1988 Volvo 740 GL Goes for a Drive

Reviewing my own car again - the 1988 Volvo 740GL saloon, the classic Swedish brick with the B200E 4 cylinder engine.
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[@markharris7662]

One of these volvos saved my wife at the time and my life when I was in my 20s. When I was stationery and hit by a lorry doing 50 mph. I went out and purchased another one.

[@Notcminecraft]

wtf is a lorry?

[@steelcity791]

A truck

[@bobjohnson205]

Yes, it is always much better to be in a car - any car - when hit by a lorry!

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

Erik69 are you high? Your obviously American 😂😂😂😂

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

Erik69 its a “big” “long” “massive” “car” that “looks” “a” “bit” like a “van”

[@daves7764]

You have been bitten by the Volvo bug, the enthusiasm in your voice speaks volumes. I have owned a wide variety of cars in my time and the Volvo one of my all time favourites (along with the P6 but thats another era and story). The Volvo 740/760 is now as a retro classic gaining the attention of a younger age group to when it was new so being enjoyed by a whole new generation, how many cars truly do this. Keep the videos coming Matt and dont even think of selling the 740, its a car for life. lol

[@frothe42]

I think that was there advertising moto: Volvo. For life.

[@ttbdrummer]

david souter Isn’t that just how he talks LOL

[@davecraig7082]

Lorry drivers love them! Lol

[@mattylamb9194]

Yeah, I really didn;t like this car when new. However, it is now really growing on me. The shape is so different to modern cars; it's solid and long-lasting. Seems well-designed too, with many practical touches. I do believe many Volvo 700 series owners, (as well as 200 series owners), keep the car for many, many years. I'm sure they have very good reasons for doing this

[@michaeltutty1540]

@@mattylamb9194 yes, we have many reasons for keeping them. You would be surprised how often I am stopped in parking lots by someone telling me they had a 240 like mine and have always regretted selling it. I plan to keep Arthur for the rest of my driving life. By the time I'm done, the car will be 60 years old with over a million miles on the clock. Someone else can take the old boy past the 2,000,000 mile mark.

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

We had a Volvo 740GL estate in 'signal red', with a 2.0L 1986cc 121bhp engine...!!! Nice car with comfortable seats!

[@andrewdunning93]

What a great car this is. These really were everywhere round my part of the world. We have a well established Volvo dealer in our town who are still in business today and have been Volvo for over 50 years. They are very different cars today though. 740’s were really popular and there are still quite a few about, especially the huge and really useful estates. My boss had a H reg 740TD saloon in the early 90’s which was fitted with the 6 cylinder VW diesel, they sounded wonderfully agricultural! A friend of mine who is a funeral director owned both an S90 (the last version of the 700/900) based Hearse and 6 door limousine and both used the in line 6 cyl petrol. A few years ago I had a drive of the limo, a lovely car to drive but very thirsty. Both were replaced with later S80 based 5 cyl petrol cars. Old Volvos just keep going!

[@coogeeman]

Well done Matt, glad to see her out and about, and looking splendid. Now see if you can get hold of a 360 or 740GLT to do a comparison.... that would be good! I let a friend of mine, (in his late 50's) drive my 940 Wentworth Turbo at night on a Motorway. 10 minutes later he was doing over 120 complaining of how many bends there were on the motorway itself and why he was taking the racing line. Apparently he was so bi-focal he couldn't read the dials and didn't realize how fast we were really going. Old Volvo's and Rover's, brilliant........ all the best.

[@maxidyne]

The iconic Swedish brick! They where so common here, but they are almost all gone. I love your enthusiasm about the car, I think it stole your heart. This one need to be preserved for the next generations of car enthusiast. Piece of automotive history.

[@furiousdriving]

Its safe for a while now, should be in good enough shape to last a lot longer now

[@JenniferEKirk]

I had a Volvo 740GL as my first car. Such a great machine. I paid £100 for it with 204,300 miles on the clock. It took me to nearly 250,000 with no real issues before bearings failing in the back axles got to it. The only car I really miss and regret selling, even if I sold it for slightly more than I paid for it. F965HAM. Best car I owned.

[@bobbywhite350]

Got two 940 estates I keep garaged and alternate on the road. Lovely cars and a surprisingly pleasant drive.

[@DerrGaMeR]

I absolutely love my '88 740 GL as well. Every time I take a seat on my so called couch on wheels I got a big grin on my face. I agree with you on every point you mad 100%. Stay happy and safe in on of the best automotive experices out there. Driven by choice !

