The answer is definitely yes, but maybe only one third of a million of them.

There were 2,697,893 240s made (vlvworld.com). Primary colors were red, white, blue, green, gold, brown, silver, other (orange, yellow, grey, whatever). For simplicity, let's say each color was 1/8th of production. You do the math. Next question.
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Dave -940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now

Oh, and there's a direct environmental cost of safety also: the vehicle sustains more damage and requires more parts; those have to be manufactured, installed, painted - and the old parts disposed of. A sharp accountant could tell us what the total (monetary and environmental) cost is - if say collision repair costs double (in real $s) every 10 years.

Of course no one would say safety wasn't important - although those of us who drive 240s should know they're not as safe as newer cars. So we are in fact making a choice.

Increased repair costs help insurance companies, car & parts manufacturers, the national auto-body shop industry lobby, the association of paint & solvent producers, more.

The insurance companies are the 1st to say "you can't put a value on human life". Which is funny because that's what they do. Every day. It's called Actuarial Science.
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240s: 2 drivers and some parts cars

You should be able to do the math on this one, with some qualitative adjustments. And you have to define "green" of course. Google "define green" to see just how much disagreement there really is - even among green folks. Look at a transcript from one of the ecology conferences to see how little quant is involved in deciding what's important.

And you really should include safety. GM said at one point that a new car (say 2000) was 1000-lbs heavier than it would have to be because of the safety equipment. Yeah, GM has a bias. But it's still likely to be heavier & so takes more fuel to move. But human life is important and injuries have an impact on the environment - medical equipment, chemical waste, etc.

I keep or help keep several 240s on the road. They didn't qualify as clunkers during the 2008 government program. 22-26 MPG isn't very good these days. The emissions are probably high relative to mid-2000s cars. I don't drive much.

Would I be a better carbon citizen if I traded the 240 on a new car? I have trouble believing that the environment would be better served by my adding a car to the driving pool. But, again, it would take a lot of math.

Net though, I don't kid myself by believing that I'm doing the world an environmental favor in my 240. I drive it because it's cheap & reliable; and it can be banged up and not look too trashy.

For the record, I think I'm contributing more by not spending $100s each Xmas at Wal-Mart et al for things that people will discard in a few months. 1/2 of some retail sales are between Thanksgiving & Xmas. I'd probably look there, at the clothing industry worldwide, and at America's pathetic public transport systems before I worried about folks driving around in 240s.

And, same as you, I'm staying inside in the OH snow.
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240s: 2 drivers and some parts cars

I don't know where the myth of re-use came from as applied to automobiles. The danger from old cars is not mitigated by the fact "it's already built". The danger is emissions. The carbon monoxide standard for a car built in the early 1970's was about 2.5% of exhaust gas volume. For a modern car, 2010 model, Volvo, Honda, Toyota etc. it's about .001%. Big difference. So your old car will produce the same CO as about 2500 new cars. For HC and NOx it's about the same.
I'm not opposed to older specialty vehicles - my work depends on them. However they should be maintained carefully to keep their emissions as low as possible. But there is no way that they can be made as clean as today's standards. Keep old vehicles because they are interesting and fun, but not because they serve some "green" purpose.

Indeed, I think driving an old Volvo can be a good part of a Green lifestyle. I think the more miles that are on one makes it greener still- everyday it is reuse, reuse, reuse. No new energy is used to produce new vehicles for my family, and as long as I can keep them safe and on the road no energy is used to recycle them either.

I try to keep all of our Volvos in good tune. While SW Ohio no longer has the eCheck it was not difficult to keep the cars legal with a little time and effort along with help from the Brickboard.

I recycle all of the used fluids they generate. With my eye to safety I try to squeeze all the mileage I can out of the fuel they burn and the tires they wear.

I buy project cars that normally might have gone to the crusher and make every effort to return them to the road. When I purchase a car that is beyond reasonable hope (or actually drive it to that point) I strip off what useable parts I can in hopes of using them to save another needy Volvo.

Perhaps the greenest part of my efforts end up in my wallet :-)

Randy

My '76 245 (second Volvo) was definitely green, with tan interior.

I say YES.

I say Longer Cycle times on All equipment and appliances is Greener then the New Gas efficient/ Electric efficient appliances that last 5 years then have to be very costly and inefficient to break down through recycling to make another 5 year piece of junk.
The Gov't and big companies enjoy the constant Sales of this junk. Has nothing to do with 'Green'
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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html

Hi,


How many miles in a typical life cycle for a modern recall car? 100k? Remeber, Chrystler recalled 350K minivans today because of ‘‘Accidental’’ airbag deployment, which is just perfect for taking the kids to school. Recall Notice

If you’ve gone 200k then the energy used to make your old car becomes substantially less significant, thereby reducing your green effect with every mile.

I found that my 1977 Volvo 264 GL with it’s refurbished B23F engine puts out substantially less emissions then a new car, and esspecialy those here in Albuquerque, who have forgotten what maintenance is, through primarily financial functions.

I Failed My Emission Test (Goal) - Don’t Make the Same Mistake!

The above may be only true for me, and I expect your car might choke the neighbors newborn verily. Some auto aficionados have nothing but disdain for emissions output, as they are only interested in the fast and flash of a joke mobile (see carburetor). When the pretty little fake plastic cracks they have a tantrum and call it an atrocity, instead of worrying about the who and what of others as they drive.

So to answer your question, is your old Volvo green? - You tell me!


Goatman