Hi. Newbie here. I'm shopping for a reliable second car/babysitter car. There's a 1993 Volvo 240 wagon for sale near me, and I have an appointment to look at it in a couple days. It's said to have 130K miles and be in good shape all around.
Can anyone suggest model-specific issues I should be looking for in my visual inspection and test drive? Would anyone like to opine on whether I'm out of my mind -or completely brilliant- to consider a '93 240 wagon as our back-up vehicle?
Anyone have experience with this model year? All opinions welcome.

Thanks,

CP

 

Nice choice.

You should have no problems with the car, as long as the previous owner took care of it.
130k miles.....that car is just waking up. These cars can easily get over 500k miles.
When you go for the test drive, drive it normally at first, and get a feel on how she behaves. Then drive her a bit hardder, and see how she behaves, and you will find out very quickly if it will have any potention problems. As far as the visual inspection goes, Just look out for signs of neglect.Feel the hoses in the engine bay. Check the engine bay for any leaks...ect, and look under the car for any sgins of leaksor rust.Ask the seller about the maintenance history.
You should have no problems with the car as long as you do regular maintenance andput some TLC (time love and care).

Good Luck.

 

I've had four 240 Volvos, and now drive a 1993 240 wagon (with 132,000 miles on it!). I've never driven a Volvo as a "back-up" car, and my wagon is my primary driver.

I agree totally with TIPSP, 130,000 on a '93 is just getting broken in. That said, if you've never owned a Volvo I strongly recommend you find a Volvo mechanic to check it out. And plan to spend at least a thousand dollars on repairs soon after you buy it. My car had been neglected and traded in to a dealer when I stumbled on it. It had several things wrong with it that cost me about $1,100 to fix. The beauty of Volvos is that unless there's something wrong structurally (such as a bent frame or extensive rust), just about everything can be fixed.

A mechanic who knows Volvos can spot things you will never see. For example, my car had a badly bent header pipe and damaged front stabilizer bar mount. And even though no oil leaks were obvious, it needed front seals and timing belt.

Buying a Volvo 240 is not just a car purchase, it's a lifestyle change. If you have patience and stick with it, I predict you'll love the car. They really are incredible vehicles, which I'm sure everyone who uses Volvo Forums will agree.

 

The '93 is the last year and probably the best... The miles are low, and unless the car has been super neglected, it should be ok. How much is the price? Important! It's not necessary to throw money after the purchase but a good evaluation of the car is necessary, and if you can't do this yourself then, good luck... I just don't think there is such a thing as "reliable mechanic", to tell you what a car needs: hint, it will need more than it needs, ALWAYS! As far as checking the car out, use good common sense... I know, easier said than done...

 

Thanks for the responses, all. He's asking $2600. I was thinking more like $2000, but I haven't seen the car yet (that happens tomorrow).

BTW, also under consideration is a '94 850 wagon (I know, I know, wrong thread) whose chief advantage is one-family ownership, full maintenance records and 80K miles. I like the supposed solidity and simplicity of the 240, especially in its last year, over the more complex first year of the 850, but my wife likes the idea of fwd over rwd. Decisions, decisions....

 

Price is not too bad for a decent 240. I personally wouldn't touch an 850... A Camry is a much better choice compared to a front wheel Volvo. And the benefit of "one family ownership" is what exactly?

 

tedv,

One-family ownership means nothing by itself, I agree. But when the seller produces maintenance records going back to 1994 all from the same dealership because it's where her grandfather and father took the car for work, I think that's helpful. Note that there were rather more maintenance issues than I would have liked, so I'll probably give that 850 a pass.

I like the idea of the 240. I know Volvo produced that model for a long time and I'm pretty sure they must have gotten most of it right by 1993. And, anyway, how expensive can that little 4 cylinder be to fix?

Oh, and if I can get the 240 for a good price, I think it might actually hold its value, no? The 850 will permanently depreciate.

CP

 

nice find. good value. A '93 will retain the value you buy it for for a long time. In fact I think you'll start to see the price on these gems go up here after they pass their 20 year old classic status.

some things I always notice whenever I look at a 240: leaking power steering, bad brakes, bad shocks/struts and brittle interior plastic.

 

OK, so I drove the car. I wasn't able to tell about its cold starting b/c it was already warm when I got there. I don't know if he had driven it beforehand, or just warmed it up. The warm start was quick and solid. It drove well, I think, with maybe a hint of pull to the right. Tranny seemed good - no noise, just solid smooth shifts. Steady acceleration. Everything seems to work electrically. Bosy appears solid. No signs of accident or body rust-through. But there's some rust on the inside of the fender lips., and the seller claims to have replaced the gas tank because the old one was rusted through. I have questions for you 240 owners:

1. Is the front seat travel always that limited? I'm 6'1" and I wasn't able to get far enough back to make me happy. (I don't think the track was blocked, because the passenger seat went to the same point.)