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

This model is still today popular as dailys in the northern half of sweden where covering vast distances of woodlands, more than half of the year in darkness, snow , sleet and temperatures well below zero, requires a cheap comfy and well heated snowcruiser. The RWD provides icy road fun as well for entertainment. In scandinavia the 7 series are gaining a status of something like "cultural heritage" together with dala horse, surströmming, knäckebröd, and midsummer celebrations...

[@robo6548]

My father had a 760 GLE estate and a 740 ES saloon. The 760 was noticeably nicer riding and more comfortable. He also had a 265 GLE, and used to marvel at the ‘expensive’ (!) gearbox whine at low speed.

[@furiousdriving]

gearbox whine is the mark of luxury!

[@Candisa]

Hi, those changes to the scuttle panel and the multi-link rear suspension is a 760/960 thing, the old axle design and prominent windshield wipers stayed on the 40-series all the way to the last 940s. :)

[@bobjohnson205]

The 940SE also came with the multi-link rear suspension.

[@Candisa]

@@bobjohnson205 Multiple different cars around the world have been named Volvo 940 SE. In Europe the 940SE was just a regular 940 (B230F with or without turbo) with some extra's. In the US the 940SE badge was used for what was actually a 960 Turbo in Europe, so only the US 940SE has multilink rear suspension (and the more streamlined bonnet and windshield wiper situation, a slightly different dashboard...) because it is actually a 960.

[@bobjohnson205]

@@Candisa So glad you agree that the 940SE had multilink rear suspension. :)

[@Stars_Falling_93]

The doctor my mother worked for in the early 90s bought one new. My mother says it sounded like truck to her. Mind you, she also says that about the V8 engined BMW X5 of the neighbour. Lovely to have an extensive view in and around your brick. Your adventures with it really have awakened my interest in them.

[@DavidJohnston58]

Needed a van for business and a car for family, had an Astramax and an Astra, sold both and bought a new 740 estate around 1989 What a car, did everything and did it well, comfortable and roomy, Going to work 5.30am one morning and a car pulled out, t-boned it at 50mph the 2 week old Ford Orion was a wreck, total write off, driver hospitalised. My 740 had a cracked grille and broken number plate! Emergency services were astonished. Traded in two years old, had paid £13k new on a dealer promotion. Got £11.5k trade in against Cavalier SRi as I no longer was running to cash and carrys Wish id stayed with Volvo.

[@DerekArmsden]

I had an '87 for decades, sold with 390,000k on the clock, and the only thing that ever broke was the wiper stalk. Not so robust after all. Mind you, a spot of Super Glue™ fixed it.

[@paultaylor9652]

Lovely Jubbly, a nice way to spend half an hour, thanks for another great video.

[@Reuben007Ash]

This truly amazing model. I was in love with this at the time it came out and always love it. No curves just straight lines . That is Volvo . Safety.

[@nobodypersonsomeone]

My 1987 740 saloon really isn't very wallowy, in fact I seem to notice the pot holes and bumps quite a bit. Also fairly stable throwing it around the bends. It doesn't look lowered but maybe a previous owner has put stiffer dampers on, I don't know.

[@nealya1291]

I was mentally screaming "armrest, the armrest" as you exited the rear! Interior looks great with the new headlining and through valet. Great car!

[@johnedwards3198]

Would love to see a late 90s Vauxhall Vectra Sri to look at the shark like design language of the wing mirrors etc. It captivated a young me. Also would love to see you hoon around in a TVR with all of their odd interiors to review.

[@HowardJacks]

Thanks Mr Furious. I want one of these for cruising about when we need the 4 seats or space. I need one like you have now though rather than when you started ;) Your car looks great I bet you are proud of the results of the effort that went into it!

[@grahamclark4518]

I discovered how floaty they were when I spun mine on a road about, also hit a neighbours back door trying to stop in snow, down hill, It cost me a new door for their MK 2 Cav. Volvo was "Was that the best you could do"

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

This is by far your best car, absolute quality in every detail 👍🇸🇪

[@victoriasophia6251]

Great review of a fantastic car. I love the 700/900. i have a 91er 940 saloon in the work.

[@papplet1]

When you bought oem speakers from dealer you got new speakergrilles. You probably dont have any rear speakers installed because your radio is a 2 channel model

[@llaeeZ]

Easy to check if speakers are installed. The grill is removed by sliding it upwards, no tools needed.

