Buying a 240 Wagon

[Dave Cook]

My 16 year old son is getting his permit this week (Yikes) and by the summer, he thinks he wants an older 240 wagon. That's fine with me - we have a 1996 850 wagon - I don'y really know too much about them. All advice would be appreciated. What's the best year, what do we look out for, what are the different models (GL, etc.) ??? We would like to keep the price in the mid $2000 range.

Thanks everyone.

Dave

[elerner1]

I have an 86 245 GL. Watch for rust. I don't know where you live but salt affects older volvos too. The usual sills and tear fender rust is expected but watch out for rusty floors. The water gets in around leaky front window seals, affects the fuse box, and rusts out the floor under the back of the front seats. This is best checked from underneath as the floor has two layers in this area. Noisey fans are a whole day job to repair involving removal of almost the whole dash. If the fan switch is off to the left of position 1, that is it has four speeds it probably has been replaced. Similarly antifreeze leaks from heater cores are a big job. These cars have a crankcase vent system that is easily plugged and the increased pressure in the crankcase blows out oil seals. Check any manual how to fix a plugged vent system as soon as you get a car and save yourself a headache. The only other problem I have had is cracking insulation on the wires in the engine bay. This can cause all sorts of problems. Check around the back of the alternator and the wire to the oil pressure sensor on the same area. If they are bare you have a problem. These are but a frew of the lessons I have learned owning a 1981 DL, 83 Gl and my current car. Would I be driving anything else, no way. Good luck.
P.S. If you want more info try me at [email protected] or should that be volvo.nut.

[mattp]

Try to talk him into getting a 740 wagon....they look better, dont rust like the 240's and they are alot easier to get parts for.