Arizona Car: 1980 Volvo 240
Old Volvos have a loyal following, but the reasons among the enthusiasts that love them are multi-faceted. Some owners have had long-term family relationships with Volvos, purchased for their safety and durability. Others are fans of the model’s performance potential, especially the later turbocharged models. This 1980 Volvo 240 coupe listed here on eBay is somewhere in the middle, as it’s a nearly-stock example save for a sweet GT grille. Bidding is sitting at $6,700 with the reserve unmet.
The 240 may now be located in British Columbia, Canada but lived most of its life in sunny and dry Arizona. The bodywork certainly seems to support a desert-based existence, as there doesn’t appear to be a lick of rust anywhere on this car. The listing also notes that the Volvo was treated with “Rust Check” when new, which is the sort of treatment where holes are drilled in the body and a liquid spray protectant is injected into the deepest crevices of the body. There was some rust repair performed near a mudflap mounting location and the seller notes it was done quite well.
The 240 is quite clean inside and out, and despite being the sort of car that absolutely benefits from having three pedals, very few of these cars are equipped that way. Mileage sits at just over 172,000 miles, which makes the interior and exterior condition all the more incredible. The seller notes that most interior controls still work fine, including the heat, horn, wipers, and defroster, but the A/C is inoperative. Still, for a car this age and with almost 175,000 miles, the overall condition of the cabin is excellent.
The list of mechanical repairs is extensive as detailed in the listing. The seller has even replaced a host of parts in the last 30 days, including the tires, timing belt, tensioner, muffler, headlights, and driving lights. Beyond that, most of the other repairs have been made in the last five years, so it seems like the next owner will be getting a turnkey driver with the added bonus of being able to row your own gears in one of the most overbuilt cars ever made.
Comments
A great example. The Bosch CIS fuel injection can be a pain, but not to a degree that will leave you stranded or anything. If Volvo made a retro boxy, simple wagon with 240 styling cues on one of the current platforms, I’d bet it would sell.
Man, it’s nice clean nice Volvo week on BF.
Wish I were in the US. I’d be all over this like Sven on meatballs at an Ikea opening.
This looks like a good one. Add a set of IPD sway bars, a set of Bilstien struts and your ready for canyon carving 101.
I had a carmel colored 79 240DL I bought from the recon manager at the dealer where I worked for $300. The DL in Volvo stood for dull as is no frills wind up windows hubcaps and cloth interior. Mine had A/C but no power steering and a 4-speed with no O/D but I changed all that when I went to a local you pull it yard which was new to our area. I remember lugging that radio flyer wagon on a rocky surface under PA hot and humid sunlight! I got a complete steering conversion with all the fixings and a transmission with O/D with the wiring, and a driveshaft for like $150. Had that car dialed in with H4 headlights and IPD bars and Bilstein struts. Later model 240 interior and 15” wheels with sticky rubber. Got the A/C icebox cold with a new York compressor and fitting Saab 900 radiator fans to increase airflow and pick up a few HP because you needed everything you could get moving a brick. That car made trips to New Hampshire and Ohio and everywhere in between on the east coast. Great cars!
Back in the mid 80’s I had a small one man car lot and only dealt with “odd ball autos” and motorcycles and boats. Toys that I played with were good property. I tried to keep a Volvo or two around at all times, and they paid the light bill. My favorite was an early 142E which was almost identical to this car in the way it was set up. Fuel injection, four speed (mine had the O/D), two door, A/C, great car! I drove that car everywhere, from Texas to the Florida Keys, Santa Fe, New Orleans. Kept it way too long, until a fellow offered me too much money and I let it go. Replaced it with a long list of four door 240 series cars that made a little profit every week, but kept me driving a Volvo. These cars are near bullet proof, very comfortable to drive long distance, cheap to maintain, and for a larger sedan, handle pretty well in the twisties. Like a small bore sports car, you can hammer on them and feel like you are going fast, and the local constabulary tends to not notice them. If this car was within 300 miles of me, I’d be interested in re-living a fun part of my past. Neat car!
I love the purposeful design of these old Volvos. One of my middle school teachers , Mrs Blake, had a 4door with the OD trans. Neat car. Cool lady.
The most unique feature on this one is the one that is missing; two more doors.
Rufus, the police DON’T SEE VOLVOS! I have had several and are amazed by the phenomenon! All my Volvos have had performance upgrades with IPD springs, sway bars and Bilsteins and engine mods. (including one with a 5.0 Mustang engine) My last Volvo was a 740 Turbo that had increased compression AND increased boost that was a rocket. I came up to an intersection that had a sweeping right hander that joined the cross road like an on-ramp. It was always a blast to go screaming around the curve in an almost power-slide! I entered the curve and then realized that there were cops everywhere as there had been an accident in the actual intersection. I was committed to the speed at that point, but made the mistake of at first letting off the gas. The back end of the car started to slide out, so I had to get back on the throttle and then I WAS in the power slide with all four tires howling. There was an officer standing in the center of the island. Once I was mostly around the bend, I glanced back in my mirror to see him looking over the top of my car trying to see where the tire noise was coming from! (It didn’t hurt that my car was Metallic Gun Metal Gray!) I did many crazy things with my Volvos (jumps, high speeds, passing many cars uphill while dragging a trailer (V8 car)) and never once was ticketed!
Nothing stronger in an accident than a 240 or 740 series car in an accident! I’m an ex-Volvo dealership service manager and I continually had customers bringing me pictures of their crashed cars when they came in to buy another. My 740 Turbo was rear ended by a 1 year old S10 4X4 pick-up. I had a scratch on my bumper and the S10 was a total!
I sold this car to the current owner 2 months ago. I won’t disclose what I sold it for but can confirm it’s a very nice car.
I had a coworker that had one just like this one that he bought new, and he put over 200,000 miles on it.
Its a Volvo… Nuff said
This car has held up really well for the miles. When I think Volvo, this is what hit’s my brain first. A proper Volvo. An unapologetic box that goes forever.
Here in Aus, that would have been badged as a 242.
And my 244 DL came factory fitted with the GT grill.