Buying advice 1987 Volvo 240

broadusc · Post by **broadusc** » 20 Sep 2019, 12:28

I've had a 2000 V40 for a while and have worked on it extensively. I'm totally a Volvo guy now, and there is a 1987 240 sedan with new paint available near me. What should I look out for with this car? It's got 126k on it and new paint, and that's about all I know other than the AC is not currently working. Just looking for general tips and stuff I should examine closely when I look at it.

Post by **volvolugnut** » 01 Oct 2019, 18:22

Ignore the new paint. Look under the car for leaks and damage. See if it has maintenance records. Has it been parked for years? Mileage is low enough to be suspect. See if the seats, steering wheel and pedals have suitable wear for the mileage. All rubber components including tires can be age hardened and failing. Check as many features as you can to see if they all work. Look for any shade tree work on wiring and engine hoses. Shady repairs will give you fits later. If you are not sure you can inspect it, take it to an independent Volvo shop for inspection.

Post by **BlackBart** » 02 Oct 2019, 11:28

Agree with everything mentioned above. Very low miles, the question is why? Stored? Dried out rubber and gaskets?

They sometimes rusted behind the rear wheels by the spare tire well, as well as the rear floors.

Find a good independent shop and have it inspected. (I'm in Missoula, but don't know Spokane shops) EuroPro? C&H? Botzon's? Prior's? I'm just searching.

It amazes me a town the size of Spokane had its Volvo dealer shut down. There must be a financial story behind that. Apparently the Land Rover Jaguar shop still stocks parts and does servicing. Weird.

Check here...

Post by **abscate** » 16 Oct 2019, 15:31

Ask to see the pictures before the new paint. If they don’t have any, it’s a rust bucket

New paint looks great for 6 months even with bad prep