Bangernomics Adventure
Bargain Volvo 740 gives Eighties family holiday vibes with a 1500-mile Highlands to Land’s End road trip
Could be a brochure shot.
BOUGHT BLIND ON THE INTERNET
Volvo 740
High mileage –200k –but used everyday and serviced to support that use. New parts always fitted as required and bodywork kept on top of.
Gareth Charlton
I’m impulsive and appalling at judging time or planning ahead. I’m also more of a words than numbers man and even my ‘man maths’ is highly questionable.
I had more than six months to prepare one of our vehicles for a camping holiday to the far-flung reaches of the Cornish south coast: the T4 Caravelle is perfect for such a trip, except for the head currently being nowhere near the block; and I discounted the pre-Defender One-Ten V8 station wagon at the last minute on account of 1000-plus miles causing equal damage to my wallet and my creaky knee.
Days before departure, an exquisite teal ’n’ tan solution presented itself in the form of a 1988 Volvo 740 GLE, that was bought completely blind from a lovely lady who’d owned ‘Miss V’ for 22 years. The only downside? It was in Inverness, I live in North Yorkshire and existing commitments meant I’d be setting off for collection from near the south coast.
Sustenance required!
The only solutions were train or plane… I opted to stay on the ground. I fidgeted on the sleeper train to Inverness and contemplated all the tools that I’d been unable to pack in favour of a sleeping bag. I also questioned my life choices as a cocktail of black coffee and sweets churned. ‘If all runs smoothly I will have time to meet Julie, the 740’s long-term custodian, then drive home to North Yorkshire, while hopefully stopping for some shut-eye on the way,’ I thought. I’d then collect my family and 14-tonnes of camping-focused addenda, and drive to Cornwall.
I glanced at my phone as an unneeded reminder, which told me that, once the 14-hour train ride was over, I’d have a 779-mile drive ahead of me. In my head, this trip would prove that well-maintained old cars can still be relied upon, that we should stop throwing things away and that summer holidays in the Eighties were much more fun. It’s what Bangernomics is all about.
Golden oldie right at home.
Boxy styling is actually improving with age.
Big Swede in its natural habitat.
Meeting the steed
The Volvo 740 in question had always been a daily driver and wore its 200,000 miles with pride. It had clearly been loved, well serviced with belt changes carried out on time, a replacement clutch fitted in recent years and any welding that you’d expect of a 700-series car living in northern Scotland completed successfully. Bar a few bumps and bruises that I was anticipating, it looked very straight and original and, once I’d made a final stop at a cashpoint, I was very happy.
Dog definitely approves!
Purchase made, and armed with hot food and scolding coffee, I set off lamenting the lack of cupholders and the heightened risk of sustaining lap burns. However there were greater worries afoot. My concerns grew at the unmistakable whiff of burning oil. I was, by this time, in the middle of the Cairgorms and I’m no Bear Grylls. I pulled over to inspect. Fortunately, it was a short stop. An ill-fitting non-OE oil cap that I must have disturbed when giving the car a once-over was letting oil gently seep out on to the exhaust manifold. I cleaned and replaced the cap carefully.
I needn’t have worried. The 740 completed the drive home effortlessly, swallowed an indecent amount of camping gear and hauled us to Cornwall the following day on only two tanks of fuel. For my taste, this is peak Volvo. The naturally aspirated B230 ‘redblock’ and M46 four-speed manual 'box with overdrive fifth provides a blend of relative mechanical simplicity, economy and quirkiness. It’s practical as well. Across 1500 miles the Volvo returned over 35mpg.
After a good wash and brush up, the new motor was ready to be pressed into holiday duties.
We camped just outside Helston, which provided the perfect base from which to explore Cornwall’s extremities. As a fitting tribute to Volvo build quality and reliability, the 740 made it to Land’s End less than 48 hours after leaving Inverness and was the perfect family holiday wagon, carrying children, puppy and, seemingly, 50 per cent of the sand in Cornwall with ease.
If, by now you are thinking a 700 series Volvo might be for you, let me remind you that early examples are now tax exempt – yep, the 740 was 40 in 2024. In total, more than 1.2 million Volvo 700s rolled off the production line before 1992, when the Volvo 940 and Volvo 960 took over the flagship role – parts supply is therefore good, as is club support. Huge passenger space and load capacities meant the Volvo 740 estate became the benchmark in its class from 1985 and its internal dimensions make it a superbly practical classic choice today.
End to end wagon.
You can tell this Volvo’s been well loved: little things like interior lights and rear wash/wipe all work, it wears recent tyres and stops with fresh discs and pads. It rides fantastically and drives without a hint of rattle, knock or noise from gearbox, diff or wheel bearings. I was also surprised at how nicely it steered, with the rack providing unexpected precision, weight and a very Cornwall-friendly turning circle. The body roll was as you’d expect and the soundtrack memory to the holiday will be of rear mudflaps catching the Tarmac at the faintest opportunity.
Now that we’re home, the next steps will be to clean out the B230’s flame trap, to eliminate the risk of a blocked breather, give it a much needed polish and fix up the interior – the headlining is makeshift and the Eighties interior plastics are dangerously brittle, which is a risky combination for a man with hands and fingers of sausage and ham.
There’s plenty of hotel room in the back of the capacious Swede, as Gareth found on his journey home from Inverness.
THE VERDICT
Old Volvos may not live up to all the old stereotypes. Reliable and cavernous yes, but as a week of driving one around tight Cornish lanes proves, they’re significantly smaller externally than the majority of new cars on UK roads. They still affordable, too.
What better way to take in those Cornish coastal views than from the comfort of your Volvo’s tan leather pews.
Ben says
‘I’m really glad Gareth mentions the tyres. A daily driver is more likely to have decent rubber than a car that is never used. Always worth asking over the phone before you buy, too.’
