I seen an old 740 show up on CL several months ago and when I checked on it the car was actually sitting in the apartment complex that I live in. When I looked at it I thought, man this thing is rough. The guy wanted $800 for it which I thought was to much for the cosmetic condition, I did not buy it. Didn't even make the guy an offer because I simply do not have any play money lying around, car plus repairs is just to much for me at the time (I don't have a real job at this time).

Fast forward a couple of months the owner asked if I could try to get it running, he said it stopped just before he parked it. Dropped my battery in it and it fired right up and drove smooth. He then said he'd take $500. Still to much for me. I have paid that much for 960's which were clean. When I got it started I noticed that it has about 340,000 on the clock and that the wires under the hood are BARE. I did separate a few of them when I started the car.

Fast forward to this past Saturday, the guy stopped me and asked if I knew someone that would buy it, if not he would have it junked. I told him to contact the junk yard and whatever they'd give him I would pay. So he sold it to me for $250.

It will be a project but I believe the motor & tranny are in good shape so I'm willing to bring her back on her feet. The last 740 I had was a '87 GLE that I put over 400,000 on before I sold it to a single mom for $7.38. The car was very clean and in great shape. I will likely use this car as my spare.

 

Nice find. Hope you have good luck restoring it. You should post pictures! And just out of curiosity, why'd you sell your 87' 740 for $7.38? Sounds like an interesting story...

 

It was. My business partner had her sister-in-law working for us and she was without a car. She kept joking with me about me selling me the 740 and getting something newer because I was selling real estate out of the car for years (everyone thought I was loaded and drove that old Volvo around as if I was to cheap to purchase something new to haul my customers around in. It was the talk of the town). So one day she started in on me again and I told her that I would sell her the car if she gave me all the cash she had on her, and that this was a put up or shut up offer. I knew she likely only had enough money to buy lunch and if she did it she likely would miss lunch that day. She started pacing the office and told me that I didn't want that deal cause I would lose out big time. Finally she started digging in her personal belongings for her money. I told her to set it all on her desk and when she was ready I would go shake her down and if I found 1 cent that wasn't in the pile the deal was off. She finally told me she was ready and I went and counted it up, $7.38. I said deal (I didn't shake her down but acted like I was going to). So I told her that I would bring her title the next day but may keep the car for a week while I looked for a replacement. She was freeking out, didn't believe me. So I told her that she could call my wife to verify that I would keep my word. She call my wife litterally shaking with hope and excitement. She told my wife what was going on and the first thing out of my wife's mouth was "I guess we'll be car shopping when he gets home". I don't think the lady got any more work done that day. About 3 days later I purchased my first 960.

I've given away about 6 cars so far. Gave that 960 to a college kid that needed a car. I knew his mom and they lived a few hours away. The car had 205,000 on the clock and it had a small dent behind the front passenger side wheel, about the size of a softball. Other than that it was clean, not even a tear in the seats. A few weeks after I told them I would sell the kid the car for $1 he hadn't picked it up. I called and told them that he had a week to find a way to get it or I would well it to someone else. He made it with a day to spare. When his mother seen that car she flipped out, called me explaining that they thought it would be junk, that's why they started not to come get it. Had new brakes, tires, and was in overall good shape.

I also gave away a Nissan Maxima that only had 63,000 miles on it.

 

Woo! You're quite the giving person! That's nice.

 

Car's, big screen tv's, computers, the list is never ending. I like to give things away. Hopefully one day I'll be able to give more away.

 

You should run a charity!

 

I think he does. his way.

 

I think people like that....are/is the reason this world still has a heartbeat other wise we would have a post apocalyptic forum going on....

NEW POST: 10 ways on how to roast a cat on a 89 Volvo 240 exhaust.......with pictures.

 

LOL, the problem with charities is trying to filter out the people that show up to take advantage of the generosity of others and the donors that want to control the thing because they donates $500. Stuff like that use to make me want to punch someone in the head. Like Pierce said, I'll keep it in my tiny little world where I don't have to answer to 43,000,000 government officials.