Greetings all, new to the boards and trying to educate myself. (sorry for the story below, but I am sure some will find it humorous).

I am an experienced car guy and been around cars since I was 5. Three generations of mechanics dating back to grandfathers model T's in shop. I am the only one who is not (our of 3 brother and 4 uncles) (I am a computer geek), but grew up working in my fathers shop from 5 until 20yrs. (I am 40 now and have had a collection of old american iron)

My experience is mostly American cars, so some guidance needed.

I am considering buying a 1990 240 DL with 150K on it for $1250. The owner says he replaced timing belt, brakes, tires at 125K. It is an automatic tranny car. I am going to look at it on Saturday, and need to know what I should be looking for.

I do have a little experience with the 240 (funny story) - I actually just bought one for my buddy who was a long time Volvo driver in the 80s. He is moving back to the west coast from DC and asked me to pick this one up for him for $800.

Well long story short is that I went to go pick it up and expected a total wreck, and I was quite surprised when I got in the car stone cold, and it started right up and the motor sounded absolutely smooth. (I know what a good motor sounds like).

I then drove it to my house to store for two weeks, and I was surprised how quiet it is down the road, interval wipers, cruised at 65 no problem and was strong. For an $800 car with 270K miles! So over the last two weeks I have drove it a couple more times just to see what it needs for him. (It's not perfect - it has some wonky electrical problems and I believe a drivers side ball joint that needs replaced along with what I believe are just loose/bad belts that seem to be slipping a little).

Anyway - I have to say I am a little infatuated with a car that sounds so good and quiet with so many miles. So I started searching and have found a couple to look at, and think I want to get one...

So what do I need to look for on a 1990 240 DL?

The automatic tranny worries me a little, as I have had bad experience with VW Jetta auto tranny's, and how expensive they are. I would rather had a manual, but need someone to tell me otherwise.

I am a little worried about the electrical and how much work might be needed there.

So any advice on what to look for, questions to ask, etc...would be great!

Thanks,
Ron

Here's a rundown on model history, from the Swedish Bricks site:
http://www.swedishbricks.net/ModelFAQ/140240model.html

The "Buying Used" pages from the 700/900 FAQ here has some good info that may transfer:
http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/BuyingUsed7xx.htm

Get yourself the Bentley Volvo 240 Service Manual as well. Amazon has it.

Good luck! --George Butler

The wiring issues (poor quality insulation) is something to be concerned about. The general consensus is that '88 is the first year for the better insulation. Look at the big plastic junction plugs at the firewall behind the intake manifold. The condition of the plug and wiring at that point as well as by the alternator are good indicators of what the rest of the harness is like. 89 is the first year for 2.4 injection and the OEM ECUs have an inherent problem. If the ECU (behind the right kick panel) has been upgraded to a 9 series you are good. 89 is also the first year for the flywheel ignition trigger/sensor. It snakes down behind the valve cover/head from the wiring harness. Though not always visible, if the pigtail is visibly damaged, you'll want to see to it BEFORE you drive a long way. For the earlier cars (pre 86) I like the 85 as it is the first year for the B230 engine (lighter construction). That said, many people swear that only the earlier cars with the heavier B23 engines are worthy. Prior to 83 you'll have K-Jet, a mechanical injection system. 90 and up you get a driver's airbag. 92 and up (and on 91 SE models) you will get ABS. Prior to 87 the manual cars are M46--four speed with electrically activated overdrive. 87 up manuals are true 5 speeds. The M47 has a tendency to be a little noisy unless it has been overfilled with oil to help lube the 5th gear which is high in the gearbox. 93 is the only year that came from the factory with R134. My experience is that all of the cars respond reasonably well to a conversion, but none of them cool like Frigidaire in a Delta 98! Watch for center drive shaft bearings binding. They start out by making a very quiet hissing sound and when they get really bad they bind and thump, whump, grumble and grind--taking the driveshaft on a trip while they do so. Watch for corrosion in door openings, around wagon rear hatch windows and on wagons pre-86, around the side windows. Fender arches out back too, in very damp areas. Clunking suspension is bushings. Fronts and torque rod bushings are easy--the big ones in the middle of the trailing arms not so easy. Listen to the blower fan. If it makes noise at any speed, it's on it's way to the trash heap. Transmissions will last 250k if they have been serviced regularly right from the start. My opinion is that if the first service wasn't done until 75k, a huge piece of the gearboxes life was lost. Of course it's often impossible to know the history in most cases, but your concern is justified.

Good luck!
DS

150K on the odometer is used but not worn out, assuming a decent level of maintenance.

Stuff that I would look for includes RUST at the top of the list. Rocker panels, front footwells, rear wheel wells, and under the back bumper are prime locations to look. Don't panic if you see rust; just be prepared to deal with it.

The engine and trans are pretty close to bulletproof at 150K. If the engine is awash in external oil leaks, then flame trap service has been missed. Smell the tranny oil - a burnt smell is bad news, but if the oil is just dirty a DIY flush will take care of that. Worst case, you can usually find an AW70 in the boneyard for $350 or so. Try to find a Neon tranny for that price!

Cooling system - look for water pump leaks. The rad will have to be replaced, probably before 200K. If cooling system service isn't kept up, a head gasket leak isn't uncommon, but it's usually not fatal, either.

1990 still had the older design AC, but your profile suggest you're in the Pac NW, so robust AC performance might not be a strong need for you. Retrofitting for R-134a isn't all that expensive if you need to upgrade.



Biggest deterioration area (IMHO) is suspension bushings. Nearly all can be replaced by the shade tree mechanic with a bit of guidance, and without major expense.

1990 is past the mid-80's "biodgradable" front wiring harness. You may need to replace the odd wire here or there, but nothing systemic.

Trim parts are maybe the biggest void in the aftermarket, but the actual stuff to make the car go and stop are in good supply.

Overall, if the car is reasonably clean, free of serious collision damage, and appears to have been maintained, $1250 sounds like a very fair price. I would expect to throw a grand into the car over the next year (re-do brakes, suspension bushings, struts + shocks, maybe cooling system) as forward-looking preventive maintenance.
--
In God We Trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.

i just got a 90 240 dl for $1200 here in portland (250k miles), there are quite a few volvos sitting in u-pull-its here in the area, damascus in particular has quite a few. i was able to find a bunch of trim parts so you might be fine in that department.

i did get a pretty new but grungy driver's seat for $20 !

i got the car with insurance money and perhaps the price is high for them miles, but it's been garage kept and the paint still shines. i promptly put the rest of the insurance money into it (another $1200) as i would never get "around to it" if i didn't do it while it was still at the shop getting inspected. it didn't NEED anything but we did just about everything you might want to do on a 250k mile car and for example, even put new door pockets, pedal pads, and e-brake console in for that price.

good luck !