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Does the suspension (coil springs) sit lower on my1980 GT than on the other versions of the 242?
Am considering the IPD lowering kit, and if this would lower the car TOO much.
Thanks,
Mark Axen.
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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US Market, and most GT models had at essence a mild rally setup.
The front springs were like the Turbo 240. Rear springs were like that on a sedan. Perch was a little lower.
Two items....
The rear stabilizer bar is is larger in diameter than the front. Rally.
My 1979 242 GT with moon roof and M46 (an SRO?) had a 23 mm rear diameter wire bar and a front 21 mm. 1980 US market has a 22 rear / 21 mm front. 23 mm rear was restored in the 1981 model year?
On late 70s sedan and wagon, the factory stock DL bars were 21mm front and rear was either 17 or later 19?
242 GT tended to over steer on wet greasy pavement gravel / unimproved roads, if pushed.
Also had the GT strut mount plate for below the inner fender sheet metal yet above the strut mount. Plate steel.
242 GT came with Koni Yellow adjustable or the orange de Carbon mono-tube high pressure dampers front and rear.
White is the California market model. With the beige cloth seats and the wild orange stripes.
Mine was a bucket of rust. Gaps between the plate steel floor pan and the outer rocker panel So bequeathed in 2001. It came from Holland.
I kept my 1989 factory yet cranked up the Koni dampers to max. Sort of owld by 1989! SPEEDO/ODO was metric. Had the GT instruments cluster. Sold a few years ago. Still have the front UK-code front corner light assemblies.
Another Volvo bequeathed at Taylor's Junkyard on St. Charles Rock Road in St. Louis County.
Got the driver seat allslow! Rather have the GT in fine fettle.
--
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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As I tried to answer in your previous post, to the best of my knowledge your GLT came with the same springs as the base model:
o Ride height listed for 1985 Volvo 240 DL Automatic is 1430 mm (closest year I could find).
o Ride height listed for 1980 Volvo 244 GLT Manual is 1435 mm, so actually 3/16" higher than the DL. If yours is 242 GLT then possibly a hair different.
For the 1985, some of the difference might be explained by weight differences between the AW60 trans and manual you likely have, also the B230F LH-Jet engine compared to the B23E K-Jet I presume you have. It may also be a case where someone rounded a measurement up to inches than back down to metric.
The real question is whether a PO has already modded the suspension.
If yours measures 1"-2"(25-50 mm) lower than those ride heights when completely unloaded then yours may well not have stock suspension. For less than a 1" ride height difference, you can't be certain you're precisely matching the loading used for their measurement (totally unloaded? tank full? empty? half?), plus 43 years of spring metal fatigue.
You can also check out stock photos for a visual comparison of ride height between the GLT vs. DLs of those years (choose same bumper, grill and hood profile). GLT's may appear to ride lower with their low profile tires on 15" alloys, also if 2-door then the window profile makes them look a little sleaker and lower.
Like I said, inspect the coils you have to see if the fronts are progressively wound (ie. are already ipd sport coils). Count the coils and note the end offsets. You can also check the coil diameter. The stock pre-1986 front coils are listed as p/n 1229137, 7-1/2 turns, o.d. 13.9 mm (13.85 mm to be more precise). Fitment is listed for all models. Your rear springs are either p/n 1212426 12mm or p/n 1229052 13mm (12.9 mm), the turns aren't mentioned. Fitment for the heavier rear springs is noted as for the later wagons and GL/GLE/GT/GLT, but an unspecified year change is mentioned, so if yours measures 12mm then that's why.
If you spend some time with Google there's lots to be found out there on 240 overall specifications and suspension discussions, including this page on Dave Barton's site;
https://www.240turbo.com/suspension.html
Do you want to lower it for looks or handling? If the answer is handling, the general consensus was to start with stiffer sways (front and rear), poly bushings and plus-sized tires as your first upgrade, then the springs and struts. If you get carried away, you may end up with slightly more responsive handling, but at the cost of a harder ride, harsher than you may like. Way back, hardly any road speed bumps, but these days they're everywhere and many roads are in worse shape than ever. There are also considerations for creating oversteer.
