Are these any good?

Tell me about this meme Veeky Forums
I've got a chance to buy a 1984 240 wagon, manual trans, 168k miles, well taken care of from what I gather. Some local guy has it in his driveway with a for sale sign on it, I could get is for $1000 USD.

Checking it out one of these days, anything I should look for specifically on these besides the obvious?

Is it even worth it? I don't need it, and I'd rather have a sports car for a project but like

it's $1000 why the fuck not

How much of a pig is it to drive? Reliable? Easy to do work on?

Thanx

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ipdusa.com/techtips/10081/top-10-common-issues-with-volvo-240-models
youtube.com/watch?v=BVJLTNAbnzs&feature=youtu.be
twitter.com/SFWRedditGifs

I have a 2001 Subaru Forester 5MT right now, I'd like to sell it or trade for a sportier car as the end of the summer approaches and people are getting rid of their sports cars and looking for more winter-capable cars.

I don't find it particularly enjoyable to drive and the practicality isn't all that welcome of a tradeoff for driving pleasure

I don't expect good handling or anything from a 240, but is it still a fun shitter to cruise around in?
Or is it more like "wow this sucks kill me"

If I end up selling the Foz, will the Volvo on some snow tires make it through a Colorado winter?

It's thirty years old and only has 168k on it. It probably spent a long time not used and not cared for. Definitely check the service history if its available and expect to drop a few thousand on repairs.

Also, its a Volvo wagon. Of course its a bit of a pig.

That logic isn't terribly good, 5250 miles a year isn't all that uncommon in vehicles that are daily drivers even

The guy mentioned he recently had the FI tuned, timing done, new tires,

from what I've heard anecdotally about them, they're pretty bulletproof, I can't imagine it would need *thousands* in repairs

whatever it does need eventually I'd like to mostly do myself, I would imagine the're simple enough to work on, but I can only imagine the rat's nest of vacuum lines under the hood

>If I end up selling the Foz, will the Volvo on some snow tires make it through a Colorado winter?
I mean, they were built to be driven in Sweden.
It'll do alright.

They might be a bit slow until you learn how to best use the gearing in them, but they'll surprise you in tight turns. Back axle is a bit more narrow than the front, so they can turn really well for their size. They're really easy to work on and have a lot of room in the engine bay. Volvos do have their electric gremlins from time to time, though. It's an amazing winter driver and you will reach the peak comfy, sitting in your toasty volvo, driving in the climate for which it was made.

that passenger's side headlight FUCKS me up

that looks fun though

>you will reach the peak comfy, sitting in your toasty volvo, driving in the climate for which it was made

aw that.. ...that sounds so nice

thanks for the info

I'll go see/drive it tomorrow and maybe report back with pics and deets if this doesn't 404 by then

OP here, fun side story I guess

This qt girl I've been talking to actually found the car and really wants it, she drives some shitty Pontiac G6 and didn't want anything made before 2001 but I managed to convince her she should get something with a MT, she found the Volvo and liked it, I'm pretty proud.

Asked for help learning to drive in the mountains (i.e. how to downshift), I enthusiastically accepted

I don't feel like she'll actually want to buy it though when push comes to shove, in which case I probably will

She's on a trip right now so I told her I'd check it out for her

Last night she told me about how much of a piece of shit her boyfriend is, and we talked about it and I gave her a lot of advice from my recently failed 3 year relationship with the girl of my dreams, later she texted me and said they were better than ever :^)

The thing is, I don't even feel bad about being friendcucked, I feel so completely dissociated from my feelings, ripping around the canyons at near redline is the only thing that I want to do besides feeling sorry for myself

I want those comfy winter feels again


>tfw she said she liked driving her Fiesta "fast in the mountains" and I scolded her for it
>tfw had qt3.14 gf who ran the fucking touge and I ruined everything

see you next blogpost

How can cars be so cheap there?

There is literally no car you can buy here for a grand that wouldn't shit all over itself within the next 1000 mikes

I also kinda want an old Volvo wagon

The only thing to watch out for is the suspension. Ask the guy if he often loaded it up for trips/etc. Suspension repairs on old volvo wagons is expensive, and few places will do it.

