I knew when I saw your post and not all the replies that you were going to get creamed. I have 4 Volvo 240's. '79 2 door, '83 GL wagon, '84 turbo intercooled 2-door, and a '91 Wagon. Over 1.3 million miles combined at least. I say at least because the odometer is out on one. I need another one to tinker with. My daughters and wife drive the Volvos and love them. I have learned most from the Bentley manual and this board. These cars are terrific and many of those still left in junkyards can be fairly easily repaired. I have done that with two. One had a clogged flametrap which resulted in blown seals. I repaired the flametrap and replaced the seals and have a great car. The other junker had a rusty fuel tank and it took a long time to figure out why it ran so bad. Found a good fuel tank for $40 bucks from another junkyard and now it runs perfect. I love these cars. Volvo made them great even with all their stupidity at times. But, just because they are durable DOES NOT mean they don't need regular maintenance.

Got my first 240 wagon 7 years ago with 220k. The old girl moved us from Oregon to Kansas then to Texas pulling an overloaded U-haul trailer. Christmas of '06 we drove from Texas to Oregon through California and back without a single problem. (OK - well, maybe I contributed to burning out the OD transmission somewhere in Nebraska). We average 28mpg (5 speed M46) and she is just shy of turning 300k. Still my daily driver.

I found a nice 93 wagon with 150k (AW70) last year and she has become our new road trip car. She's been all over Southern Texas and back and forth to Kansas City from Austin several times now. Only problem has been getting stranded with a dead ignition amplifier. We average 25 highway/23 town, but I drive like a Grandma.

Funny thing is though, I rarely see other 240's out on the road. Lots of 'em in town, but rarely out there in the middle of nowhere. I have started making lists of Independent Volvo shops along my driving route just in case it's needed and there is no internet access to find such places. Just try finding an "unusual" part for your "exotic" foreign car in small-town USA... I too, now travel with an assortment of spare parts, repair manuals, tools, etc.
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'84 245, 295k / '93 245, 160k

I commute in my '93 245 about 600-700 miles a week with 289k on the clock.I have the original engine/trans.I have no rust but have developed a rear main seal oil leak which I'll have replaced soon.I am hoping for 350 to 400k....

~280k seems popular... The last 3 240s I've bought were all right there upon purchase... give or take 20k

My '84 driver at 285k
Wifes '82 at 290k

Both all original and driven daily and everything but the AC works

My 1800s holds the record in the family though at about 750k (definitely almost nothing original)

--
-Matt I ♥ my ♂

Thanks for all the replies. I am glad to see I have plenty of company on the road.
--
Bob Graham, NC, 1965 PV544, 1988 240 wagon

1993 Torslanda. 390,000 miles, 500 miles per week. Bought 7 years ago with 180,000 miles. Mostly original, uses no oil.
32-35 mpg (UK gallons bigger than US)
Irv Gordan says windscreens only last about 500,000 miles because of abrasion by the wipers - I think he might be right!

2 daily drivers, both wagons.

1989 5 speed with 280K in getting front lower control arm bushings right now. Other than the normal bushings, brakes, and repairs needed from hitting a deer at 60 mph (one fender, hood, grille, bumper, and headlights from a parts car) this one has not needed anything. 26-27 mpg consistently. Oh - I am on my second drivers seat.

1990 auto with about 250K miles. Also getting a new drivers seat later this week. The only non-scheduled replacement needed is the windshield. 18 years on the road has sandblasted it.

These cars just run and run. Eventually you will get to the point where you start to wear out parts which no one you know (unless they also drive a 240) has ever replaced on a car.
--
Tom, 1989 245, 266,000 miles; 1990 245, 247,000 miles; and looking for another

My 1990 SW has 222K miles and 30k are mine among those . Only car and DD . Have made couple of 1500 mile trips in last three years since I bought it.Had to do lots of work but good otherwise.
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DD-1990 240 DL SW M47II FI 3.1 220 K miles Turbo Sways,Custom headlight circuit ,Insulated roof,Tinted Glass,

I have owned my 1989 240 since it was new. It has 240,000 miles on her now and I routinely put over 500 miles a week on her as my company car in sales. I have replaced just about every part on her and has always been reliable. Last year I lost power about 500 yards from home but was able to limp into my garage. I turned out to be a broken valve spring so I had to do a complete valve job. Everyone told me to get rid of her but I was able to repair her for $300 and has run for the last year just fine. We also have a 1992 740 wagon with 215,000 miles that runs great. I sometimes get jealous of our friends new cars and trucks but it sure is nice to have 2 cars that are paid for without a payment. Our cars are fully depreciated (the biggest cost of ownership) and the cost of maintenance, insurance is minimal. I would like to get better gas mileage since our cars average 22-24mpg but I would only save $100 a month over a 35mpg econobox so it is hard to justify trading in.

The state of Texas has a program where they are trying to get old models off the road and its tempting but you still have a payment and probably would not be a better car. State will give $3000, only thing is they have to be crushed :<

www.driveacleanmachine.org

1989 240, 1992 745

Have a 1983 240 Flat Nose Turbo 240K 21MPG daily driver 2nd owner, Replaced all bushings, turbo rebuilt @ 120K, new leather, new roto A/C still R12, wire harness, shocks, etc, etc, has rust issues. For Sale

I'm on my second 240. The first was an 87', purchaced for $800 with 196k mi on it... it had not been take care of very well. With some TLC, she got up to 314k mi, and then I lost compression... to much effort and $$$ to deal with. But I was hooked. I then found an 87' with 105k mi, extensive record keeping (all basic maintainence, nothing major), had been babied, minor rust below doors on both sides (New England winters), excelent interior. The dam thing even had the original bill of sale from Oct. of 86'...$16,900 with dealer installed "Plush Headrests". I got it for a steal at $750. I've only put 8k on it in the past year. It had been sittting for a while when I got it. So I did a bunch of preventitive stuff... alt, starter, flame trap (after the rear cam seal blew out at 80mph on the highway (I keep a spare in the trunk ever since), fuses, fluid change outs, plugs, wires, cap, fuel, air filters, ect... Suspension is next on my agenda for her. Everthing else is original. She's at 113k mi and I just replaced a mess of wires in the harness, and one of the injectors. Other than that she's a fine daily driver. I don't think I'll ever buy anything other than a Volvo for the rest of my life. Here's to all my fellow 200 Series lovers out there, Cheers!

