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Let me start off by saying that in my opinion you will be very impressed with a Volvo. As a mechanic I have owned over 40 cars and my last 3 cars, which are Volvo’s, have been the most reliable, most practical, and most fun to drive.
Next, $1,000 for a 240 Turbo sounds good as long as it is in good condition, maybe not perfect but solid, straight, and sound. Volvo did not have a DL Turbo, the car will either be a DL which is their lower level model (manual crank sunroof, hand crank windows, etc), a GL or GLE which is the deluxe version with more “creature comforts (power sunroof, power windows, etc), or a GLT, GL Turbo, or just Turbo, which has the GLE trim with sport suspension and the turbocharged engine.
There is no way of garanteeing reliability of a 19 year old car but in general Volvo’s last longer with higher reliability that most other models, things to check for are excessive oil leaks (all Volvo’s leak some oil but look for major leaks), smooth running engine that does not burn oil, a trany that shifts smoothly and easily. On the body look for signs of rust, early 80′s were prone to rust but the bodies improved through the 80′s.
The original turbo will only have oil lines running to it, if the turbo has been replaced or upgraded the common replacement is a water cooled unit, you will see oil and water lines connected to the turbo. An intercooler option was also available which includes a large intercooler (looks like a radiator in the front of the car) which increases engine power and decreases possible detonation on these engines. In general the turbo will last a long time, the important item with turbo’s is to allow them to cool down by idleing the engine for 10 minutes or so after highway operation or spitited driving. Shutting a turbocharged engine off immediatly when the turbo is extreamly hot will cause the oil in the bearings to burn or coke which means the next time you start your engine the turbo will start spinning with no lubrication, this greatly reduces the life.
In general there is nothing special or unique with Volvo’s other than they are built to last. As cheap insurance I would probably suggest having the inspection done, $100 spent could save you $900 if the discover a major problem, but $1,100 for a reliable and safe vehicle is very cheap.
