hola gang,

well, i am new to the brickboard, here on the recommendation of someone very near and dear to me who has a 940 GLE.

i am currently the not-so-proud owner of an 87 camaro convertible. a nice little zipping car, but a horrible gas guzzler. she has a list of repairs awaiting her to make her into a suitable daily driver. right now, she barely starts and isn't reliable transportation.

well, today someone ran across a 940 wagon, 1993 with 115k miles, for $3k minus whatever i get for trade-in on the camaro. finances are tight, so there is no way i could keep both cars. the question is...do i go with this nice-looking, but less image-fitting, vehicle or try to repair the camaro?

i will admit that i was drawn to the 940, even though it is a wagon, and i am a 21 yr old college student. and she is REMARKABLY more eco-friendly when compared to the camaro, and i like the idea of being "counter-culture." in addition, i could then load up six friends, or four friends and some lumber, and be merrily on my way. not that i have a whole lot of use for lumber at this juncture...but you never know...

other pluses in the 940's favor is being newer, better maintained, less maintenance intensive, in really beautiful shape, and being...yes, i said it...RELIABLE. so, my mind should be made up, right? except for one TEENSY little problem...

emotional tie.

i am very attached to my camaro. not this one specifically, but third generation camaros in general. my first car was an 88 camaro (baby blue with t-tops!!), and i invested SOOOOO much time and SOOOO many resources in her...and someone hit me head-on and she went quickly downhill from there. this 87 also has in its favor being a 20th anniversary edition, rare (because it's a convertible), and potentially valuable one day (should i ever be able to do the required work on her).

so what do you say--should i swallow my pride and emotions, and go for practical? again, i stress that it isn't that i don't LIKE the 940...and admire volvos in general, because i DO. i am just not positive that this is the move i want to make at this time.

any suggestions??

thanks,
star

hey all,

thanks so much for your wonderful responses!!! you have been IMMENSELY helpful. after some long deliberation, i traded the camaro in today. there were no tears, but i can say that it will take a little while to adjust to the wagon.

the wagon is exactly as i stated: well-kept and, in all appearances, well-maintained mechanically; however, there are no service records. i know that she (yes, i named her Saga, a good Swedish name) will need a timing belt shortly, a transmission flush and filter, and the valves adjusted. also, we are going to replace all the fluids, flush everything, including the rear differential and there is a small exhaust leak that needs to be addressed. in addition, i couldn't possibly have known until i bought it and filled it with it's virgin tank of gas, that the fuel gauge is not registering and the little fuel level warning light isn't coming on when i start the ignition.

so, saga is home, getting added to insurance tomorrow and registered. she will be on the road soon with the help of my boyfriend (owner of the 940 GLE...and yes, a great proponent of me getting rid of the camaro!! haha)

i look forward to many trips with this "road warrior."

thanks again!!

star

If it is not something as simple as a loose conection, then you are in for a dificult and/or costly repair. It is a bear to change out the fuel pump/level sensor from the fuel tank (though I had a sedan, access is easier in a wagon). Cost at a Volvo dealer is about $500 to $600 parts and labor. Cheapest I found the part for on internet was about $350 (pump & sender unit together - best to change both).

Check posts of a few months ago for a few people having the same problem.

The fuel guage on our '93 940 is temperamental. Sometimes it won't move off of empty. If I then gently whack the dash right above the guage, the guage needle pops up to where it should be. I assumr there is a loose connection in the instrument cluster but I haven't gone in there to look.

After you own one,then you'll have another and another....ect.
I'd love to to have another 350 hooked up to a 4 speed, but I got over it.I'm still searching for a decent '69 nova and it wont be primary transport.
--
83 242 DL -127k, 92-965-189k, 94-965-200k, 83-242 GLT-Gone, but not forgotten,83-245GLT-1'st one (the 1'st 3 currently on the road)

Star, (You're on the air with Dr. Doofus)

Ditch the Camero! You're 21 years old, and that car is like "chick repellant". When guys are young, they (we) think that cars like that are "chick cars". Nothing could be further from the truth. Cameros, Corvettes, and Mustangs are "guy cars". Women think that guys who drive them are trying to compensate for their insecurity (or some OTHER shortcoming!) You don't sound like you fall into that catagory, but that's the catagory women are putting you in.
Pull the rip-chord on this abusive relationship you have with the Camero. Face it -- no matter how much you love this car, it will never love you back. It's incapable of love. It was disigned to torture its owner with unreliability.

