Sina's '92 245: Semi-broke college student's wagon

Sina's '92 245: Picking Up Where We Left Off

Here's some back story on the car. It's a 1992 (built 1991) 245, almost completely stock specs and all. However, the car was bought by my parents right before I was born in Gotherburg ... so as a TDS vehicle, it has some of the most sought-after options. I came home as a newborn in this car, so it holds a fair share of sentimental value..like my Peugeot...(hoarder much?)

It has around 330,000 miles on it currently

So...it has:

• M47 5-speed
• Factory Volvo LSD
• Bilstein HD Struts & Shocks
• iPd springs all around
• Ipd poly bushings everywhere
• oem volvo armrest w. four cupholders (yaa buddy)
• Heated & Power OEM mirrors
• Aux Voltometer gauge pod
• Aux Small tach pod
• Front & Rear Foglights
• Pretty noice Tan Leatherette interior with all 4 headrest cushions
• crack-free dash
• Swapped the "SE" style grille to mint chrome one (temp)
• Oem tan cargo cover
• long rack with ribs, that I refurb'd last summer
• hit lower mouldings/rockers with 6 coats of black
• Faux 86+ Ecodes
• Powerslot rotors all around
• 3rd row seat (this has actually been used a LOT) lol

Now here's what I have planned for the short term:

-Set of new wheels & grippy tires. I just started scouring San Diego Craigslist for some nice FWD Volvo wheels, but wouldn't mind some nice/obscure wheels of the RWD Variety. I had a set of Hydras, but I carelessly bent one, and the rest were already curbed/spraybombed ... so I won't even get into that.

-New set of iPD springs all around. The current ones are a set of Overloads that my dad installed like 12 years ago. I want the car a tad bit lower, for the chicks of course.

-New headunit. I'm tempted to swap my Blaupunkt in, out of my E30. I also have a nice set of 4 new speakers that will go in the doors. I'd probably follow suit and swap my sub box with 2 10" JL's out of my E30, as well..

-Big-tach conversion, and replace the lil' tach with a common small-clock. I'll also add some other kewl gauge pods, from what I find at the Ecology yard down my street.

-More power. The car's cam has been replaced with an Ipd unit, and that was like again 10 years ago. Ye olde' 330k b230f is holding up well, but I'm debating back and fourth between swapping a fresher low-mileage b230ft in all together, with internals and all. Don't really have money for MS or VEMS either, so original volvo everything.

I'm gonna need TB's help on the "+T" since I've never turbocharged a car before.


Here's my last obsession, that kept me occupied for good few years. It's still cool and all, but the high-mile m42 is starting to fall apart and my insurance recently sky-rocketed...so the Volvo is the fiscally responsible alternative...or so I'm hoping.


Eurospec klone by sina.pour, on Flickr


Untitled by sina.pour, on Flickr


Untitled by sina.pour, on Flickr


Freshman year of college - down. by sina.pour, on Flickr


IMG_9134 by sina.pour, on Flickr


IMG_9157 by sina.pour, on Flickr

In all, I'm pretty excited to be getting back to Volvo's...or truly getting into bricks for the 1st time. Hope you guys can lend me a hand in my journey. Going to need all the help I can get!


Twin Peaks Fog, SF by sina.pour, on Flickr


Leatherette for days. by sina.pour, on Flickr


The new project! by sina.pour, on Flickr


sfbay marin by sina.pour, on Flickr


there's a bunch of i've surely forgotten/missed, I'll be updating this soon.

Best,
S

I have an entire setup for a +T shoot me a PM with your number and we can set something up! So is it actually a a 91 SE if so that is pretty cool, went off in a thread yest. about how I'd love to own a rarer 240 like that.

Lulz.

Old Iron said:

I have an entire setup for a +T shoot me a PM with your number and we can set something up! So is it actually a a 91 SE if so that is pretty cool, went off in a thread yest. about how I'd love to own a rarer 240 like that.

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That's sick! I recall you owning one or late wagons like myself? I remember drooling over your polaris and what not.. We'll be in touch.

I'm trying to make an entire list of what I want to get...but I'm still at the stage where I'm trying to decide between keeping the old b230f, or just swappin' something in from a donor car.

F13ND said:

Lulz.

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Ya. I remember you. Do you still row man? Sammamish, IIRC?

I wish my wagon was black, looks very nice

Beautiful car
Keep it clean!

Fraktion said:

I wish my wagon was black, looks very nice

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Thanks! I follow you on tumblr, I think.

What options other then the load bars and the rear badge did the 240 SE come with that other 240's didn't. It's seems to range from a 2 liter fuel injected car to being able to attain anything the buyer wanted when they purchased it?

spourcyrous said:

Ya. I remember you. Do you still row man? Sammamish, IIRC?

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I have rowed maybe once in the last four years. What about you?