[@papplet1]

@@llaeeZ -88 and older you pull the grill straight out, -89 and newer you slide them forwards

[@buddy8225]

Its so good to see such a beautiful car. I can tell she's your baby just by the way you describe it. Love Volvos. Owned an 850 GLT once. Great car.😊

[@rhysanderson2034]

A perfect review! I completely agree with what you said about the engine. The worst problem I've ever had with working on it is sheared bolts! And about the horn, it is a dual horn setup but it doesn't sound the best, for a car of this size I recommend a big air horn ;)

[@MrGaryRoberton]

Intelligent engineering is a strong selling point on any car. Just changing a lamp bulb on some cars now requires a lot of contortion, and loss of skin. As my old dad would say, a good all-rounder. Modern is not always better, just more expensive and sometimes, Shoddy. Cheers.

[@mikehydropneumatic2583]

My parents had a 740 GL, nice cruiser.

[@brianfearn4246]

Good video and it's a fantastic Volvo of it's time.

[@neilwalsh4058]

You've definitely fallen in love. Get a Roxette tape in and you'll be in full Swedish mode.

[@mattylamb9194]

Surely it's got to be Abba?

[@neilwalsh4058]

@@mattylamb9194 ABBA are too twee. Roxette all the way for me when I'm out cruising in my Saab 93 Convertible

[@barkster1971]

Galvanising happened from 1982 with the 760. I have an 1983 760tic and a 1984 diesel turbo. Mainly aircon was the difference, Find a 740 with aircon!

[@charlesclark5029]

Need to throw in a bag of werther’s originals to complete the interior.

[@coopers4491]

Hope hub nut does,nt see the missing headlight wiper, great car just underpowered!!!! STAY SAFE MATT ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🔩🔩🔩🔩👍👍👍👍

[@furiousdriving]

That is the most annoying thing on the car, the wiper blade clip shattered when I tried to change that and the arms are stupidly expensive

[@coopers4491]

@@furiousdriving just be careful not to use them!!!!! Great content matt😃😃😃😃🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@katjaameirott3230]

I bought this car in Dezember 2020, good car just 158000 km, 31 years old and like new. Like new. And blue. 740 gl unvergesslich.!!!!!!!

[@MrTopgearnerd]

The 740(and 940) never had the multilink rear suspension, that was intended for the "prestige" six cylinder variants. Had a 1990 740 GLT estate, the worst car i've had, broke down one day and i could never get it going again.. So i had to break out my reliable french car i had on storage!

[@georgewilkinson1068]

I wish Volvo still made them. Would buy one in a heartbeat.

[@spodface12]

Heya Furious driving, love your videos. i know on one of your videos you say what you use to restore the black plastic on the bumpers, but i cant for the life of me find where you said it lol .what did you use to bring back the black? All the best a fellow Volvo 940 owner with slightly grey bumpers!

[@aslandama]

Must say Matt, it's looking really good now.

[@furiousdriving]

They are such good cars, they just need a bit of a polish to look amazing

[@mickphillips6735]

Would love a review of a simca 1200

[@SubTroppo]

I am back in Twickenham!

[@arrangrant6037]

I had a 1988 Volvo 340GL built like a tank very comfortable best bum warmer seats ever

[@joe-vl3nd]

I bought one in cali Colombia in 2018 For $3000 Project car..but i love it

[@mwm222222]

thanks for this movie, stunning car!

[@watercooled666]

The 960 series lasted until 1998 when the 240 had been out of production for 8 years, and it was just two facelifts away from the 1982 Wilsgaard 740.

[@icascone]

I really really like your volvo!! I hope you never get rid of it; and sell the Mercedes once you've done... Anyway again I really like your Volvo!

[@sheps999]

very jealous of your mirror obelisks, could do with some in my car!

[@petemoring67]

I take it you've watched #EmilyShields 'Doughnutting' in her estate version :-) ......... No wonder there was Soooo much wind/road noise during the trip - Your back door flapping in the wind isn't a good look :-(

I'm a massive fan of all the old school volvos especially your 740 in silver but i was wondering if it's able to drive long distances like is it still as durable as it once was?

