|
|
Spotted this little gem in my home town, and apart from having a PRV motor in it, it would make an awesome car. Sadly I can't afford a project for another few months (otherwise I would have bought a $500 1800 shell).
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=35227&item=2493102145&rd=1#ebayphotohosting
If I could get my hands on a Bertone, would it be sacreligious to put a Nissan Turbo 6 in it? It's an easy motor to get in Australia because Holden used them in the VL turbo commodore and lots get wrapped around freeway supports or rust out.
Damn I wish I could buy that car, it's a good price and not too far from my house either.
--
Drive it like you hate it
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be George
on
Mon Oct 11 13:57 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
|
|
Yes, it is a classic and looks very cushy on the inside. Pity that it is so hideously ugly, demonstrating that even Bertone could get it wrong. Or is it sows' ears and silk purses? Must be one of the most misshapen cars in automotive history that, in its prime, would have appealed to ageing overweight property developers on Australia's pretentious Gold Coast.
Just after reading your mail I saw the subject's identical twin in the Brisbane traffic. I suppose if I had a car collection already I might consider it for weird curiosity value at that price. Till then I will just use the trusty old 240 wagon for hauling ten-foot logs and seven people (not at the same time). And it is better looking than the 262.
George Antony
|
|
-
|
|
|
Damn straight the 245 is better looking, here's what I get around town in. I've replaced the hood with a nice shiny one since that pic was taken.
The Bertone is pretty kitsch isn't it? The first time I ever saw a Bertone on the street I assumed that someone with extremely poor taste had chopped the roofline and fitted a fabric top, I couldn't believe it was actually factory. It really is Volvo's worst styling mistake, even worse than the back end of the 740 sedan (was it supposed to look like a Cadilac Seville)
If it is ever going to look good, The clothtop would have to go, as would the beaked hood. I think a Flathood Bertone, minus the metalic paint, just might be salvagable. It would then look like a 242 with a lowered roofline
But I wouldn't want it to be tasteful, I'd switch to the American quad light setup, fit 100 spoke wire rims, and redo all the trim in gold. Budget permitting I'd consider switching to adjustable airshocks (dash controlled of course). I'd probably paint it purple as well, although the current gold paintwork looks suitable.
Maybe a naked girl for a hood ornament?
--
Drive it like you hate it
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be George
on
Mon Oct 11 16:16 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
|
|
You really want that fancy paint that is a different colour from every angle: purple, blue, green and gold. Rip off the faded gold vinyl, and put on fresh white one. The interior needs a fluffy sheepskin dashmat and steering-wheel cover, dyed in the same colour as the seats. Something really gross needs to be dangled from the mirror. Fluffy dice and plastic skeletons are so passe, but I do not know what is cool nowadays. The hat shelf will get the latest flickering neon thingy, just toss out the nodding doggie and the white straw hat with the black ribbon that the old ripoff merchant used to wear. Wire-spoke rims are a great idea, and you must also get the illegal black tint on the windows. Darken the light covers too, and fit a couple of those pinhead blue spots to the front. A chrome tip for the exhaust and you are nearly done ricing up the old girl.
No worse than it was, really, merely up-to-date. Someone with a good graphics package could mock it up for us to drool over.
George Antony
|
|
-
|
|
|
Nah, no neons, we want pimp, not rice. Everything has to be dated and tacky. Fluffy dice would be perfect, although I hate those nodding dogs. If I were going to drive it as a lowrider, I would want it as old school as possible. I like the idea of a gold grill on it.
My Bertone pimpmobile would not be in any way fashionable, just offensive but kinda cool at the same time.
--
Drive it like you hate it
|
|
-
|
|
|
I have no idea how much they're asking in American dollars, but I'm guessing it would still be out of my price range. I'd still love to buy that car, though--I don't like the cloth top or gold color very much, but to have a working, authentic Bertone Volvo would be amazing. If the engine is good, it would definitely be a steal; if not, then it'd be perfect for an engine swap. Either way, that's not a car to be passed up lightly.
--
'89 244 GL -- 106,520 miles (see profile for info on car)
|
|
-
|
|
|
I guess it'd be about $1300 US or therabouts, it's a steal at the price they're asking.
