A Cult Car

This is a blog on refurbishing a Volvo 240 Wagon-- a cult car that is legendary for its durability. The 5 speeds manual transmission in particular gets great fuel economy, 32.5 mpg is attainable at speeds of 60 mph. Both the sedan and the wagon have plenty of rear leg and head room, even for tall people. Additionally, a tall person can sleep in the back--it is 77" long if the rear seat bottom is removed.

Thick sheet metal make it durable--so is the motor. Volvo took a V8 truck engine cut in half, to make this 4 cylinder engine. It has bearings and rods are designed for much heavy loads and this makes the engine nearly impossible to kill. People can get literally a million miles between rebuilds with regular oil changes and normal preventative maintenance.

The 5 speeds cars are fun to drive. Their durability means it is a smart economic choice to put money into them--they will last indefinitely if maintained. Parts are cheap. They are easy and simple to work on. Police just don't ever pull them over. It is because they like to stay at legal freeway speeds and purr along at 60 mph--so police expect them to be driven slowly. Finally, they are safe--built around a full roll cage. These are the reasons why there are so many are still on the road today.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Window Tinting with 3m Crystalline 40

I had my windows tinted. I do this for many reasons.

First, to minimize heat gain. I drive vehicles with lots of glass. The solar heat gain and make these into ovens. I have a dog, and sometimes my brothers dog in the car. I want the dogs to be comfortable. Finally, tint reduces the need for air conditioning. That saves gas.

Second, UV protection. Any window tint will filter out 99.9% of the UV radiation that caused skin cancer, and also fades upholstery. I am not concerned about upholstery--I am concerned about UV protection. On long trips, left arms tend to get burned. I've even been burned on the tops of my feet from sunlight coming in from the back on late afternoons traveling east.

Third, security. If it is hard to see it, people tend to stay away. I think it makes them nervous not knowing who is inside. Even they are brave enough to peek inside, it is hard to do unless you are up close. I sometimes sleep in the back on long trips. It is rather comfortable. I feel safer if people can't see me inside. I also have less worries about my property being stolen. If it can't been seen easily, then it is not tempting. Also, the smash and grab approach does not work, as the film holds the glass together.

Fourth, appearance. I like the look of a tinted car. My preference is 35% tint on the front door windows and 20% everywhere else. Connecticut law requires the side windows to be no less than 35% tint, and they require a decal to be placed in the windows. Any level of tint is allowed in the back windows.

I chose 3M Crystalline 40 tint, which has a very high heat rejection. The actual level of tint is 39%. So I am close to the legal limit. For those who don't like dark tint, 3M Crystalline 70 is nearly transparent and blocks most of the heat. These are expensive high tech window films and there are other cheaper options, however, if heat rejection is your goals--these are the best.

While I was there, I had the vinyl stripe repaired under the rear side windows.

Here are some pictures of how my tint job came out.









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