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My first restoration, a 242GT

Volvo0815

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
Location
Europe
Back when I was 14 I fell in love with the 240 series and always showed my dad videos and pictures of them. One day he told me that if I?m able to find a old Volvo, then we would restore it together as a project. About 2 months after I turned 16 I told my dad about a car I had seen for sale, a rusty 240 2 door with some stripes. He wasnt to happy about the car, because for him "old" means 50?s and 60?s, but he was willing to help me with it. Neither me nor my dad really knew what special car it was. We bought it barely running and in very rough shape.

And thats how the story begins...
What I had bought was a 158?000km 1 Owner 1979 242GT 2.3L that had been sitting since 1999, it should have been exported either to africa or east europe, but I bought it just in time.
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Once we got it home we started inspecting the car:

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Looking for Rust... and we found it

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The other side looked the same


We found a lot of rust (not all in the pictures) and we got really demotivated, so we called it a day. My dad worked on the car in secret, thats how I found the car the next weekend:

<a href="https://imgur.com/WIIi5oz"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/WIIi5oz.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>
 
Nice, another 242.

I have exactly the same rust spots on my 242, now fixing it. The spare wheel wells are a very common spot to be crusty.

See it as a challenge and let it motivate you instead. :-)
 
Each saturday we worked from 6am to about 10pm and because of that we made good progress.

<a href="https://imgur.com/4bds4Nd"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/4bds4Nd.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


<a href="https://imgur.com/CQreaUR"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/CQreaUR.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


While visiting a Volvo Specialist to ask for parts (no success) we got 4 of these wheels for a very good price. They came off of a low milage one owner 240 classic that had rusted away.

<a href="https://imgur.com/dMhly5g"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/dMhly5g.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


<a href="https://imgur.com/YTmpgJ4"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/YTmpgJ4.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>



Fast forward about 3 weeks. We got the car running good and replaced all suspension components, now the car is getting bodywork done.

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We transported the GT to the paint booth, then we began our work.

<a href="https://imgur.com/96vIGnj"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/96vIGnj.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

We had 2 weeks avaiable so we had to work fast

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NOS Parts arrived

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Back at the garage

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Lowered by 40mm and new Bilstein shocks and the new wheels are painted

<a href="https://imgur.com/3o7liVG"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/3o7liVG.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


<a href="https://imgur.com/Dvld3NF"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Dvld3NF.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>
 
I had to work out some electrical issues and we tried on the GT-Stripes, but decided to go with the clean no stripes look.

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<a href="https://imgur.com/cY2DVC0"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/cY2DVC0.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


During painting a circle appeared on the hood. It was in the clear coat and formed within 3-5 minutes and no one was in the paint booth at that time to mess with it. That is why we named her Christine, like the movie, because the car had its own mind.

Christine got a complete exhaust from a B23ET, finally a GT Steering wheel and a lot lot more.


Almost done

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<a href="https://imgur.com/pjqU4ij"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/pjqU4ij.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>



And she is officially finished...atleast for now

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The drive home

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These pictures were taken between January 2016 and June 2016, it only took us 6 months, but over 700 hours were invested.
 
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Elle est magnifique! Les reparations de la rouille sont tres propres, ton pere est carossier ?

Great to see another 242 GT back on the road.
 
The car changed quite a lot during 1.5 years between June 2016 and now. I have bought a DSLR Camera, so the quality of the picutres should be better.

April 2017, first Volvo meeting with the GT

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One day before the Volvo meeting, the GT got a friend. More info on the car and its restoration in another thread. http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=339410

<a href="https://imgur.com/MhQn0LS"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/MhQn0LS.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


Christines Birthday

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<a href="https://imgur.com/BRUaYxR"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/BRUaYxR.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


I had found a NOS Zender Spoiler

<a href="https://imgur.com/9UqUR6z"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/9UqUR6z.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


<a href="https://imgur.com/Up1VFiu"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Up1VFiu.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


<a href="https://imgur.com/HfDmD8D"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/HfDmD8D.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>



I then restored a R-Sport Cluster together with a R-Sport Steering wheel

<a href="https://imgur.com/nXEFMYp"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/nXEFMYp.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


I decided to buy OZ Futuras later on and bought something else instead. For now that is all. I think the pictures should speak for themselves

<a href="https://imgur.com/vPGYSxu"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/vPGYSxu.png" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


<a href="https://imgur.com/e1usMhX"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/e1usMhX.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>



-Volvo0815
 
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Elle est magnifique! Les reparations de la rouille sont tres propres, ton pere est carossier ?

Great to see another 242 GT back on the road.

Thanks alot, no my Father isnt carossier. A old friend of him did it, he retired 2 months after he did my car. But my father has restored and owned over 40 cars, so he knows a lot about restoring.

-Volvo0815
 
I hope you didn't have to sell your kidneys for that engine. :)

Some specs?

The 242 looks beautiful.
 
<a href="https://imgur.com/vPGYSxu"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/vPGYSxu.png" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>


<a href="https://imgur.com/e1usMhX"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/e1usMhX.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>



-Volvo0815

ron-burgundy.jpg
 
I hope you didn't have to sell your kidneys for that engine. :)

Some specs?

The 242 looks beautiful.
I still have both my kidneys, but my bank balance wasnt too happy. I was saving for a EVO-Engine for some time now and didnt want to buy one until I finished my apprenticeship, but it was to tempting not to buy.
The GT currently has about 155hp with some mods. The EVO-Engine is a 2.4L out of a Rallycrosscar. It was fully rebuild and then raced for only 2 hours. It has 270hp with EFI with an electric ignition system. I will sell all the stuff that is on the engine now (control unit, header, EFI, intake and maybe the sequential adapter) to make back my money. I should be able to do so, since then engine was cheap. I will design a new intake, not only will it look like the original K-Jet intake, it still will have the K-Jet. And I?ll design a new header aswell.

Here are some more infos on the engine:

• Oil Cooler
• EVO top with 40-50 valves
• Ross Pistons
• Hardened H-Connecting Rods
• Raceclutch
• Weighted and balanced crankshaft
• 81.1 mm stroke length
• 97 mm drill
 
What a great engine for your car. I would suggest you use the efi that came with it. Kjet is great but using what makes 270hp on the evo engine is better. It already has a tune so you can install it and drive.
Just a thought. Great project whatever you decide. :cool:
 
What a great engine for your car. I would suggest you use the efi that came with it. Kjet is great but using what makes 270hp on the evo engine is better. It already has a tune so you can install it and drive.
Just a thought. Great project whatever you decide. :cool:
What he ^ said. Go EFI (for this beast, particulary).
Im no expert,but my common sense tells me that stock k jet wont be able to feed this EVO thing..u would want to make some ,,Frankenstein" k jet from volvo turbo/porsche/mercedes parts etc..
 
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What he ^ said. Go EFI (for this beast, particulary).
Im no expert,but my common sense tells me that stock k jet wont be able to feed this EVO thing..u would want to make some ,,Frankenstein" k jet from volvo turbo/porsche/mercedes parts etc..
I?m aware of that problem, but Porsche Turbo Parts will be able to fix this problem. I cant build the car the use EFI, so it has to stay Mechanicly Injected. I will do my best with the airflow in the new Intake though.

-Volvo0815
 
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