“Granny” was the first 240 I purchased. It was meant to satisfy that yearning for days gone by where I once owned a brand new 240 sedan (a 1988 240 DL). “Granny” was located just outside of Washington, DC, and upon an in-person inspection, it was clear she needed a good deal of care. It was apparent she had once been loved, as she was complete, unmolested in any way, but her mechanics were ailing. A test drive proved a bit scary, not sure if we were going to move forward or stop, but her engine roared to life, and she seemed to be saying “I’ve got some miles left in me. Just take me home and make me sound and solid again, and we’ll go places!” So, that’s what I did.
The three hour drive back home on 95 in a car I had no confidence in was not something I felt “Granny” had in her at the time of purchase, so I had the car transported to a local shop in Newport News, VA specializing in Swedish “classic” cars. The mechanic did a complete run-through of the car and made recommendations to get the car safely back on the road. I jumped in with both feet and had the “must do’s” done and “should do’s” done. I didn’t want to take any chances. Once done, I took possession of the vehicle and drove it home. It drove fine and seemed to have many miles left in it. It still needed a considerable amount of work, and a good detailing, but all those things were expected.
Here are just a few things we have done to bring this car back to life, and to thoroughly enjoy driving her again.
- Completely rebuilt the front driver and passenger seats. New cushion, new bottom support and re-worked seat heaters.
- Exhaust work.
- Recharged AC (which works wonderfully in the warmer months, here in Virginia)
- New Virgo wheels, with new tires.
- 4 new speakers (new radio head unit already installed when purchased)
- Newly installed refurbished dash (with accurate, working odometer)
- New headlights
- New timing belt, with total fluid flush
So, where did we arrive at the name “Granny“? Well, it’s rather simple. When I purchased the vehicle, the previous owner’s insurance card was still in the glove box. Doing a little sleuthing, I was able to actually find the previous owner, who was kind enough to provide me information on the vehicle. It seems the car was purchased and driven by the woman’s grandmother for many years. When the grandmother passed, the granddaughter took possession of the car and drove it for a few years. In fact, she and her husband drove it cross country from Washington state to Maryland when they moved from the West coast to the East coast. The car, however, was getting old and requiring more and more attention, so she decided to finally part with it. She was ecstatic to learn the car had been purchased by a 240 admirer, and delighted to learn the car was getting quite the makeover and was going to continue being enjoyed again. In honor of the woman’s grandmother, we named the car “Granny”.
So…. “Granny” lives to ride another day. In fact, she gets driven weekly, and never pulls into a parking lot that someone doesn’t feel compelled to share their “240 Story”. Everyone seems to have one, which just makes me smile inside. When they wax fondly over memories of going to soccer practice in one, or having rid in their uncle’s 240 “back in the day”, it reminds me how enamored I became with one many years prior, and why “Granny” sits in the driveway looking especially regal and proud.