2. The brake pedal seemed soft and close to the floor. Usual?

3. Next to the heated mirror button on the dash was a lighted toggle switch with an icon of a snowflake (?) - what's that?

4. Seller says the A/C does not work. He claims it's a hose of some kind, but I don't think he knows. If I cared about A/C, do I expect to spend a fortune?

5. That rust description scare anyone?

Thanks in advance. (Oh, I'm having a mechanic look at the car tomorrow AM before I decide whether to make this guy an offer.)

CP

 

1. Yes. I'm 6'-5" and my right knee is uncomfortably tucked up to that little tray under the center consol vents....almost high enough to obstruct the steering wheel. And 6'-1" you'll get used to it.
2. no. I noticed when I bought mine the brake pedal was a little loose....but that's because I needed to replace all the pads. It tightened up after that. Chances are you'll need to do the same thing. Or....you'll need to add brake fluid. But I guess I'd hope for pad replacement. Because if the pads are good and you're still kind of loose then you have a leak somewhere.
3. that's the AC switch on mine. It's blue right?
4.maybe...you might need to have the system updated to run R34 coolant.
5. meh.....it took the car 15 years to get that little bit of rust....If that's the worst of it I'd let it go.

 

Here is an online owners maunal: http://new.volvocars.com/ownersdocs/1993/1993_240/93240_1.html

1. My brother is 6'-1" also andinmy 745, the seats don't go back far enough for him either.
2. Did the seller tell you the maintenance history? Could need some brake fuild, and maybe SS brake lines .
3. That is the AC compressor switch.
4. Depends on what needs to be changed on the AC. Ask the mechanic to give you a quote.
5. if it is only on the lip, not a big deal.

See what the mechanic says, but it sounds like a descent 240.

Good luck.

 

I agree that it sounds like a good Volvo. I stand by my prediction that you'll spend about a thousand bucks to get it in the shape you want. I'll bet it needs front wheel bearings and shocks/struts. In looking at used 240s over the years, I've found that many owners do not replace the suspension because they don't notice that things that wear out gradually, such as shocks, bushings and motor mounts, are worn out, or they just don't want to spend the money to replace them. If it has 130,000 miles, most or all of those things probably are original.

 

+1

I am one of those
I really dont notice anything wrong though with my wheel bearings, and they are original (256,000 miles)
Well maybe when Iput coilovers in my car,I will put innew suspension parts which I have neglected.

 

yeah...280k mile on my old wagon and they never needed more than a re-pack. This sedan I just picked up had some very loose front bearings. Took 'em off the hub and inspected them. They were fine...just needed a good tightening.

Those bearing are built pretty sturdy. Better than domestic parts for sure. at 130k miles I'd bet the most you'd have to do is re-pack.

 

Well, I'm anxious to see what it needs. The more it needs, the more I've got to bargain with, after all. On the other hand, I sort of like the thing, which means I'm bound to overpay.

I appreciate all the advice. I'll let you know what turns up.
CP

 

Sounds like a LOT of rust to me... (gas tank replacement due to rust). If you can SEErust, it's like an iceberg, 90% you can't see. The problem with rust is that underneath the car, and the hood, all the bolts, screws, etc. are rusted, which makes it much harder to work on-things will break!
Seat travel is limited but there should be up/down/tilt adjustment which makes a big difference.
Brakes low, well, no too much of a problem...
A/C. Is it R12 or R134? That's the question that makes all the difference in the cost. R12 is old freon and is costly.
I personally hate rust, since I work on my own cars andsee the difference, so...

 

tedv - you are the winner!

The interior was clean enough that I was considering buying this without an inspection, but the seller's admission that he replaced the tank was enough to push me over. I'm glad I did. The shop wrote on the inspection form, "Needs restoration; not safe to drive."

Now, I'm not sure exactly what else was wrong, but they said the underside was showing serious rust through. I know from my drive to the shop this morning (my second test drive) that it needed alignment, brakes, and an exhaust (why didn't I hear the exhaust the first time?), but I was hoping I could use that to get the price down. Instead, I spent $120 to learn that it was not worth my buying. Glad I did.

 

yikes...that's really surprising for a '93! Good work sleuthing it out though. Where is this car from that it would be that rusted?

 

BTW TLC stands for Tender Lovin' Care not Time Love and Care which it sounds like this car didn't get much of...

 

It's a New England car now in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
It's been in the same place and same family for over ten years but, as discussed above, and as we now have conclusive proof of, one-family ownership doesn't mean anything.
CP