hi all, i'm a fan of volvos and was very excited to find a creampuff of one via the elderly mom of a friend. bought new in 1983,,the lady hasn't driven the car since 1987,,and it's been garaged since then. it has 34 thousand miles on it,,has been maintained once or twice yearly by being started occasionally and the battery replaced. she was anxious for it to go and i was eager to get my very first classic car. so far i've replaced the water pump,fuel pump and lines,thermostat and some wires and belts. it runs beautifully! it's the four door model,,tan exterior with chocolate tweed interior. everything works perfectly on it,,but,,there are two tiny dents on the driver's side doors,and the bins on both front doors seem to be broken off. the service manager says if i give it a new paint job (there is a tiny bit of surface rust here and there) it will last me for maybe 200 thousand miles.
it's an automatic,rear wheel drive with no ac or other bells and whistles. i love driving this car,but at this time need a car with either front wheel drive or all/four wheel drive for winter driving,or the ac for summer driving.
so,i'm going to sell this wonderful little tank and keep my eyes open for another classic volvo which may suit living in the snowy mountains a little better.
if you've kept up with me so far,,here's my questions...
how do i determine a value for this car to sell it? i'm thinking of the antigue and classic car show here in vermont next month.
secondly,,what should i look for in my next volvo for a sturdy winter driving vehicle? i prefer a diesel which ultimately may be modified to bio-diesel,,since hubby is thinking of converting the one ton truck and the tractor to the stuff. truth be told,,i'd also like something i can lift,,and really trick out. i think i'm a motorhead in the making!!
thanks for your input and suggestions,,i have a lot to learn about cars and am eager to get started.

was it garaged or did it sit all through our winters?

It would help alot if you posted pics. Sounds to me from your description that you would be better off keeping it. I wouldn't touch a volvo with paint needed/dents unless it was like 500 bucks, no mater how low the mileage. A new motor costs nothing compared to a good paintjob/bodywork. By the way, I've seen a 240 go for 10 grand with mileage that low on ebay, but again, EVERYTHING was in great shape, and it was a SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET wagon. Also was a 1993, not a 1987.

Also, remember where the volvo 240 was designed. They handle winters just fine. Mine went through 2 chicago winters, and was driven through several storms with no problems. Volvos have a great power/weight ratio, and don't have as much trouble as you might think. A rear wheel drive pickup truck is useless, until you fill the rear with weight. I always had great traction...............

Good Luck in whatever choice you make,
Sarge

i'm talking about rot...

My 240 sat for a year, was never garaged, but it was taken care of. But in New England rot is tough to avoid. I need to do pretty much the whole floor... :mellow:
i put a new rear drivers door on because it rotted, and some holes in the rockers that me and my dad just bondo'ed up. I'm still rocking the september of 2007 sticker.

Little more work till it can pass.

It's been a long time in storage-perhaps in less-than-ideal conditions. I would be very careful about it. I'm sure she was anxious for it to be gone-she knew what it was worth-and what it would cost to make serviceable. I would be replacing the master cylinder and all calipers/slave cylinders, as I'd expect corrosion in them. Ditto the starter solenoid plunger, and all fuel-related O rings & rubbers. The fuel tank will need checking for corrosion, as it prob spent a long time near empty, and should have considerable sediments/stains etc. The exhaust will prob need replacement, if not already done, and all cooling hoses and the radiator/heater.

how much did YOU pay for it?

What he paid is irrelevant, he's entitled to make market value for it. I'm trying to suggest that it may not be worth what he might have first or second thought, and that its real value is yet to be decided. Ultimately, the market will decide, and its worth to him will be what he gets paid for it. The buyer might need to review his ideas on that sometime post purchase.

Here, follow this guys lead, and keep the 240.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...26rlz%3D1I7GGIE

it's relevant to me, otherwise I wouldn't have asked the question

secondly how much have you spent on it?