How much money to put into a 1993 240?

I have a 1993 240 wagon, which I love. The body is sound, without any
rust problems. But there are several things that the car needs to
have done to bring it fully up to speed, to the tune of just north of
$2000. My question to other 240 lovers is, now much money would you
put into your 240 wagon before you'd feel like you were throwing your
money away? The thing is, even if I decided not to do the repairs and
instead get another car, I'd just start shopping for another 1993 240
wagon. So is it more prudent to just invest in the 240 I have?
Feedback would be welcome. Thanks.

Patricia Butler wrote:
> I have a 1993 240 wagon, which I love. The body is sound, without any
> rust problems. But there are several things that the car needs to
> have done to bring it fully up to speed, to the tune of just north of
> $2000. My question to other 240 lovers is, now much money would you
> put into your 240 wagon before you'd feel like you were throwing your
> money away? The thing is, even if I decided not to do the repairs and
> instead get another car, I'd just start shopping for another 1993 240
> wagon. So is it more prudent to just invest in the 240 I have?
> Feedback would be welcome. Thanks.



IMO as much as it takes, as long as the body is solid and the car isn't
rusty. 1993 was the last year they made the 240, so *any* 240 you find
will be at least that old. The things that wear out or break on any 240
will likely be worn out or broken on another one, and it's not
unreasonable to drop $2K taking care of all the neglected maintenance on
any older used car you get. Don't worry about the cost vs the value of
the car unless you intend to sell it. Generally speaking a car is not an
investment, you are paying money to have transportation. Look at it this
way, the cheapest new car you could get, some crappy Kia or something
would cost at least $8K. Put half that into fixing up a nice 240 and
you'll have a FAR superior car. Buy a brand new car in the same class as
a Volvo and the value will drop more than $2K the moment you drive it
off the lot. You don't have to dump a fortune into it at once, just make
a list of things it needs, prioritize, and then peck away at it a little
each month and you'll have a car that keeps getting nicer with age. Take
good care of the cosmetics because those are getting hard to find, the
mechanical bits are still readily available. If you keep it long enough
it might even be a valuable classic some day. Few cars are as
recognizable as a 240 wagon.

On Jul 23, 11:23*am, Patricia Butler <pbutler...@aol.com> wrote:
> I have a 1993 240 wagon, which I love. *The body is sound, without any
> rust problems. *But there are several things that the car needs to
> have done to bring it fully up to speed, to the tune of just north of
> $2000. *My question to other 240 lovers is, now much money would you
> put into your 240 wagon before you'd feel like you were throwing your
> money away? *The thing is, even if I decided not to do the repairs and
> instead get another car, I'd just start shopping for another 1993 240
> wagon. *So is it more prudent to just invest in the 240 I have?
> Feedback would be welcome. *Thanks.

What work does it need, who said 2000, how many miles on it, does it
burn oil? If it was a dealer then my experiance is the price is 50% to
high and 50% of the work is not always needed. A local independant is
best. But if its just brakes, tires, struts, belts, hoses, oils,
plugs, then just do it as on any used car it will be the same and its
just regular maintanance. On a car that old with many miles a
compression test is a good idea to know what kind of engine life is
left

In article
<66ab2b0d-b675-4c9a-b62b-(E-Mail Removed)>,
Patricia Butler <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I have a 1993 240 wagon, which I love. The body is sound, without
> any rust problems. But there are several things that the car needs
> to have done to bring it fully up to speed, to the tune of just north
> of $2000. My question to other 240 lovers is, now much money would
> you put into your 240 wagon before you'd feel like you were throwing
> your money away? The thing is, even if I decided not to do the
> repairs and instead get another car, I'd just start shopping for
> another 1993 240 wagon. So is it more prudent to just invest in the
> 240 I have? Feedback would be welcome. Thanks.

I just went through this self-discussion. $2000 is $167 a month. Can
you find a new or low-mileage used car for a payment of $167 a month?
If you're going to buy another 1993 245, you'll still probably have to
put $2000 into it...

I fixed my 1990 240 instead. And have a bit left to do among things I
know about (new strut mounts, replace the hood release cable which broke
at the lever end, replace a few trim pieces in the interior and on the
body around the bumper).

--
That'll put marzipan in your pie plate, Bingo.

On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:23:54 -0700 (PDT), Patricia Butler
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have a 1993 240 wagon, which I love. The body is sound, without any
>rust problems. But there are several things that the car needs to
>have done to bring it fully up to speed, to the tune of just north of
>$2000. My question to other 240 lovers is, now much money would you
>put into your 240 wagon before you'd feel like you were throwing your
>money away? The thing is, even if I decided not to do the repairs and
>instead get another car, I'd just start shopping for another 1993 240
>wagon. So is it more prudent to just invest in the 240 I have?
>Feedback would be welcome. Thanks.


i recently had to shoot Dagmar (my 1976 245) -- well 7 years ago. it
was traumatic. the mechanicals were all doable, but he had become
"special". if the interior & exterior are all good, keep it, but
realize that you have reached the point when cost of operation will
just rise. there have been no Volvos built since 2000, but some of
those are really nice & cheaper than a Kia. i stole my 2000 r from a
toyota dealer (would a realota dealer have had better security?). he
had no idea what he had & i was first. sometimes it pays to get up @
4:00 am.

i know this is emotional. get a newer Volvo for transportation.
private sales of cars are cheap right now, but here are some thoughts.
put your 240 out to pasture. drive him on weekends & slowly restore
him. he WILL become a classic. give him to a younger friend or
relative & when they wrap him around a tree just be happy they were
driving a Volvo.

"Patricia Butler" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:66ab2b0d-b675-4c9a-b62b-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have a 1993 240 wagon, which I love. The body is sound, without any
> rust problems. But there are several things that the car needs to
> have done to bring it fully up to speed, to the tune of just north of
> $2000. My question to other 240 lovers is, now much money would you
> put into your 240 wagon before you'd feel like you were throwing your
> money away? The thing is, even if I decided not to do the repairs and
> instead get another car, I'd just start shopping for another 1993 240
> wagon. So is it more prudent to just invest in the 240 I have?
> Feedback would be welcome. Thanks.

With most other cars I would have said ' better the devil you know' if it's
not too bad.
But with a 240 I say 'better the angel ( ugh - couldn't think of a better
word in this context ) you know'.

If the bodywork is good as you say there is no question as to what you
should do.
Consider yourself privileged that you have such a good car and spend what is
needed ( over time as you prioritise what is needed ).

I have 2 x 1988 240 GL's and both are daily drivers for my wife and myself
and I've had each several years.
Most parts are easily available and there is a good fount of knowledge on
them on the Internet, especially Volvo forums.
I do most of the repairs ( not many needed ) and maintenance myself with
very occasional use of a mobile mechanic across the road for things I need
help on.
If you are not able to look after it yourself find yourself a GOOD mechanic
or car enthusiast to do it for you.
They are quite easy on the maintenance front - buy yourself a Heynes or
Bentley manual - your occasional use of a mechanic would have a guide to use
then.
( Dare I say it ) - get yourself some overalls and a good tool kit too -
their cost will be refunded many times.

Here in the UK old Volvo's ( esp 240's ) are much cheaper to buy than in the
US.
Compare 240 auctions on eBay.com ( USA ) and eBay.co.uk and you will see we
are quite fortunate here in the UK where ( to many, many misguided souls ) a
240 is thought of an old man's car.
Also petrol is much more expensive here which reduces their appeal. But
petrol is only 1 part of the cost of car ownership, TCO is what you should
look at.
Though they have seemed to be rising in value somewhat recently.

My first 244GL which I bought in 1982 was a 1977 model and I paid £1800 for
it privately.
It was an Auto with leather interior and sun roof etc and was top spec in
1977.
I had it 13 years with just 1 expensivish repair in that time and sold it in
1995 for £180 still running well.
I bough a different Volvo, one of the non Swedish ones ( those cars are
different ), a 360GLT ( don't think you had them in the states ), then a 440
Xi ( again non Swedish ).
They don't last like the 240's do.
I sold the 440 and replaced it with a 4 years older 240 in much, much better
condition, that was a good move.
The 240 Auto I bought in 1994ish to replace the 440 cost me £250 ( that's
not a misprint ) and was in excellent condition.
I had to replace the headlamp reflectors but the remaining expenditure over
the following 6 years was just for regular maintenance items.

May I suggest you join the forum at the UK Volvo owners club ( it's free and
there are many international members ).
You will find any help you need there by just posting your query. ( I'm
c_lee on that forum ).

If it has good bodywork as most do - keep it.

I think I should stop now, I'm sounding like a fanatic.

>
> Here in the UK old Volvo's ( esp 240's ) are much cheaper to buy than in the
> US.
> Compare 240 auctions on eBay.com ( USA ) and eBay.co.uk and you will see we
> are quite fortunate here in the UK where ( to many, many misguided souls ) a
> 240 is thought of an old man's car.
> Also petrol is much more expensive here which reduces their appeal. But
> petrol is only 1 part of the cost of car ownership, TCO is what you should
> look at.
> Though they have seemed to be rising in value somewhat recently.
>



Used cars in the UK seem to go for peanuts in general, not just Volvos.
Beats me why they devalue so quickly over there, but then American cars
do that here, at just a year or two old they tend to be worth a fraction
of their original cost.

As for the fuel economy, a well maintained 240 with a manual gearbox can
do better than 30mpg (US Gal), it compares favorably with many modern
cars, especially for a midsize luxury car.

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:11:07 -0700, James Sweet
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>>
>> Here in the UK old Volvo's ( esp 240's ) are much cheaper to buy than in the
>> US.
>> Compare 240 auctions on eBay.com ( USA ) and eBay.co.uk and you will see we
>> are quite fortunate here in the UK where ( to many, many misguided souls ) a
>> 240 is thought of an old man's car.
>> Also petrol is much more expensive here which reduces their appeal. But
>> petrol is only 1 part of the cost of car ownership, TCO is what you should
>> look at.
>> Though they have seemed to be rising in value somewhat recently.
>>
>
>
>
>Used cars in the UK seem to go for peanuts in general, not just Volvos.
>Beats me why they devalue so quickly over there, but then American cars
>do that here, at just a year or two old they tend to be worth a fraction
>of their original cost.
>
>As for the fuel economy, a well maintained 240 with a manual gearbox can
>do better than 30mpg (US Gal), it compares favorably with many modern
>cars, especially for a midsize luxury car.


It's weather & salt. CA has neither. my last two volvos were assembled
in Halifax & Ghent. i have driven a 360 but not in the US or CN they
do not meet the safety or EPA standards. the 240 is already a classic,
but so is the 544 & the 1900 & wouldn't drive either day to day. the
best actual Volvo that you can still buy is based on an 850 platform
-- e.g. an 850 or v70. still cheap, luxurious (hell i have a race car
& until i rip them all out she has all leather seating & a seven
speaker stereo. wicked pissa.)

uk cars are also cheaper beacause no one else drives assbackwards.

On Jul 23, 1:53*pm, James Sweet <jamesrsw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Patricia Butler wrote:
> > I have a 1993 240 wagon, which I love. *The body is sound, without any
> > rust problems. *But there are several things that the car needs to
> > have done to bring it fully up to speed, to the tune of just north of
> > $2000. *My question to other 240 lovers is, now much money would you
> > put into your 240 wagon before you'd feel like you were throwing your
> > money away? *The thing is, even if I decided not to do the repairs and
> > instead get another car, I'd just start shopping for another 1993 240
> > wagon. *So is it more prudent to just invest in the 240 I have?
> > Feedback would be welcome. *Thanks.
>
> IMO as much as it takes, as long as the body is solid and the car isn't
> rusty. 1993 was the last year they made the 240, so *any* 240 you find
> will be at least that old. The things that wear out or break on any 240
> will likely be worn out or broken on another one, and it's not
> unreasonable to drop $2K taking care of all the neglected maintenance on
> any older used car you get. Don't worry about the cost vs the value of
> the car unless you intend to sell it. Generally speaking a car is not an
> investment, you are paying money to have transportation. Look at it this
> way, the cheapest new car you could get, some crappy Kia or something
> would cost at least $8K. Put half that into fixing up a nice 240 and
> you'll have a FAR superior car. Buy a brand new car in the same class as
> a Volvo and the value will drop more than $2K the moment you drive it
> off the lot. You don't have to dump a fortune into it at once, just make
> a list of things it needs, prioritize, and then peck away at it a little
> each month and you'll have a car that keeps getting nicer with age. Take
> good care of the cosmetics because those are getting hard to find, the
> mechanical bits are still readily available. If you keep it long enough
> it might even be a valuable classic some day. Few cars are as
> recognizable as a 240 wagon.

Thank you! That sounds very reasonable to me (and not just because
it's pretty much my same thinking!). I finished $1100 of the repairs
this week, and will start chipping away at the other $1400 or so over
the rest of the year. If I can keep the body up, I think it'll be
worth the investment.

On Jul 25, 9:29*pm, Richard W Langbauer <rwlangba...@sonic.net> wrote:
> On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:11:07 -0700, James Sweet
>
>
>
>
>
> <jamesrsw...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> Here in the UK old Volvo's ( esp 240's ) are much cheaper to buy than in the
> >> US.
> >> Compare 240 auctions on eBay.com ( USA ) and eBay.co.uk and you will see we
> >> are quite fortunate here in the UK where ( to many, many misguided souls ) a
> >> 240 is thought of an old man's car.
> >> Also petrol is much more expensive here which reduces their appeal. But
> >> petrol is only 1 part of the cost of car ownership, TCO is what you should
> >> look at.
> >> Though they have seemed to be rising in value somewhat recently.
>
> >Used cars in the UK seem to go for peanuts in general, not just Volvos.
> >Beats me why they devalue so quickly over there, but then American cars
> >do that here, at just a year or two old they tend to be worth a fraction
> >of their original cost.
>
> >As for the fuel economy, a well maintained 240 with a manual gearbox can
> >do better than 30mpg (US Gal), it compares favorably with many modern
> >cars, especially for a midsize luxury car.
>
> It's weather & salt. CA has neither. my last two volvos were assembled
> in Halifax & Ghent. i have driven a 360 but not in the US or CN they
> do not meet the safety or EPA standards. the 240 is already a classic,
> but so is the 544 & the 1900 & wouldn't drive either day to day. the
> best actual Volvo that you can still buy is based on an 850 platform
> -- e.g. an 850 or v70. still cheap, luxurious (hell i have a race car
> & until i rip them all out she has all leather seating & a seven
> speaker stereo. wicked pissa.)
>
> uk cars are also cheaper beacause no one else drives assbackwards.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thank you all so much for your input, which is valuable. I'm not the
kind of person who would ever do the mechanical work myself, but I do
have a good garage I trust -- Rolf's Foreign Auto in Evanston, IL, if
you want to look up their reviews -- and they've taken care of all my
240s. (Wow, I'm watching TV as I do this, and a Target commercial
just came on with a mother dropping off her kids at school -- in a 240
wagon! Target is anti-SUV! I now love them forever!)

Here is a list of things Rolf's thinks my car needs to have done.

1. Timing Belt Job (Replace timing belt, tensioner, front engine
seals; replace broken upper timing belt cover) – $588
2. Replace valve cover gasket -- $98
3. Replace upper and lower radiator hose (add fresh fluid, bleed
system, check for leaks [none found]) -- $49
4. Replace cracked A/C belt (no charge)
5. Front pads and rotors - $449
6. Rear shocks rusted and leaking - $340 for both
7. Transmission needs to be serviced – $130
8. Brake fluid flush – $135
9. New spark plugs – $79
10. Steam clean engine compartment due to oil leaks – $78
11. Air filter needs to be replaced - $52
12. Upper/lower radiator hoses have soft spots - replace - $135
13. Fan shroud broken – check replacement part price
14. Lower Splash shield broken - check replacement part price

Of these, I've already had done #1-4 which, with parts and labor (and
minus a $100 coupon I had), came out to a combined total of $1041.18.
The rest of the prices listed, #5-12, is their estimate of total price
to have these items done.
I'll get the rest of the list done by the end of the year, and pretty
much in the order they're listed, starting with #5, the front brakes.

Thanks again to everyone for your input. I really appreciate it.

Patricia