Hello everyone, I'm new here and pretty new to the whole Volvo community in general. I'm a die hard Mitsubishi fan; but I've recently started to take a liking for Volvo's. And seeing as how I'm going to need a car for college and work soon, I figure this is the best car for the job. So far I've found three 240's in the want ad's that seem promising. I'm not sure how welcome threads like these are here, but I was hoping you all could give me some advice before I go look at these cars in person. Heres the the cars with what I've compiled from ads and emails.(note: pros are in bold, cons are in italics)

1982 Volvo 240DL - $500 - Automatic - 94K miles - Blue

currently inspected,
recent brake-job,
engine has been completely rebuilt
2nd owner
The interior is in good shape, there is a CD player.
The body/exterior is in near perfect condition
a couple very small rust spots
front passenger side door doesnt open

1986 Volvo 240DL - $500 - 4 speed manual - 180k miles - Gray

Interior is in great shape.
Body has no dents and little rust.
Body and interior are real nice
Recent tuneup and oil change.
Throttle switch is new.
Alternator is new.
Starter is new.
Starts right up.
Very well maintained. I am the third owner.
Engine runs and idles great.
Transmission is mint.
Needs alignment and shocks.
No radio. But has the original power amp and speaker system.
Still needs a little more work
The left taillight needs to be replaced.

1989 Volvo 240DL - $1000 - Automatic - 240k miles - Blue

Very well maintained, with many records and regular oil changes
New, high quality tires with less than 2500 miles on them
Completely new brake system with new pads, rotors, calipers and lines.
New batery last year
undercarriage is clean and the paint is good.
still using it at least once a week to keep it in good shape.
The engine runs very well. It burns very little oil and gets good gas mileage.
the A/C hasn't worked for a decade probably.
The radio needs to be replaced, it doesn't work at all
The passenger side seat heater doesn't work
There is a little on the corner of two of the doors

So there you have it. I know some places don't appreciate the "which car should I get" threads, so if this is one such place feel free to delete it.
Thanks ahead of time for your help, I look forward to staying here for the long run.

 

Well to be honest, I wouldn't go that far back in the Volvo catagory. They will run strong and fine. However I would look into an 850 if you can.

 

Also look into Turbobricks.com they are all about thr 240's and older Volvo's.

 

Thanks for the info. I've already registered with Turbobricks.com, but haven't gotten a confirmation email yet. Right now im pretty strapped for cash and don't want to go through the trouble of taking out a loan; so $1000 is pretty much my limit at the moment. On the subject though, how do the FWD Volvo's hold up in terms of reliabilty compared to the RWD ones?

 

It's next to impossible to get a car that is reliable for less than $2500. Not saying it can't be done, but it's tough. Try to find a person selling one outright. Don't even think about getting something from a dealer at that price. I just sold a 90 Accord. I was asking $1200 and my son snatched it up for $1,000, due to family discount. You really have to find somebody you trust when buying a car like this. I don't care what model you are looking at. You will not find a good 850 in that price range. Another thing about the ads you listed, I don't think I would ever buy a car where "current inspection" is one of the features. Also "a little rust" is scary too.

I really think you are better off spending more money on the car now rather than constantly throwing money into it after the purchase. Unless you can find a family friend or relative trying to get rid of an older car. That's alway a great way to get a good deal, or look for somebody getting ready to trade one in. The dealers always rip them off and you can give them more than the dealer is giving them and buy it for way less than the dealer will turn around and sell it for.

Good luck.