Turbobricks is a better forum than the brickboard for asking these types of questions and checking out previous discussions.
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Thanks for your detailed advice.
Mine is a white 1980 GT (non-turbo, M46) just bought on HEMMINGS.
Noticed tires are 13 years old, well past recommended lifespan! They are 205/60R15, a size up from stock 195's.
The B4 Touring Bilstein shocks/struts at IPD look good, less harsh than the pricier B6's.
She handles well for the moderate driving I do.
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Is that your white 242GT on Hemmings with the red visor windshield and private seller out of Connecticut? If so, that looks very, very stock ride height. BTW, those are the later 940 10-spoke 15" alloys (like mine), not the original 5-spoke 15" Virgos. I know the rim widths are close, but not identical, also the offsets. If that's yours then maybe look a bit further into this the next time you go to buy tires to get a low profile while making sure you maintain fender clearance under max load (especially with lowering springs) and as well maintain reasonable speedometer accuracy.
To carry on here with general comments for you now that I've got a better idea of where you're coming from, if you need struts and shocks than I would probably also go for the Bilstein B4s as a mild upgrade from stock. FCPEuro and other places also carry them. I once put Bilstein Sport Tourings, probably similar to the B4s, maybe a hair more aggressive, on our '85 245 wagon and was very happy with them for everyday driving along with the ipd sways front & rear.
Being a wagon used for hauling and trailering, I went with the ipd overload rear coils, same as I've done with one of my 940 wagons -not so good for everyday driving when lightly loaded, hopping over speed bumps even at low speed. Max loads and lowered springs don't go together. Got all the ipd stuff on one of their famous sumnmer garage sales, like over 30 years ago. I was helping a friend move back from Portland and we stashed them in the middle of the moving van load to avoid taxes and duty crossing back across the border -I can admit to that crime now as the Statute of Limitations has passed. :)
If I had a 242GT like that in excellent condition with no rust and low mileage then I'd certainly think about giving it a bit more sex appeal, especially being plane-Jane white (I prefer the classic metallic red 242GTs, second is black). You've already spent a good buck on it, so a little more to give it a more impressive look worthy of its reputation and collectibility strikes me as an investment. I'd probably want to go full package ipd with sways, sport coils, adjustable panhard rod, and front end poly bushings, but probably stop there. Things like adjustable torque rods, strut tower braces, cross member lower brace and tower-to-tower strut brace would only be there to impress those opening the hood or the muffler kids when it's up on a rack, while making the ride even stiffer.
I'd even go so far as to think about blacking in between the taillights. Volvo sometimes did that on GTs using a black decal, same time they did the silver or orage reflective bumper tape stripes, and some had a red reflector panel matching the taillights. I recall those were also available as orderable accessories from Volvo, but they were perpetually out of stock as they were popular. Some may have a better memory of this than me.
---
Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Dave, thanks for your thoughts.
The 940 wheels are 6" width. I have 2 sets of VIRGO wheels, and may have a set refinished and put them on.
Maybe a red pinstripe along the side to spruce it up.
Thanks,
Mark.
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Carefully check the Virgo rims for straightness and radial runout of the bead area using a dial mic and the Volvo specs. Alloys designed with offset spokes like those Virgos are often found bent after decades of hitting ruts and curbs, especially with underinflated low profile tires. It can be difficult to find places who do rim straightening.
