i scored an 83 244GL automatic (wish it was a stick) here in minneapolis with only 96k and almost no rust this spring. i have fixed most everything on it that needed fixing and have been driving it daily. my one issue is when i accelerate from a dead stop, the car will shake at about 1700 rpm in 1st gear only, and if im really punching it, it shifts roughly into 2nd. Other than this, the car is pretty much mechanically perfect.

So what's goin on?

A shake at that rpm can be a few things. Driveshaft alignment through the steady bearing - you can shift the steel support band laterally and see if that helps. A universal joint can be loose or tight - remove the shaft and articulate all of the u-j's to determine which it is. The trans mount can be split or soggy and change the shaft alignment. The steady bearing may also be worn - check it while the shaft is out. Trailing arm bushings might be allowing too much rotation of the axle housing.

I've often found this problem caused by a worn out auto transmission output shaft bushing. Grab hold of the flange/u-joint directly behind the transmission--try to move it up and down. Any movement is too much. It's pretty simple to change the bushing and seal and you can get a real good look at the driveshaft and trans mount while your doing the job. It's not uncommon to find binding u-joints on a Volvo--manipulate them through the entire range of motion. If you drop the entire shaft be sure to mark the 2 halves for balance--and check that they are aligned properly to begin with--Front flange at the transmission end should be at 90 degrees compared to the flange at the differential end--misalignment can cause a vibration too.