CHAT WITH A VOLVO 240 OWNER

Don Cruickshank tells us about his enthusiasm for all-things Volvo

1 When did you realise Volvos were for you?

‘I had just returned from New Zealand after some years and needed a solid, reliable workhorse. A friend of mine recommended a Volvo and so I ended up with a cheap and quite rusty 144. Having had a number of Morris Oxfords before, I was so impressed with the Volvo’s quality,

I later upgraded to a 245.’

2 The love of Volvos is strong then?

‘Oh, yes! I am the register keeper for the Volvo Owners’ Club, having been a member for 15 years. I’ve had these cars for a long time so

I spend a fair amount of time advising owners about fixing faults and helping to locate spares. It’s satisfying as you’re part of keeping the cars on the road – you don’t get this kind of ‘club wisdom’ from internet forums!’

3 Which model would you recommend?

‘There are so few 260s on the market now, as they weren’t big sellers here. Parts for those cars are hard to find and it was never as reliable as the 240 anyway, which is a car you can use everyday. Even the 2-litre will keep up with modern traffic and they’re not bad on fuel either. The engines go on forever – 300,000 miles is not unknown, if you keep on top of fluids and cambelts. Early cars use different belts to later ones though, but you’ll soon learn stuff like that by joining the club.’

4 Any advice for a potential owner?

‘Listen out for piston slap on earlier cars – or engines that have only spent their lives doing short journeys. Parts availability isn’t too bad but some LHD bits won’t fit UK cars. Beware caburettor models as they can be tricky to fix. Later models had much more reliable fuel injection systems. There isn’t too much to worry about otherwise, as they were so rugged and rust-resistant!’