If you want a project, the volvo is actually a good choice. Check out turbobricks, those guys do soe cool stuff. The engines can handle a good amount of power on stock internals.

I don't see why it would be more expensive than any other car?
There's nothing special about the suspension on a Volvo versus anything else.

Yes you should get one they are awesome

Wait, aren't you supposed to be wrong or at least shitpost about everything? Because you've got it right for once.

Stop talking out your ass, set craigslist to sub- $1k and just browse. Driveway deals can be good too. Sounds like a great price for a running 240, especially with such low mileage. I want one but can't decide between a 240 and an LS400 fo4 a daily comfybarge.

???
I may shitpost a lot but I'm not retarded, I just pretend to be.

>ls400 or 240
You have excellent taste, good luck in deciding.

It's a thirty year old car and if it did spend years untouched, then it's very likely there will be some problems when you try to run it again, even if its a Volvo.

Also yea, it might actually have seen little use, but I doubt that because I don't know Volvo owners in general as people who only do 5000 miles a year. Virtually all of the ones I've seen for sale had ~150k on them per 10 years of use.

sold a 94 Dodge Dakota for 750 to a guy who needed truck across the street

Other then a really shitty paintjob, the only repairs he's made on it was an A/C fan and a new hood (the old one's Heat shield dryrotted out and the rod broke off)

I've got a buddy who has only owned Volvo 240's from the 80s with at least 250k miles on the odometer (they're always broken so the true mileage is unknown). He's only had to replace one because it got t-boned.

Mid Atlantic region here.

I bought my 240 wagon for $500 and drove it hard for a year before I really stated to put money into it (maintenance, upgrades, complete suspension rebuild).

I've been driving it everyday for 4 years and have put over 100k miles on it since then (sitting at 263k now).

Its been extremely dependable and a breeze to do anything on. Once you get into it you'll be hooked too. My basement is full of parts, I've went though 4 others since my DD and one of them is slated for a full overhaul when I can line up time for it; a '92 for $450 I drove two hours to my parents house without issue.

Do it OP, you won't regret it. The pre-86 ones are none for their "bio-degradable" engine wiring harness, but you can get a rebuilt one for about $100 from davebarton.com.

Get the car, a Bentley service manual, sign up on Turbobricks and brickboard.com then don't look back.


They handle much better than you would expect (well it was a Group A rally chassis...).

Even stock with shot bushings I bombing mine around turns and it always took the abuse and felt planted. 25mm sways really helped keep the body roll down though.

It might be slow, but it is fun to drive.

Pic is mine.

Is it a true 5-speed or that 4-speed + electronic overdrive switch deal?

Either way you can't go wrong with it, they're good enough cars that they were sold for close to three decades and in fact outlasted the car that was supposed to replace them (Volvo 740).

'84 would make it an M46, the 4 speed with overdrive. Neither one will hold much power, but are decent overall, just make sure to replace the bushings with brass.

thanks friend-o's, really making me feel better about the whole thing.

The clutch on the Forester is shitting the bed and I have to replace it, cheapest Indie mechanic will do it for $950

$200 of parts, can't fucking diy it because I live in an apt with a dirt lot on an incline so pulling a motor in those conditions, alone, doesn't sound like something I particularly want to do

Made a post in a local Subaru club to see if I could use someone's driveway, fucking lol kms tbqh

If I end up having to do it at a shop, I'm gonna say fuck it, unload the Foz on someone for like 2.5k and get myself into a shitty old brick for the same price as the fucking clutch

It is a 4 speed w/ overdrive, is this a bad thing?

ah shit my b ya'll deserve the full size

Bertone guy chiming in here.

Do it OP, especially if it's been kept up with, almost next to nothing to do.

