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"Where do I stop?" -when you have an accident that damages the vehicle beyond reasonable repair.
I've been driving my '87 240 Wagon for a few years now and I've done a lot to catch up on the lack of maintenance under the care of the previous owners (fluids, filters, flame trap, etc). (it seems like almost nobody keeps the service schedule up to date) She's got 246,000 miles on her, and this fall I'm going to rebuild the front suspension (shocks, tie-rod ends, balljoints, etc). I'll plan to do it again after another 1/4 million miles.
Volvos are built at a standard above the rest of the auto industry. The quality and durability of the parts is significantly better than anything I would find from a US domestic manufacturer, -and thus there is a greater life expectancy of the parts on the vehicle and the overall integrity of the vehicle as a whole. For example: I had to replace the front wheel bearings after about 200,000 miles (original SKF wheel bearings), and I installed another set of SKFs with the expectancy of getting the same kind of mileage that I did from the original ones.
I know that Blue Book value for my '87 wagon might be falling (and is currently between $1,600-$3,100), but I consider this vehicle to be so reliable and safe that I wouldn't consider parting with her for less than $6,500 -at the minimum (which would be used to buy yet another Volvo). Compare this to a relative of mine who owns a 2000 Chrysler Minivan that's on it's 5th transmission. Blue Book value on that vehicle is between $2,800 to $4,500, but there's no way I'd consider buying one and then deem it a "reliable" means of transportation.
Personal opinion, keep your Volvo, keep the recommended Service Schedule, and she'll give you a lot of dependable miles. Who knows, you might be the next Irv Gordon and pass 2 million miles in your Volvo.
God bless,
Fitz Fitzgerald.
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'87 Blue 240 Wagon, 246k miles.
'88 Black 780, PRV-6, 145k miles.
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