|
|
|
I have found a 240 seden with 128,000 for 1200.00. This car looks brand new and appears to run and drive the same. Is this a car that I should buy? This board seems active for help and advice which is great because I like to do things myself. Are parts readily available? And how difficult are they to work on. I have never owned a Volvo before, but always admired them...
I plan to have my mechanic take a look at it tomorrow.
thanks
rod
|
|
-
|
|
|
Sounds like a good deal. 240's are easy to work on and inexpensive after-market parts are often available because it pays manufacters to tool up for them because of the long production run (1975-93). I agree they can be addicting after having many for my family the last 10 yrs. or so. The reason to check for heater fan noise is that the labor to replace is 6-8 hrs for the pro, add a lot more for you or me. A huge plus is this brickboard is extremely helpful.
|
|
-
|
|
|
If you plan your maintenance - Volvos are great to work on , and parts are affordable.
Most pick U part yards have Volvo's of all ages - and parts fit over many years.
Also -
www.fcpgroton.com
- is a major purveyor of Volvo parts at very reasonable prices and easy shipping fees.
www.ipdusa.com
is another supplier of parts and performance items for Volvos.
Be careful - Volvo ownership is contageous - 15 years and 5 bricks later - I would know.....
The biggest learning curve is to think like a Swede - Volvo's are not North American steel - and are not thought out like N/A iron.
Once you learn the Volvo way of thinking (escept for the da** heater fan) working on bricks is a lot of fun.
Best to you ....
Good Luck
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Joris
on
Wed Nov 5 21:18 CST 2003 [ RELATED]
|
|
> The biggest learning curve is to think like a Swede -
> Volvo's are not North American steel - and are not
> thought out like N/A iron.
Would you be able to name a few examples of that? As a European that has never seen the insides of North American steel I'd be interested to know :-) Volvo engineering seems natural to me...
|
|
-
|
|
|
Hey Joris-
Think of Volvo brakes- excellent capability, discs all around, simple enough for an idiot like me to fix. Then think about America's rear brakes- Drums that rust-weld themselves on about 10 minutes after they're installed. Then, when you get them off, you find about 25 tiny rusted parts, half of which break, the other half you'll lose!
An example of GOOD American engineering would be my $500 1970 Dodge Dart with a Slant-6. Even in Europe these motors MUST be famous. Kept this car going for 3 years with constant abuse and half a socket-set. She was retired via accident with a spritely 200K. My father has an '84 Dodge van (same type of motor) that he recently retired with 600K. An example of BAD American engineering would be my $1300 Olds Cutlass Ciera (2.8 liter FWD). TWO WEEKS after I signed the papers, the tranny exploded. Literally. Replaced the tranny, two weeks later the camshaft came apart while I was cruising at 60 MPH.
Once, I was given an '89 Ford Escort with 80-90K. Lasted about a month. My best friend was given an '82 Volvo wagon with 300K+. Lasted a year.
Matt
1978 Volvo 244 (Katharine)
1984 Volvo 244 (Gretchen, RIP)
|
|
-
|
|
|
Just curious, did you have the T-125 or the T-440 transmission in that car (was it the 3 speed automatic or the 4-speed automatic).
The T-125 units tend to last forever (assuming you change the fluid and filter every 30k) but the T-440 transmissions give a bit better gas mileage. Both of them came with lockup torque converters, which I wish my '87 Volvo had. A friend of mine just had his T-440 die on him at about 120k miles (mated to the 3800 engine).
God bless,
Fitz Fitzgerald.
--
'87 Blue 245, NA 227K
|
|
-
|
|
|
I think it was a 3-speed, but this was in '94, so I don't remember anymore. This car was vivid evidence that GM vehicles are totally #@*%>!- oh, excuse my language, I meant "unsatisfactory in regards to durability". Although, I did have an '89 LeSabre a couple of years ago that wasn't bad. This also had the 3.8 engine, pretty good, but I have ZERO faith in their smaller motors. I didn't wanna buy the Buick, but the price was right, and my "Mitsu-Mopar" Plymouth Horizon broke down...
Later,
Matt
|
|
-
|
|
|
Sorry for the unfortunate circumstances. I've had my '86 Pontiac 6000 for 9 years now and put on 90k miles since I acquired the car (165k total as of now). As far as reliability goes, the Pontiac has my Volvo beat, but I sure wouldn't want to be in an accident in the Pontiac.