Those 940 alloys also easily get bent. I did a major tire replacement a couple of years ago on both 940s. Took all the rims home to check them carefully and restore them, including sanding and baked epoxy painting the bead areas perfectly smooth so no more rim leaks. Six of the eight needed the rims pounded in or out to come within lateral runout spec. Four needed areas of the rim pounded out to get within the radial runout spec. Two took over thirty attempts to carefully pound them with a large hand sledge on the end of a 2x4 to avoid cracking the alloys. All now within spec and radially indexed for mounting against the tire index (look it up) and two came back not needing any balancing weights. I thought they hadn't balanced them and took them back to be checked. Four tires needed load force balancing (tire issue) to refine the weights and indexing so there were no harmonics on the highway. Two of those couldn't be load balanced and were returned as faulty tires under Continental's warranty. Way back, I used to really like the everyday touring Continentals. These are their M+S all seasons and I won't be buying Continentals any more if their quality control and warehouse storage is that poor. Never buy the bottom tires off a stack coming out of a warehouse if they've been there for any length of time. All good to go now for a few more years of road ruts.
--
Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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I prefer the classic metallic red 242GTs, second is black
Now I am no expert but I recall learning (on this very forum by the way) that with the exception of some Canadian made GTs which were black, all 242 GTs were delivered with, "Mystic Silver Metallic," paint and the GT interior (black corduroy seat covers with orange accent stripes). I am speaking of US market cars but I believe this color scheme was the same for other markets.
As far as Mcloud's acquisition, I wonder, is it repainted? Is it badged simply GT on the trunk lid? Is it a well maintained white 242 DL/GL that someone has equipped with a GT grill? Does it have the GT interior?
Sorry. I just wonder about stuff like this.
--
'79 242, '84 DL 2 door, '80 DL 2 door, '89 DL Wagon, '15 XC70 T6 AWD
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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VIN plates show it to be a genuine US GT, with 163,000 miles. Previous owner, GM at Westport, CT, Volvo, had it painted a 'BMW' white. Did a professional job, removing all trim, painting inside trunk, doorjambs, etc. Only the engine bay is still silver. GT corduroy interior with red accents is in good shape, thanks to it being garaged.
Am doing the usual 'new' car acquisition tasks, i.e., oil & filter, coolant flush, spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, brake fluid flush.
Also am considering OPD's 'Street Performance Cam Kit' and SS Sport Exhaust.
Thanks for you interest and advice !
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Hi,
Just my opinion here but since the previous owner painted it BMW white that could possibly be a head on collision with wanting to modify things.
It’s a well known thought that attaching anything on to a car that’s BMW related means you will need a loan to Bring More Wages.
Going to a cam just rearranges the breathing characteristics of the torque band output to where you think you got more.
But in reality, the variation just puts that power band in a place where you can play with it more with a foot that’s just below the seat where the wallet resides. Neither one of you are ending up fat and jolly for very long.
In early years it was about having cubic inches under the hood. Called muscle cars not brain cars.
Then it went to cams and blowers, either super chargers or turbos until one woke up to the prices of gasoline ⛽️ and tires that got a thinner profile, yet more expensive.
It’s just now finally getting around to how many gears.
Last I heard that was nine or ten automatically.
Imagine the position confusions, let alone any sub levers.
Muscle car people were not up for that kind of engineering of automatics in those days.
So with all that said, I recently was told that the 240’s have climbed or jump up in $ demands.
Apparently our cars are the last of the RWD with an area large enough bay to put big engines into.
The person I was speaking with has a 1977 that he is putting in a Chevy corvette LS engine.
He asked about my 1984 and if I had any two door cars. Just my 1978 GT and his eyes brightened.
He also said the shortage is worse in Europe and the Swedes will but any car with less rust!
It’s a split red block world out there between stock, modified or just to have a “sleepy body” for cubic inches.
For some people in the newer generation money doesn’t mean much if they want!
Just remember if they don’t like your personal modifications they don’t buy it.
This is where stock wins in the long run with various values abound.
A Stainless Steel exhaust, sport or not is an investment as well but it gets hidden within a total package and a bigger engine kicks it down the road too.
Enjoy your new TOY with glee!
Phil
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