Was looking at Volvo 740 with only 88,000 miles but has been sitting awhile, is the idle time very harmful ?they are asking 800 for it

If you decide to buy that car, I'd pull the plugs and squirt some
Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder for a day or more soak.
Then crank it over without the plugs to blow out the oil into
newspapers.

This will help free any stuck rings.

Bill

Well, maybe if it is years, but even then, it might start and run fine. My sister left my '76 245 in a swampy Illinois field for about 3 years (mid 80's if memory serves me), wrecked her other vehicle, and needed the Volvo suddenly. A battery, a flick of the key, and she was good to go, at least as good as you can be in a rusty '76 245. That was K-jet for you.

Miami = salt and sitting on what surface? Grass is bad. Have a real good look under it. I've seen real good paint and holes you could stick your hand through the underside.

Car was in Miami from 91-94, came to jersey with 30,000 in 94, car fax showed it was being driven About 2-3,000 miles per year since then, owner said her elderly mother drove around town until her stroke in dec. 2010, it was only started a few times since then

OK, less than a year is not a long time. Revived from a barn after a decade...long time.

With that little down time there are not that many concerns. Lots of the folks here in the rust belt store their summer cars almost as long as the car has been stored...every year.

At this point, treat it like any used car. If it does not start, it is worth $200 over scrap value. It is starts but is not driveable...maybe $300 over scrap value. For every other condition...report back.

1991 740's are not collectible or valuable but they are darned good cars I would not blink at a $1K for a running, driving car with all its pieces even if it was ugly inside or out.

Mike

Hey thanks everyone, bought it today for 600, everything checked out as far as history, well kept records from a Volvo dealership, old lady miles around town, no rust underneath, engine sounded fine and actually had 84,000 miles as opposed to the advertised 88,000. Have to pick it up tomorrow any advice on driving it about 30 miles from northern new jersey to NYC in terms of speed (ie keep it under60mph with old oil). Gonna do work on it when home. Thanx

When I bought an auction car in DFW and had to get it back to Tulsa, OK...no work allowed int he parking lot of the auction...I just went to a quick oil change place. Luckily the car was already down to less than 1/4 tank filling up greatly diluted the old gas.

Take a few tools and spares if you can:

Jumper wire set in case of a fuel pump relay failure
One of each fuse size
fuel filter and appropriate wrenches (unlikely needed)
10 mm wrench to loosen/tighten battery clamps
Tire gauge and maybe a can of fix-a-flat
Gal of distilled water
quart of tranny fluid
quart of oil

Most important tools:

Take time...allow twice as much time as you think you need
Cell phone
AAA membership...don't renew if you don't want to, but think of the value for that first year of ownership
Common sense...if something does not seem to be right, figure out what it is...do not just keep driving.

Mike

Great advice, thanx mike

John

It's a 1991 the exterior is in bad shape, it was originally in Miami seems to have been in new jersey the last couple of years,

wow; what year, and how long sitting? Could be a very good deal. Could be trouble too.
I bought one that sat for 6 years, had some small animal living in it. I raised the rent, it left...

So how much is awhile? Weeks, months, years? And where is important. In field, in a barn, in a garage, dry or exposed to rain, etc....Could be a nice car, or may be a basket case.