Custom Swede: 1980 Volvo 242DL

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When I first looked at the photos of this car I struggled to work out what it is. Then I struggled to work out why it is. It is certainly distinctive, and you will find it listed for sale here on Craigslist. Located in Auburn, Washington, this Volvo is being offered for sale with a clean title. The owner has set a price of $7,500 for this vehicle. A big thanks has to go to Barn Finder Russell S for bringing this unique offering to our attention.

The person who customized this Volvo has one wild imagination. This looks nothing like the staid European family sedan that it started life as. Virtually every panel, with the exception of the doors, has gotten the treatment. While this one isn’t to my taste, I actually quite like the red paint and the rear fender flares. The rest I’m not so sure about. I’m also not sold on the effectiveness of the soft-top.

Okay, here’s a thought for you. If you take off all of the scoops, spoilers and other extraneous attachments, the 242 actually doesn’t make a bad looking convertible. The standard body lines actually work well in that respect. Maybe that would be an option to consider. What we are short on with this car is information on the drive-train. The engine should be the fuel injected B21F 4-cylinder engine, backed in this case by a 5-speed manual transmission. The car also has 4-wheel disc brakes. The seller doesn’t indicate how well the car runs and drives.

This is another one of those vehicles that it is impossible to place a value on due to the custom nature of the car. It is not a car that appeals to me, but I’d be willing to bet that it will appeal to someone. If I were to buy it, I’d remove all of the scoops and spoilers, and just use it as a Volvo convertible. I think that could work.

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Comments

  1. leiniedude leiniedudeMember

    Not for me either, Nice match for the blue Mustang though.

    Like 4
    • TCOPPS TCOPPSMember

      That looks like a Shelby in the background with a wider track for sure. I’d rather drive that one home with me.

      Like 5
      • grant

        Lol that’s a Mustang II

        Like 16
  2. Matt murray

    Forget that piece of crap.
    Look behind it past that 70s stang.
    A 68-70 charger and 70-71cuda!

    Like 5
  3. Frank Sumatra

    The BF “Laugh of The Week” Perfect ending to Friday.

    Like 12
    • DolphinMember

      Right! I laughed out loud when I saw all the doo-dads and stripes on this.

      Then I laughed twice as loud when I saw that it was….wait for it…a Volvo!

      Like 2
  4. Capriest

    OK, after that van I thought I was back on meth, now I’m thinking it’s shrooms!

    Like 6
    • Tom Justice

      Beat me to it on the van comparison. Sorry to hear you were ever on meth.

      Like 6
  5. blyndgesser

    The sail panels from a 914? How dare they!

    Like 2
  6. Andrew

    Is that the ultra rare wide body mustang 2 Shelby in the background?

    Like 0
  7. Doug

    From the front quarter and side views, it looks like they were going for an IMSA / Trans-Am BMW look from the Hans Stuck, Jr. era.

    Like 1
    • Beatnik Bedouin

      I think the creator just got stuck, Doug… ;-)

      Like the legendary Boss Denbigh, this one also appears to be aerodynamically unstable, at idle.

      Like 4
      • Ike Onick

        Where you been Beatnik? Long time-No post. Or perhaps I have been distracted.

        Like 0
  8. mike b

    Someone finally figured out how to make an interesting 242. Hope he got it out of his system before starting on that Charger.

    Like 2
  9. dgrass

    I wonder if the shi**er is full…

    Like 1
    • Ike Onick

      If it ain’t full, it sure is busted!

      Like 0
  10. Steve R

    Yuk.

    Steve R

    Like 4
  11. Matt Murray

    All I see there is that b body and e body in back ground

    Like 2
  12. Sam61

    I think they going for the look of a BMW E9 convertible…if one ever existed.

    Like 0
  13. Dan

    Sure must be some good dope….shew…..ugly ….

    Like 1
  14. Mark

    I see a green coronet or superbee!

    Like 0
  15. Fahrvergnugen FarhvergnugenMember

    Based on the first image and the title, I was beginning to think that recreational drugs are much more available in Sweden than originally thought.

    Just say no to dopes.

    Like 2
  16. Jman

    So the cover over where the back seats used to be… that’s where the hot tub goes, right?

    Like 3
  17. Dirk

    wtf?

