My parents now want me to get a "cheap car", but my love for Volvos won't let me settle for less. It is a tough situation. I called about an 89 gle. It was a 1 owner car and had 150k on it. The coo thing is that is was $2500! Probably because it is at an Olds dealer, which means I can probably talk them down to $2k. Obviously my parents will be concerned about the miles; they want me to get a Honda but there aren't any that are cheap with low miles, and I don't want to be forced to buy something I don't want. Does this sound like it could be a good deal? Just wondering. I would definately do it, because then I will have a lot of repair money left over. Thanks

A good deal? Maybe! However, you might just be needing all that leftover money for repairs (and then some). That '89 740 GLE will have the infamous B234F 16-valve DOHC engine. Lots of power (roughly equivalent to the B230FT turbo engine), but also potentially expensive maintenance problems. Known problem areas with that engine are failure-prone timing/balance belt drive system (=damaged valves), leaky head gaskets, leaky valve cover gasket, leaky cam shaft seals, failure prone computer ($$$), intake fouling from PCV system, ...

If this is going to be your first Volvo then I'd give it a wide berth. Otherwise, be sure to do *all* your homework on that vehicle including an independent assessment by a qualified mechanic.

Now if you want to convince your parents that a Volvo is the way to go, remind them that:
o Volvo's have always been one of the safest cars on the road (unless they want you out of their will)
o Volvo's are a car you can work on yourself (at least the RWD's) so the lifespan can be greater and the long term cost of ownership can be lower than almost any other car
o Volvo's aren't particularly cool with your drunken, partying types
o Only "sensible" girls would ever be caught on a date in a Volvo (but get a wagon just in case)

-Dave '89 740 GLE B234F

Ok, maybe not a great deal, but if you do as Dave suggests it will help you with your decision. GLE's ususally have a lot of electric parts (like my 760 GLE) so there will definitely be some expense in repair them. So far my 88 has been very, very good to me. I spent about $1200 initial repair since I got it from an auction and had no maintenace records.

A one owner car is a definite plus if they kept up with the maintenace. Check to see the records. Also 151k in milelage is considered medium for a Volvo. You have at least another 100k or more to go. If you can talk down the price to 2k or less or if $2500 is fixed, IMHO it's still a good deal. Plus you can point the safety and realibility of Volvos to your parents.


86 240 DL; 88 760 GLE