I've got a line on a cheap 240 wagon. A friends GF bought it and doesn't like it. I drove it around the block and it's rock solid aside from a wheel bearing that I'm doing tomorrow for him. Anything I should look for before buying it as a winter beater? She's looking to unload it ASAP. It would be nice to not put my SVT through it's second salty WNY winter.
Do it! Even a beaten down 240 is a bucket of fun. Real easy to work on and fun to drive.
Had a 4 door 240 in albany. Be prepared, they are 1 wheel drive on ice.
Do you really need more of a reason? 
I've got some winterforces from my Miata when I drove it through 2 months of winter a few years ago so I've got a good set of tires for it. My Focus isn't that fun to drive in snow either. Light cars with wide wheels don't mix in snow. I prefer RWD in snow anyway. Most likely, I'll put it up for sale to one of you guys in spring as my race car will be done next year and I'll have a truck.
FWIW, I think I could do a pull up on the door with it open.
There's also some oil on the front of the engine....anything to be concerned about? Looks like it's either coming from the valve cover or cam pully.
If nothing else, a Volvo 200 series anything is a great vehicle to put a V8 in. Could you imagine a SBF powered 240 wagon? That would be a SICCCKKKKK DD!
Oh, this is mine which I should be winter driving this year. $250 
Bababooey wrote: There's also some oil on the front of the engine....anything to be concerned about? Looks like it's either coming from the valve cover or cam pully.
Front cam seal. Not hard to change, or buy gallon jugs of cheap oil.
Depending on the price you could probably drive it all winter and sell it for the same or more in the spring. But be warned-they are way more fun than a big 80s box has any right to be. Go to turbobricks.com for any issues but whatever you do don't do a search for "+T" 
double post, sorry
MrBenjamonkey wrote: I loved mine. They are slow and so frumpy it's funny, but they're also super tough and fun to drive. I'm going to get another one someday. One bad thing though. If the heater/ac unit inside the cabin takes a dump, it's a monumental pain in the ass to change. I killed two of them in a year and a half.
240s are great winter cars - they come from Sweden! Put some skinny, lugged snow tires on it and it will be unstoppable. I DD'ed mine for 13 years and never got stuck.
I'm going to give it one final look through then pull the trigger. I'm positive I'm going to sell it next year just because it is a NY and there's a tiny bit of rust in the plate steel body panels. Regardless, I looked at the price of parts and they're dirt cheap. Low mileage ones are very cheap as well so I might wind up with one for a work car next year. (I drive 30k/yr) I was very impressed with the car when I drove it....this coming from someone who was looking into a new/newer BMW/Benz. All I need is a P71 to go along with my 240Z, Miata, and Focus and I'll have a craptastic car collection.
do it as a winter beater, then when spring rolls around, cage it and have yourself a rallyX beater so you can get used to holding the car sideways in the loose stuff, then really hoon around next winter 
What's an auto to manual swap on one of these like, worth it?
Trunks rust out in the spare tire well, floors can crack behind the driver's seat. Heater fans are a common failure. Other than that, pretty solid boxes
Marty! wrote:
aside from the rear flare that doesnt quite flow with the body lines, that car is totally badass.
this forum is a bad influence for me. 
How well do the automatic transmissions hold up? The majority of them I've seen are autos, and that's what has held me back from one. Drove a 240GT when new, what a blast....more fun than it had a right to be. Virtually no tubo lag.
I wish I hadn't had to get rid of a Volvo. I had a beater (in the truest sense of the word) for a month or two, but had to offload it.
Well I did the bearing today and found out the car was totally neglected. The rear end most likely hasn't had fluid in it for awhile since it's all over the diff and underbody. Trans has a pretty good leak as well. The thing that turned me off was the ABS was faulty. I thought the car just had bad brakes because there was no pressure, but when the wheel was off, they were low, but passable. ABS problems scare me. At best this is a $500 car and they're trying to at least get their money back.
I'll have to say I really like these cars now and still might pick one up in the spring....or a 190E. I'd like to own the last of the big tanks before they were infested with electronic sensors and over engineered.
There is an ABS fuse under the carpet under the left front seat. If you're lucky replacing that will bring the ABS back to life.
OTOH it might not be an ABS problem but just a regular old brake problem. Is the ABS light on? Does it even work?
I wasn't aware they even put abs in the 200's. My 89 740 just needed the pickup's cleaned. Btw 240's never die, I mean never. My brother had it before me and used it for some off roading. I drove it on 900 mile trips regularly and it was also the open invitation fraternity car, only 1 rule, if you wreck it total it. The only part that ever died was the alternator; i "towed" it home by having friend push it with a bronco, upill the entire way. Fyi, there was no rev limiter on the 86.
double
Bababooey wrote: ABS light comes on when the brake is pressed. But there is no pressure at all on the pedal. You really have to stomp on it. Most likely, I'll wind up working on this car regardless so I'll check the fuse. No loss not buying the car though. I never knew these came in a stick and I despise autos.
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