They will turn on a dime, pull a few good power slides even with an open diff. If it has a CAM steering rack, make sure there are no leaks or that the rack is not worn out, even if it is, you can always swap it out easily for a ZF rack. There will be a number code on the vin sticker for it. Other things to look for is if the odometer works, they like to break after that mileage, sticky Speedo cables, occasional electrical issues, but the wiring diagrams in the green books are easy to follow. Make sure the timing belt interval has been kept with, they like frequent changes somewhere around 30 to 40K. The transmission will most likely be an m46 with the overdrive button and hydralic clutch, very recomended to clutch the overdrive when downshifting, you may want to T5 swap it if you consider adding good power. The fuel system is the rube Goldberg device of kjetronic injection, get a fuel pressure gauge because if one thing throws of the fuel pressure, it won't work right, but it's pretty straight forward. ALLWAYS USE THE LOWEST ETHANOL CONTENT GAS YOU CAN, it will save your o rings. In tank pumps like to go out, especially in hot weather but is easy to replace. One user was refering to the expense of the suspension, he must be referring to your control arm bushings, the rear one in partucular, front struts are hard to get out without the special retaining but tool, but even with bad bushings they don't feel sloppy. The rear springs may be saggy if original, get overload springs, get an ipd sway bar kit, tightens everything up. If it's a northern car, watch for rust around the window sills, door sills, wheel wells, they were not galvanized until the early 90s. If you are in a hot climate, get a tropical fan clutch. Even with these things, a 240 is very straight forward and can be fun to beat on.

Parts may be a little more expensive than other cars but not mercedes level, lots of stuff still useable from the pnp. You can find good deals though.

Places and things that are your friend:
Turbobricks
Any volvo green shop manual or Haynes
Kjet dot org
Clean flame trap
Dave Barton
EBay
Vp auto Parts
Swedish auto parts
Rockauto
Occasionaly ipd and fcpeuro, sometimes they use cheap China shit
Brickboard and your regional volvo trade and sell Facebook groups

Any questions? This should be more than enough to start your brickdom

Fucking dank, always been completely baffled by the existence of the Bertone, pretty rad automobile you have there

Thanks a bunch for the info,
>recomended to clutch the overdrive when downshifting

what do you mean by this

So I should be filling it with "premium"? I think 91 is the best I've seen here

I'm meeting the guy tomorrow, but I found out his address so I'll probably swing by and take some pics before work just for funsies

Clutch in, switch off, clutch out, it's really for extended longevity, the overdrive unit doesn't take to kindly to constant hard shifting like a Honda would, but you can do it, it just won't last as long.

Gas from a name brand gas station since they have standards, since they won't be putting multiple fuels in the tanker or underground tank or testing for water content. The rubber does not last as long if you do. I suggest midgrade at least but will still run on regular

Thank you my dude, honest question unrelated to the mechanicals:

Would you recommend the car for a brokedick college student?

I.e. will a Volvo in average condition need constant shit done to it to keep it running, or will it be ok with basic services and adjustments, a couple hundred bucks in parts here and there?

I'm competent in basic maintenance and repair, and can follow a book easily, I'd wager I could do most things myself on an older car

I know there's no objective answer to this and it varies car-to-car, but if someone was looking for a reliable DD would you steer them away from an older 240?

Also, any alternatives to killmenow 80's fuel injection? Or is it livable/no good upgrades available

>set craigslist to sub- $1k
I don't have craiglist over here in Europe, user. For the equivalent of $1000, all i can get is either a clio/shitroën AX/etc or an absolute pile of shit.

Yes I would, I know that kjet sounds complicated, but they are fairly reliable, it's sitting for long periods of time with gas in them that really kills them. Your only other alternative would be any 87+ car when they switched over to the more modern LH jetronic.

Really though, as long as all the fluids have been kept up with you should be fine. Older cars may end up showing a few more electrical gremlins due to their age but I have never had an electrical issue that had immobilized me, most are going to be switches and lights. A contact file and a wire crimper are your friend, add that to a kit of basic sockets, pliers, multitool, and a hammer just in case, and that will be most of what you will need.

For example, this is the most I carry around for emergency situations, I will need a socket set for extra security but haven't needed one yet.

I also forgot to mention before you buy one to make sure that all the cooling hoses are in good condition (this should be for any car)

I had an 89 240 300k+ miles, odometer quit. Car was awesome, worn out but would still burn tires off with the b230f. Great motor, tranny and body. Beautiful quirky cars and they are bricks so don't expect a track car. I recommend getting beefier sway bars and make sure the electricals are good. Check fuses!