Get the Volvo... it will change your life! You'll have a healthy, long-term relationship with the car. And beleive it or not, it IS a "chick magnet".

Jeff Pierce (aka Dr. Doofus)
--
'93 945 Turbo ( one kickass family car ! ), '92 Mercedes 190E (my daily driver), '53 Willys-Overland Pickup (my snow-plow truck/conversation piece -- sold to a loving home), '85 Jeep CJ-7 w/ Fisher plow

Star:

We have a 940 Turbo Wagon and really haven't had any regrets. Once you start driving and hauling you won't have any regrets. My spouse just turned down the opportunity for a new Lexus SUV and decided to keep the 940 Turbo Wagon. good decision and saved me $40K.

Something about the bricks that keep you going stong. My kid just got an immaculate 240...she loves it.

KPF

haha, well, a couple of you seem to have my gender confused!!! i am a girl...who is TOTALLY into muscle cars. have been since i was a wee kidling and played with matchbox. hehe, i find this amusing. i wonder what it is i am compensating for???


hehe.

star

Star - Regardless of how they are built, the styling of the Camaro is timeless and will be long remembered as one of the better-looking muscle cars. What I find weird is that after several years of looking at them, I got to try out a couple, a V-6 Camaro, and its brethren, a Trans-Am, both mid-80's. I was supprised at how heavy the cars felt. The V-6 was obviously slow, but the Trans-Am was no great shakes around town either.

Other Male Posters - As for comments from the other guys on this thread about cars aqttracting the opposite sex, I have found that cars seem to be pretty low on the list of things that actually get attention. AFTER I became a Dad, our babies attracted much more attention from women than anything else I had ever experienced. Had I know this fact when I was single, I would've taken my infant nephew to the park more often. If you want to meet someone, take a baby or a puppy to the park - forget the cars!

re: Had I know this fact when I was single, I would've taken my infant nephew to the park more often. If you want to meet someone, take a baby or a puppy to the park - forget the cars!


I took my used oil to the Jiffy Lube in my old VW van, and the little blonde girl there told me I had a cool car!

Star, thought I'd add my 2 cents to this discussion. I drove Corvettes for 10 years before I saw the light and got my first Volvo. The Corvette was expensive to maintain all the way around and really not built well. Wish I had bought a Volvo years earlier. After my Corvettes, I admit my 89 240 was plain and unexciting. However, after a few years my love for these cars grew deep and intense. They are plain and simply a great car! As many have said, they aren't maintenance free, but if you take care of them, they just won't die. Very reliable. From what I have heard BTW, the 240 wagon is supposedly the "cool" car on the young college scene. I am told that a Volvo wagon with a roof rack and a surf board is a "chick magnet."
--
89 240 190K, 93 940 80K

haha, well, i don't really have a lot of use personally for a car that is a "chick magnet" as i am a chick myself...but yes, i will accede that i see A LOT of volvo wagons around campus.

star

People are giving good advice. I will tell you two things: First, the 940 wagon of that year and mileage is an exceptionally well-made car that will last you a long while. The red block engine has a long history of careful tinkering so that the engineering is about as simple and well-thought out as you may find! The wagons are legendary in terms of room and drivability.

Second, if you decide to get the 940, something weird will happen. You have never noticed 240s and 740s and 940s in your symbolic environment. They have functioned so far in your vision only as background. Suddenly, these ordinary cars with flat lines will catch your eye. Soon you will be waving to other drivers of RWD Volvos. Before you know it you will look at the odometer of parked 240s and 740s when you walk by. You will visit this board daily.

It is some sort of Viking hex, and you may find yourself under the spell...;)

-pu

PS - the Dead Milkmen did not write a song "Bitchin Volvo" but they should have
--
((1993 245 Classic, 93K)) ((1992 244, 105K)) ((1987 245, 271K - RIP)) San Diego

These people who have been responding are being very nice to you. A 1987 Camaro (unless it has been restored and is in excellent shape) is not much compared to a decently maintained 1993 940. Other than being faster, the Camaro will have nothing over the 940. Even if they were equal in condition for their years, the 940 would be more reliable, much, much, much (did I say much) safer, and get better fuel economy (though don't expect more than 22 or 23 mpg overall). As others have said, get the car evaluated to make sure there are no deal killers with the 940. NOTE: If you do want a car with speed, then you'll have to look elsewhere than the 940. A 940 Turbo version, or a 960 are options, though you may lose some reliability with those. An early 90's Accord or Camry are also very reliable options (can't believe I said that, hopefully the Volvo Gods won't strike me dead!). In fact, if reliability is a key, the Accord/Camry might be better (Please, no!).

