Hello all,

I'm a regular on the 850and XC70 forums as I own a 95 850 and my wife drives an 01 XC70, but I need some advice regarding purchasing a 240.

In short, our daughter has found a Volvoshe is consideringbuying as her first car.

The car is a 1984 240 station wagon (not sure if it is a DL or a GL), dark brown in color.Went to look at it today but it was in the owners garage and they were not at home. My daughter spoke with the owner earlier in the week and was told it is a two owner 1984 240, been kept in the Pacific Northwest all its life, has a 4 speedautomatic transmission, fuel injected enigine, has a tick over 148,000 miles on the clock and that it runs excellent. She was also told the interior is a little rough in spots but not a total disaster.I have no idea waht options is has (if any), but the asking price is $800.

I was able to peek in the garage windows when we went to look at it and exterior-wise, it looks to be in pretty decent shape, of course I will want to look at it very closely when I get a chance.

That said, aside from the obvious things to look at (tires, glass, interior condition, oil/fluid leaks, lights, flashers, horn, engine sound/smoothness etc....) are there any areas specific to the 240 series that I should be on the look out for?

On a automotive mechanical skill/knowledge scale of 1-10, I rank about a 7-8 as I do most of my own repair work myself, and have re-built two cars from the ground up over that last five years. I guess what I am trying to say is I am not afraid to tackle any repairs if necessary, but as I said, I'm familiar with the quirks of the 850 and XC70, but a 240 is unfamiliar to me.

If any 240 gurus would please chime in on specifics to look for on the car, I would greatly appreciate it.

Many thanks,

Glenn

 

Check for rust/rot under the wheel wells and wheel flares because they are prone to rust there. Also since it is a wagon, check the tailgate on the bottom and around the rear window for rust too as those sections are also common rust areas. Another problem that 240 wagons are prone to is pinching the rear wiring harness because it runs through the hinges on the tailgate. If it gets pinched to the point of the wiring getting broken, your rear wiper and third brake light won't work. The fuel main fuel pump is also something to look out for. Listen for a whine or grinding sound from the pump as this could mean it is on its way out,( I have a 240 though that has been driven for years while making noise but every car is different). I can't think of anything else right now, but for 800 dollars it sounds like a good deal.

 

Friendly bump for any more advice before I go to look at it tomorrow? BTW, Thanks Volvo4 life, I will definitely check out the areas you mentioned.

Glenn

 

Sounds like a pretty decent car....low mileage. When you test drive it make sure that you are really happy with the transmission. The car is almost 24 years old so you know its gonna need some stuff. Like for life said check carefully for rust, thats what ultimately killed my 84 wagon. Try to get it for 500 or less.