Unnecessary Car Shopping

"Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg)
03/11/2020 at 08:30 • Filed to: None

Is $3300 NP or CP territory for this?

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

In case of Kinja, it’s a 1993 Volvo 240 DL wagon. White with blue interior, body looks good, interior looks great. It’s an automatic transmission, and n o indication of mileage.

DISCUSSION (14)

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Snuze: Needs another Swede
03/11/2020 at 09:04

That’s really clean and a great color combo. Even if it has a million miles, it’s obviously been very well cared for. Seems like a good deal to me

boredalways > Snuze: Needs another Swede
03/11/2020 at 09:10

CP, because “Car”.

But seriously, no odo, no underbody shots, it's too clean to be a Montana vehicle (even if it's actually owned by a Cali resident that only uses it a few time a year for tax purposes).

Snuze: Needs another Swede > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
03/11/2020 at 09:16

I’d like to buy one this summer. I’m planning to do a drivetrain swap and manual conversion (if it’s not already a stick). So I’m mainly looking for a nice body (no accidents, no rust) and a clean interior, I’m less concerned about running gear. But I’m starting to pay attention to get an idea of the value.

Tripper > Snuze: Needs another Swede
03/11/2020 at 09:21

Volvo wagons always remind me of my childhood. My dad had a blue 1986 760 turbo wagon.

cmill189 - sans Volvo > Snuze: Needs another Swede
03/11/2020 at 09:28

Unless it actually says 200+ you can’t trust the odometer on a 240. They have a pretty high failure rate and people will say it has “low miles” when it actually has double. Best to go by amount of rust and condition of the interior.

I sold my 89 DL in the same color combo for 3200 last May. It was a manual and had a little rust here and there. It was very clean when it left me but that one is definitely nicer.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > boredalways
03/11/2020 at 09:32

The Montana comment took me a second.. It’s actually in Bozman, Maryland, not Bozeman, Montana. Bozman is over on Maryland’s eastern shore, which very rarely gets snow, and thus basically doesn’t use road salt. As long as you keep the vehicles away form the actual salt water, they tend to stay quite nice. I’ve seen what happens when people use trucks to launch their boats...

That said, I’m up in the air. It looks great in pictures, but not knowing what the underside looks like, no mileage, I’d be hesitant. But if i was in the market right now I might make the drive out to see it.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > cmill189 - sans Volvo
03/11/2020 at 09:35

That’ s good information to know, thank you! I mentioned to dtg in another comment that I’m thinking of buying one, but probably not until this summer. I want to do a motor swap and manual conversion (if I can’t find a stick) and some other things so mainly I want a clean shell and am less concerned about mechanical condition.

Sovande > Snuze: Needs another Swede
03/11/2020 at 09:47

That’s a lot to spend to end up with car that is worth less than $3300. You will have a ton of money into a swap. Like a lot. And a lot of fabrication to do.

I have had a couple 240's and I didn’t like them. They are boring, slow and kind of uninteresting. I suppose that’s the appeal of the swap. This is comi ng from a guy who has had 7 Volvo’s.

boredalways > Snuze: Needs another Swede
03/11/2020 at 09:52

Thanks for pointing that out -- I think I just Kinja'd myself

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Sovande
03/11/2020 at 09:58

This isn’t my swap candidate, I’m not ready to buy one just yet. This car just caught my eye as a pretty clean looking car. I’ve done a lot of technical research, now I’m kind of looking at the market so I can figure out what I should be paying. Since I’m going to swap it, it doesn’t need to be a perfect runner, but I would like to get a good shell/interior so I can spend my time and energy on the swap, not fixing rust and other stuff.

As for doing the swap itself, I realize it’s going to be a lot of work and money. But it’s going to be “for me”, I’m not planning to do it to make money or anything.

Of your 7 Volvos, which is/was your favorite?

Snuze: Needs another Swede > boredalways
03/11/2020 at 09:59

No worries, it happens.

Sovande > Snuze: Needs another Swede
03/11/2020 at 10:10

Sounds like fun!

I have had 3 240's, 2 P80- V70's, a C30 and currently a V60. I would say the V60 is the best of the lot, but the manual V70 with the R motor was super fun. But it was an old V olvo so it was a rattling mix of plastic and cool exhaust noises. The C30 was an absolute blast and super fun to drive. It was also simple to work on and had more than enough power. I should have kept it. The V60 is easily the nicest, most refined of all of them. With the exception of the awful sounding 4 cylinder (which I like other than the noise it makes) , it’s a great car. Quick, comfortable, a nice suspension, nice to look at and plent y fast in sport mode.

I guess they would rank like this:

1. C30

2. V60

3. Manual V70

4. Auto V70

5-7: 240's

notsomethingstructural > Snuze: Needs another Swede
03/11/2020 at 11:21

if there’s no rust it’s a no-brainer. even if there is rust, haggling it down a little bit can probably get you to NP territory.

cmill189 - sans Volvo > Snuze: Needs another Swede
03/11/2020 at 12:21

If you want a clean shell you’re likely going to be paying a premium for one that’s a solid driver. The redblock engine is so reliable that it’s usually the last thing to die. If you’re lucky you might run across a clean one that someone parked because the crank sensor or one of the ecu’s failed.