Bob
87 240 #2
113k mi

Hi,

My daily driver is an '87 245 that just turned 400k miles. It's on its second clutch, radiator, alternator, and fuel pump. Everything else is original. Nothing out of the ordinary, just put 20k miles on her every year since she was new. She's at her absolute happiest cruising down the interstate at 80 mph all day long, with one finger on the wheel, getting 28-9 mpg. If it's 60-65mph on the back roads, she'll get 31 to the gallon. My wife's daily driver is a '92 that at 220k miles is still a baby. This year's winter beater has 450k on it and is as reliable as all the others. Mileage on these cars isn't nearly as important as maintenance.

Keep 'em rolling!
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'68 220 B18D/M40, '84 244 B23F/M46, '87 245 B230F/M47, '92 245 B230F/M47

Mine is about to turn 277,000 miles. It's a daily driver that logs about 100 miles a week. The engine has never been opened except for a carbon blast when my mom was making short trips with it. It uses very little if any oil. It still has the original M46 tranny but had to replace the electronic OD a while back. The biggest repair done to it was the evil engine wiring harness. Speaking of which, recently I had to replace the windshield washer motor's wiring due to crumbling insulation.

Another big weakness for this car is rust. I've spent the past few summers replacing a lot of sheet metal and removing rust on otherwise solid metal. These Ohio winters eat old Volvos alive!
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Mike F - 1984 244 DL - 265,000 miles
Original engine, transmission, drive train, alternator, starter
Undergoing reconstructive surgery with POR-15

My '88 240DL has 551,000 miles (original engine / second tranny) and I commute 80 miles daily. You've got some time.....

my 1987 245 has about 290,000 miles on it, still running solid. I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across the country, in fact i just did 1600 miles in 3 days. I get about 26-27 mpg highway although for a year I drove it w/o power steering and a/c compressor belts and it got about 30mpg highway (not correcting for odometer/speedometer error which I suspect is around %5).
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1987 245dl w/ 271k miles

from what i've always experianced and seen if your 240 reaches 200,000 it just broken in. when i got rid of my first 240 it had over 450,000kms on the odometer, it was the rust that killed it...

Got 420km on my brick which is 262.5 american
Never seen a shop other than for tires. Still original alternator and water pump, replaced starter last year. replaced most suspension components, replaced exhaust, replaced diff cover. All the usual wear items done regularily, timing belts, wires, etc. Air compressor seized 3 years ago. Everyhting else is original. Drain the same amount of oil out as a put in at each oil change. No burn, no leak. Was doing 1000km a week for many years. Now it does about 300 a week. Still my favourite to drive.
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420,000KM and still ticking

My '92 245 has 284,000 miles on it. Bought it in '99 with 123,000 miles. I drive it every day. For the most part, it has been extremely reliable. No leaks anywhere (Volvo techs were amazed, during recent NYS inspection). Uses no oil. Gets 27-29 mpg on highway trips- 22-24 mpg around town. I have even run the same water pump for 160,000 miles. I did have a bearing failure in the original M-47 at 260,000 miles. Now I keep a spare one in my garage- just in case.

The only major problem the car has has is rust, which will always win in the Northeast.

My brick is an '83 244 DL with 218K. It was purchased in Idaho, ridden to Alaska, where I got it at 134K, then on to Colorado and now in Austin. Little bit of tranny leak. Original starter, alternator, stupid
Chrysler dizzy. I put in a Nissens radiator and thermostat last Xmas. Lately, new plugs, wires. However, struts are original. Leak from A/C condenser box, just found a fix in the archives.

Rust in the rear wheel wells, hole about the size of a hot dog, so I cut around the offending area, put in wire mesh, several coats of bondo, primer, top coated in "Vernon Green." No rust in the floor boards or anywhere else, but in Austin we don't get any road salt.

Last year I would put 600 mi on each week, but it is now a "town" car. Keeping my fingers crossed...

Todd

314K miles and counting.
Driving about 650 mi./week these days.

My first brick, Sophie, went to over 350K miles before I handed it down to my son's friend. Then the odometer died and a bunch of other stuff suffered youth-damage. R.I.P. Sophie.
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Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, expanded air dam, forward belly pan reaches oem belly pan, airbox heater upgraded, E-fan, 205/65-15 at 50 psi, IPD sways, no a/c-p/s belt, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors, aero front face, quad horns, tach, small clock.

Prior to our flood, my '79 242 had few problems. It has 421K miles on it.

I'm still using it as my daily driver until I can get my 122 fixed. There are a few new issues now (the biggest problem is the smell of the car... ugh.) Nothing that keeps it from rolling though.

I've also got a '80 245 with 460K or so. It was my daily driver up till about a year ago. I still take it for a spin every once in a while.
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Formerly 'HearToTemptYou'

Hey to all, I also have a 91 245 that will get 27 mpg on the highway all day long . I have checked it at least 8 or 10 times . I usually get 24 in town . It has 222729k on it and still runs great with no leaks yet . Larry

27MPG?! Are you fucking serious!? my 1992 sedan gets 22-24.