If you're looking for a reliable GM engine / transmission. Try the Iron Duke (2.5 Liter 4-cylinder) and the T-125 automatic 3-speed transmission. Together, they're a great combo. My friends and I who have owned cars with this combo will agree, this was Detroit steel of better than average quality and properly designed to compliment one another. Don't take this to mean that the cars are bulletproof, since a few missed oil changes after 100k will start causing some lifter chatter. -But if you keep up the regular maintenance items, these cars were very reliable. The only time my Pontiac died on me was when an electrical connector failed at the inductive-pickup sensor in the distributor.
Also, the Iron Duke has a HUGE amount of low end torque. It would beat the pants off just about any 6-cylinder vehicle in a race from 0 to 8 mph. The iron blocks only produced about 100 to 110 peak hp, but the low-end torque values were abnormally high.
FYI, the replacement to the Iron Duke was the Quad-4 and they typically only lasted about 100k miles. I think the aluminum head and some other cost saving measures doomed this engine before it left the factory...
God bless,
Fitz Fitzgerald.
--
'87 Blue 245, NA 228K
|
|
-
|
|
|
So it is a 1983 sedan, right? Is it a DL or a GL (GL trim leverl usually has power windows, and may have leather seats).
What engine does it have? The non-turbo 4-cylinder that year is a good solid beast, the B23F. The turbo is the B21FT, and is OK, but uses a different fuel injection system. The V-6 gas engine is best used as a boat anchor. The I-6 Diesel engine is OK, but has the caveats of hard to find parts and technicians, and if the timing belt goes, the entire engine is junk.
Check very thoroughly for rust. Wheel wells, under the carpets in front seat footwells, along the rocker panels and inside the trunk around the tail lights.
Can you get the service records? Wioth no rust, and good records, you may have a good buy there. Negotiate anyway. How badly does the seller need to sell?
Too many cars in the driveway? Wife yelling about that?
Good Luck,
Bob
:>)
|
|
-
|
|
|
I have owned an 82 242 for a couple of years and just recently vowed never to go to a mechanic again. Parts are pretty easy to get, used or new, and the repairs seem to be pretty easy so far. I've never worked on cars before, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it and having fun. For $1200 I'd bet the car will need some work, but I bet you'll have a good time.
--
Light blue 1982 242 DL with 202,000 miles
|
|
-
|
|
|
car looks brand new. 2 owners. I figure that if the mechanic test the oil pressure and gives it a quick lowdown - this will be quite a good deal. I just lost the engine on my 1998 Trooper and they wanted 6000+ to replace. They said it was not worth the time to fix. I need to get something that is somewhat reliable and looks ok while I recoupe some of the loss on the Trooper.
thanks for your reply.
rod
|
|
-
|
|
|
If this is a 2 owner car - and service records were kept - only go to a mechanic if you want a comprehensive shakedown of needed maintenance.
Is the transmission manual or automatic??
My 87 245 (5 spd manual) has just shy of 500,000 kilometers (325,000 miles +/- ), uses no oil, nand still dangles on the freeway.
May I suggest that if you are going to a mechanic, go to one familiar with Volvo's, otherwise a lot of Volvo specific items may go unnoticed.
Some of the maintenance items that an older Volvo will need are:
suspension bushings, shocks, and steering components - replacing these will RENEW the ride and handling of your brick.
Consider having a qualified auto upholsterer rebuild the driver's seat if needed - again Vovlo seats are unique and need a familiar hand to work the magic.
Exhaust system - a complete exhaust system will keep it quiet and safe, as well as help meet emissions tests.
Driveline - center support bearing and u-joints. - maintaining these will cut down chassis noise/vibrations.
Electrical - clean fuses/holder contacts, spade clips for lighting, etc. - resolder relays (lights, etc.) Doing this will increase reliability.
And is the heater-a/c fan making ANY noise at all ????
Also - did the 83 brick have the "biodegradeable" wiring harness????
Just a few things that a non-Volvo mechanic would miss - but tell you the compression is 140 psi across all 4 cylinders, and the rubber covers on the pedals need replacing....
You could search the archives and learn how to do a lot of these maintenance items on weekends....
Sounds like you found a great brick.....
Good Luck
|
|
|
|
|
