1982 242 Turbo - Worth anything?

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BobDole

I've been kinda hanging on to it and fixing things... here's the
status:


1982 242 Turbo
Body has lots of dings and needs paint as the clearcoat has started to
peel.
Very little superficial rust on left rear fender.
Needs rack seals.
Moonroof leaks during hurricanes. Needs to be redone.
Cracked dashboard.
Wiring harness is going...no problems yet, but visual inspection
displays cracking/breakdown.
Power locks dead.
Right power mirror dead due to impact <g>

And my biggest problem - the cast-iron housing that connects the turbo
to the exhaust has cracked.


New pressure-plate, clutch disc.
New rotors.
New front shocks.
Seats have been redone professionally, and look great.
Turbo is intercooled and works properly.
Power windows work.
A/C is cold.

The previous owner replaced the tranny, I haven't looked at what he
replaced it WITH, but 1st gear seems a bit short... they used to tow a
jet ski with the car.


Is this thing worth anything? I hate to get rid of it, since it has
never given me any reliability problems. But I may have to soon, since
I may move.
Any insight is appreciated.
 
Ever think what it would do with a 4.6 or 5.0 ford in it?
Less then $6k!
 
I've been kinda hanging on to it and fixing things... here's the
status:


1982 242 Turbo
Body has lots of dings and needs paint as the clearcoat has started to
peel.
Very little superficial rust on left rear fender.
Needs rack seals.
Moonroof leaks during hurricanes. Needs to be redone.
Cracked dashboard.
Wiring harness is going...no problems yet, but visual inspection
displays cracking/breakdown.
Power locks dead.
Right power mirror dead due to impact <g>

And my biggest problem - the cast-iron housing that connects the turbo
to the exhaust has cracked.


New pressure-plate, clutch disc.
New rotors.
New front shocks.
Seats have been redone professionally, and look great.
Turbo is intercooled and works properly.
Power windows work.
A/C is cold.

The previous owner replaced the tranny, I haven't looked at what he
replaced it WITH, but 1st gear seems a bit short... they used to tow a
jet ski with the car.


Is this thing worth anything? I hate to get rid of it, since it has
never given me any reliability problems. But I may have to soon, since
I may move.
Any insight is appreciated.
Click to expand...


Hard to say without seeing it, I have a particular liking to 242 Turbos,
such neat cars, but that one is really sounding like a parts car.
Especially if it has an aftermarket moon roof, the factor sunroofs are
decent but anything added after the fact always seems like a hack to me.

If someone had a nice straight 242 this thing has lots of nice stuff
that could be transferred over though.

Oh yeah, there were a couple different ratios of 1st gear on the M46
trannies, but the 240 Turbos all had a fairly short rear end to
compensate for the lack of low end torque before the boost comes up.
 
Steve said:
Ever think what it would do with a 4.6 or 5.0 ford in it?
Less then $6k!
Click to expand...

Why would anyone put $6K into the motor of a car with crappy paint and
lots of dings which already has a good motor in it?
 
James Sweet said:
Why would anyone put $6K into the motor of a car with crappy paint and
lots of dings which already has a good motor in it?
Click to expand...

Read carefully:

300 HP
Car no one would suspect
300 HP
20 MPG
Click to expand...
300HP
Ford (read cheep and very available) engine parts
300 HP

Oh, by the way...300HP
 
Steve said:
Read carefully:

300 HP
Car no one would suspect
300 HP


300HP
Ford (read cheep and very available) engine parts
300 HP

Oh, by the way...300HP
Click to expand...

But why not splurge the extra grand and get a Volvo in great physical
condition? It won't attract any more attention than a beat up one,
probably less.
 
It sounds like you are at the proverbial crossroads.

I guess it depends on whether you LIKE the car, and how handy you are
with a wrench.

These cars should not be owned by people who are not competent shade
tree mechanics, as they are pretty high maintenance.

I know: I have an '82 Turbo, but unlike yours, mine's been refurbished,
rebuilt and impeccably maintained...by me.

When they are well-maintained, they're great.
 
It sounds like you are at the proverbial crossroads.

I guess it depends on whether you LIKE the car, and how handy you are
with a wrench.

These cars should not be owned by people who are not competent shade
tree mechanics, as they are pretty high maintenance.

I know: I have an '82 Turbo, but unlike yours, mine's been refurbished,
rebuilt and impeccably maintained...by me.

When they are well-maintained, they're great.
Click to expand...


I'll agree there, they're fantastic cars. The maintenance issue is
mostly the fact that the newest ones are 22 years old, good car but
there *will* be some tinkering needed unless one has been restored from
the ground up.
 
Due to their age, and the turbo, frequent mechanical ministration /
tinkering is a fact of life for Volvo turbos.

You can count on frequent issues coming up in relation to the turbo,
usually oil leaks.

Intake leaks can be a constant haunt, and of course the wiring
harnesses wear out due to oil contamination and heat, causing numerous
issues.

There will always be the usual wear and tear and replacement of hard
parts such as suspension bits, steering rack, and U-joints.

All of this can be corrected by a professional mechanic, of course, but
the cost of repair and maintenance can be prohibitive, given the lack
of underlying long term value or "collecibility" of the marque.

I love my Turbo, warts and all, and as a big man (6' 5", 245 pounds) it
is one of the few vehicles with sporting pretensions that I can fit
comfortably in.

"You pays your money, and you makes your choices."
 
But why not splurge the extra grand and get a Volvo in great physical
condition? It won't attract any more attention than a beat up one,
probably less.
Click to expand...

