Description
Reluctantly parting ways with my rare old Volvo 740 GLE, which is a real unicorn being an early flat-front car equipped with the 2. 3-litre naturally aspirated ‘red block’, a manual gearbox and button-operated overdrive 5th.
An early 740 has always been on my Wanted list and I finally bought this example specifically for a family camping trip to Cornwall this summer. I collected it from Inverness and drove it straight to Cornwall fully laden, a journey of almost 800 miles. I have since continued to use it almost daily, but circumstances require us to reduce our number of cars and, despite the enjoyment it has provided to the whole family and its continued usefulness, realistically I have to sell.
I bought the 740 from its doting long-term owner of over 20 years, who’d used the car as her daily vehicle and lavished it with any works required. Yes, it is old and has done a lot of miles, but I would jump in this and drive it anywhere without a moment’s hesitation (and have done).
There are spare keys, a huge pile of service history and an original bookpack with some wonderfully period Volvo literature. In October, I spent just under £600 on passing the latest MOT, which consisted of a struggle to rebuild the handbrake (the cables are apparently one of the few things you can no longer buy for this particular model), a bottom ball joint and welding to a chassis rail. It received a new clutch in 2019 and the last cambelt change was carried out only in 2021.
Highlights from the more recent history includes, but is not limited, to:
In 2024, front discs and pads, new fuel filter, replacement horn, front tyres and a service in March.
In 2023, a brake flexi and caliper for the MOT, and a clutch slave cylinder, exhaust downpipe, fuel pump, ignition leads and plugs, rear discs, pads and caliper, a wiring repair to fix the overdrive 5th, and a big service that included spark plugs.
In 2022, almost £1700 worth of welding and waxoil treatment, and ARB links.
It starts first time and drives without a single knock, clunk or vibration from the drivetrain. It doesn’t smoke and pulls smoothly, steers with surprising precision (I was expecting something far more boaty) and brakes strongly without pulling to the left or right. Cruising in 5th, with the gloriously retro ‘5’ glowing green on the dash, I even achieved 37mpg gently travelling the length of the country. Depending on your mindset, there are positives and negatives to it having been a daily driver for 36 years and over 220, 000 miles. For example, nearly everything works, including all the niggly things that often pack up on old cars that are infrequently used, such as the rear wash/ wipe, heated rear screen and interior lights. Three of the four electric windows work, although the passenger rear does not. The central locking works on all doors and boot, and both heated front seats have been lovely and warm in the recent subzero weather.
The interior is outrageously comfortable and spacious. The tan leather seats feel more like well-aged luxurious sofas and have worn very nicely and with dignity. There is a hole in the driver’s bolster, albeit not where you would normally expect it to be, but on the side of the seat. I’m guessing that is from someone sliding in and out over time. The headlining is ropey, but you’ll be too busy either looking at the road or basking in the glory of a tan leather interior to notice. Probably.
I cannot get the radio to work (I haven’t tried very hard), but the heating is toasty and the interior fan works on all speeds. The interior plastics are made from the most brittle material known to man so are not in great shape, various bits of trim are broken and it is missing the driver’s door bin etc. However, everything works as it should do.
It cruises well and doesn’t seem to burn oil, but she does like to leave some on the drive as a reminder that there’s still some in the engine. It drives without noise from the gearbox, axle or wheel bearings. After I got back from Scotland, having covered 1500 miles in under a week, I cleaned out the flametrap and replaced the breathers when I first got the 740 home.
What else? While the speedometer and odometer were initially intermittent, they now seem to have packed up entirely. I believe the issue to be with a sensor on the rear axle rather than with the dials themselves, as there is a receipt for having these soldered in the history. This is a recent issue so the mileage shown is not wildly inaccurate. I use either the rev counter to gauge speed or a free app on my phone.
The downsides are that it carries the bumps and rust blebs that you would expect of a 36-year-old Volvo that’s been well used, but nothing that – in my opinion – horribly detracts from the overall appeal of the car. The worst areas of bodywork are a scrape on the passenger front wing, caused by what looks like a gatepost or similar, and a few bits of rust in the shell’s extremities, such as in the corners of the wheelarches, although it is all very solid, including the sills. The previous owner somewhat crudely sealed the sunroof shut to stop it leaking – although I suspect any issue was caused by blocked drains – and apparently the manual mechanism works if the new owner wishes to reinstate it.
That said, it still cleans up surprisingly well, which is testament to it having been garaged for most of its life in Scotland. I have made no attempt to polish it or touch anything in, but I think it would be possible to make even greater improvements to its overall look without massive effort or expense. There are some odd, small dents on the bonnet and top of the passenger wing, which could be from storage or a Highlands hailstorm, who knows. For me, it is part of its character and story.
Overall, it’s a great looking retro estate in a fantastic colour that I believe perfectly complements the tan leather interior. It still turns a surprising number of heads and draws plenty of compliments.
