OMFG Its Beautiful! 88 Volvo 740 GLE Wagon NPOCP

"JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!" (jqj213)
07/08/2014 at 16:26 • Filed to: NPOCP, Volvo, 740, volvo 740, wagon

Doing my typical Craigslist search when this beauty shows up. 1988 Volvo 740 GLE wagon for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Body looks prefect but needs some mechanical attention. NPOCP?

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I've been looking for a classic Volvo for a long time now. Almost bought a 740 turbo. Almost got an 850 sedan. But none were perfect. This one claims the engine needs a tuneup and misfires a bit. How serious could this be? And for the price, is it still worth it?

Interior looks spotless and in really good shape. All original and everything works. I like it a lot and if I could have it for $700, might be worth it!

Let me know!

DISCUSSION (20)

505Turbeaux > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 16:29

np. Clean out the MAF and make sure the vacuum lines arent dust

zeontestpilot > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 16:29

Man she is beautiful, but at that price, I feel something fishy is going on....

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > zeontestpilot
07/08/2014 at 16:31

I know. Im kinda leery too. but it looks amazing! If it needs a simple tune up or something, I still have a decent amount of money to get it done right!

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > 505Turbeaux
07/08/2014 at 16:32

From quick Google searching, it seems rather easy to do. Could it be that simple?

zeontestpilot > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 16:35

Oh, without a doubt! The lack of mileage concerns me too though. How hard is it to put in a bunch of numbers? Also...why is he selling it? If it's as good as it looks, why sell a perfect car?

Jedidiah > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 16:37

NP. It's cheap because it is an old brown wagon and non-oppos think that isn't worth anything. How clueless those plebs are.

I'd at least go look at and show up with a wad of cash just in case.

Make sure the vacuum lines aren't disintegrated, clean the maf, do a tune up like you would on any other car.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > zeontestpilot
07/08/2014 at 16:38

He says hes not a dealer but the ad is written like a ton of the dealers in my area. I mean I guess if it is a dealer as long as there are no hidden fees or anything, I really don't care. I will have this checked out by my good mechanic buddy though before I do anything crazy.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Jedidiah
07/08/2014 at 16:42

I've heard about the vacuum lines twice now. Are they a serious issue with these? Also, where do I look (sorry, im not very good mechanically)

zeontestpilot > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 16:46

Ah! I just realized this is in Sarasota! I used to live in Fort Myers. And now I'm jealous.

What stood out on the ad was the "Some hood scratches from car wash" part. Why put that there unless you're trying to rationalize why there's scratches on the hood? From my point of view, sounds like a private seller.

And I just did a Google search for his phone number, and look at what I found . Those buildings look familiar, eh?

When in doubt, search for the phone number, see what comes up. Apparently its also a Tampa number.

505Turbeaux > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 16:47

I have brought worse beaters back from the dead. Of course I cannot diagnose it from here, but knowing that motor those are the 2 things to look at first

EL_ULY > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 16:49

ummm.... the "misfires a little" is a very scary statement. If you do go check this out, dont 100% believe wjat the seller tells you. Misfires can be well over what the car costs especially if you are not going to do the work yourself. i may be wrong and this could be an awesome deal, but there is a reason that they are selling that they will not admit. Any questions at all you tell me or roflcopter.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > EL_ULY
07/08/2014 at 17:02

i agree when I hear stuff like thats its like "ran when parked" he also seems like a flipper or a dealer. It might be a simple maf clean. It might need work. That scares me a bit. But if I get for $700, I have money to take it to a shop and get it nice. Seems like a great deal for the body though!

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > 505Turbeaux
07/08/2014 at 17:03

where do I need to look for vacuum lines and are they expensive to replace if needed?

505Turbeaux > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 17:08

if you are asking this question, maybe this isnt the car for you!

Very cheap, like a buck a foot, and to diagnose it isnt too bad if the car will run. Just listen for hissing, or visually inspect the lines and tees. Spraying carb/brake cleaner along the length of the lines can also tell you where to look if you hear a drop in engine speed.

Another thing to do if it is misfiring is grab a spray bottle of soapy water and spray down all the ignition wiring, from the coil to the plugs. If it starts acting up you may have found your issue

Jedidiah > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 17:13

Vacuum lines are an issue with any old car. They are made out of rubber/plastic and they rot and cause vacuum leaks which will result in a choppy idle and poor engine characteristics under throttle. They will be rubber tubes going from from the intake manifold.

Heres a list of things to look for if you buy it, not all of these will be bad but they will be potential problem sites since it has a fuel delivery/idle issue (hence backfire).

Vacuum Lines; Mass Air Flow (maf) Sensor; Carbon Build-up in the throttle valve; Fuel filter/pump; and injectors.

If you do decide to get it, also check the brakes/tires and suspension bushings. (They might not be bad, but you should always check). It will need an oil change and a lube job like anything else.

Hope this helps.

EL_ULY > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 17:46

that R true tho

EL_ULY > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 17:47

as a mechanic that has sold cars, I can convince you it's a deal just with terminology lol

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > 505Turbeaux
07/08/2014 at 17:53

I know I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know much mechanically. I've never had to deal with old cars before and my family always goes to shops to fix it. I'm trying to fuel this passion alone and its really hard to do. Its why I have a brand new car for my first car. Its why I've never learned how to change my own oil. I need to change that. I want something to try and learn. I'm sure I'm getting in over my head but oh well. It'll be worth it

505Turbeaux > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
07/08/2014 at 17:55

good, well then your head is in the right place. If there is anywhere to learn that isnt an old Beetle, an old Volvo is a solid way to learn. Not a whole lot on those to strand you, but just enough work to always be done to keep you interested

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Jedidiah
07/08/2014 at 17:55

Really does. Thanks a lot. As I was telling 505, I'm not mechanically knowledgeable so anything I can find out is helpful.