Hello, I am new here, a Porsche enthusiast so i know nothing about these cars. There is a whole long story about why i want one to accompany my Porsche, but I am just very captivated by the sharp lines of these 740s, it reminds me of an old E class, but something that not everyone likes, making it more unique and enjoyable to me. Anyways just let me know any basics about these cars, where to find a good one used and all of that.


I guess this tells my whole story behind why i want one and such (Help me own a beater daily driver. by Jacob Roach - GoFundMe) feel free to donate if you are interested, i realize crowd funding is not everyone's cup of tea.

 

Nice try, but I for one strongly resent your description of a 740 as a "beater"! I am pretty sure that any of my Volvo "beaters", each under $3,000, will run circles around that faux "wannabe" Porsche you were sadly separated from and now need to get that "4 wheeled Vespa" as your quirky way of slumming until something better comes along and strikes your fancy. As an obviously a young and entrepreneurial young man, please get a clue now and develop some awareness of the meaning of words and implications of your requests--god knows the world is brimming with insufferable dicks, try not be one especially at so early an age.

 

Haha no reason to offend haha I love the car, hence why i hope to own one. haha i refer to my Porsche as a beater frequently as well. So are these cars actually fast, i had no idea what is under the hood. The ad clearly shows how badly i want this car and hope to care for it. The term is used to be a bit more humbling, if i said i want this car to have a luxurious classic i doubt many would be willing to fund haha. Rule one of business is to downplay things, regardless of how i go about buying a Volvo, i hope to come here to discuss the car and would have hoped for a better welcome.

 

a 740 non-turbo has 115HP, and weighs about 3500 lbs (wagon), not exactly fast in anyone's book. it will cruise at 100mph pedal to near the floor, and do it all day long, but it won't pass much of anything uphill without a running start.

the turbos are a little quicker, but they are still only 160hp (albeit close to 200 ft-lbs of torque), and they get crappy gas mileage.

ya know, the price of the car is only the gate fee. maintenance, insurance, tires, service will eat you alive if you can't even afford the $2000 or so a clean 740 might cost. the old fashion way is to get a job not beg money. a few weeks at $10/hour and blam, you're there.

my $1200 745T:

 

Times are truly strange when a Porsche owner asks for donations to buy a second car....

I think your idea of having a daily driver is a good idea and a RWD Volvo is a good choice... but there are other issues with your plan... One is coming to an enthusiasts board and calling our cars beaters. I personally am not offended, but I can understand others who would be!

Hope you find a nice 740, I owned one years ago and really enjoyed it (I am more of a 240 guy).

 

Haha anyone care to share the difference between the two cars? 240 and 740, i am happy with styling regardless. Owning a Porsche I know better than many many people about the cost of keeping a car up haha. Which i could get one of these cars today, with the insurance settlement and just aim a few years back or something with my next Porsche, however, then i just simply bought a car. I want the car to have a story behind it, make it something special, and having names scribbled down the dash is just going to add to the style and vibe that i want to get from this car.

 

Oh, i have also noticed a difference in headlights, I really like the look of the headlights with the two smaller square lights, is this on a certain model or trim level? (It feels very weird talking about a car that I know nothing about haha.)

 

the twin sealed beam rectangulars were early 740's up to circa 1988 or 89. in 1990 the introduced the single rectangular, then updated it slightly in 1991. 1991+ 740 wagons are for most practical purposes 940's, which have various mechanical improvements. The best years are 1994-1995 940s where they added oil squirters inside the engine block to cool and lubricate the piston skirts, this greatly extends the life of the engine under heavy use. many 940s have integral fog lamps, like...


(note these have glass headlight lenses but the fogs are plastic, and start to yellow in the sun with age, as shown in that pic)

the integral fogs were mostly used on upscale models while base models tended to have the single headlights like my silver one up above.



note that ALL volvos from 1982-1987 should be avoided as they have bad wiring harnesses, Volvo was an early adopter of RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) and they used a defective insulation that becomes brittle and fails catstrophically with heat and age.

 

Thank you for the advice, with the car just being used for school and back, and if ever in need i can drive my other car i think i will risk it on the earlier cars. Getting too new loses the appeal to me, at that point im best off to just grab a civic. Which my father works at the local volvo, porsche, jaguar dealer so i should be able to get parts for a fair enough price if necessary.

 

the 740 and 940 are virtually identical cars, with just minor trim differences, except the 940 /sedan/ has a taller trunk lid and somewhat more rounded rear end. the earlier 740's had a lot more chrome strips on the trim, like around the windows, headlights, while the later ones blacked those all out, I find the black trim tends to not look as funky with age (the chrome strips ding easily and are unobtanium as replacements). that whole chrome trim thing just looks too busy to me.

 

Used Volvo 740 For Sale Greenville, SC - CarGurus

The auto in question haha, just hope i get my first donation to start the ball rolling soon, i am weary of the site I choose, originally i was with indiegogo which is much more reputable.

 

nice wax job. dealers are good at that.

zero about the mechanical condition. note the caveat in the 'dealer description' that it flunked a dealer inspection, hence was tossed to auction as a potential 'tow-away'.

that interior looks pretty tired, the beige/tan plastics are prone to sun rot and crumbling.

 

Where are these cars, are there just not many left on the road, i only found 2 on craigslist and neither ran. I would travel out of town to buy a 17k Porsche but idk if its worth it for one of these, would i look for trade ins on small lots?

 

I live on the california coast, I see 740s/940s (and 240s) all the time. frequently for sale on craigslist.

SF bay area cars & trucks classifieds - craigslist
SF bay area cars & trucks classifieds - craigslist
SF bay area cars & trucks classifieds - craigslist

 

I like the looks of the early 740's best. The older style headlights, the chrome.. but its going to be hard to find one with a decent interior (I had an White 85 with maroon/red leather interior... looked like a hand grenade went off inside the car and most that I have seen around here in recent years have been very similar.) I hate seat covers, but sometimes... you gotta have seat covers. I live in the south (Chattanooga area) and I mostly see them around Atlanta, GA, Knoxville TN and probably around Charlotte, NC. Otherwise, it is a waiting game.

Be patient if you can. It's cheaper to find a good starter car. I think Volvo is a good car choice if you want something different. Parts are not very expensive, They are fairly easy to work on and there are a lot of enthusiasts to help you out when you have issues.

 

Um, did anyone else find it amusing that this guy's last name us "Roach"? Big jake, if that is your name or whatever, why do you say "haha" at every turn when it doesn't even make sense gramatically or otherwise? Get a job dude...or sell your lovely Porche. I am sure it would buy you a nice Volvo...or three.

 

Just turned 345,000 miles on our 89. Won't sell it although I just picked up a weekend ride.

 

Yeah. I just did my wiring harness on my 87.