thinking about buying a 240

[BerniniCaCO3]

Hey!

I work at a shop. For the past week there's been a 240 sitting in the spare bay.
It is immaculately clean, with a cream colored exterior and gorgeous royal blue cloth interior. Apparently dated 1987-- dunno if these only got better by 1993 and if '87 had weak areas?

I talked to the mechanic who was working on it, and he said the owner already bought a new car.
He was trying to start it back up as I was leaving tonight... apparently it's a crank, no-start,
with excessive pressures building in the block. A spark plug had even backed out. The timing skipped a tooth. So he did the timing (chain? belts were only later? just a guess), and the vent box (pcv equivalent).
It still wasn't firing up as I was leaving though :-/

Anyway, there's a chance the owner will sell it. She already has a new car. Not sure what she's already put in for the timing chain & vent box, moneywise.
I've fallen in love, admittedly, with the aesthetics-- not necessarily the right reason to buy a car. And I don't need a car. But I would enjoy another project! And this one's in clean enough shape to warrant some mechanical effort. I should take a look under the car and check out the rust to be safe... but the tires are new enough, for example, so it should not be a maintenance basketcase.
Noticed some saturation around the power steering pump while the hood was up. It has a 4cyl longitudinal engine, though I suspect that these all did.

SO!
What I want to know is from those who have or have owned 240s into their later years.
Are parts available, through the aftermarket, and if something the aftermarket never tends to service breaks, like a trim piece, dash component, etc., have you been able to find it at a junkyard or online?

What I'm driving now is a 1990 mercury colony park-- a crown vic at heart. So the aftermarket takes care of 90% of mechanical components, and cheaply, too! Most everything is widely available. My specific car is vanishing from the junkyards, but I can still get a lot of things (trim, door panels, tail lights, etc.). The only thing I can't find is a fuel level sending unit, it's wholly unavailable! And I don't want a junkyard part for an age/wear item like that, wouldn't trust it. Engine and transmission are ubiquitous. A running engine is $500 on craigslist, a rebuild transmission is <$1000, if and when I need it.

So... can I find parts for a 1987 240? If, it turns out, this needs an engine... can I find one? Can I still buy window motors?? Can I buy power lock actuators? Can I get all the accessories?

Are parts affordable? (not so true for the last decade of volvos, at any rate-- someone was selling a 2002 V70 for $400, but it needed a DIM for $1000!! among a 2 page list of other issues that damned it to the boneyard).
It's one thing if I can still get a window motor at all. But another question entirely if I can only get it for $250, not $50. Or if alternators are $300 and have to come from sweden.

And then, if I look this over to make an offer --if it even ever does start up-- what are common weak points on a 240 to look at?
My 1990 crown vic has its strengths that almost never fail, and it's common problems. Tailgate latch, tv bushing, valve cover gaskets. I bought another 1989 colony park for my sister, and most of the exact same issues were there that mine had when I first bought it: water pump, radiator, rotted old hoses, leaking front shocks, dead window motors, valve covers, fan clutch. I knew the drill and wasn't caught be surprise on any of them. Strengths were the timing chain, head gaskets, should last a long time barring overheating. We put $1200 in parts into it, which was what we expected.

So I don't want to walk into a moneypit. What went wrong on yours? What are the common foibles to expect to need to service if I buy this?



Anyway, we'll see what happens, if she'll sell, how cheap I can buy it for, if it ever does start.
But it's a gorgeous, classic looking car, no matter what my fellow 20-somethings say about the styling, and I'd like to be a proud owner of such a sedan.


thanks for the advice!