captain_70s
Forum Addict
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2008
- Messages
- 6,530
- Location
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Car(s)
- Three Triumphs and a Volvo estate
So, I bought another 740 wagon... Like my old one it's an 1989 F reg 740 estate in white. Unlike my old one it's a 2.3 with the ZF gearbox. It's also a GLE rather than a GL (check the alloy wheels and stainless hubcaps). I bought it on eBay for £700 unseen, because I vowed to never do that again.
124,000 on the clock, engine is sweet as a nut and freshly serviced, gearbox is smooth, it rides well, steers well and stops well. Tyres are a mix of part worns which are a million times better than the billion year old rubber on my old one.
The interior and headlining has been replaced with one from a spares car of unknown age, it's all pretty decent.
The body looks awful, it's been blown over in white from metallic grey, at least twice. It is, however, (mostly) dent and rust free (for an ancient UK car). Underneath it needs a bit of work to the driver's side front floor but the chassis, sills and inner arches are all grand
Electrics are comedy spec. Everything important works but using headlights or indicators activates the rear wiper and intermittent wipe is extra intermittent. The under car fuel pump also whines and I don't have the radio code although it does power on and the electric aerial (sooooo fanceh) goes up.
For £700 it's a bit of a steal, that's parts car money. 11 months MOT so no urgent rush to fuck about with it.
Of course there are negatives to this bargain basement shitbox. Nice 740s are £3k for a reason, and this was £700 for many...
It is cosmetically challenged to say the least... There is also some rust to sort out, namely the driver's floor/jacking point area. I suspect sitting for 16 years filling with water has caused the footwells to fill up with water and rot from the inside out...
My old one was rusty in the same area but the whole chassis leg was a mess of patches and the floor was a half inch of underseal and silicone sealant, so this is refreshingly honest in comparison... This one even has rear jacking points and inner sills, unlike my last one.
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