Bumping for brokedick college kid

Sorry eurofriend, at least you have the twingo :^)

OP here, here's a couple of quick pics I snapped of it today, will be checking it out tomorrow

First time actually seeing the car, paint is faded and there's some surface rust, little shit here and there,

but every time I try and dwell on it I can only think "it's $1000 and I'll beat the shit out of it (lovingly) anyways" and I don't get too upset

nice double dubs and thanks for the input, will definitely have to look into putting together a kit, will czech the cooling system as well

bump appreciated

...

not gonna bother blurring the plates, sorry current owner hope u don't get doxxed

Looks great man! Get it asap!

'90 245 DD'er here; The biggest spot for these to rust is the buttcheeks. Looks like its starting on that one, but not too bad. Can be treated and fiberglass it if there are holes. Looks complete and fairly clean, blue is very nice as well.

Bertone bro is on the money, but that car is most likely LH2.0 and not the K-Jet mechanical fuel injection. Much easier to work with and reliable. Like I said before, just check over all the wiring under the hood and make sure it hasn't deteriorated too bad.

Also, the first time you open that hood, spray it down with some sort of lubrication. The hood hinges have a tendency to seize and bend, or even bend the hood, keep them lubed up because those look good (hood is flush with cowl and fender).

Get it and enjoy the piss out of it m8, welcome to the club.

Looks good man that paint will buff right out and look beautiful with some polish and a coat of wax

They are good cars, just remember that it is not a sports car, so go easy on it.

For maximum cheapness in yurop, get a Twingo.

dank you, will definitely scour for rust, the thing has probably been in CO its whole life

I will definitely be redlining it sideways on every corner but thanks

Things to check so far:
>worn suspension
>buttcheek rust/rust in general
>working odometer
>ask if it's been sitting
>wiring harness/electricals/fuses
>O/D function, whether the owner clutched it or not
>CAM or ZF steering rack, leaks
>last timing belt?
>what grade of gas was used
>cooling system
>functional heater desu
>LH or K-Jet FI
>lube the hood when I open it ("hey do you mind if i spray some grease on the hood hinges man?")

Anything else I should look for, especially when driving it?
I guess I could have googled Volvo 240 buyer's guide already but nah

Veeky Forums has spoken user

Seems like you've getting a good start.

I wouldn't worry about the rack just yet, my 263k mile CAM rack is leaking to where I have to top it of maybe once a month, but its sloppy af, maybe 1" or more play in it. I have a ZF ready to go in with a '91-'93 PS pump (better in looks and performance).

If it doesn't feel sloppy or leak leave it alone, honestly it probably has a ZF anyway, the one I have came from an '84 245GL I chopped up.

The sure fire way to tell is look at how the boots attach to the inner tie rod. ZF will be zip-tied to a round bushing, while the CAM will be clamped right to the inner tie rod itself.

also, ipdusa.com/techtips/10081/top-10-common-issues-with-volvo-240-models

Bertone guy again, this is the best thing to clean the kjet or any European injection system

Checked it out and drove it around, looks solid overall, some rust but it really doesn't seem that bad

Driving it was fucking hilarious, pedal inputs were vague as all shit, it felt loose overall I guess is the best way to describe it, but not really in a bad way. After driving a modern car for a while it was just so much fun

Dude said he'll take $850 for it, my indie will replace the clutch,flywheel, throwout and thrust etc on my Subaru for $950, I have $1000 in cash savings id be willing to blow

I'm so seriously considering it

Would have to sell the Forester, can't afford to keep and insure two cars by any means

I took a little walkaround video if anyone cares to see it

Thoughts I guess? I'm just kinda conflicted

I'm pretty sure it's LH2.0 bro

If it runs and drives you're in good shape man. You really won't need to spend much on regular maintenance stuff. Once you sell the Subaru you'll have plenty and can start to take car of small stuff on week nights and weekends.

Just doooo it! Also, I have some parts for you, including a decent drivers side front turn signal assembly, rear Volvo badge and plenty of other stuff.

Here's the walkaround since you all asked so enthusiastically,

inb4 you sound like a faggot

"janky" count: 2

youtube.com/watch?v=BVJLTNAbnzs&feature=youtu.be

Thanks dude, can you possibly confirm the FI system via the video?

