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Resurrecting a ‘79 245DL

Notwise

Notwise

New member
Joined
Nov 30, 2025
Location
Fort Wayne, Indiana
I’m new to Volvo (long time admirer, first time buyer), being more familiar with Mercedes, Audi, and Land Rover.

However, my consulting mechanic was given this 245dl back over 20 years ago. The mechanic has a large property and parked the car among the other no-money-to-pay-for-the-repairs cars.

My mechanic is retiring and slowly having all the cars towed away. I’ve looked at most of them - a handful of worthwhile cases, but most were from folks who bought a Mercedes or BMW ‘cheap’ and never spent another dime on it until it just stopping running.

Except this 245dl. It had been sitting so long it had sunk into the ground. The lichen and moss on it is exquisite. Yet, beneath the literal plant growth I could see no rust. A true testament to Volvo build quality!

https://imgur.com/GuhFG9Q
https://imgur.com/jLR2kBy
https://imgur.com/2CA8zGI
https://imgur.com/RWMm5Pm
 
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So as we began to clean it out, the PO became more real - an older lady, much given to spiritual things: we found Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, and Shaman guides amongst old phone books, license registrations and pepper spray containers. We wondered if maybe she was a JW and the pepper spray was a self-defense thing or may she had been approached by one too many of them.. We’ll never know.

https://imgur.com/rK159ja
https://imgur.com/JFlSgzy
 
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I’m going to serialize the work we are doing to bring this wagon back to life. I’ve been a car guy as long as I can remember, and my youngest, who just turned 20, wanted to get a project to work on, together. This makes me very happy.
 
AFAIK you have to use an image hosting site, then use the IMG/URL to add it. You can directly upload small images, like screen partials
Screenshot 2025-11-30 at 8.27.13 PM.png
 
Paint is thin on the hood and tops of the doors. Little bits of rust on the wheel wells and on the hinges of the rear hatch. More pictures to come.

We’ve got a fuel strainer, fuel filter, plug wires, plugs, oil filter - the normal get ‘er going things.

Next step will be to drain whatevers still in the gas tank, rinse it out, install the strainer, bench test the fuel pump, blow out the fuel lines and pressure test, then reassemble and change the fuel filter.
 
We have now done the following:
1. New plugs and wires
2. Oil change and filter
3. Fuel filter
4. Took the pump off and bench tested (works great)
5. Flushed and filled the radiator
6. Vacuumed the old powering steering fluid out and replaced
7. New air filter
8. Removed all fuses, cleaned contacts, checked all fuses and replaced

Today we will be doing a spark test and likely a fuel pressure test.
https://imgur.com/yFGXHlf
https://imgur.com/8QgyQ3v
 
Have you power washed the engine bay since those pictures? Are those the original pics? It doesn't look like you have new wires or any other changes in those.
Unfortunately, just bench testing a fuel pump doesn't really mean a lot, as it is volume & pressure that you need to confirm. Once you have it all back together, you can confirm the line pressure at the filter, but you need an adapter to hook up to the fuel distributor to check regulated pressure.
 
There is something so authentic and honest about this car. A combination of quality without ostentation.

I just love how well the mechanicals are laid out. I know that this car is right at the tail end of relatively simple emissions and computer control and that safety and economy took center stage in much of the industry. Yet, Volvo was and is considered a pioneer in occupant safety even then.

The dash is beyond simple. Ours has no tach, for instance. However, other than something to look at on the dash or for simple symmetry, I’ve never quite understood why I’d need one with it being an automatic. I’m shocked at how visible and logically placed the instruments and controls are. Nothing extra, nothing critical missing.

The seats themselves. The position, rake, bolstering: I would consider them nearly perfect. How in the world did this glaring contrast not keep other manufacturers up at night?

If I have one, just one comment on the design of this vehicle, as translated from the sedan - the curve of the top of the door frames on the back doors belies its roots as a sedan. Otherwise, the functional beauty in its lines connects it to the buyer. It looks safe and reliable, much in the same way a beautiful airplane flies well.

The sheer usability of the car itself is heartwarming to me. Yes, it’s a brick. But my god it is completely, totally unabashedly comfortable being a brick.

Apologies to all the old-timers here that have known all this their whole lives.
 
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Notwise said:
There is something so authentic and honest about this car. A combination of quality without ostentation.

I just love how well the mechanicals are laid out. I know that this car is right at the tail end of relatively simple emissions and computer control and that safety and economy took center stage in much of the industry. Yet, Volvo was and is considered a pioneer in occupant safety even then.

The dash is beyond simple. Ours has no tach, for instance. However, other than something to look at on the dash or for simple symmetry, I’ve never quite understood why I’d need one with it being an automatic. I’m shocked at how visible and logically placed the instruments and controls are. Nothing extra, nothing critical missing.

The seats themselves. The position, rake, bolstering: I would consider them nearly perfect. How in the world did this glaring contrast not keep other manufacturers up at night?

If I have one, just one comment on the design of this vehicle, as translated from the sedan - the curve of the top of the door frames on the back doors belies its roots as a sedan. Otherwise, the functional beauty in its lines connects it to the buyer. It looks safe and reliable, much in the same way a beautiful airplane flies well.

The sheer usability of the car itself is heartwarming to me. Yes, it’s a brick. But my god it is completely, totally unabashedly comfortable being a brick.

Apologies to all the old-timers here that have known all this their whole lives.
Click to expand...

And my guess is you haven’t even gotten it running yet and driven it!
 
Cool car, the weathered paint gives a nice patina.
Looking forward to updates, and congrats on the purchase!
 
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