    Like 1
  18. Dean

    Someone told me many years ago (untruly, of course) that Volvo is Swedish for vulva..if so, that is a damned ugly one..drop it off the nearest fjord and take the blue one with it.

    Like 2
    • Dirk

      Actually Dean, (truly) Volvo is Swedish for “I roll”, and this one should roll away.

      Like 1
      • Fla finn

        It’s not swedish… Its Latin.

        I do agree, this one should roll away..to scrapyard..

        Like 1
  19. Chris

    Seems we’re being plagued by a trend of horrible customs as of late.

    Like 4
  20. Solosolo UK ken TILLYMember

    The next Batmobile maybe?

    Like 1
  21. RichieRich

    They forgot the four fake Buick air intakes on each side of the hood…and the airbag suspension.

    Like 5
  22. Ken M

    This car will definitely appeal to the kind of people this kind of car would appeal to.

    Like 4
  23. Karguy James

    Well it does have a panhard bar according to the seller. That’s all I care about.

    Like 0
  24. Peter

    Human “creativity” clearly knows no bounds. That being said, I’ve seen much more distasteful “art” hanging in some of the world’s leading galleries… and worth 100 times as much!

    Like 0
  25. Scott Tait

    Dont mix drink & drugs kids!

    Like 0
  26. CCFisher

    Looks like a clapped-out Charger in the background. Quick! Somebody write up a feature!

    Like 0
  27. Eric

    The guy who built this car lives near me. This is the first time that I’ve seen this creation, but he has several others that need to be seen to be believed. The first one is a Corvette. He always uses the same color red, and white. The second car is a Mustang coupe that he hacked the roof off of, and made a top out of the same cloth as on the Volvo. He later painted it, and added “Shelby” logos. The third car is a Camaro- sorry, but I don’t have any photos of it yet.

    Like 3
    • Eric

      This is the Mustang before he painted it….

      Like 2
    • Eric

      And, this is the Mustang after he painted it and turned it into a “Shelby”… LMAO

      Like 4
      • Eric

        Note that the rocker panels are covered in what appears to be irrigation tubing painted red, and adorned with stick-on chrome trim.

        Like 4
  28. Solosolo UK ken TILLYMember

    At least he makes the effort to do something with them and not just leave them outside to rot under a tree, or decay for 50 years in a barn, before trying to sell them for megga bucks. They don’t appeal to me but you must give him 10 out of 10 for effort.

    Like 10
    • Dean

      Perhaps he’s an artist and cars are his medium.

      Like 1
  29. Stinger

    That would be a 70 Charger and a 70 Cuda. Charger has the wrap around front bumper and if you look close enough, a Hockey stick stripe.

    Like 1
  30. Cris Carver

    “Make your dreams come true with tools you have”,… just don’t expect someone else to pay $7500 bucks for. Also, I was thinking it started off as BMW 2002

    Like 0
  31. Jason

    Wish I had his level of free time to tinker..

    Like 1
  32. KawiVulc

    Well that’s just a cry for help.

    Like 3
  33. PLMBRDON

    Cousin of the guy with that ugly van. Both on meth or crack.

    Like 2
  34. Eigil

    Terrible..

    Like 0
  35. Matt

    I just had a seizure looking at this thing….

    Like 1
  36. Stillrunners

    What Doug and Ken said….I not a big fan of the “Mona Lisa ” but there’s a lot of others that are- and what’s that painting worth ? That Volvo’s not that bad…i wonder how it runs…?

    Like 1
  37. Wayne

    If I remember correctly, the panhard rod is stock on a 240 Volvo. (I know it is a “7” series car.) Remove the scoops and white paint and reinstall the stock grille and hood. It could look ok.
    Luckily, by removing the roof. It did not terribly impact the structural rigidity too much. (It is a Volvo) But I would have still added some to compensate.
    In regards to the name Volvo. When referred to any Volvo older than a Volvo 850. It stands for TANK! I have a very bad taste in my mouth when even seeing a transverse engine mounted Volvo. As I don’t consider them proper, reliable transportation.

    Like 1
  38. BobbyLongshot

    I like it.

    Like 0
  39. Little_Cars Little Cars

    Someone tried real hard to make the front of this Volvo look like a Triumph Herald. Fugly.

    Like 0

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