Very good car
The fuel pump stopped working.
The clutch had to be replaced.
This is one of the best cars ever made, simple to maintain and cheap parts. It has an good engine with reasonable good horsepower, not much faults and it can take everything.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 7th April, 2005
Why pay $40,000 when you can have a safe, roomy and reliable vehicle with character for $3,500
New water pump (old one leaking and squeaking)
Bottom radiator hose.
New high tension leads.
Passenger rear door handle (old one snapped).
Solid reliable wagon.
Feels very safe.
Most comfortable drivers seat (like an armchair.
Modern cars feel very "tinny" after driving this one.
A bit underpowered for weight, but very good for cruising on highway/country roads.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd June, 2004
Great car, just make sure that yours isn't a lemon
This is the fourth Volvo that we have owned, and it is by far the worst. The other three have been wonderful reliable cars, until my sister totaled the 242, and we sold the 244 and the 245. This is the first GLT model that we have owned, and we're becoming to think that we got a lemon.
Odometer never worked.
Loves to eat gas.
Needed new wiring harness.
Pre fuel pump (in tank) went out.
AC doesn't work.
Pretty much every seal on the engine was leaking.
Clutch needed replacement.
Distributer went out.
Turbo seals went out.
Exhaust pipe hangers snapped.
Brake rotors were grooved and needed to be replaced.
Overdrive turns on and off as it pleases, if it turns on.
When this car runs, which it hasn't for a couple of months, it drives beautifully.
Despite such a horrible engine bay, the interior of the car is immaculate.
The turbo, at only 8.9 psi, adds a much needed boost to this slow car.
The previous owner installed IPD anti-sway bars, this helps the rolls in the corners by a large factor.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th January, 2004
Totally agree with you! The 240 series is one of the most solid and 'bulletproof' cars ever made, but like any car, if it's neglected and thrashed around, you're going to get problems. Perhaps being a Turbo model meant that the previous owner thrashed it more than usual?
Best of luck, hopefully you may be able to 'rescue' the car and bring it back to good condition - if so, you'll probably see it through to 300,000 miles!
David
(member@carsurvey.org)
The one thing I have to say is this: how can you have replaced the clutch and the overdrive doesn't work? I just thought I'd throw that out there.
It was a rather simple fix, the overdrive relay went out.
I have a 1983 Volvo 244 turbo with only 90,000. The car was my mother's, and it wasn't driven much. I only put about 3000 miles a year on it. The car drives like a dream. I had the option to buy my sister's 2002 Volvo v70 XC; I would rather keep the 1983. My only problem is that the rust is starting to creep out. I hope to keep it as long as possible.
Hey, can anyone out there give me a helpful hint? I was looking at a 1983 Volvo 242 GLT. Yes or no?? Currently I drive a 1999 Ford escort (ick). I would like to get something with less anonymity. Is it a decent, reliable car?
The 242GT is a fantastic car. You need to watch out for the bad wiring harness tho as it's common on all Volvo's up to 88. Also you need to do a very thorough inspection on the body, as these cars tend to get really eaten up by rust if their not cared for appropriately.
Aside from these things, these cars will last you forever (no joke)
21st Feb 2005, 08:50
I have recently purchased a nice Volvo 240GL 1988 model from a car yard. I paid $3,000 for it and had to spend about $1.000 getting it right. The four fuel injectors were blocked by the previous owner putting about four bottles of additive attempting to unblock them.
I live in the Adelaide hills and work in the city so it is about 37 kms each way. The Volvo, although not overly gutsy, seems to love the freeway, and is surprisingly economical. It costs about $5 each trip, which isn't too bad.
It has 188,000 kms on the clock and I presume it has many more kms left in it. I am interested in anyone who might know how much more this motor will have in it.
Overall, the car is very straight and clean, and everything seems to work.
Happy motoring.
Don Johns.