[@furiousdriving]

It seems fine, always fires first try, no overheating and just keeps going

[@chrisbury4635]

Check out The Fifth Gear Volvo vs Renault Modus video 😉👍🏼

[@furiousdriving]

not pretty

[@chrisbury4635]

Nope 😮

[@davecraig7082]

She's looking very smart indeed, has she been treated to a good wash and polish?

[@furiousdriving]

Not since the clean up video ages ago, just a quick rinse since then

[@mickdebrou9235]

Or..Moby Brick? ,Just joking, love it love it!

[@furiousdriving]

That deserves a 'Boom Boom!'

[@dqwaszx]

The type of Americans who love old Cadillacs wouldn't have purchased a Volvo. Hahahahahaha

[@robertodasilva5486]

Irmão Roberto de Guarulhos SP..Brasil .a..volvo Tta.ttop..bom demais..mesmo..IKR..um abraço..para..tudos..motorista...ok.😀🙏🙏☝☝

[@smithxylic7663]

Beautiful, really

[@pablojones5613]

24:23 Is Horsham in the U.K. as crap as the Horsham in Australia?

[@furiousdriving]

Ive not visited the Oz one, but the UK one is quite nice!

[@jasoncornell1579]

But did u use the tea shelf?

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

Jason Cornell it’s not a tea shelf it’s a trash bord

[@furiousdriving]

I think its a coffee bar as they prefer that in Sweden

[@Jeffrey_M]

That solid rear axle stayed until 1998 unfortunately. My 1997 940 has it.

[@caine_tractorchaos]

My 740 has the 2.3l b230e

[@rctaylor5689]

I love VOLVO’s. Have done for many years ….. over 50 yrs now. First one I ever bought was a 1964 model 164. A beautiful little car with great driving characteristics. Gave it to my eldest daughter when I bought a 1970 240 Diesel, followed by an Audi 5000 which was a major disaster. Cost me lots of money. Went back to a Volvo 740 for lots of trouble free driving. Added a 740Turbo wagon to my fleet of drivers as well as a 240 Limited Edition that i acquired from a friend who had quit driving due to old age. In 1998 I acquired a near new 1996 Volvo 960 with less than 30,000 Kim’s on the odometer. Another beautiful car any way you look at it. When I bought it, I told my wife it would be the last car I would ever buy. At the age of 89 yrs, I have given up driving, but y wife is still driving me around. She loves the 960 & has no problems driving it. I’m so glad I bought it. It’s now 26 yrs old & still looks & drives like new. I hear many people complain about cost of repairs & gasoline. I myself feel this car owes me nothing. With the little amount of driving we do, I have it serviced once per year for oil & filter. Every 3rd year, I have them change all fluids. Gas mileage I don’t worry about, we don’t drive far anyway. I just use 87octane which suits it just fine. I get a lot of folk ask if I want to sell it but I don’t think I will. At least until we are totally done driving. I’ll probably hand it off to a grandson ….. IF he wants it. If not, my eldest son is into “old cars” so he will get it.

[@Buffalobulltofta]

Wonderful. This car is the symbol of solidity, no bullshit made to last and function. Pre modern consumption culture where everything is design to be replaced in two years. It was always the intellectual choice, not a superficial life style product. Your best car! Even better, a late 940 with a tad more refinement.

[@histriamagna1014]

Morning. Coffee on the table, a lot of paperwork but first... Furiousdriving !

[@llaeeZ]

As for the speaker grills. Yours got the upgraded speakers. Base model has the same molded plastic grill front and back. And they should be colour coded.

[@DavidEverson77]

Nope. Those plastic grilles were placeholders until speakers were fitted. Nothing behind them, as the Volvo head units could only power one set of speakers without an additional amplifier

[@HerrBjork]

You seem to have mixed up the changes quite a bit. The 740 never got multilink, and neither did the 940. Neither got the aerodynamically shielded wipers either. It was the 760 that got those---and possibly only the saloon as the '91-'94 965 didn't have multilink---as well as a new front that looks very similar to the 960. In 1990 the 740---and not the 760 as it was due for replacement by the 960---got a facelift to look more like the 850, so I'm told, that was a bit of a hybrid between the 740 and 940. Beginning in '91 the dash was the same as the 940's, so by that time it was quite a partsbin special. Also, your front speaker grills (and the speakers themselves) are most likely an option. What you have in the rear is what they look like in the front as standard

[@furiousdriving]

Its just what I found when I read up on them

[@bobjohnson205]

"In 1990 the 740 got a facelift to look more like the 850" That's a pretty good trick considering the 850 wasn't even around until the '92 model year.

