So, I found this at 6:00 in the morning in the paper at an amazing price. I could not resist, so I wated to eight and called the guy. I wasn't expecting much, went to look at it, drove it and bought it. I was supposed to sell it at the end of the summer as I "already have to many cars" but I like it and it is a nice ride. This is known as the "grandpa series" volvo. I think it actualy a pretty good cross of BMW handleing/quality and Cadillac confort.

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y206/mrbrickdriver/?action=view&current=Picture008.jpg

It looks like you hit the jackpot!!! The Volvo there looks like a 1987-1992 740 turbo (or non turbo) B230F 112hp (with the non turbo) wagon.

They are absolutely fantiastic little cars. They are built with Swedish reliability, quality, durability, tough Swedish steel, and are incredibly long lived and will go for hundreds of thousands of miles. They even have a high mileage badge program like Mercedes and you can get the first grille badge at 100,000 miles.

They have the best seats in the business, controls logically placed, are economical to run, with parts reasonably priced, get good gas mileage, and are roomy and comfortable. With their incredible 34' turning radius, they are amazingly nimble in handling and parking situations.

The drawbacks are that the headliner adhesive is "environmentally friendly" and degrades over time; like wise, the plastic in the same way, especially around the seat frames and door pockets, degrades and crumbles over time for the same reason.

Also any of them with the letter "6" in the model nomenclature, such as the 260, 760 etc. were troublesome, particularly those engines built with French collaboration (sorry!!! for choice of word)

While some people deride them as "looking like the box they came in", there is a cult built around them, too.

They are lots of resources for them, the famous parts house www.ipdusa.com in Portland, is a great source of aftermarket parts and even performance, lighting and suspension upgrades for them. Plus, they have a cool free newsletter with old and new Volvo car news highlighted.

www.brickboard.com and www.sweedspeed.com and great forums and online resources for them, with great people willing to help with questions.

factory's homage to the first of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSZLSfBDyhs

They are even seriously modified and souped up, especially in Sweden.

The legendary 530 hp Volvo 740 from the maniacs at www.streetpower.se:

"Och skapligt med ladtryck is the $hit"!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbHEPbS9ZeU

And there is a company based in New England called Converse Engineering (I think) that specializes in putting in souped up Ford 302 V8 engines in them to make them the ultimate stealth wagon hot rods.

It is reported that celebrities like Paul Newman and David Letterman bought them.

Grandpa cars??? No effin' way!!! Enjoy your Volvo!!!

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Talk about impulse buy...

Its very nice. I would totally drive one

No way is that an old man car. After all, there are certain things you can do in that large area in the back.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

I got a '98 MB wagon a few months ago - can't believe I never bought a wagon prior to this. I'm now a believer.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

I had a '61 Volvo Penta 544.

4spd, synchro'd, blue-printed and balanced B1800 engine...

That little 6V bugger could roll with the best of the them.

But, I had to sell her due to the fact that my finances (piss-poor paying job) couldn't keep up with the cost of some of the maintenance items.

(The parts were sold by the local Mercedes dealership, in Oshkosh, at the time..."Volvo parts at Mercedes prices..." This place is where I first heard the phrase, "If you have to ask what the price is, you can't really afford it.")

I miss that car...

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

Beware rust on the MacPherson struts. I had one where the shock tube just about rusted away to nothing. Those rubber boots around the top hold mud and breed tin-worms

NH, if you think that's an old-guy car, try driving a Buick. You'll hear more "Where's your white belt and shoes?" and "Ain't it time for your nap?" jokes than you can count. (Actually, in my case, I'm the one making those jokes.) Pay no attention until your Volvo's cruise control begins to steer you toward the local bingo parlor.

It looks like a superb car, with an elegant color combination. Congrats!

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* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino