Here is a link to the craigslist posting. Please help me with any advice as I'm headed his way this afternoon to look at it http://asheville.craigslist.org/cto/4353112830.html

Good luck. I hope the car works out for you.

its worth something just nothing close to whats being asked and based upon the ad i suspect the owner thinks he has something special even though he's driven to the moon and is halfway back

you'll seldom get a proper/good deal from any owner who thinks what they are selling is special and by implication immune from market forces

We have reached a point with 240s where most of them require all the work and maintenance of any classic car, meaning that as long as you are prepared and able to do things like transmission swaps and engine rebuilds, they're all pretty much the same. What I look for now is a straight, rust free body, good paint, and a very good interior.

The auto transmission is one of the huge weak points in 240s now, in my opinion. They are all high mileage, no low-mile junkyard swaps to be found. If the car shifts perfectly, that alone is a big plus.

Paint looks bad on that one, I see at least one dent, interior looks good. I might buy it if it is rust free and perfectly drivable, but don't think I'd pay more than $1000. But then, I have bought five 240s for less than $400, one of them in great shape and two of them perfectly drivable. The market varies with time and location.

A solid 245 body is getting harder to find and if that is what you covet, it may be worth the asking price to you. Wagons command higher prices.

Be prepared to spend another $1000 in the next year fixing things. I can almost guarantee you will find many little things to fix.

Just some thoughts.

My knee jerk reaction... PASS.

340k would be too many miles for me, regardless of maintenance records. OK. Sure, it looks like most every single major part has been replaced at some point, so you could almost call it a restoration. ???

If I were looking at a 245, I'd want to plan for at least another 100k miles of driving. So that'd be 440k on that 245.

Sorry for being negative. I just think a high mileage car with all major components replaced is not the same as a medium mileage car with factory parts...

I think he should get it or sell for that value on the basis of just what you said....

For 1,700 dollars you can not find a newer car today with half the mileage and not be guaranteed as many if not more problems and have less still.

Expense....you are probably going find a 2000 model year for that money. Same paint problem and a ratted out interior and the same "ole" play of "its the insurance "market" claimed blue book value."

When you "look around" and see what money really buys nowadays. We need to start paying up more for what these cars should be valued at! As a whole car they are selling too cheap. Just look at the junkyard profits. Hate to guess who they get their cars from....duh! Thieves on both sides, of the term, USED!

The insurance companies and their car fax depreciation scams reminds me of that Drill Sergeant's scene in the movie, Full Metal Jacket. Where He is separating out a recruit, hailing from Texas!

He places the recruit, (in my mind he's the insurance company), doing a shameful thing to someone else. Then the Sargent says, YOU, again the insurance company, won't even give the GUY, us, the common courtesy of a reach around!

That is to, argue that your car is not deserving of this depreciation treatment you are shoving to us! Giving us some value to say, Hold on there, you ain't right!

This damaged car, so it be, is worth more to me, as it will cost lots more to locate (a) or any newer car that is built along its lines. Built for a middle class division of people, but still a little more on the upper crust side of value for this size of car. Even though, it might have been for the yuppies money!

After all, it is a wagon/truck to those who know 'em.
They fit well, run well and still meet emissions they were design for.

I smell those newer cars on hills all the time! Needing their over priced scheduled maintenance tour of a extravagant dealership. Leased or bought, CarFax is there, tracking you every time, except for buying gas!
They leave that pumping for you!

We all know a volvo has nice overall car quality, things were standard, with design of decent simplicity and reliability. It was ahead of any domestic car of its time. Even now, as far as it goes in weighing things out against the new touted "whiz bam, thank you mam" technology, that will only last a couple years before its obsolete, it meets its goals! Try to buy a new car, with just the necessities, without having to get those added on "savings" packages!

If I didn't have four already and it was on the opposite coast than it is, I would give it a drive-by with cash in hand. The last car I bought was a 91 sedan 182k for $3,000 almost ten years ago. I had too beat off another person who was going to buy it if I did not... We both had cash!
A friend said the other day he would give that right now despite the now 250k mileage. Its Like money was the bank with the same interest rate though!

Would I sell it? No! If I had to look around, I'd get sick just talking to a sales person, new or used! Liars, all of them!

The winds of time are changing and the sand is shifting to fill in the bottom side! New cars are considered over priced let alone without all the "up" charges down the road.
Used Volvo's are inflation & tax fighters and quietly good at it makes them more valuable!

I heard that term "up charge" used in a funeral/cremation commercial. Some time to get uppity! What could be up about that purchase? I might have to shop around early for a oven time slot!

Appreciate these limited amount of cars left a little more. They deserve better! Seen many good running eighties or even nineties domestic cars lately? They made millions of them by comparison.

Jeez, you would think I elected myself to be a spokesperson for old Volvo's?
Just My Humble Opinions here folks!

Phil

Thanks so much for all the great advice. I took a look at it and it sounded and looked pretty darn great for what it was. When buying a car over 200k I've been told you're buying the owner more than the car. This owner was legit. He goes to all the conventions, knows every little detail of good old volvo's and took great care of this car. He had 5 other Volvo's in his driveway. One with over 400k. In the end I felt obligated to offer just under the asking price and didn't want to insult him with a lower offer for what he's put into this solid car. Could I have gotten a little less? I'm sure I could. But I bought the owner and I don't regret it. Made the 3 hour drive home through the mountains where it was snowing/sleeting and drove like a beast! I can now say I'm a proud classic 240 owner and look forward to learning all about it through experts here on brickboard. Thanks again!

If there is any car out there that has good odds of making it to 400k or even 500k miles it is a 240.

When I sold my 90 244DL at 300k I felt that the drivetrain (all original) could make it to 400k+. It was all the other stuff breaking that was driving me crazy!

You might consider posting a list of what has been done to the car. To the best of your knowledge, of course! Then us Brickboarders will be able to help you with preventative maintenance etc. The Craigslist posting was deleted before I had a chance to look at it.

Good luck!

This is great to hear.

One thing about being fair in your purchase is that you will have his good karma travel with you.

Take good care of it and it will you!

Did he know of you on the BrickBoard too?

Phil

He didn't know of me on here but I told him I've looked on here. He has offered to help me along my journey with advice and tips to take care of and repair my new pride and joy. (This is the original poster, I just registered so have a different login name)