I'm thinking of selling my 1997 850 and buying a 1990+ 240 (I own an '84 240 now and really like working on it).

My logic is that I can do most of the repairs on a, say, 1992 or 1993 240 since I've done so much work on my 84 (it has at least 318,000 miles and was in bad shape when I bought it). I can't do anything on my 850 and it seems like I get $500+ bills every time it rolls out of the repair shop. Ouch.

First, are the 1984 240's similar to do most newer model 240s maintenance/repair wise? Did they ever find a better way to get to the blower motor?

Second, I've some concerns about safety. The 97 has SIPS and both driver and passenger airbags. Does anyone know how air bags are set up in the 1990-1993 240s? I'm assuming that the older 240s have tougher frames than the 850s. If so, does this make up for air bags?

Thanks for any advice. You guys have been great with some of my previous repair questions.