I am currently looking for a first car and one of my buddies told me he likes to buy cars and build them up and then sell them. The car has 200,000 - 220,000 miles on it (odometer is broken but he is positive it's between those). He is selling it for $1,500 and really the only thing that may need work is the a/c and minor fixes on the interior. I want to know if this would be a good first car or if I should hold off.

 

well yes it's a good first car! assuming everything works etc... check it out carefully heat /defrost blower fan etc and overdrive if auto trans... and if checks ok then don't look back!
oh and don't be afraid of that kind of mileage... it is nothing for these cars.

 

Thank you for the response! The only thing I know that may have a problem is the a/c. I looked up how much those are and they are like $150. How many miles can these things get up to before they become problematic?

 

we had a 1987 240 that we put about 500K miles on. the odometer broke around 250k circa 1995, so everything past that is estimated. the engine was still fine but it was having wet weather electrical problems, and its always wet where my daughter lives so it got parked for a winter, then got too moldy inside, so its ready for the dump (its still in her driveway).

the A/C in our 87 hasn't worked since the early 90s... we live on the coast and don't need it. They came with R12 freon based air conditioning, and have to be converted to R134a. $150 is wishful thinking, if there are leaks, it could cost considerably more to fix.

I'd be looking at all the usual older car stuff... condition of coolant hoses (don't neglect the heater hoses behind the motor!), stuff like that. make sure noone has 'bodged' the electricals with stupid rewiring as that makes troubleshooting any issues that crop up a nightmare.

 

Do you think it would be a reliable first car? Or would it be problematic?

 

I have no knowlege of the history or condition of this specific car. old cars tend to need more maintenance than newer cars, but the Volvo 240/740/940 family is very easy to work on. if you have to take it to a mechanic for every little thing, it will get expensive.

you want a near absolutely reliable car? get well maintained 5 year old 4 cylinder Toyota Corolla or something....

 

Thank you for the help!

 

reliable? even an ignition rotor that was burned out in mine would not stop the engine..

 

Pierce alluded to the age issues, these are older cars and while they can certainly run far more than 200,000 miles that still leaves a lot of time and miles for problems to have arisen. Much depends on how it was taken care of by the prior owner, parts wear out and if they were not replaced that can add up.


I have owned a 1985 240 with 400,000 miles for the past 3 years. I drive 1000-2000 miles per month and it has required nothing beyond routine maintenance. Parts are relatively easy to acquire, not always on the shelf at the local shop but most can be ordered.


Assuming it has no hidden issues, these are generally very reliable if you do your part to stay on top of scheduled maintenance. They are also relatively easy to work on if you are mechanically inclined. In the $1500-2000 price range they are not a bad choice for a used car.