In my recent flurry of shooting cars in my neighborhood, I decided to stop after the first Volvo 240, as there a good number of them; more than I realized once I started looking. It’s amazing how well kept some of them are still, given that the very youngest ones are now at least 25 years old. But they age gracefully, with a bit of care.
This is a 1992, thanks to running a Carfax on its license plate. So it’s a relative youngster, given its very long production life of twenty years. But it looks like it could five years old. Most of the ones running around town are a bit more age-weary, although I have noticed a trend towards a stratification among them: very nice ones in the hands of hard-core loyalists, and increasingly ratty ones owned typically by young folks. I suspect the hard-core 240 loyalists are on the hunt for nice ones, so they can keep 240-ing for decades to come. I won’t be surprised to still see some 20 years or more form now.
Great cars. It seemed like everyone I knew in high school in the 90s drove the maroon wagon version. It doesn’t surprise me at all that these are getting a third wind in Eugene.
I am considering a ’91 as a second car. (i.e., giving my brand new car to my son, who might have long commutes, and finally getting a nice, old car for myself). Square Volvos have been an aspiration for me since about 1973, when I was 8. I was never able to get my father to buy one, as they were terribly expensive in Uruguay and only imported by diplomats.
Is there anyone knowledgeable out there about what to look for (besides everything typical in a very old car)?
The wiring harness is generally considered their Achilles heel. They’re a bit hard to check, of course, but at least make sure all electronics are working. Other than that, well, these cars are known to be bulletproof for a reason. They almost are.
A casual look at 240s I’ve seen on the road in the last 10-15 years has shown every one to have at least 1 burned out tail light. I always thought these older Volvos just had problems with the lights.
That is one of their few weak spots. They use a thick flex plastic printed circuit overlay that just presses onto a few plastic locator pins on the taillight assemblies, and each bulb holder just twists into place making contact with the PC layer. The circuitry abrades from vibration and time, and degrades in humid climates (like mine). I’ve only had my Dad’s ’90 Brick for six years but already have replaced both sides’ overlays twice already. Short of rebuilding the design, there’s no cure I know of.
The 86-93 240’s have the revised wire harness that did not degrade in the heat. The pre 1986 ones had the dodgy wire harness(which is sad because the pre 1986 models had diesel and turbo models)
Stay away from V6 and turbo’s, manual transmission gas 4 cyl is best.
Keep an eye on the tail lamps, the bulb holder sockets are troublesome, keep spares.
Great cars, but my heart really belongs to the predecessor 140 series. Not too many of those left however…
I remain enthralled with the concept of a “forever car”. In a climate like that of Eugene, such a thing is possible with the right initial choice, it would seem. I can think of few better choices for that role than a 240, at least as long as a decent parts supply holds out.
Rock Auto in Wisconsin is a godsend. They and eBay are how I find affordable OEM parts for my wife’s 1990 Brick (my dad’s old white 4DR 240) and for my 1990 Taurus GL wagon. FCP Euro in Groton, Conn. also is a great parts source for the Volvo.
Hope this info helps someone with THEIR Brick. 🙂
Interesting these continue to have so many loyal owners.
Paul, how common are the 700-series Volvos in comparison? I know they were more expensive new but they also had quite a long run.
I must confess, I have more of a fondness for the 700-series. I also remember gazing longingly, age 5 or 6, at a brochure for the Volvo 960. Specifically, its cushy, cushy leather seats…
The 700s were and are still quite common too. And they have their own cult following, although those tend to be turbos. It’s hardly scientific, but the 240 seems to be holding its own somewhat better than the 700.
Another 500 miles south of Eugene, in Santa Cruz I’d say the 740/760 may actually have become a more common sight than the 240’s. Perhaps the 240 owners are migrating north to cheaper locations, whereas owners of the upscale model can still afford to live here. A few of the several 240’s still driving around are pretty heavily modded: turbo or turbo-lookalike, lowered, etc.
I want one of these so badly. There’s a 1991 at a local used car lot. They overprice their cars and then keep marking them down. They started at $5,000 and it was $1,295 the other day. I’m about ready to go in there with $900 cash and see what happens. Not sure where to put it so my wife doesn’t know, however.
Methinks if you do that you will be coming home with it. No need to hide it though, the best option is to profess your love for her by also getting a big red bow and making it all about HER! Women say they love spontaneity and unexpected gifts so just make it a twofer and everybody wins. Enjoy your, I mean her, new ride!
Oh boy. I see I’m not the only one who’s grateful (or should be) for the fact that his significant other doesn’t read CC. 😉
I’ve owned both an ’88 240DL Wagon and a ’92 240 sedan. Amazing cars that were impossible to kill. There were times that I was able to literally fix it with a hammer.
I used to sell lots of cars and I never had a problem selling either of my old 240s. Got my asking price both times with almost no haggling.
I’d seriously consider selling my ’96 BMW Z3 if I ever come across a nice 240 with a manual.
Living in Massachusetts, there are still quite a few of these around here.
My favorite car ever, as evidenced by my COAL series. I probably owned at least 40 of them. I’m more of a wagon guy, but I do love the color of this one.
My grandfather was a master tech for Volvo and my uncle owns his own Volvo shop. The entire family drives these dang things. In fact my cousin is currently finishing up an LS swap on a 240DL.
The very first car I ever got to drive was an 81′ or 82′ DL. These cars are boring as heck to me. The new ones do not seem to be as good as the older ones though and that’s just plain sad.
I had over 120,000 miles on mine when I finally traded it away. Very solid car, but I wasn’t a fan of the AC on hot SoCal days. The dealer could never get it do do much cooling.
Need to do a USA-duty window tint, too. We’re in FSW (Fort Myers) and doing a 35% black tint all around (except for 50% on the front doors) helped the A/C system immensely. Also, it looks great on a white Brick.
Whenever I see one of these during my morning commute which is not all that often I know that I am not driving the oldest car around since my Camry is a 1993.
A classic. Plenty of these left in the Richmond area too, though I’m sure far less than in Eugene. I can only think of one in my immediate neighborhood though, a dark blue wagon that seems to be in regular use though nowhere near as nice as this one.
Back when a Volvo WAS a Volvo. A real bulletproof car!
This immaculate example has been sitting, under cover and unlicensed, a few blocks from me in Vancouver for a number of years.
Square-cut and solid.
It’s one of the few cars I can say I’ve always wanted and never been able to get at either the right time or right price.
My mom’s last car before Dad retired and they went to one was a Volvo 144 which I got to drive back from the license bureau the day I got my learners permit. After that I was restricted to his truck but I always remember feeling like I was driving a bank vault with wheels.
I had a 1990 240 wagon for a few years. I got it for $1000 and it made a great second car. The square hatch allowed lots of things to fit in it. My folks would sometimes borrow it because it was much easier to fit a piece of furniture in the back then in my folks 2003 Sable wagon with its rounded back