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It's a car now 200


Hello

I realise no one else cares, but I wish to broadcast to the world that my 245L van now has all the fred flinstone rust holes welded up, and I've replaced all the smashed panels. It will need much more work (running way too rich, has no muffler dodgey gear shift and no turn signals) but it looks like a car again. The beast I rescued from the crusher lives on.

Sorry to have interupted








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It's a car now 200

Cool! What's a 245 van? DO you mean a panel wagon or commercial variant? or is it a custom job?
I haven't seen one so I'd be interesting in seeing a pic of it.

We welcome most interruptions around here...
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 221K, 88 744GLE- 202K, 91 244 181K, 88 244GL 145K








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It's a car now 200


It's stock standard, not a custom job, 245 Van is exactly what's stamped on the plate.

The 245L is a light comercial variant of the basic DL wagon (70's style with big round headlights). They shipped to Australia as a cheap way of getting a station wagon (The heafty import duty did not apply to comercial vehicles.) It's basicly a 2 seater variant, with a flat steel floor running from the tailgate to the B pillar just behind the front seats. A steel partitition seperates the load bay from the front seats, and has a removable grille section rom window height up. The rear doors have flush panels on the inside, with no door handles or window winders. The space where the rear foot well would be forms a great storage space under the floor.

Because most new car buyers were looking for a 245DL wagon on the cheap, most had the steel floor cut out and rear seats installed and my L is the only one I've ever seen in original condition, as my parents bought it to use as a commercial vehicle, although the rear doors are from a wagon, not from a van, as we did later consider converting it. Those flush panels are on my shopping list if I could find them.

The Taxation office were quick to realise what was happening and closed down the loophole, so 245L's in Australia are all the round headlighted 77's and 78's, and only come in blue orange and white (It's a truck, how much choice do you want?)

I have considered fitting back seats, but my wreak is a rarity, and passengers in the back just annoy me anyway.


I'll take some photos next time I'm working on it and post them up. I wanted to take some work in progress shots, but the old crumpled panels lying around the the shed are proof enough of its condidition when we started.








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It's a car now 200

That sounds pretty cool. I understand the idea behind it, England has had a very similar tax structure for years, spawning all sorts of commercial versions of Escorts, Astras, and similar rubbish. I suppose here in the US the federal laws have influenced a big gain in truck and van sales as well- they're not subject t othe same safety regulations as cars and therefore you can get a bigger vehicle, cheaper. Americans, of course, are in love with that idea.

I'd like to see it when you get a chance to post a picture. Sounds interesting and its good thatyou know the history of it.

Here, I've seen a custom "283" wagon- a 245 converted to a 3-door wagon, using 242 doors & rear quarter pieces, and a custom piece of glass for the side. Powered by a Chevy 5-liter V8. Even had custom machined badges- "283" in the Volvo script.
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 221K, 88 744GLE- 202K, 91 244 181K, 88 244GL 145K








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It's a car now 200

You learn something new every day! Post some pics. Thanks Dan







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