I have been in the market for a new vehicle for a while; and recently came across a 1989 240GL. So far what i know is that the vehicle belonged to an elderly man who kept it at his summer home in FL, so it was not ran for a good portion of the years it was located there. Finally, he decided to bring the vehicle to the midwest to sell, and the party who is now selling purchased the car several years ago. It has an extremely low 84,xxx miles on it, and they are asking $2,600 for it. They said it runs fine; although, on damp days the vehicle has trouble starting or doesn't start at all but as soon as the day warms up it has no trouble. I figure this issue is due to some sort of short circuiting due moisture on exposed wires. Their reasoning as to why they wish to sell is that the husband has trouble getting in and out of the vehicle, being that it has a moon roof/ lower ceiling. So in conclusion, what i would really want to know; is it worth the money?, should i be nervous, the fact that it was not ran frequently in the past?, how easy to fix/expensive is the short circuit issue?, what things should i know which are specific to this make/model?

 

Regardless of what you choose to pay for this or any other old car, budget $1000 to get it right again. No one can tell you why it doesn't run in damp weather. The 89 had decent wiring insulation so, who knows? Distributor cap cracked, dirty? Ignitor cracked? Bad plug wires? My experience is it is never...never...only one thing bad that you can point your finger to. Repairing one item may/may not repair it. After 21 years, there is a very good chance running issues are caused by a multitude of sensors/relays/connectors all performing on the low side of acceptable according to Bentleys. Combined, they seem to exacerbate poor running. So, plan on spending some money if you want it right. As for mileage? 86+ 240's have a biodegradable drive gear in the speedo head that causes the odo to not register mileage. The only way I'd accept that mileage as genuine is if CarFax could track it back to day one. Price? That again is a personal choice. I paid $50 for my 89 245. Some have them given to them. I balk at paying more than $500 for a 20+ year old car. But, that's just me...if the car is pristine, you have the money, and you can afford to budget $1000 on repairs over the next six months, you may have a super car! Just go into it w/ your eyes open.

 

Pristine 244/245's here in Seattle can go as high as $5000. I personally would not purchase one with a running probllem already if I did not know how to work on them, especially for much money. Weather 10 out of 10 times does not cause poor running, bad parts do. It could be as simple computer temp sensor if it just doesn't start good cold..but it could also be bad fule injectors etc etc etc. With whatever vehicle you decide to purchase regardless if Jesus Christ himself drove it, take it in for a pre-buyers inspection from a Volvo specialist...this will save you A LOT of $$ in the long rubn and you will feel good about the choice you made. Mileage is no issue 240's will go a million miles if you treat them right...just find one you really like and bring it in for an inspection unless you are a mechanic like myself then by all means buy whatever you like...good luck!!