Volvo 340 Project – How a Cheap Daily Became an Accidental Rebuild
What started as a €500 beater daily turned into a full winter engine rebuild. Follow the journey of a Volvo 340 that went from burning oil to blowing head gaskets – and how a freezing driveway wrenching session led to an engine restoration. From stripped-down block to that nerve-racking first start, this is a story of cold hands, stubborn determination, and the satisfaction of bringing an old motor back to life.
Joy van Haelen
8/14/20253 min read
Let’s get one thing straight: I had absolutely no intention of turning this car into a project.
And yes, I know — every car enthusiast says that. But this time I genuinely meant it. I bought this Volvo 340 simply as a cheap daily driver. And cheap it was: just €500, because it burned oil like it was going out of fashion.
Okay, to be fair, the fact it was already drinking oil should’ve been a red flag that I’d eventually end up wrenching on it. But for about a year and a half, it just got me where I needed to go without much drama. Sure, it could be grumpy on cold starts, and I was forever topping up the oil, but overall it was a perfectly good runabout.
The Beginning of the End: Blown Head Gasket
After all that time, I’d started to trust the old Volvo. Maybe a little too much. Then one day, far from home, the head gasket decided it had had enough.
That alone was annoying — nothing like being rescued from the motorway by a car trailer — but the real headache started once I got the car home.
What now? I’d only paid €500 for it, so part of me thought it wasn’t worth fixing. On the other hand, I’d just wrapped up my first YouTube project (a Honda CRX), and I was itching for something else to tinker with.
And that’s when I made the decision: the engine was coming out for a rebuild.
The timing? Awful. It was the middle of winter, and I had no indoor workspace. So there I was, bundled up in a thick coat and gloves, wrenching away in the freezing cold — slowly turning my fingertips Volvo-blue.
Rebuilding the Engine
When the engine finally came out, I was over the moon. It meant I could take it to my garage and actually work on it indoors. This is the part I love most about working on cars: methodically restoring everything so it’s clean, tidy, and like new.
I went all-in — every accessory came off for a refresh. Out came the sandpaper, spray cans, and heat gun. The block got its original black finish back, and the valve cover was polished up to a fresh silver shine.
Then came the careful reassembly: new piston rings, connecting rod bearings, crankshaft bearings — the works. It’s the kind of job that eats up hours, but the satisfaction is unbeatable.
Back on the Road
About a month later, it was go time: the engine was ready to go back into the car. It was still freezing outside, so I wasn’t exactly excited about the job, but after two days of bolting everything together, the big moment arrived.
First start.
Turn the key… and the little 340 roared back to life like nothing had happened.
I’ll admit, that first crank was nerve-wracking, but the moment I took it for a drive, pride completely took over. There’s nothing quite like cruising around in a car powered by an engine you rebuilt yourself.
Check out my Volvo 340 project on YouTube!
