Does this Volvo exist?: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

July 28, 2010 7:57 p.m. integraguy Dork

I was just on CL and found an ad for a 1976 262. The picture in the ad shows a 2 door sedan that appears to be of the "correct vintage", but I wasn't entirely sure there was ever a 2 door 262 (even tho in Volvo "nomenclature" the last number is used to indicate the number of doors). There are no pix of the front of the car, and no close-ups of the side/rear badges. Which engine would this car have had? The "old" Volvo in-line 6 cylinder? Or was this the first year of the PRV V6?

If it matters, the interior picture shows an automatic shift lever/quadrant.
July 28, 2010 8:24 p.m. pres589 HalfDork

Wikipedia says it's a PRV variant. PRV production started in 1974 according to a different Wikipedia article.

Grain of salt but it sounds like the PRV will be under the hood.
July 28, 2010 8:49 p.m. Junkyard_Dog HalfDork

Yup PRV 2 door. Not as bad as the brickers make it out to be but if speed is your goal there are better options.
July 28, 2010 9:12 p.m. m4ff3w SuperDork

Junkyard_Dog wrote:

Yup PRV 2 door. Not as bad as the brickers make it out to be but if speed is your goal there are better options.

Unless your name in John Lane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkIZUrzY8OM
July 28, 2010 9:30 p.m. Ian_F Reader

Yep. Volvo Bertone coupe. One of our local club members has a nice one for sale. PRV v6... pretty much the same engine in the Delorean.
July 28, 2010 9:38 p.m. m4ff3w SuperDork

'76 wouldn't be a Bertone. Just a regular 2 door V6.
July 28, 2010 9:41 p.m. Ian_F Reader

m4ff3w wrote:

'76 wouldn't be a Bertone. Just a regular 2 door V6.

So... same ugliness w/o the cool name? Bummer.
July 28, 2010 10:12 p.m. pres589 HalfDork

Regular two door 200 series are great, Bertone's look like they got stepped on, it's odd that they felt the need to hire an outside design firm to screw up the car that badly.
July 28, 2010 10:46 p.m. Streetwiseguy Reader

75 in Europe, 76 here was the switch from the cam in block B20-B30 to the ohc B21 4 cylinder and the Peugeot/Renault/Volvo B27 V6. The 262GL was just your average everyday 200 series 2 door sedan with a V6 and they were only sold here in 76. 77 they became the 262C, 1980 or 81 they were renamed the Bertone Coupe, which is the chopped roof styling exersize that only oddly shaped humans fit into. Lower the roof, make the seat bases the same size, but firmer. Interesting idea.

?Interesting? fact- the coupes were all silver with black vinyl roof until 81, when they were also available in gold and black. The black ones are rare, and actually look good.
July 29, 2010 3:24 a.m. EvanR New Reader

In '76 & '77, the 262 existed in a "full roof" version. Also available were a 264 and 265 (sedan and wagon, respectively). From '78-82, the 262C, aka Bertone, was the two-door version with the chopped roof.

Interesting 260 trivia... From its 1975 introduction, the 265 was the most expensive station wagon sold in the US.
July 29, 2010 7:55 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

am I alone in liking the bertone coupe's?
July 29, 2010 8:28 a.m. 93celicaGT2 SuperDork

mad_machine wrote:

am I alone in liking the bertone coupe's?

Nope. I want one.
July 29, 2010 10:04 a.m. integraguy Dork

This is/was NOT a Bertone coupe, so I guess that's what kind of threw me off a bit. It is/was a sort of "normal" Volvo 2 door sedan, beige in color outside, with a caramel colored interior....except for the black dash and floor "consolette".

I haven't seen a 1st series Bertone coupe here in quite awhile, but someone has/had a 2nd series one (if that's the one that looks like a 700 series coupe?) here in Memphis that was solid black....a 4 cylinder, I think.

Then, this morning, I was looking at BaT and found this car's "cousin", a Peugeot 504 COUPE.
July 29, 2010 12:27 p.m. Ian F Dork

93celicaGT2 wrote:

mad_machine wrote:

am I alone in liking the bertone coupe's?

Nope. I want one.

If serious, let me know. I know of one for sale by the widow of a long-time Volvo nut. IIRC, the price seems reasonable. I'm just not a fan of them.
July 29, 2010 1:35 p.m. 93celicaGT2 SuperDork

Unfortunately, not in the market at the moment. But thanks!
July 29, 2010 6:09 p.m. 11110000 New Reader

Funny thing is, they produced fewer of these 262 sedans than the limited edition Bertone Coupes.

Yes, '76 was the first year of the 260 series in the U.S., with the not-so-great B27F (PRV V6 in original, odd-fire glory.) These unique machines appeal to me in that odd-car way. I'd like to find one of the '77 264 50'th Anniversary editions.
July 29, 2010 7:41 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

I just got a 75 lancia... I do not need more volvo weirdness
July 29, 2010 9:00 p.m. integraguy Dork

I just looked up the 240/260 in my classic car buyer's guide. There were a few markets that did not get the 262 (just the 264 and 265), so indeed it is a rare car....for what it's worth.

The car I found on CL is supposed to have a fuel delivery problem. The seller says it probably needs a new fuel pump as it's getting spark, not fuel, and consequently won't run. IPD recommends a fuel pump relay be replaced first, as that is a fraction of the cost of a pump. A look on IPD's site also tells me that the parts for these earlier 260 models, versus the later ('78 or so) models are rare.

As an owner of a 544, a LOOOONG time ago, I am tempted by this almost an oddball and also rare car. For $1900 or less....could I go wrong?
July 29, 2010 9:04 p.m. Ian_F Reader

integraguy wrote: For $1900 or less....could I go wrong?

Probably not... if all else fails, you could probably part it out for a tidy profit.
July 29, 2010 10:48 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

I have tried using that logic.. my heart and stubborness don;t follow logic
July 30, 2010 7:40 a.m. Ian F Dork

Mine neither... hence why I have a rusty and disassembled 1800ES sitting in my back yard... and a basement full of parts I don't ever plan to put back in the car... but I can't seem to part with any of it... right now, the closest I'll get is installing some of the A/C bits in the g/f's nice ES.
July 30, 2010 7:46 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

glad to see I am not alone?