It would be awesome to do that engine swap, and a lot of fun!
I don't have the funds to do the engine swap though, or I'd jump on
it...

:)
 
Thank you all for the polite and informative replies, methinks I'll be
putting it in the paper for $400 and pass it on to someone who has
more time and money than me or needs a parts car... I hate to get rid
of it, I love the damn thing... but its been sitting a while and its
time to move on...
 
The paper is OK, but the best way is probably to post it for free
online on craigslist.

Post a photo with it, if possible, and the response will surprise you.
 
The paper is OK, but the best way is probably to post it for free
online on craigslist.

Post a photo with it, if possible, and the response will surprise you.
Click to expand...


I would second that if you're in the right area, craigslist in my area
is hopping, I've checked out some other places out of curiosity and
fount it to be mostly dead. As you say though it's free to post there so
it's worth a shot.
 
James Sweet said:
But why not splurge the extra grand and get a Volvo in great physical
condition? It won't attract any more attention than a beat up one,
probably less.
Click to expand...

LOL no reason at all!
 
Due to their age, and the turbo, frequent mechanical ministration /
tinkering is a fact of life for Volvo turbos.

You can count on frequent issues coming up in relation to the turbo,
usually oil leaks.

Intake leaks can be a constant haunt, and of course the wiring
harnesses wear out due to oil contamination and heat, causing numerous
issues.

There will always be the usual wear and tear and replacement of hard
parts such as suspension bits, steering rack, and U-joints.

All of this can be corrected by a professional mechanic, of course, but
the cost of repair and maintenance can be prohibitive, given the lack
of underlying long term value or "collecibility" of the marque.

I love my Turbo, warts and all, and as a big man (6' 5", 245 pounds) it
is one of the few vehicles with sporting pretensions that I can fit
comfortably in.

"You pays your money, and you makes your choices."
Click to expand...
You're right on most points with one exception. The Turbos used on
Volvos of that vintage are extremely robust. My '84 that I bought
new...granted, it only has 139K on the clock has only had Mobil 1 since
the first change and the turbo is in REALLY fine shape. There are other
components that go bad even without mileage...parts that deteriorate
just by "being there", namely the upper rubber mounts. I was shocked to
look at the upper mounts the other day and observe that they are
SEVERELY cracked and probably ready to punch through. I'll probably have
it flat-bedded into my favorite independent Volvo service guy although
the dealer (Volvo of Las Vegas) really wants to see it. I don't want
those guys even laying a finger on my pristine, 2 door silver turbo. In
22 years, I haven't had my 200 Turbo in the shop as I have had my '03
XC70. On my 200 Turbo, I'm only on my second set of brakes, and third
set of tires. I bleed the brake system every two years like clockwork.
If you want to know the truth, I want to be buried in my 200. There's
nobody on the face of the Earth that I want to will it to.
 
I agree that the turbos used are well made, and with regular
maintenance should last over 100K before needing replacement.

The problems I was thinking of are more of the nuisance type, such as
leaks in the turbo's oil lines, rotting wiring (often from oil leaks
having cooked through the sheath), motor or trans mounts failing: the
list goes on and on.

In part this is a credit to the car, as they can last so very long if
well-maintained.
 
I've been kinda hanging on to it and fixing things... here's the
status:


1982 242 Turbo
Body has lots of dings and needs paint as the clearcoat has started to
peel.
Very little superficial rust on left rear fender.
Needs rack seals.
Moonroof leaks during hurricanes. Needs to be redone.
Cracked dashboard.
Wiring harness is going...no problems yet, but visual inspection
displays cracking/breakdown.
Power locks dead.
Right power mirror dead due to impact <g>

And my biggest problem - the cast-iron housing that connects the turbo
to the exhaust has cracked.


New pressure-plate, clutch disc.
New rotors.
New front shocks.
Seats have been redone professionally, and look great.
Turbo is intercooled and works properly.
Power windows work.
A/C is cold.

The previous owner replaced the tranny, I haven't looked at what he
replaced it WITH, but 1st gear seems a bit short... they used to tow a
jet ski with the car.


Is this thing worth anything? I hate to get rid of it, since it has
never given me any reliability problems. But I may have to soon, since
I may move.
Any insight is appreciated.
Click to expand...

No, it's worth nothing. Shame on you for ownership. I command that you
immediately deliver it to my home in Oregon at no cost to me in order to
return the universe to a state of harmonious balance!

Seriously though, do you really need the $400? I vote for keeping it as a
plaything. You won't regret keeping it but you'll probably regret selling
it.
 
No, it's worth nothing. Shame on you for ownership. I command that you
immediately deliver it to my home in Oregon at no cost to me in order to
return the universe to a state of harmonious balance!

Seriously though, do you really need the $400? I vote for keeping it as a
plaything. You won't regret keeping it but you'll probably regret selling
it.
Click to expand...

As an owner of a PARKED 240 turbo (an '83 4-door) I can definitely
sympathize with you. Mine is in better shape that what you've
described but not that much better. Ontario winters have taken a toll
with rust on the leading and trailing edges of the doors and my
biggest hassle is vacuum rather than electrical issues (same worms,
different can).

Although there are many ambitious plans being hoisted (engine swap,
body work, paint or full "vehicle wrap") the car is sitting in my
brother-in-law's driveway and slowly dissolving. This is its second
winter undriven and, although I might regret selling it, I'm starting
to feel that I might regret needlessly hoarding an opportunity and
cheating a future owner of more years of enjoyment that I clearly am
not working towards with this car.

Now if I can convince the wife to let it go...

blurp
 
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