Volvo 240 Thoughts? (A Family Car Search Thread, Bought a Sentra)

  • Thread starter Thread starter YSSMAN
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M5Power
automotive historians and period automotive journalists
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Because they're well known for not viewing everything with rose-tinted spectacles, aren't they? ;) I'm not disagreeing with your Taurus comments (they seem reasonably well informed and on that particular car I know very little, hence I kept out of the discussion) but you're talking about people who will obviously say that the car is good, but who'll fail to use the benefit of hindsight if all the cars in question are smoking wrecks now and break down all the time. Longevity is another important characteristic, especially for a car that's considered "groundbreaking".
 
homeforsummer
Longevity is another important characteristic, especially for a car that's considered "groundbreaking".
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Yes, quite:
Miura_3.jpg

Breathtaking. Usually seen with engine removed for service.
Cortina_Lotus_1.jpg

Progenitor of the 3-series. Frequently smelled of oil.
Alfasud_5.jpg

Precursor to the Golf GTi. Designed explicitly to rust.
Lotus-Elite-%2760.jpg

Start of what is widely thought to be the best engineering consultant in the automotive industry. Self combusted.




:p​
 
homeforsummer
Because they're well known for not viewing everything with rose-tinted spectacles, aren't they?
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Period journalists were mentioned too. Hell most of the praise comes from period journalists.
 
Wolfe
What do you mean by that?
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Subarus in good condition, in that price range, are occasionally difficult to come by around here. I've got a lead on a Legacy Wagon, but he doesn't know if he's interested.

BTW:

The insurance company called yesterday to let us know we'll be getting back more than double what I had expected ($3200 total), which gives us more options than I had originally thought. My brother seems to be very interested in the Volvo, still, but he is starting to look at older Mercedes Benzes too. We'll see what happens.

Since it was technically my Mom's car, and technically its her money to decide what he gets (or does not get), it will ultimately be up to her as to what gets the thumbs up. So far, she likes the Volvo idea(s) best too.

While I'm thinking of it...

Would we be talking the same level of reliability for the 700 and 900 series models as well?
 
YSSMAN
Would we be talking the same level of reliability for the 700 and 900 series models as well?
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It depends.

If the engine is a B2x0 like in the 240 (means the car is a 740) then yes, if you're going for a 760 or a 960 with a V6 or an inline six then not. Also the 740 models with the B2x4 engines - the 16V versions - will be dead if the cam belt snaps as the valves will hit the pistons, something the B2x0 8V models won't do as they're of the non-interference type. The drivetrains are more or less the same, some 900 models had the M90 transmission that is prone to breaking the synchro mesh of the third gear during hard shifting.

One thing to consider if there's a chance of snowing is that the handling of the 700 and 900 is quite equal to the 200 on dry roads but doesn't get even close when the road gets slippery. You may ask why. Because the suspension components are just about the same but the weight distribution isn't. While the 200 series ranges from around 55/45 of the sedan to the unbelievable 50/50 of the estate the 700 and 900 lose that advantage. The engine is mounted further forward, so is the transmission, and the rear axle is positioned further back. I don't have solid proof but I've heard figures of more than 60% on the front wheels which isn't that good for a RWD car in slippery conditions.
 
On the snow thing: They are also considerably heavier, I believe.
 
There aren't as many around here it seems, but I'm seeing more for sale on Craigslist right now. Which is odd.

===

We found a bad-ass 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback today, with the 2.5L I4 and a stick. With only 111,000 miles, a super-clean interior and what appears to be a well-equipped custom Alpine audio system... Its a steal at $3950. Unfortunately, having a $3200 budget, its out of range. To be honest, if I had any extra money, I'd just buy it anyway. Its that nice.

...Mother, unfortunately, is limiting the cash flow to $2500 for my brother. With the shaky economic situation and having me losing my job in February, she wants to keep the extra money as "just in case" funds. Understandable, but also disappointing. My brother found a Sentra he liked, as I recall a 1993 model, similar to one that he had before. Hes poking around, I'm looking inventively as well. I'd prefer the big Subaru, but oh well... Things happen.
 
YSSMAN
1999 Subaru Legacy Outback...2.5L I4
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C'mon, now, you know better than that. :p

That one sounds great, though. I think you should keep Subarus in mind and see if anything within your price range turns up.
 