--
Drive it like you hate it
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Al A.
on
Mon Oct 11 06:14 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
|
|
It's nice, isn't it?
And as long as it isn't chopped up by the engine swap, and the conversion can be reversed someday, I can't see the harm. But allow me to suggest a strategy:
to install the Nissan Turbo 6 from the Holden, if any mods need to be done to put it into the Bertone, make those mods to the ENGINE, not the car.
Interference? Change the oil sump, not the crossmember. If the extractor gets in the way of the steering, make it go round the steering somehow. Make motor to frame mounts from plate rather than bodging the Volvo mounts. Don't hammer on the firewall or inner fenders if positioning the engine two inches forward or to the left will allow it to fit.
And save any bits that are taken off during the conversion...you may want them back someday.
|
|
-
|
|
|
Ugh. It's GOLD.
I would cut the roof off and paint it red. But that's just one man's opinion.
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 234K, '82 245T/M46-182K, '89 244DL/AW70- 212K Not too distant past: 86 244DL 215K, 87 244DL 239K, 88 744GLE 233K, 88 244GL 147K, 91 244 183K
|
|
-
|
|
|
I'm sure someone tried that already...
--
Drive it like you hate it
|
|
-
|
|
|
I would buy the car, and leave the engine alone. The V6 engine has been trashed by so many people, mostly based only on hearsay. I have had great success with this engine. Bags of power, high mileage, etc etc. Get one and try it out.
JD
|
|
-
|
|
|
I've never driven a PRV powered car, but I have stripped a lot of 2 series, and I can't help noticing that the 6's usually go the crusher with only half the milage of the 4's. Just a thought.
--
Drive it like you hate it
|
|
-
|
|
|
Regarding the PRV-6 family of engines, I have a modest amount of hands on experience with the PRV-6 engines, and a few service manuals on the shelf too. However, I would like to say that the B280F PRV-6 in my '88 Volvo 780 Bertone coupe is probably one of the smoothest running engines I have ever seen in my life. -and yes, it easily beats the well tuned B230F 4-cylinder in my '87 wagon. The 3rd Generation PRV-6 engines (B280) are incredible machines and I have yet to hear of one that has died from a mechanical failure (aside from neglect like overheating or missing 5 oil changes in a row, etc).
The 1st and 2nd generation PRV-6 engines (B27 and B28) made during the 70s and up through 1986 have 3 specific problems that could lead to an untimely death (frequently around 80k to 120k miles).
1. Soft Camshafts. -corrected during late B27 production.
2. Lack of sufficient oil to camshafts at startup. (all B27 & B28)
3. Poor idle & non-even firing cylinders could cause snapped timing chains.
Starting in 1987, and produced through 1990, the B280 had all of these problems corrected and was truly the engine that the original B27 was meant to be. The smooth even-firing system is incredible and the engine doesn't even twitch in the engine bay at idle. The hardened camshafts are well constructed, and there is an oil tray cast into the heads that allows the cam lobes to splash into oil before lifing the rockers on each valve.
On topic, if I were to purchase an older 260/760 vehicle with a B27 or B28 in it, -and I planned to put some serious mileage on it, I'd find a used B280 and swap it in. Granted, there would be a decent number of modifications to make, and I'd keep the Jetronic 2.2 fuel system with the B280, but it would be a teriffic vehicle in the end.
I do agree that the 262c Bertone coupes are a bit "unique" as far as styling is concerned, -and I'm not looking to add one to my garage anytime soon. But I do hope that somebody keeps the above mentioned car on the road.
God bless,
Fitz Fitzgerald.
--
'87 Blue 240 Wagon, 248k miles.
'88 Black 780, PRV-6, 145k miles.
|
|
-
|
|
That's a nice looking car, especially with those headlamps compared to the four lamp set-up in the States.
I think they are great candidate for an engine swap and I like the car for it's uniqueness. They look great lowered a little.
I test drove one once and I didn't like the lack of headroom so I forgot the idea.
|
|
-
|
|
|
Yeah the headlights are nice, but why did they feel the need to add those headlight wipers? As if the cloth top wasn't tacky enough.
--
Drive it like you hate it
|
|
|
|
|