Read my sig. Get thee to the 700/900 FAQ.


--
Warren Bain - '99 V70GLT G-Valve > 80K mi, 89 300SE, '96 965 >120Kmi, near Manassas Va.. Check the 700/900 FAQ via the 'features' pull down menu. This post written with 100% recycled electrons.

Disclaimer: You are seeking "should I buy?" advice from a group of enthusiasts, who are all going to say "Yes, of course!" So given that...

IF it's the case that you *MUST* have reliable transportation now, the choice is a little simpler. It sounds like you could easily spend $100's on the Camaro, just to get it be acceptable. I know both cars, and unfortunately the Camaro is not a car that ages gracefully. A lot of Volvos drive very well at 100K... 200K... more! Not all; obviously all things require maintenance. Even this 940, which sounds like it has quite low mileage for its age, is going to need *SOME STUFF*. There's no free lunch, and you'd be mistaken to expect that it'll be 100% turn-key with no repairs required. Of primary importance are the cooling system and the timing belt service. It's a pretty basic and simple design, and normal people can service them with normal tools and techniques, so that's a big plus if you're the do-it-yourself type.
I think the $500 figure is probably a good ball-park figure for typical needs. A lot of this work is just normal stuff you'd want to do anyway- it's good to go through a new/used car thoroughly and "zero-mile" it. That means, do all the stuff that would get you back to the start of the recommended service cycle. Typically I'd expect to do a full tuneup (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil wire), oil change, air and fuel filters, timing belt (only if it wasn't done at about 100K), belts and hoses. Do the cheap services: flame trap, throttle body cleaning, replace oil cap gasket, replace thermostat. Exhaust, tires, brakes, suspension? All needs service based on condition, and all stuff you can do yourself besides tires and alignment. There are a few oil leaks that this car can have which you'd want serviced by a shop, notably the rear main engine seal, and transmission tailshaft seal & bushing.

The more you know going into it, the better you can prepare- try to get the car evaluated on a lift at a shop before you buy. It's good practice for anyone buying a car, whether it's a Camaro or not! Also recommend you read the whole 700FAQ- "Buying a 700/900".
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 229K, 88 744GLE- 218K, 82 245T-181K Also responsible for the care and feeding of: 88 745GLE, 231K, 87 244DL, 239K, 88 245DL, 246K

These are completely different cars in style and ride, but very similar in that they are both easy to repair.
If you can do repairs yourself, then the Volvo is a good bet. That will keep costs down. See the 700/900 FAQ for information, particularly "buying used". Well-kept, this car will last for 400k miles.

A 93 940 will likely need a radiator, hoses, water valve, thermostat, and some other preventive maintenance stuff like oil and a/t fluid flush, p/s fluid, flame trap and throttle body cleaning, etc. And maybe some shocks. Figure $500 in refurbishment to make it super reliable if you do it yourself. Easy fixes.

Make sure you get the maintenance record from the prior owner.

BTW: my two college kids both have 940s and love them. They do their own work on them.

Hi Star:
Well, I don't think any of us can make the decision for you. You are asking for a "rational" reason to do something that you are giving an "emotional" reason for resisting. So, you've got to decide whether you can give up the Camaro and move on. If you don't decide to move away from the Camaro so that you are satisfied, then every time there is a problem with the 940 (and there will be sometime) then you will second guess your decision. You also have to decide what image you are comfortable with.

Now, as far as cars go, many of us like the 940s, and one of the advantages of a volvo wagon is just what you mentioned--good cargo room, enough room for your friends. Its a safer car, a newer car, and if it has been maintained well, is likely to last a long time yet. It still has its quirks, as does any ten year old car, and you need to be familiar with them so you can deal with it.

If you decide to buy the Volvo, have a mechanic familiar with Volvos check it out first, and it is a real plus if you can find up-to-date maintenance records. Check the 700/900 FAQs at this site to see what maintenance is required when you buy a used Volvo.

Hope that this is helpful. Good luck with your decision.

Mike

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Mike Brown Greenville, NC 1996 965 105K 1994 940 135K 1986 244 137K