Why do people do this?

Anyway...I was thinking maybe i could swap the springs and put it back to stock. I've never messed with coil springs. Any advice on this job?

It's a 1989 740GL, b230f NA engine, 199000 miles ( but had speedo issues so who knows).

It's really in pretty good shape. PO had it on CL for a week at 1500...then a few days at 1250...then 1000. I was surprised it didn't sell before i got to it. The interview is nice for its age.

The PO said when he bought it he coulda spent another 4 or 5 hundred for a set of larger rims but didn't...so it can bottom out at times.

 

larger rims woulda made it bottom out and/or scrape even sooner.

PO is an idiot, IMHO, he probably just cut the stock springs, and didn't replace them with shorter/stiffer ones.

back springs, you jack up the back of the car and put it on stands, put a jack under the differential to lift its weight off the shocks, unbolt the rear shocks, then run a long extension socket up the center of the rear springs to unbolt them at the top, then lower the differential and the spring pops out. put in the new ones, reinstall said bolts, jack differentialk back up and reattach the rear shocks, done.

front springs are on the mcpherson struts, so you'll need a spring compressor and a fair bit more work to replace. unless the car has new shocks, I'd consider replacing them at the same time, along with the shock strut tower mount

 

So I've been driving the car daily for a week now and it rides fine. I drive a little slower in some situations but that's probably a good thing.

I would like to put it back to stock...having to jack it up to change the oil is kinda annoying...but it's not a priority right now.

 

I see so many nice Volvos that have been butchered by lowering. I would never touch one and you probably shouldn't have either. Its far easier to buy a normal car than a butchered one and then try to make it normal.

 

I tend to shy away from any car that's been performance-modified in almost any fashion as its usually a sign its been driven hard.

 

Time will tell as to if it was a bad buy.

My situation had some unique aspects. $1000 don't buy much in the way of a car here in central Ohio.

But I kinda really like to have 2 running cars at the same time...and my 1989 740 in black was beyond my skill level to fix...so when this 1989 740 in white was posted for sale 3 blocks away from me for $1000 I bit.

I bet the OSU student that cut the springs did ride it hard...but today it runs and rides for me rather well. The few service records seem to show that it's been in Ohio 10 of these past 26 years. An older man owned it for some time before the college kid...I think i might be the 5th owner.

The maintenance record in the owners manual shows it was shipped and serviced in Tucson AZ. Serviced in Fort Myers FL at 10, 35 and 40000 miles. And last serviced at a volvo dealership in North Carolina at 85000 in 1999.

My work area is pictured below.