Old Iron said:

What options other then the load bars and the rear badge did the 240 SE come with that other 240's didn't. It's seems to range from a 2 liter fuel injected car to being able to attain anything the buyer wanted when they purchased it?

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I know many us se's had scorpious-x wheels and black door handles.
For some reason, I've never seen non se cars spec'd similar to mine save for Tds cars...
Seems they had their own special sheet..

F13ND said:

I have rowed maybe once in the last four years. What about you?

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Yeah I got recruited straight from high school so I've been rowing for 6 years straight now.
It can get to be a pain sometimes, like in the Erging seasons like right now (fml) but there's no beating the feeling of being out on the water..

spourcyrous said:

Thanks! I follow you on tumblr, I think.

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Yeah! I recognized your flickr account name.

Old Iron said:

What options other then the load bars and the rear badge did the 240 SE come with that other 240's didn't. It's seems to range from a 2 liter fuel injected car to being able to attain anything the buyer wanted when they purchased it?

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I saw one the other day on the road, from the outside I couldn't tell any difference.

Yeah I think besides the SE models that came with the optional Scoripus-X wheels, there really was no difference, other than the Black door handles and fully-black grille. Also, note that my car has leatherette. IIRC, mine only had the option of coming with Cloth or Leatherette.

My dad has the original window sticker, along with Swedish registration, etc.. in that little velvet maintenance book...somewhere at my parents' house.

Here are some more "original" photos of my car, from the last decade:





and more recently, right before driving back down to school:
Also, what do you guys think of the blacked-out lower moldings that I did over last summer? (in these recent shots)

I think that looks way better.

Thanks dude. Yeah I honestly have no idea how it looked stock (don't recall how dark a shade of black) the moldings are supposed to be, but I laid down 6 coats and was pretty happy with it. Next up, most likely next January (when it will warm up again - have my hands tied ATM), I'm going to remove the front and rear bumpers, strip all the stickers off, smooth it down, and lay a few good coats on those as well.

I also plan on removing the tacky "100,000" and "200,000" mile badges that my dad mounted on the tail gate a few years ago. Way too cluttered.

I'm going for the clean and simple look, so I may debadge all together.
But I'll hold out for a euro/aussie "245" later style badge only.

Here's a little inspiration I found while browsing Garaget after some homework tonight.



Basically the look I'm aiming for, just ignore the sexy/humongous euro wheels.
I'm thinking something along the lines of 17"s, since 18"s are pretty hard to pull off on 240's, IMO.
At first, they'll probably end up being something either FWD Volvo, or whatever I can pull on Craigs for a good deal...or at the yard.

I just love all of this recent momentum that I've caught, since I never could really substantiate my dreams for my car with any mods or anything.
I used to just say that I was going to get **** done, but after owning an E30 and going through it - It's time for the same on a Volvo.

-S

Very nice. Is it really an SE? They're supposed to have black trim, a leather shifter boot, power mirrors, big rev counter and some more stuff. What also interests me is the "VOLVO" emblems on the front fenders which were supposed to be gone by 1990.

Also looks like it has the black handles of 1992 but the chromed tailgate hinges of 1991 and older. The rear bumper kind of looks like a US bumper with euro trim but I can't tell for sure.

Nice, as cosmetics go I'd go with RWWR tail lights first

spourcyrous said:

I also plan on removing the tacky "100,000" and "200,000" mile badges that my dad mounted on the tail gate a few years ago. Way too cluttered.

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What style badges are they, are they the metal one's, I'd buy them from you.

Ohh and those wheels look really good on that wagon, sick wagon.

professor245 said:

Nice, as cosmetics go I'd go with RWWR tail lights first

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I'm thinking it over, but I'd rather get my paint all buffed, clean up & blackout my bumpers, and lower the car first.

D.E said:

Very nice. Is it really an SE? They're supposed to have black trim, a leather shifter boot, power mirrors, big rev counter and some more stuff. What also interests me is the "VOLVO" emblems on the front fenders which were supposed to be gone by 1990.

Also looks like it has the black handles of 1992 but the chromed tailgate hinges of 1991 and older. The rear bumper kind of looks like a US bumper with euro trim but I can't tell for sure.

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Don't think so. It's just one of those really mixed-spec Swedish Delivery cars. The family spent time in Vasteras and this what they drove.

Also, the car has black handles, and black tailgate hinges.
Here is the original grille before I switched to chrome.

Old Iron said:

What style badges are they, are they the metal one's, I'd buy them from you.

Ohh and those wheels look really good on that wagon, sick wagon.

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These one's here. I think they look sorta cool, butter clutter the car up WAAY too much.

Does anyone know what a nice, lightly-used pair of 200 Snow caps go for? My dad picked up a set from Bilia aB in Stockholm while we were in Sweden back when I was 9 yrs old. Contemplating selling them for something more beneficial, depending on their value..