Hi all,
I was looking through classifieds and saw a 242glt not running for $300 so I called him and went to look at it, the car had cloth interior, manual windows, and had a set of guages including oil pressure and ambient temp, but was missing a boost guage and upon popping the hood it was apparent that this wasn't a turbo, I thought that glt's were turbos but this was an 82 with turbo wheels and sway bars but NO turbo engine. This was rather strange and I asked the owner and he said he had checked the engine codes and it said it matched the car and the car was a glt, he said since it was an 82 with efi it didn't have to come with turbo engine and this was a way to order them.
So anyway I decided against that car and he mentioned that a block away there was a 242 turbo with a turbo badge, and said it had been parked for a while and hadn't moved. I then went over there and bothered that guy. This car was a RED (not maroon but bright red) 242 turbo, with turbo wheels also unfortunately it was a AT (other was a M46) engine has like 115,000 miles on it and had leather interior (trashed) and was probably only good for a parts car (he mentioned the tank was full of sludge and it the fuel pump wouldn't pump) he had the fuel dist box off and said that one of the lines was bad, the car had a newer water cooled turbo. I tried to check the rear to see if it was a posi but I jacked up one side and couldn't get it to move at all (in nuetral with parking brake off(it hadn't been left on)) I figured that the brakes were frozen not an lsd cause I couldn't find a tag.
Anyway both of these cars were offered to me for $300, both have straight bodies, and poor interiors, and turbo wheels. The red one has the benefit of having a turbo(a water cooled one too), but the other has the benefit of having a b21 which I could put my b21ft head and exhaust onto to gain compression and run with programmable efi. are either of them good buys? I know the turbo wheels are desirable but what about the turbo sway bars and other small accessories? Anyone want any of the parts mentioned if I were to get either of the cars?
Thanks!
Sean

Where do you live? I'd love a NA 242 GLT!!!!

willamete valley in oregon

It's my understanding that the GLT's are identical to a turbo but without the turbo itself. Are either of those cars still available? I'm interested in the GLT. I live outside of Portland.
Thanks
--
Ben

Sean

A little off this topic but do you still have any 242 interior stuff??
I should have emailed you earlier.

Thanks
Danny

I have tons e-mail me with your needs.
Sean

Sean

what's your email address?? I need carpet and door panels.

thanks
Danny
dhalljr@olemiss.edu

Check the hood on the red '83, I've heard the bright red color was only available on the quite desirable flathood turbos of that year. If it has the pre '80 DL style hood and an unusual grill I'd grab it and restore it. It may even be worth driving up from San Diego to take a look.
Dave
4 bricks
www.volvo2.homestead.com

It sounds like the GLT is the better bet, and since it has the 4+OD, I think it wins. It's maybe less of a basket case!
The GLT is essentially a Turbo without the turbo... or a continuation of the 242GT of 1978-80, without the orange stripe.
They built a few, it's not the most common model but it should be pretty trouble free. The 82 fuel injection is unique to that year, but should be pretty easy to straighten out. They are subject to cam seizures in the head, which can be addressed by either replacing the head or cleaning up the damaged area and going back about your business. I know of at least one '82 242 that got 50K miles more the first time the cam seized... and 30K the second time. Not saying I'm proud of it but it worked at the time.
Anyway unless your heart is set on owning a turbo, buy the GLT.
The 83 would likely need to be upgraded to a watercooled turbo, and you'd really want an intercooler to make good power. Neither of those things are cheap (especially when compared to a $300 asking price).
--
Rob Bareiss, New London, CT 86 244, 87 244, 88 744

"The 82 fuel injection is unique to that year"

How so?
--
'80 DL 2-door

If the injectors screw directly into the head then its the older Bosch K-Jet (CIS) fuel injection. If the injectors screw into the manifold then its the newer LH injection. I wouldn't make a purchase decision based only on that point. Most of the K-Jet cars had the chrysler ignition, which I have heard can be problematic. I drove an 82 from 184k to 292k. I never had any problems with the car that I could attribute to the ignition. It still ran like a top when I donated it. It was rusted out and needed a clutch so I donated it on December 31st, 2001. I did have to replace the control unit, which I had no problem finding and only cost me $50.
--
Ben

The control unit is unique to '82 cars. NOt that it fails, but we are talking about 20-yr old fuel injection parts. The cars have the Chrysler ignition (white distributor cap). It's still a B21, but it's the last of them. Some '82s had the early LH-Jetronic system. I don't know when in the model year the split was made, or if it was perhaps for California models. So it's the only (US-model anyway) that had LH on a B21.
Nothing wrong with that, just different.
A 242 GLT is still a cool car. The real thing to look for with any 240 is the condition of the body. Everything else you can fix. Rust is bad, mkay?
===
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: 86 244DL, 87 244DL, 88 744GLE

Hey all

In Canada turbo cars didn't start production till 1983. I own a 81 GL, it houses a B23E engine, i recently bought a parts car, it is an 82 GLT also with a B23E. It was the higher perfromance engine over the b21 cranking out 136 HP.. and something like 127 ftlbs of torque. So till the turbo's came out in canada, the b23e was the "better" engine. Feel free to correct me if i am wrong anyone.. that's just what i have gathered.
The b23e his a very high comp ratio.. 10:1 or something VERY high, but my car has proven to be very reliable, and it's not the slowest thing around. Sometime you just have to pass Cadillacs doing 160 on the road, with 5 people in your car! Not a problem.

Personally i'd go for the turbo car.. the turbo would mean alot to me though, if there is a chance you could make the other car turbo i'd do that instead. But i am assuming it's a B23E engine.. which would make things hard! Anyways good luck in your decision.
Geoff

check the GLT again. yes there were non-turbo GLT's in the US with the B21F.

BUT I recently followed a lead on an '81 242GLT and lo and behold, the car was a Canadian B23E car! Zoom!

What is a b23e? and why is it desirable? how would I tell? (easily) Thanks!
Sean

A B23E is the K-jet fuel injected high compression version of the B23 motor type.
It came in the early 242GT and GLT model 240s for other markets than the US. They came to Canada and were in Europe. The motor was too much of a polluter for the US so the B21F was installed in all the US bound 242GT and GLT cars. I used to have a 79 242DL and really miss how well the car handled. It was probably the lightest 240 because it had no A/C with manual steering. M45 in it meant the tranny was lighter. A fun car to toss around. Happy rolling!

Dave 82 242ti 276k mi.

Whoops! I forgot to say they make a lot of power, 136-140hp depending on the type. This was the most powerful production motor for 240s at the time.

Dave 82 242ti 276k mi.