[@DavidEverson77]

@@bobjohnson205 92 model year comes out in October 1991 in the UK and Europe..

[@DavidEverson77]

@@furiousdriving he's correct though. No 740 ever got the multilink rear axle. That was on the 1988 760s, which had a facelifted exterior and interior. My dad had bought a 740GLE estate brand new in 1986, so we went to the dealer launch evening

[@cmartin_ok]

The horn doesn't sound like a proper Volvo horn.... maybe as you say something isn't working, or maybe it's been swapped out at some point in the past. It should have a much deeper tone. The styling was done to appeal to the American market

[@Ohem1]

Gosh I miss that car, my dad scrapped his 740 and it was great. He never had a major issue with it, just replace brake rotors per inspection. It never had bad rust despite he let it outside every day and vacationed in Norway, twice.

[@mr-wx3lv]

I've noticed lots of Volvo's on American movie's. This is a stonking car. Always had a soft spot for the Swedish tank 👍

[@bobjohnson205]

@Charles Walliburton Yep, that was Jason Robards. His 240 wagon saved his life! ;)

[@RichieRouge206]

The fuzzy lined compartment was home to a graphic equaliser on posh models - soooo retro! Great video Matt of an honest, loveable car. None of the fancy tech and it just goes to show how it lasts too and how Volvo has always been about people and safety, not image and profit. One of reasons I love the brand.

[@tonys1636]

I don't think the limited slip diff was for performance, more like for driving on snow and ice covered roads and taking a short cut across a frozen Swedish lake. Unlike the UK Northern European Countries use salt sparingly if at all.

[@maceroni5869]

You should fit a vintage air system (ac) and maybe improve the radio reception and it will be perfect cruiser

[@Lawrence-ui1hv]

I remember my brother having a very rare 1984 760 Turbo saloon with the 2.3 litre 4 cylinder turbo lump which had 180 hp and had huge miles on it when he got rid of it only to replace it with an equally rare Volkswagen engined 2.4 litre straight six Turbo Diesel 940 estate which apparently had the same engine that was fitted to the Volkswagen LT35 van. The power output was more than the van configuration, but was still totally gutless having only 120hp but again, he managed to rack up 270,000 miles in it! These were great cars.

[@bobjohnson205]

I took a new '84 740 Turbo Intercooler with the 2.3 liter out for a test drive. With 180hp that thing was quick & probably fast, too!!! I had it up to 112mph in no time. It was pouring rain at the time, so that was plenty fast enough. But I could tell it had plenty more to go!

[@michaeltutty1540]

@@bobjohnson205 we had a base 2.1 litre estate from 81. With its side draught carburetor, it put out a whalloping 97 HP. I once got the old girl up to about 120 mph, even with the 3 speed automatic. It took time, but it did it.

[@bobjohnson205]

@@michaeltutty1540 120 mph! That must have been down hill with a tail wind! lol In '78 I bought a '74 142 with the B20 engine and the dual Solex carburetors that put out 90 HP. I got that car up to 95 - tops. (No tailwind. No downgrade.) In '79 I bought a '77 264GL with the B27F engine - 127 HP, 153 lb-ft of torque. I owned that car for 13 years and the best I ever did on level road was 105 mph or so. My present Volvo has the B230F engine with an output of 114 HP and 135 lb-ft of torque. I've owned that car for 20 years and the best I have ever done is about 103 mph. You must lead a charmed life! lol :)

[@DavidEverson77]

@@michaeltutty1540 that clearly had a very optimistic speedometer.

[@nickjames1336]

I had the estate version. For some reason, I was always being asked to move big furniture for people.

[@yuszainimohdyusop6920]

Me too...hahaha

[@davidhall7744]

Love this car Matt 😍 Way back as a child in the 70’s I was obsessed with the big bumpers on my neighbours bright orange 240, which in turn resulted in a lifelong obsession with Volvo’s 😀🇸🇪🚗 I must be in the minority, however, I aways preferred the saloon versions of the 700 series. That rear window profile - ooft! 😂

[@ImDatThunderGuy]

I hope you manage to get your hands on a 300 series Volvo after this. Especially if its 360 with the same B200E Engine, I think it would be very interesting to see you compare it to your 740!

[@coogeeman]

That's what I'm waiting for. I loved the 5 I had, not amazingly quick but so much fun to drive.

