1983 760gle TD D24T sedan

[Swallowedhook]

You may have seen previous CL post re 36k mile D24T. It was parked in a garage since 2000 and was the wifes car prior to her stopping driving. I was the lucky winner of a garage queen which was removed from home for probate home sale. Fuel tank was emptied and fresh diesel added.It started on the first click after oil change and a fresh battery. I drove it 2 miles to a shop, had the brake master replaced, brake hard lines filled with brake cleaner overnight, then flushed clean, calipers lubricated, and front pads replaced. Then drove it 450 miles north with perfect performance. M46 clutch is perfect, and gear box shifts like a brand new car. Also changed air filter, flushed cooling system, and changed gear box oil, and differential. Interior is near showroom with one tiny hairline crack in middle near windshield. OEM volvo windshield shows zero damage from sand you find on higher mile cars. Heater works. I assume AC needs to be recharged. Rheostat for instrument lights not working-lights stay dim. Fuel gauge is not working, but speedo, volts, tach, and clock work perfect. I will pull the instrument panel and send it to speedo shop to be checked for any solder cracks, bad bulbs, etc this week. Tires are ancient but I had better luck than Paul Walker for the trip north. I have a connection to get Toyos at a great price unless buyer wants to choose his own. All power windows and mirrors work perfectly. There are no oil leaks, or drips of any kind under the car. There is zero smoke on acceleration, or deceleration. Original factory owners docs are in the glove box. Has the Clarion sounds option with seperate amp, and rear parcel shelf oem speakers with tweeters, mids, and base. Parcel shelf and tops of rear seats have zero fade or wear.....When minor glitches are finished shortly, I will come up with a number. Silver with burgundy interior. Just saw the rule regarding location and price Car is in northern CA. Seeing Europe prices at these miles are around 13,000 euros I think once ready, $9500 would be a win win price.

[v8volvo]

Glad to see you here, welcome to the forum and thanks for posting the details about the car. Some of us saw the previous ad for the car and were wondering what the back story was. Sounds like you have a very well preserved one.

Do you have plans to replace the timing belts? Be aware that the engines in these cars are INTERFERENCE engines, meaning that if the front (camshaft) timing belt breaks, catastrophic engine destruction instantly occurs. The belts need to be changed at least every 7 years. On your car the timing belt sounds like it must be 20 years old or even probably much older, if the car was last on the road in 2000. Old dry rotted belts are highly likely to break suddenly, even if they look OK, and especially if they are extremely old and/or have sat in one position for many years like yours did. This means the timing belt on this car is likely a ticking time bomb that might ruin the engine the very next time you start it up. Therefore getting the belts changed immediately before driving it any further is absolutely critical -- otherwise you are rolling the dice every time you touch the key.

It is also critical when replacing the belts to use the correct set of special tools and procedures. An attempt to replace the timing belts without these is no better than not changing the belts at all, since a botched timing belt installation will destroy the engine exactly the same way that a broken timing belt does. It's a simple and easy job with the right equipment and information, so there is no real reason to try to cut corners.

Let us know if you need any assistance finding parts/tools/instructions for getting the belt replacement done. All the help available here is FREE, and rental or loan of the special timing belt tools and service info is available also for low or no cost if needed. Glad to hear you are bringing it back to life and getting it ready to find a good home.