ok volvo lovers. so i didn't get my '72 164e that i wanted, but i saw an ad in the paper for a '77 242DL that caught my eye. i talked with the owner and it needs work. would this be a worthwhile purchase, and even though i know it's difficult to estimate, i'm looking for a rough guess on your part as to how much it would cost to restore it to close-to-new condition. i am not mechanically inclined, and i don't have tools, so i would have to have all this work done at a shop, so labor charges have to be figured here too. she's asking $500 for it, but here's what is wrong with it:

- the car was repainted six years ago, fire engine red.

- the electrical is funky in rear end. specifically, the rear blinkers and one brake light don't work, but the blinkers and front lights work.

- the heat lever on the dash is frozen in one position.

- the bottom rocker panel on driver side has rust, and there is also rust where the window meets mainframe of door on the driver side.

- the odometer stopped at 140k, she put on about 10-15k more. (she's had it for 11 years, and is the third owner)

- clutch may need replacing, as it's been a long time.

- the engine is strong, starts right up.

- a couple of fuses have blown and have been replaced.

- the outside door handle doesn't work well on passenger side. in other words, the door has to be opened from inside.

- brakes are fine

- no major accidents (she was rear-ended a few years ago that caused the car that rear-ended her to have major front-end work done but the volvo had nary a scratch. HA!)

remember that the rust you can't see is probably worse than the rust you can. good paint and bodywork is generally speaking very expensive. also, when restoring a car one usually ends up replacing lots of other stuff "while it's apart". i would estimate 3 to 5 thousand dollars to do a light restoration, and that's assuming the engine and other systems are up to par. you could save yourself a substantial amount by doing some of the work yourself.i would try to buy a car thatis already in excellent shape. the best 77 242 in the world is probably only worth 5 or 6 grand.

thanks so much to both of you for your responses. i decided that i just can't afford to restore this car to the condition it deserves, since as i said i'm not mechanically inclined.

i have, however, referred the current owner to the brickboard. thanks again for your help. regards--

This car wasn't in Toronto was it? I just saw one two days ago.

Rene

no, it is in washington, dc. regards

I'd worry mainly about the heat, rust, and clutch. Those are all big jobs to fix up. Anything regardin the heating setup is messy, rust is a neverending story, and the clutch replacement requires engine removal I believe. Maybe for $300 or less if you *really* want it.

- alex

well, that could cost quite a bit. Has the suspension been checked out? the brakes? steering? and if the rust is pretty bad, its hardly worth it in my opinion. The other stuff is going to cost a good bit, but remember, on a 1977 car, there may be a lot of little things that do or will need replacing soon, which could add up really fast if you don't do you own work. I would expect to be ready to pay at least 1,000 in the first while for repairs of old and worn out parts...that is unless the previous owner has fixed a lot of things. Your choice...good luck!