[@richardtellez00tellez77]

I got a 1990 760 gle with 75,000 miles! With the 280f engine.

[@DavidEverson77]

My Mum had a 1984 360GLT with that engine

[@frglee]

Plenty of admiration for the estate version, which was always a very practical design for loads and large families - but less for the shape of the saloon which I never thought very much of. I'm sure they were good cars though, even though there were horror stories of engine destruction when the cambelts were not maintained properly. A colleague of mine (with 6 kids!) back in the early 90s adored his old estate and was reduced to tears when he had to scrap it due to the aforementioned problem.

[@haardkaar]

Wierd, the red block engines are of non-interference design thus a snapping cam belt is not a problem. Happened to the B230F engine in my car, just align it to dead center and put a new belt on. However this is not true for the engines which have the K-suffix, which have a flat cylinder head.

[@michaeltutty1540]

The 8 valve Red Block is a non-interference engine. There should be no damage if the cam belt breaks. The 16 valve Red Block is an interference engine, so damage is likely. Then again, Volvo says to do the cam belt ever 60,000 miles. It is generally a 1 hour job if you do the engine seals at the same time. The parts are cheap to do the job, too.

[@DavidEverson77]

@@haardkaar the carburettor fed B230K (such as fitted to the 1986 GL and GLE) was an interference engine.

[@haardkaar]

@@DavidEverson77 Yep the K is an interference engine by design, due to flat head. It's uncommon in Sweden. High trim levels as the GLE usually had E engines, which demotes mechanical fuel injection. Although most 240 and 740 had either A (low spec) or F engines in Sweden. The latter denoting electronic fuel injection with Lambdasond. Catalytic converters became mandatory in 1988 but most cars already had them since 1986/1987.

[@alanbellwood3902]

Bit like my S Class which is in Daily use, old Volvos can jump into daily service no matter how harsh at a moments notice without fear of complaint. The ideal 2nd car for somone who needs a car with plenty of space and is self employed. I've had 2 Volvos 1 S40 saved my wifes life the other a high miles S70 is still going with 190k and 2 owners.

[@GoldenCroc]

I used to deliver Tv:s and AV equipment for customers in an Estate version. Unfortunately, I have to admit I never liked these old Volvos, even if they are from my native country. Just not my cup of tea driving wise, at least when I was younger. But as you said, viewed though the right lens they are wonderfully practical, comfortable and reliable cars. What really won me over on them, was when I started driving more on small swedish gravel roads with lots of snow banks. Just plow through the 3 feet snow with the big bumper, good luck doing that with another car without breaking something expensive.

[@rovingrobRS3]

As a young lad I worked at Volvo. I moved on not long after this model the 740 & 760 appeared. I still have a soft spot for the big old Volo's but I never took the plunge and bought one and really do wish I had.

[@aftergrowth]

I love how boxy this car is 😁

[@RichieRouge206]

“Drag race a moose and crash into a elk...” that really cracked me up 😂

[@michaeltutty1540]

Great video, Matt. You mention the way these cars corner. Thing is, they take a set and go. Granted they look outrageous, but keep your foot down and trust the car, and they will carry much more speed than seems possible. In 30 years and 400,000 miles, I have yet to hear tire squeal out of Arthur, and I do not corner gently. When it comes to the ride, fit a set of Monroe SensaTrack struts and shocks. The difference is astounding. The ride is as comfortable but without the float. More performance oriented tyres make a huge difference, too. On the 240, the spare tyre stands upright in the left quarter panel behind the wheel well. Makes for a more usable boot/load space. Your GL is not the base model. The entry level, at least here, was the DL (Deluxe). GL (Grand Luxe) was the one up. Top trim was GLE (Grand Luxe Executive). We did not get the SE in Canada, but did see the GLT (sport seats and suspension, base 2.3 litre engine) and TURBO, which had the same suspension an interior as GLT, but with the turbocharged 2.3.

[@DavidEverson77]

There was no 740DL in the UK or Europe. You could get a 240DL, but not a 740

[@801_adventure_trek4]

Great video, my dad had a 940 turbo that never died! In the U.S we had the ugly headlights but at least we got a standard driver airbag on the 88 models

[@khew1]

Great video to enjoy my Friday morning coffee to. Superb car!

