1983 Volvo 760 D24 T

[VolvoGabe]

Hi, just joined this thread. I'm 17 and in January of this year I just picked up a 1983 Volvo 760 D24 T, M46 manual. I bought it mechanically unseen and it had been sitting outside for 10 years on the side of a road in an industrial area.

Here in New Zealand it's the only 760 diesel in the country, two other's being a 740 and a 940 which are both auto. The body has 174,000miles but it has a replacement engine that has under 100,000. It's a really healthy car and loves life. Starts turn of the key and doesn't smoke anymore - when I first drove it it smoked like a freight train but as it cleared it's throat it got peppier and it smoked less. It seems to run warm, the radiator was clogged 3/4 but that's all re-conditioned and installed in the car, however the temp gauge still goes up and reads 3/4. I don't know if it's a faulty temp sensor but will replace to eliminate that potential issue. Any thoughts?

Apart from that it has some rust here and there but it will be fixed and kept being driven around the country, a true road trip car. Hope you like it.

[Goteborg Vapenfabrik]

It's great too know we have a Kiwi here! I installed a second temperature gauge in my 85 740. I cut the top radiator hose and installed a 34mm sensor housing for the sender. I also installed an 80 degree thermostat. With a digital gauge to reference you could see what the coolant temperature really is. That's a start. Keeping the engine cool is paramount.

[ngoma]

I don't know if it's a faulty temp sensor but will replace to eliminate that potential issue. Any thoughts?
Get or borrow an infrared non-contact thermometer and take closeup readings of the top radiator hose, the hot side of the radiator, and the side of the cylinder head there near the front temp. sensor. See how that compares with the temp. gauge.

Plan on replacing the timing belt if you don't know its history. ;)

[RedArrow]

Wow! How did the car get there?
What's the story?

[VolvoGabe]

Thanks, yea will do. It has a thermostat at 90 degrees but when it was idling the temp went up when I was bleeding the cooling system and the bottom hose got vaguely warm.

[VolvoGabe]

Wow! How did the car get there?
What's the story?

It got imported into the country in 1987 where it was on the road till 2009. It was owned by a farmer and his wife and his wife mainly used it for a period of time. It got used as a farm car and pulled trailers/farm equipment etc. It was quite the work horse. The owner is now in an old persons home and the car was sent to sit for a number of years, just outside the old farm. Was put up for sale for $1725 and was for sale for ages. It looked rough, and yes it is a bit rough but it loves life and has a heart of gold. I bought it 9months later after listed for sale and put a deposit on it the next day after viewing it. Overall I got it for $1250NZD. As it was used on a farm the underside is banged up, it has holes, rust, etc but all will be fixed. It's never going to be a showroom vehicle, in my ownership it's going to see a fair amount of use and it will be taken of road rally's and given a good life and will always be looked after.