1979 Volvo 244 GL B230FX from Malaysia

Summary:

Great car. I do feel safe... Volvo For Life!

Faults:

Not much... it's in working condition.

Engine and auto gearbox are smooth... Previous owner swap it from the 2.1, to the oh so fast B230FX, and till now it has never failed me.

General Comments:

Classic, underneath rust issue. Overall I've had a few Volvos from the 850, 940, 740, and 240... but I always wanted the 244 with big bumpers. It sees that nobody dares to cut line if I'm around...

Thanks to the B230FX, the car can really reach 190 km/h, and it still can go more, but 160 km/h is enough, as the clutch fan is too noisy by then.

Good acceleration. Can even shock others in ultra modern car with how this old hag can go that fast!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd August, 2012

1979 Volvo 244 DL 2.1L OHC inline 4 carb from North America

Summary:

Don't hesitate to spend money to fix these gems

Faults:

Timing belt snapped and stopped the engine. It's a non-interference design so that was all right.

My brother crashed it through our garage door and some trim came loose. From that time on it had a perpetually surprised look.

That's it... except for tune-up items (1 set of points, several filters and oil changes).

The odometer never really worked. We went from Alberta to Manitoba, and only went 2 kilometers.

The exhaust system kept rotting, and we never had it replaced. We just kept welding bits on as they fell off.

General Comments:

This car was a steal, at only $700. The dash had cracked a bit, and the ugly yellow colour had only been made uglier by having the car parked outside. It drove nicely, though, and we couldn't afford a better car. Now I'm sure we couldn't have found one.

This car ran in all weather, and took on snow better than our front-wheel drive cars. We never put new tires on it, and never graced it with winter tires, but it did pretty well for itself anyways.

The gas mileage was good, for an underpowered tank. The cargo space was amazing, for a true 5-passenger car. Everything on the car always worked, even the ancient cassette deck. There was no A/C, and no power steering, but that just meant you felt the road a little better, and that you got more exercise around town.

After an impact with a tree, the car lost some trim and gained a new dent above the wheel. We drove it for a year after that, and though I'm sure it had frame damage, it drove just fine. We thought we could do better with a Ford Taurus in good shape. We didn't.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th September, 2009

1979 Volvo 244 DL 2.1 liter from North America

Summary:

I love it!

Faults:

The clutch free play was off, and the shifter bracket was off. Also, the driver's seat has a little tear as well as the door panels are loose on the bottom.

General Comments:

The car is a real trooper. Ugly, yes, but unreliable, no. For a '79, this car looks it's age, but the engineering and it's Swedish steel body make for a safe, but solid drive anywhere. I would recommend this car to anyone.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th February, 2005

7th Apr 2008, 14:21

We had one of these. It was indestructible. It smacked into a tree, and drove on. It lost its exhaust system, and drove on. It made long trips in hot weather, and never left us stranded but once. With its 4-speed manual transmission, you could get up to 500 or even 600 km per tank in highway driving, and the seats (the front ones) were comfortable for any length of trip.

1979 Volvo 244 dl 2.1 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Best money I ever spent!

Faults:

The Water Pump seems to fail about every 150000klm.

The alternator has been replaced twice.

The Clutch failed at 200000kms and again at 460000kms.

The heating fan has failed about 3 times.

General Comments:

It's like driving a tank.

But has never left us on the side of the road.

We recently drove it 29,000kms around Australia and I would not hesitate to repeat this trip in it.

A slow vehicle off the mark, but one my family and I, feel safe in.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd July, 2003

1979 Volvo 244 GL 2.1 4 cylinder from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Volvo is like no other!

Faults:

Usual wear and tear.

Replaced universal joints.

Back brakes twice in a year.

Fuel pump relay blown twice due to rain getting inside the car and dripping into it.

General Comments:

Although it's not the quietest car about, it is without a doubt the most dependable.

It has never let me down!

A little slow off the mark, but once on the freeway, easily outpaces cars of a similar class (Volvos are no snails!).

Built like a tank.

Steering is a little stiff,and taking corners with speed is a little hairy, but if you want a car that will go on forever, with just a little TLC, it's for you.

I've since moved on to a 760, but always will remember the great 244!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th March, 2001