[@club1fan552]

Easy to work on which is great, unlike modern Volvo's which are a nightmare. At 70 mph you would not be revving at 4,000 rpm. No way. Perhaps in 4th but not in 5th. I love the seats. I'd have not say they look like the best seats I have ever seen in any car. Love the gear shift too. Even the gearshift boot looks nice. Incredible condition. A credit to it's owners. I was in Sweden in 1990 and on my way into Stockholm from Arlanda airport just about every car was a Volvo. It was amazing. Few Saab's though which was curious. It's obvious you love your car. Happy motoring.

[@HMdane0]

An excellent and thorough analysis of the car by a very knowledgeable and extremely fast-talking presenter. Possibly due to the latter, I may have missed it, but I don't recall any mention of power-steering, seat-adjustment options or the fact that the rear seats can be folded down - which I believe they can?!?!?! The rear armrest wasn't shown folded down either, admittedly a very minor point. But overall, it was a most enlightening and entertaining 25+ minutes, top-notch!

[@thomassvedin8701]

I’m quite sure you got the black line trim. It was a special trim in 1988 that on the inside came with electric windows in the front, electric mirrors and those blue seat with white stripes. On the exterior they had black painted trim round the windows (chrome underneath the paint) and a black stipe on both sides. Basically the tame looks as the GLT trim. I’m not sure if they were all white. I have only seen white examples. I had a white 1988 black line for 10 years before I bought a 1997 S90. By the way. The thick and durable bumpers are great! It happened a couple of times that other people crushed their brittle plasic bumpers against the bumpers on my 740. They got a hole in their wallet and I had to brush away their paint from my bumpers.

[@johnearle8095]

Dad had a 86 model GL but the estate with the 2.3 auto. Lovely car so well built and reliable. Huge boot far more practical than a suv. Auto box eventually started slipping after 12 years and huge mileage so sold it. Before that he had another huge estate car the citroen cx safari 2.4 which was amazing when it was working. Huge boot I think even bigger than the Volvo and the most amazing ride of any car felt like hovering above the road surface. But wasn't as reliable as the Volvo and parts were really expensive. Would like to see a comparison review of both cars as they were amazing cars and proper load carrying estate cars.

[@chappy2121]

My uncle got one of these but the estate version for £50 years ago. It was a proper tank of a thing. Not sure what engine was in it but it was very quick for what it was

[@Curiousdriving]

Probably one of the best cars in the world

[@MrVolvo-ip6pd]

"You probably wouldn't find one of these in a car park at a National Front rally." And in a car park at the Swedish equivalence, You would find little else. Now as well as then.

[@aiasibor1234]

Nice review! I have two 740's! one automatic and other with manual gearbox.The manual gearbox car had an engine problem, it seems that the rings were very worn or water entered and bent a connecting rod. I could not be without driving my Volvo and bought another one because I knew it would take time to get spare parts to repair the engine. It's waiting to come back to the roads! they are just lovely to drive. It's all pleasure. I'm from Argentina, regards!

[@nickstewart3725]

I own a 91 740 wagon turbo heavily modified a 88 740 sedan naturally aspirated and a 86 760 sedan turbo mildly modded and I love all of them dearly!

[@j.h.9410]

Not all 1.400.000 came out of the factory in Sweden, alot where build in Belgium (and some other places)

[@stevesrover]

Love these cars. I think after the SD1, this would be one to have.

[@trmn311]

You may be on to something Matt. A chicken nugget shelf with a dipping holder! 🤔

[@alexanderclaylavin]

I am currently driving a 1989 740 GL with 250k miles and it brings me great joy

[@Dan-hq2js]

Hold on a minute, they decided to fit more aerodynamic wipers to a box 😂 lovely to see a nice volvo, so much nicer than the mini you've been working on!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Oh, Mr Richardson, the sound of the red block engine and some good old induction roar too...

[@furiousdriving]

that fan sounds like a HGV is coming along!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@furiousdriving, it's the sound of my childhood, brought back by this and a 240 Estate I drove recently!

[@jonnygigs21]

Many years ago i had a 1989 Volvo 760 Turbo and that too was as wollowy as i don't know what, but the comfort and speed was incredible. They're not cars you buy for economy, but they really grow on you. I'm not a fan of the modern Chinese Volvo's as they just don't feel the same. Great Video as always! It would be nice to see you do a roadtrip to the Volvo factory in Sweden.

[@darkclouds5261]

that was such a good film when you replaced the head lining!!!!

[@furiousdriving]

that day was a headache!