I'd definitely recommend that Outback. I have a friend with one, and it's a pretty sweet car. If you do want to look into it, make sure the head gasket is taken care of. I think it goes around that mileage somewhere and it's a $1500 fix unless you're a good mechanic, and then it'll be $500 for just the part.

And the thing will be very loud with an aftermarket intake. With both my GTI and my friend's Outback at full throttle, I could hear his car over mine.
 
Sorry on the Subaru thing... I seem to immediately tie the number "2.5" with the displacement in all of their cars.

Nevertheless, the Outback is off the table unfortunately. Mom has officially placed a cap of $2500 for my brother, which has limited his options greatly. We've found some decent options, the prerequisite P71 Crown Victoria, a few Honda Civics, and even a 4-cyl S10 (with a stick!). No promises on what we'll end up with, the Volvo options seem to have disappeared. My primary concern is insurance and repair costs, followed by fuel, so that tends to lead me to different cars than others may look at.

That '99 Crown Vic, with only 77K miles, seems like the best thing we've found in the past few days.
 
An S-10 would be good, it would run just fine and if you had to repair anything it would be cheap to do so. Plus you can get a pretty new one with a low amount of miles for $2500. I mean my 03 Blazer was only worth about $4,500.
 
I got my S-Dime for 3500 bucks, it gets 30 mpg, and they are plentiful.
 
Toronado
Really?
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Well I should say in this area, there are so many used ones floating around the market is flooded with them.
 
Cool. I always liked the Chevy Xtremes (both the S10 and the Blazer). Pick one up used, slap a transfer case in it from mine and shove a junked LT under the hood. AWD Camaro!
 
The S-10 is a '97, as I recall. Seems like it was just over 143,000 miles, certainly a rare find with the four-pot and a stick. My brother talked to my Dad about it, his primary concern is the RWD, especially with the epic snow we got today. But, for $2500 it doesn't seem like too bad of a deal. I'd be worried about the mileage more than anything...

The odd thing? It was at the same dealer that I found my Celica at.
 
YSSMAN
Sorry on the Subaru thing... I seem to immediately tie the number "2.5" with the displacement in all of their cars.
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Er, as M5Power noted, "I" does not stand for "boxer." Not a big deal, but just in case it wasn't a typo, now you know. :)
 
If what Joey said was true, then that price seems fairly high.
 
Oops, a bit of slang slipped out there. That's what mini truckers called them for the most parts. There are a bunch of other slang terms as well but I've been out of the game to long and can't really remember them all that well. I know Xtremes were often referred to as X Dimes.
 
Wow, that is infinitely cheap! Hmmm, we'd have to sort some stuff out with that guy then...

No worries though. The weather is absolutely terrible out here right now, so we're not going anywhere to look at anything. Its presumably better for us to be patient and just wait for something really, honestly good to jump out at us. Otherwise, since I'll be out of a job soon, I'm sure I'll be able to drive him around whenever he needs it. Yay.
 
Hmm looking at AutoTrader it seems the sudden drop in fuel prices have made the value of used S-Series go up quite a bit. I mean I sold my truck when we all thought prices were going to stay at $5.00 and up forever and we bought that S-10 back in July when prices were up as well.

I'm sure if you look though you can find something, there are several examples on craig's list in the $2000-$300 range. A charity motor auction might not be a bad place to look either, I had a buddy that got his Neon for auto cross there for something like $600 and it ran just fine.

If you are going to look at S-series remember the GMC S-15 Noma's, and Isuzu Hombre as they are all virtually the same thing. Actually I think the only difference between a more modern S-10 and S-15 is the grille and hood.
 
Update: 12-26-08

Tuesday my brother and I received a phone call from my father talking about an old Nissan Sentra that was on the boards at Amway, but he wasn't exactly sure what all of the details were on the car. All he knew was that it was black, a coupe, and that he had a phone number.

Long story short, my brother went out to look at it today and it appears as though he is buying it... A 1993 Nissan Sentra XE Coupe, in black, with "only" 146K on the clock. The clutch was replaced just a few thousand miles ago, as was the radiator, CV joints, and a few other things that I can't remember. I think my brother said that the only thing wrong with the car was "a small crack in the windshield." Nevertheless, it sounds like a good car, and apparently he will be picking it up later this afternoon.

The odd thing?

His last car before taking the '95 Camry was a '91 Sentra XE Sedan with roughly the same amount of miles on it. Go figure.
 
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