Hello all,

I'm new here and I'm planning to buy my first Volvo, it's going to be either 240 or 740,
year is about 1985. Price is about A$2,500
http://www.redbookasiapacific.com/au...p?key=VOLV85AB
http://www.redbookasiapacific.com/au...p?key=VOLV85AO

I like the 740's body styling better, but I'm leaning on 240 on the engine reliability.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_240#Iconic_status
I've just graduated from college, blind about car mechanics (but willing to learn of course),
and kinda poor on money, so I'm looking for a cheap car that is reliable and also cheap to maintain.
Volvo 240 seems fit for my requirements. I've also heard stories of Volvo legendary safety engineering.
Car safety is also very important for me, that's why I'm choosing and old Volvo instead
of, say, a more recent used Honda Civic.

So my questions are:
1) Is Volvo 240 really live up to to its legendary status? (in terms of engine reliability)
2) Which one is safer, a 1985 Volvo 240 or a 2005 new Honda Civic?

 

Go with the 240. They will last for a long time.

Throw the Honda to the curb.

The 740's are good to But in my opinion the 240's are better.

 

I am also partial to the 240. I own both. The 740 has some nice features I love those lighted pointers on the gages. The engines are very similar. The 240 seems a little more robust to me and I like the way the body looks better. You will probably be happy with either. My 740 has antil lock breaks and my wife swears they saved her life. I do not really like anti lock brakes personally (snow and soft earth it can actually take longer to stop) but they are available on the 240 also. Both cars have the very best brakes imho. I drive both!

 

Welcome to the group!
1)My 78 Volvo has 300K+ on the odometer and that isn't the first time I've seen this.

2)As far as safety I think its hard to compare the two because your looking at 1985 technology and 2005 technology, but I've never heard of a volvo being a dangerous car to be in during a crash. I have heard though its bad to get hit by one, because they're built like tanks and have a tendency to squish whatever they hit. Of course if you compared a 85 240 to a 85 civic, I think most people would prefer the Volvo. I feel very safe driving in mine.

Rountine matinance parts are cheap for Volvos, but more major parts can be expensive, but with a little research, cheap deals can be found especially online. If you do get a Volvo, get a Chilton repair manual for it and that will answer most of the common questions you may run into as well as show the basics in auto mechanics. Internet auto forums are a good place to learn how to work on your vehicle too, because we can all learn something from one persons' question. Don't hesitate to ask the stupid ones either! we all have our learning curve and we're all freindly!

 

I had a 2 door 1980 240 4 speed, an 85 4 dr 240 auto, then the 89 740 wagon we still have We traded up as our family grew. We have 2 other cars, but i prefer the Volvo to drive daily.

Still looking for a good mechanic. Had a lot of trouble as no one wanted to work on it, so i went to the dealer for a long time. Loved the expert care, but the expert prices drove me to the poor house. However, about $1,000 in repairs a year is still a good deal to keep it going strong.

Glad i found this forum though.

 

Recently purchased an '86 240DL, 185k, great shape, $300.00! Love it! Has had a few glitches, hence my intro to Volvo Forums. Plan to drive this thing for a long time. Reliability in a used car is a direct result of how it was maintained. The better maintained, the more reliable. Check for mtce. records. Inspect the car and use your best judgement. My big problem is parts availability, (more tractors than Volvos), so when I need something, it takes a few days to get. You can't beat'em for safety. Good Luck.

 

300 bucks? That's a bargain!! Can it still run though? Or you have to do massive repairs?

 

I got mine for $700 at a charity auto lot at 294K on the motor and it still runs great. Had to put one of the power steering bolts back in, STP the fuel, fix some wiring, and give it a wash. Body is straight as an arrow, previous owners kids were kept in the back seat(found my little pony paraphinalia and LEGOs under the rear seat) so almost all the interior wear is there. Even came with new tires! Also found the matinance records in the glove box, they didn't miss one oil change, 30K inspection, anything! My 245DL is the best buy I've ever made! Good deals are out there, you just gotta keep your eyes open.

Idf602,
I've heard from a few sources the early 240 automatics were fairly gutless compared to the 240 manuals, what were your experiences considering you had both? It makes sense if they are because most automatics rob around 18% of the motors HP through parasitic drag. I'm not to familiar with volvo automatics though. just curious..

 

Runs like brand new, no rust to speak of, interior perfect. Have all service records too. Car started out in California, went to Missouri, then New Jersey and finally Ohio.

 

Dingbat - I always liked sticks over automatics. I did and still do on my 740 find the auto gutless. It doesn't shift when you would, downshift when you would, etc.

I had forgotten how much fun stick was to drive till i bought my son an old Beemer 318i with 185,000 on it. It had been neglected and had a few quirky things wrong, but when i got all those figured out it was real fun to drive, just like my original 240. Unfortunatly, about a week after we got it running great, he rear ended someone and did too much damage to make it worth fixing.

So, in answer to your question, if i was looking to find an old Volvo, I'd look for a stick again in a minute.

 

I would go with the 240, its safer than anything and the engine will last for ever, i got 275K on my '84 240 DL and am just now replacing orignal parts.