Hi there, i just purchased 1985 volvo 240 wagon.

well the car has been sitting outside for most of its life and has signs of little bit of rust.

The kicker is that the car has been owned by only one person - older lady.

And yes read carefully ready, ready the car has 26K original miles.

Yeah i thought the odometer was broken or something but no the car really has only 26k miles.

Its automatic and the ac does not work.

Other than that its in good condition.

My question is should i even keep this car ? or should i sell it to collector ?

If i do keep it what is the next step that i should take ? Maintenance wise are there things i should look for?
Should i look out for anything?

Any way i had few volvos in my life but there were all fairly new. I do love this wagon.

Any thoughts would be great and any estimates how much car like this would be worth would be appreciated.

 

Congrats, I guess. What to do with it really depends on what you want from it. Daily local commuter, road trip car, etc. It really has no collectible value in the condition you describe and a full restoration would cost far more than the value it would add. Yes, the low mileage is amazing, but at the same time there are so many things that age regardless of miles. If you are a capable DIY'er then give it a good going over and make sure that hoses, belts, brake lines, etc. are all in good condition. From there assuming you have a basically solid car start working your way through the typical maintenance items. Tune up, oil change, coolant flush, trans fluid change, and so on. Make sure all the lights work, tires are in good condition with no dry rot and no more than 5 years old because rubber degrades regardless of appearance. If you are not DIY capable get it to an independent Volvo specialist for an inspection and let them tell you what it needs to be safe and road worthy. As for current value, it is impossible for anyone here to know based on what you have said. You really have to see and drive the car as it is entirely possible it needs more maintenance and repair than what other people are asking for basic transportation cars.