Volvo 245 DL: PH Carpool

Serial Volvo owning PHer has found his dream beige barge!

Name: Dion Bullock
Car: 1982 Volvo 245 DL
Owned since: 2016
Previously owned: 1987 Volvo 240 GLT, 1991 Volvo 240 SE, 1991 Volvo 240 GL, 1998 Volvo V70 T5, 2003 Volvo V70 T5, 2004 Volvo S40 T5 and various inferior turbo cars like a 2001 Audi A3 1.8T remapped to 222hp! Track prepared MR2 Turbo as well - that was fun!

Why I bought it:
"Those who know Volvos of old will know the earlier cars are the ones to have! Much rarer and in my opinion a much nicer car to look at! A flat 'hood' and no plastics along the doors are just a couple of examples. I always wanted a beige barge and this came up under budget!"

What I wish I'd known:
"Having owned a fair few older Volvos I knew what to look for. Rust can be a killer of these early beasts; although the beige barge is showing signs of tatty bodywork, it is all cosmetic and due to be rectified in the very near future."

Things I love:
The robust, simple mechanics of the car! No DPFs, Dual mass flywheels, injectors or the like to bork up here. The looks you get driving around - it's so square by today's standards it's really bizarre! A proper brick in a jetstream society. Whenever I'm parking, there's always an older person who's itching to tell me of the time they had one and proceed to me the story of when they managed to fit the sofa, fridge or half the house in the back of one!"

Things I hate:
"The three-speed auto makes for a very slow 23mpg!"

Costs:
"The car cost less than a grand to buy, which was a great start. I have spent a couple hundred on new tyres, filters, belts and so on. I then came across these lovely wheels currently fitted which cost nearly as much as the car did! Insurance is on a classic policy, less than £100 a year. Tax is the usual £200+ for 12 months - but I'm sure it spews out its fair share of CO2!"

Where I've been:
"Nowhere far, yet. It has towed our family caravan to several vintage car festivals here in North Wales and will do so for many years to come!"

What next?
"Suspension upgrades - Dai Brace, aka ClassicSwede, will have the honour of fitting his own custom wound springs and modified GAZ Gold dampers, a truly awesome set-up. After the handling has been sorted, a turbo conversion is on the cards. A popular swap is the 2.3 LPT from the 940, but a T5 or even T6 motor is tempting but a lot more work (and money!)."

Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at carpool@pistonheads.com!