I think I'd really like to buy it, the bitch of it is the Subaru needs the clutch big time, so I scheduled the service already for Monday night. I have like $300 in savings beyond the $950 the clutch will cost and I can't be without a car. The guy has been trying to sell for a while now, I feel like it will probably last a little while more, I'll have to put the Sube on craigslist after and make that work out.

I don't hate the Forester by any means, but if the head gaskets or something else major goes in the next few months I will have no way to pay for it whatsoever. So I'm thinking instead of sinking more into it, I'll get the Volvo and walk away with like 3k and feel at least somewhat secure.

But I'm coming to terms with the reality that I'm not gonna sell the Foz on the bad clutch, even if some retard came to test drive it they would probably notice.

"patina" I kekd

>room to fuck bitches
Lel

Looks good OP
Can confirm LH jetronic system. As long as the car didn't feel like it wanted to kill you (minus the lack of speed), and all your lights work, go for it!

Hit me up at [email protected] (throwaway, no trojans pls ^_^ )
If I end up getting it I will certainly appreciate a parts connect

And that's what I'm thinkin, selling the subaru will definitely let me budget for slowly fixing it up, having something to wrench on sounds comfy

If I can sell the Subaru before the 245 is gone, I'll buy the fuck out of it thanks friend

Funny enough, the gal I mentioned earlier that let me know about the Volvo is considering my Sube now, hope the shit works out even if i lose 3100+950 dollars in the process

If not, these Colorado fuckers eat Subarus up so it won't be too difficult of a sell

DOIT

Just be aware of the bio degradable wiring harnesses, all pre 1988 cars have them from what I understand.

>Do transmission swap in 1990 244.
>Overdrive wire is just bare copper with no insulation left.
>Overdrive still worked, and I could turn it off and back on again.

what


Does anybody sell new cables?

Yikes

davebarton.com

He only seems to have the cables for manual transmissions. I sent him an email. I'm thinking ebay.com/itm/171747952642 is what I need?

My car was the same way, 85, the overdrive didn't work at all and the wire was just bare copper.
I took the overdrive solenoid off and drilled it out, now overdrive is always on and you can't turn it off.
Not really a big deal as I don't think I'd ever have a reason to turn it off.
Also, I'm about to rip the engine and transmission out anyway so it doesn't matter.

volvos are ancient beasts

Fuck if I know, what you need is a manual transmission

Good contribution

Lol, read the wiki on Overdrive bc I realized I had no idea how one worked

Found this excerpt comical as shit

>Under certain conditions, for example driving uphill, or towing a trailer, the transmission may "hunt" between OD and the next highest gear, shifting back and forth. In this case, switching it off can help the transmission to "decide".

Definately get it, 1992 245 owner here.

Great cars, and fun to work on.

Also from hearing from video, grease the door hinges too, you dont want them to seize and break down on you.

"decide"

found a 1990 240 on craigslist for $1650, only 109k miles.
Problem is, the ad says very little that'd be useful and only has three pics of the exterior, from a good distance away, and it's an hour and a half away form me so I can't just cruise by and look at it myself.
It looks like it's in good shape, though, and I'm tempted to email the seller about it, but how's the price on it?

The car's barely broken in at that mileage. Might as well check it out.

Ask him for more pics then

This, duh. Contact him an get more pictures and details. If it was running and driving within the last year there's not too much to worry about. Bring him down on price, depending on condition you should be in the 900-1300 range.

If the odometer isn't broken

!

!!

>Yak Rack
>Thule wind fairing

absolutely disgusting

looks like a little Volvo 113 with those things, kek

wew, meant to say scania 113

Meh, fairing from my buddies 245 bout and flipped and didnt do anything but take the bars, Virgos and parts when I needed them for my DD. Rack from CL, then I added the extension. It has since been stolen, only two bars and the fairing now.

>Last night she told me about how much of a piece of shit her boyfriend is, and we talked about it and I gave her a lot of advice from my recently failed 3 year relationship with the girl of my dreams, later she texted me and said they were better than ever :^)
so you cucked yourself, you dumb faggot?

That looks fucking nice, OP. That colour is as classic as red on a cast iron engine block.

Yeah, they can get a bit rolly in corners, but that's how it is with all lolvos, even my slightly more modern 940. Sway bars and shorter, thicker springs help. But with their normal springs, you do get great ride comfort on shit roads.