check the car closely for frame damage. Knowing what I know about these cars, if the air bag was deployed previously and it has a salvage title, I'd keep looking for a better car as there is a good chance that one is bent.
 
cookieboy said:
So there's a 240 with a salvaged title for sale at a small dealership but I noticed that the steering wheel pad where the airbag is was cracked in a few spots and I could see the airbag through the cracks. Is that something that I need to be overly concerned about and can it be addressed inexpensively or should I walk away ?
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There was a place in Birmingham, AL that charged $75 to place a car on a "frame jig" (not really so since our cars are unibody) and determine if the car is square.

For another $50, they would pull the car square (if not severely wrecked).

If the price is right, you might try finding a place with a similar deal.

Just my .02
 
I'd look for a car that has a clear title.

Also, don't limit yourself to 1990-93 240's. The 1989 models are mostly the same, but without the bomb in the steering wheel. I've actually downdated my family's '92 to an '89, since it had the 1st generation bomb installed.

-J
 
Check out the rest of the car and see if it is a good project. The air bag stuff isn't a big deal to either fix or remove.

I also removed the early air bag in my 93 wagon. After you remove the steering wheel, remove the clock spring and then bracket for the turn signal and wiper switches. Get the bracket from a 1981-88 model without air bag. the wiper and turn signal switches don't have to be changed. Then use what earlier steering wheel you like. I put a GT horn pad on one of my spare turbo wheels. Gave one of my friends the parts like the steering wheel, airbag, controller, and backup power supply.
 
John242Ti said:
I'd look for a car that has a clear title.

Also, don't limit yourself to 1990-93 240's. The 1989 models are mostly the same, but without the bomb in the steering wheel. I've actually downdated my family's '92 to an '89, since it had the 1st generation bomb installed.

-J
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Thanks John, I'm actually looking for one between 1987-93 So I definitely wouldn't dismiss the '89's and older. I thought I had found one but it sold before I could get down to see the car.
 
Somewhere in 87, [I think late in the year] so many of them are good in fact I wouldn't write off any of the LH 2.2 cars since most have replacement harnesses by now anyway...

Edit:

Or even a nice B23 / LH 2.0 car.
 
The other thing though is that even if the underhood wiring has been replaced, the same stuff was used throughout and tends to fail sooner or later, especially at flex points like door bundles.

Can't remember when in '87 my 745t was made but I had stuff starting to crumble everywhere.

Going down that road again I'd definitely dig into it here and there to see what kind of shape it was all in.
 
You know, something else I forgot to mention was that the shift light was on which wouldn't go out when I hit the button so I wasnt sure was if it was the OD relay or what because there was some wires taped onto the auto shifter from just underneath the knob and going down towards the tranny that someone had obviously rigged up for some reason so that left me hesitant as well. I spoke with the seller at the lot since then and he said that his mechanic got the light to go off and it wasn't the relay, but that the button has to be jiggled a certain way. But unless he took it for a drive, a I still don't know if it up shifts into fourth gear which of course leaves me rather hesitant on this car, what do y'all think ?
 
Shifted said:
The other thing though is that even if the underhood wiring has been replaced, the same stuff was used throughout and tends to fail sooner or later, especially at flex points like door bundles.

Can't remember when in '87 my 745t was made but I had stuff starting to crumble everywhere.

Going down that road again I'd definitely dig into it here and there to see what kind of shape it was all in.
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All I have is older 240's, mostly 83's. They are all fine except the engine harness or other usual problem areas that all 240's have.
 
^Yeah, it seems the biodegradeable insulation problem ends at the firewall, and typically avoids the body harness, except the constant idle harness pigtail on turbo cars (protip: if you need to replace that pigtail, find a 1981 49 state DL or GL with the aux. air valve - pigtail is there, but stuffed inside the strut tower, looking like new)...

-J
 
swedefiend said:
There was a place in Birmingham, AL that charged $75 to place a car on a "frame jig" (not really so since our cars are unibody) and determine if the car is square.

For another $50, they would pull the car square (if not severely wrecked).

If the price is right, you might try finding a place with a similar deal.

Just my .02
Click to expand...

Given how little is adjustable on the alignment of these cars, usually alignment is all you need to know if the car is square or not. If it aligns, it's very unlikely that the body is bent. If a setting is too far out to be corrected that's a red flag.
 
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