Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Why can't cars be as simple as this? Safe, reliable and cheap to own?
Because we have a "nanny state" government that wants to (and does) control just about everything that we do.
For my part, I'd like to import a Lada Niva and a Mercedes Vito. But the DOT knows better than me. Millions of Europeans drive these vehicles, but we are just too good for them to be driven here.
I'm researching these things and they look like great cars to have. I would love to know more.
Why can't cars be as simple as this? Safe, reliable and cheap to own?
I have a vintage 240 wagon.
Before you even consider buying one, you need to know that you WILL be constantly working on it. Not big things, necessarily, but constant little things that are typical of a car that is 25+ years old. If you are not mechanically-minded, do NOT buy a vintage Volvo.
So if you are mechanically inclined, and want to spend some time busting your knuckles on a vintage car, be sure you get on some Volvo Tech Forums, like Volvoforums.com, and turbobricks.com.
I'm only interested in the '90-93 models as DDs since they are a little more updated than the older ones from the 80's. I hear the 90's-93 models are good ones to buy but could you confirm that? I wouldn't mind doing SOME DIY work but buying one from the original owner would be great since many of these owners take pride in these cars.
OP - do you use a smarthphone? Listen to MP3s? Trade stocks online? Or do anything else that is the result of tecnology?
The 240 was a landmark vehicle and it still has a small but loyal following. But it was slow (in almost all versions), not luxurious, had none of today's must haves for comfort, not especially efficient or clean burning, and of course looked like a box.
I wish cars had less complexity today. But I do like performance, handling, and some beauty. The 240 doesn't do the things I want in a car.
thought the video was rather humorous, especially when it mentioned "performance" and showed the speedo CREEPING towards 80 kph...and a turbocharger sitting on what looked like a carbed or throttle body injected intake isn't exactly what i'd call modern performance.
As mentioned, I'd definitely be expecting to wrench on the old car. Not because of any type of volvo, but because it's 20+ years old.
As to why they don't make cars like that...they do. You can get vehicles w/o all the optional bells and whistles that make the car commercials. They're also significantly safer, more reliable, and equally cheap to own. Modern Volvo's come to mind, but even more so does the modern Volkswagen .
OP - do you use a smarthphone? Listen to MP3s? Trade stocks online? Or do anything else that is the result of tecnology? Yes I do.
The 240 was a landmark vehicle and it still has a small but loyal following. But it was slow (in almost all versions), not luxurious, had none of today's must haves for comfort, not especially efficient or clean burning, and of course looked like a box. I understand that they are not up to today's standards for cars nowadays and of course they are not Hondas, which are often cop magnets here and stolen for the opposite reasons.
I wish cars had less complexity today. But I do like performance, handling, and some beauty. The 240 doesn't do the things I want in a car.I'm aware it's not a 3 series (and I love those cars too) but my intention for this car is not to take it to a track (although I've seen it done with engine swaps).
thought the video was rather humorous, especially when it mentioned "performance" and showed the speedo CREEPING towards 80 kph...and a turbocharger sitting on what looked like a carbed or throttle body injected intake isn't exactly what i'd call modern performance.
As mentioned, I'd definitely be expecting to wrench on the old car. Not because of any type of volvo, but because it's 20+ years old.
As to why they don't make cars like that...they do. You can get vehicles w/o all the optional bells and whistles that make the car commercials. They're also significantly safer, more reliable, and equally cheap to own. Modern Volvo's come to mind, but even more so does the modern Volkswagen .
I actually liked the little promo video, especially the end where it had the "turbo whine."
I've had both the turbo, and naturally-aspirated engines. The turbo takes their little 4-cylinder from 114 hp to over 150 hp. And that's stock. If you visit "turbobricks.com" you'll find Volvo nuts that are cranking the turbos up to well over 300 hp.
But let's not kid ourselves. Vintage Volvo lovers don't love them because they're state of the art, but because they think they're cool cars.
I'm only interested in the '90-93 models as DDs since they are a little more updated than the older ones from the 80's. I hear the 90's-93 models are good ones to buy but could you confirm that? I wouldn't mind doing SOME DIY work but buying one from the original owner would be great since many of these owners take pride in these cars.
Every vintage had its pros & cons. And every vintage had specific quirks you have to be very careful of. The later model 240s had some really nice things missing on the earlier ones, but they were also more complicated. Kind of a trade-off.
Are you wanting a wagon or a sedan? A sedan will get slightly better mileage, because it's lighter.
A 240 with a manual tranny will get you 26-28 mpg on the highway. One with an automatic will get you 24-25 on the road. If you find a turbo model, plan on dropping 5 mpg off the naturally aspirated model.
I'd drive a Volvo, but since price is not really an issue on these older cars (they are all cheap) why not find yourself a nice Mercedes W126 or W124. They will also be in the $2500-3500 range for a car that looks like new but has 150,000 miles on it. It will also have old technology that ordinary mechanics can work on without a million dollars of tools, only it will be faster and safer. I have four such cars and they are essentially bulletproof. I was driving on the highway today in my 300SEL 1988 with 156,000 miles and it was as quiet as a new car at 80mph. And, everything works. and, when it stops working they can fix it. My last alternator failure was fixed with $32 of brushes and 5 minutes of labor.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.
