Volvo advice?

"Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp) 12/18/2013 at 22:13 • Filed to: None

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Mrs. Shoe Pilot is looking for a dog hauling car. I suggested a Volvo wagon. Assuming we can't find a suitable 240 wagon, what are other good choices? I'm looking for bulletproof reliability and simplicity.

740? 940? 960? anything that should be avoided?

Lets Just Drive > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 22:22

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How much hauler and how much haul?

If it's just for doge, such basic. wow cheap. dog drooling.

Literally anything that'll hold dogs and not kill you with boredom is probably best as a dog hauler.

Such cheap.

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 22:24

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740 and 940 wagons are also indestructible. (Same bulletproof 2.3L 4-cylinder as the 85+ 240.)

I'd avoid the pre-89 cars, just because the wiring harnesses love to rot on the mid-80s Volvos, and with 240s, the Chrysler ignition was iffy, at best. 89+ have LH 2.4, and tend to be the easiest to keep running, in my experience.

Sources: I've owned, at various points, an '84 245, '85 740 Turbo sedan, '90 740 Turbo wagon and a '93 240 wagon, in addition to the RX-7, Mazda3, B13 Sentras, etc...

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 22:28

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I forgot to mention, if you want indestructible, avoid the 960/V90 like the plague... They love to eat timing belts, not least of which is because the water pumps seize with alarming regularity and you really don't want to replace 24 bent valves. At least the B230s are non-interference, so a broken timing belt is just mildly embarrassing, as opposed to show-stopping.

Also, avoid the B234-powered cars (16V B230) for the same reason. The balance shafts like to seize, killing the timing belt, and you're stuck replacing 16 valves. Not good.

EL_ULY > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 22:30

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V70 non turbo automatic. As far as this "bulletproof reliability", I've been working on cars for a little over 10 years. A reliable car has never ever existed ever. If you do go for a Volvo, I'm an ex Master Tech and current Volvo Parts Master, any questions or diagrams, let me know buddy.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 22:40

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Maybe a Jeep Wagoneer?

SpeedSix > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 23:19

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Acura TSX Wagon?

SpeedSix > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 23:22

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4th Generation (1990-1993) Honda Accord wagon?

SpeedSix > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 23:30

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Honda Civic Wagovan 4WD?

SpeedSix > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 23:34

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Toyota Cressida wagon?

SpeedSix > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/18/2013 at 23:39

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Toyota Van

4-cylinder mid-mounted engine, available 4-wheel-drive, manual transmission, extremely reliable

gmctavish needs more space > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/19/2013 at 00:23

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My Volvo!

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bnc/cto/423718…

But in all seriousness, I'd said 740/940 wagon with the B23, not the B230, but I think that's been said already

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > gmctavish needs more space 12/19/2013 at 03:01

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The B23 was 83-84 only, and that would've made it 240 only, in NA form... The 760 did get a B23FT (or B23ET in Europe), but that, again, was for '83 and '84. The 740 didn't hit the market until '85, and the 940 wasn't until '91, well after the B23 was replaced by the B230. (1985 was the first year for the B230, though in skinny-rod guise... Then, the block was strengthened in '88 (K block), the crank was strengthened with a relocated thrust bearing in '89 and the thicker rods (13mm, vs. 9mm) made it to production in '90. As for when in '90, that's arguable... Some say the 9mm rods made it about halfway through '90, but my early-production '90 745 had the 13mm rods. YMMV?

Also, in '93, the L block engines with integrated oil squirters to cool the pistons came into production, and those are the absolute best of the redblocks, IMHO. (The B23s had issues with bore wear, if my '84 245 was any indication... Something about the piston rings being hard and wearing into the block...)

Also, sweet 144! I'm jelly.

(Edit: Also, no 700-series wagons had the B23... The wagon came into being in '85, despite Jan Wilsgaard designing the wagon first... Also, relevant film about the development of the 700 series.)

gmctavish needs more space > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully 12/19/2013 at 05:31

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Balls you're better at this than I am. I'm better at bummer motors and I'm fairly new to Volvos, so basically early B230s are sketchier but if you're 88+ you're more okay?

And thanks! The FS is kind of old….I've had her up for a while and the linger it's been the more I want to keep her. I'm gonna have to bookmark this video, too much for 2:30am haha. Thanks for the info though

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > gmctavish needs more space 12/19/2013 at 06:16

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Bingo. And don't worry, the Volvo nerdiness comes from a mix of owning four of the RWD cars (plus one S60 that made me run like hell), and a bit of boredom at work.

I'd be tempted to hang onto the 144. They're just cool cars, IMHO. Classic lines that went basically unchanged from, I believe, '67 through the end of the 240s in '93.

Random cool factoid: The doors are interchangeable between the 140-series and 240-series (though the 240s have a lot more side-impact protection, hint hint...), and the tailgate on the wagons will also swap over. (This is also why 240s have such an issue with the wiring harness breaking for the tailgate... They were cramming the wires for license plate bulbs, rear defrost, third brake lights, power locks and rear wipers through a space that was only designed to handle the wiring for the license plate bulbs and rear defroster...)

Edit, while I'm thinking about it... If you need to replace the windshield, get one for a 91+ 240. You'll lose the chrome trim, but it seals a lot better.

gmctavish needs more space > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully 12/19/2013 at 21:25

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I do love my 144…it's by no means fast, but it's just another era to drive. No hint that you're not in 1969, I've kept her as original as possible, and she still shrugs off anything you throw at her. That's actually really interesting, it'd just suck to lose the chrome, but thanks for the tip.

Also, I apologize for the lovely typos in my earlier post, it was the middle of the night :p