Hey, I live in Milwaukee, WI, and I'm looking to buy either a Volvo 240 or 740 (preferably 240). I'm only 17, so my budget is between $800-$1,000. That price range is pretty accurate when you look at the private party resale value of a 240 or 740 from Edmunds "Appraise Your Car" category. I'm not going to be picky, so as long as the car is mechanically in very good condition, the car has an automatic transmission, and the car is clean in general, I will be satisfied! If you or a friend live in the Milwaukee area and would be willing to sell me your old Volvo, just send me an email at musicman.jensen@gmail.com!

Thanks!

 

a $1000 car is almost always requires lots of work and maintenance.

Edmund's (and other blue book) valuations on older cars is wildly off.

summarizes it nicely.

 

Lol, I have a 1990 VW Fox like that one. Most dependable car I've ever owned and you guessed it, $1000.

 

I have seen Volvo 240's and 740's on Craigslist that need pretty minimal work around $1,000 (they needed things like the odometer to be repaired). I will keep on looking and I will see what I can find! I have a neighbor that has a 1989 240 Wagon with 550,000 miles, but he's still using the car as a daily driver, so he's probably not selling anytime soon.

 

550K!! That's awesome!! I bought my first '90 240 Wagon auto with 250K for $800 and it was in good shape inside and out and ran well (until I crashed it.) I then bought my '91 240 Wagon auto with 185K and a trashed interior and needing front suspension work again for $800. I'm still swapping over the interior from one to the other, but I've got the motor running better than my '90 ever did!! $800 is unrealistic for a 240 wagon here in CA as they are VERY sought after--I got really lucky both times and was just the quickest to respond. You should be able to find a sedan for that kind of money but expect to put some money and/or time into general repair and maintenance assuming nothing major is wrong initially. For example, brakes get worn like crazy especially in the wagons--Its a lot of weight with a relatively small brake pad.

Good luck!!

 

Thanks man! I'm glad to hear that my price range is somewhat realistic. I know I won't necessarily find a perfect 240, but I know that I can find one that's pretty decent overall.

 

My 89 240 wagon just turned over to 300,000 miles this morning. I had to pull over and take a picture of the odometer. I've had it since 148K, and changed the oil every 3000 miles. I paid $1000 for it 6 years ago. My commute is 105 miles round trip,and she's still going strong.

 

our 87 240GL has 400K miles or so. odometer has been broken since 250k 15 years ago. we've had the car since new, was $19,000 originally.

 

there's a pretty good FAQ on buying a RWD volvo.
Buying a Used 7xx/9xx

Its mostly talking about 740/940 but the 740/940s are mechanically almost identical to 240's of similar vintages. the electrics are wired differently, especially around the fuse panel.

All of the below is strictly in my opinion... your mileage may vary. objects in mirror are closer than they appear. caveat emptor...
=========================================

Volvo 240, 740, and 940 chassis are very cars. 240 are more likely to rust. I prefer the 740/940 wagons myself, I think the suspension is refined, the interior is nicer.

the basic engine and AW70 automatic transmissions on these cars are incredibly robust, but the transmissions can wear out around 250k miles of hard driving, or fail catastrophically due to loss of lubricant. actual transmission failures are quite rare. transmissions are expensive to rebuild, you're usually better off finding a replacement from a parts-mobile..

if the engine's timing belt fails, nothing breaks, you just need a tow to the shop or home, and a new belt is not hard to install. that FAQ has the procedure somewhere. otherwise, as long as you keep good oil in them, and maintain them, these engines will last nearly forever.

most common things that go bad on older Volvos. many of these apply to ANY old car..

• wiring insulation failures, especially on 1980-1987 Volvos.
• cooling system, including hoses, heater hoses. radiator, heater core, water pump
• air conditioning... r12 systems have to be converted to r134, old systems are leaky.
• charging system, bad alternator and/or battery, or wiring.
• fuel delivery - these cars have a relay, and two pumps, one in the gas tank and another main pump under the car.
• engine seals (crankshaft, camshaft, intermediate shaft), valve cover gasket - caused by clogged flametrap
• head gasket (will fail after overheating due to cooling system failure)

this is my $1200 car,


1992 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon

I got it 2-3 years ago, from a hippie woman in Carmel, it was her mom's car new, it had 180000 miles on it, the body was in GREAT shape. the interior was very good except the drivers seat was badly ripped and worn. It had a weak head gasket from a overheating, new radiator and well maintained most-of-everything-on-the-engine. she had been asking $2000 for it, then $1800, my wife hardnosed her for $1200, she said sure. we had cash.

I spent about $3500 making this car the way I want, between new tires ($700), new rims ($200 on craiglist but I sold the old ones for $100), the head gasket ($1000), bilstein shocks and brakes and new bushings and steering bits and ... $1000 or so so. and miscellaneous this that and the other. front seats from a 960 ($100)


I still need to fix the drivers window so it goes up all the way on its own without a nudge on the pane. hah.

 

Thanks for all the useful info guys!

 

That's a clean looking car. You mentioned rust. On my wagon, the only rust issue is the paint has delaminated around the rear glass rubber on the tailgate,and is stating to rust badly. I have the ability to fix it,but don't have time to pull the tailgate ,remove the glass ect. I have to drive it everyday. Maybe I can source another tailgate,and refinish it ? Anybody near Colorado have a wagon parts car ? Thank's for the info on the 740/ 940.

 

Honestly, based off of what you guys have told me, I'm now going to search more for a Volvo 740 or 940 over a 240, unless I find a 240 in amazing condition.

 

Song sounds like something that was featured on Car Talk.

98 and up I think do a little better with rust.

I like to talk to the seller and get and idea of whether or not they cared for the car. They either know their stuff and self maintain, love it and have maintenance performed, or try to sound knowledgeable but talk it up too much, obviously don't love it or throw cheap parts at it. Obviously when buy a car for little money, buy it from the one that loves it. I also like to ask why they are selling it and just get the talking about their experience with it.

 

Hey pierce there is a product called wipe new that will make your plastics shine like new again. Not to be confused with the other crap on the market that just washes off like armor all etc. I was totally amazed when we used it on our xc70. Still to this day looks like NEW. Application process is different then all the other products used to recondition plastics. But you would be one that can read and understand instructions so I am sure it would be a success for you as it was with me.

Sorry I did not mean to hijack this thread, I just could not help it your car looks so nice but yet the plastics look so faded. They give you a tiny bottle, but we were able to finish a complete xc with the one bottle, so if used correctly TRUST me you will say why did I wait so long and that was the best 20.00 spent.

 

I keep meaning to give my bumpers the heatgun treatment. first, I have to find my heatgun (I don't think my wife's hair dryer will get hot enough, hahahaha)

 

I did a little research before I bought my 1987 NA 740 wagon. I should have done more research!!! Thankfully I only paid $450 for it. First purchase...wire harness from Dave Barton. Thanks Dave! Great quality and easy installation. Check for a replaced harness BEFORE you buy. On the plus side...parts are (most items) lower in price. And Pick n Pull has a fairly steady stream of Volvos going through the yard. A none running 240, 740 could be a $25 relay under the hood! You picked an older Volvo for a reason! Because you LOVE them!

 

Just put my 88 740 turbo wagon on craigslist in st louis for 1000 bucks. great daily driven car ( recently got a Benz s320). The car is in St Louis Missouri- it would drive you home with no problem. PM me if interested or questions