Well, I haven't been keeping this blog up to date and I apologize for that. Something that I should have mentioned in my first post is that I do almost all my own repairs on my Volvos. Here's what has transpired since my first post last year:
I found a 1992 Volvo 240 Wagon on eBay; it was in Baltimore, MD (I'm in Las Vegas). It has 225,000 miles, one previous owner, and cost me $2055, $1000 shipping, and $180 for a 3-hour, thorough inspection; I feel that $3235 is a good deal for this car. She's not a beauty contest winner but a solid car. I had it inspected by a mechanic in Baltimore who specialized in Swedish cars like Volvo and Saab. There isn't even one spec of rust anywhere and the panels, doors, fenders are as solid as new...yes, like an armored car; heavy, solid steel. Because this car is almost all original original belts, calipers, struts, etc), I'm going to replace the struts, strut mounts, all undercarriage bushings, sway bar, tires, pads, calipers, and rotors. This sounds like a lot of work but it's not if you know how to do it; these cars are easy to work on.
Tomorrow, I'll write about where to get your parts and why; I've been buying parts for my vehicles online for about 10 years and I now know who's the most reliable and who has the best selection for specific cars and applications. I DO have a couple of great tips for you, that you likely don't know about.
Here's a bit of advice that you may want to consider when buying a car online that is away from home.
Of course, first ensure that the seller has a good reputation on eBay or AutoTrader (if he is a dealer); many private sellers also have a good rating on eBay that they want to uphold. I never buy a car without reviewing the complete vehicle history (like Carfax), and prefer to buy them with no more than one previous owner. Most Volvo 700 or 900 series cars in very good to excellent condition have only had one or two owners.
Have the car inspected! Pull up Craigslist for the area in which the car is located. Search for "Mobile mechanics", or "mobile car repair". This is where you'll find your mechanic who will go to the car and inspect it for you! I had my mechanic email me pictures, a detailed list of what's bad and what's good. Sure it costs about $150-$200 for a thorough inspection but it's worth it.
The other cars; here's their status:
1994 940 Turbo (the one that was rear-ended)- The car passed inspection and the registration was renewed without any problems, regardless of the fact that it had a trunk and door that wouldn't fully close. I've replaced the front and rear pads, a fuel pump, and a section of rusted out exhaust pipe, and the kid is now set for another several months of trouble-free driving.
1993 940 Turbo- This car has been great. The fuel pump went out and I had our mechanic fix that because it happened 20 miles from home and we had the car towed to him. I also put $600 of new tires on it, replaced the dried out rear 6" x 9" speakers, and replaced the shocks and struts. Every time that I drive this car I am just amazed at great it handles and hauls butt! It's smooth, accelerates well, and just handles better than a much newer American or Japanese car would.
Now that I'm back I have a lot of great information to share. Tomorrow, I'll talk about where to get your parts and why; some stores are better at certain things. I can tell you about a little-known store that has great deals on car parts, that nobody else offers. have a great day.
1993 Volvo 940 Turbo
This old 940 Turbo is Mint!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Welcome to Volvo Stuff
Hello and welcome to my new blog!
This is my first blog so please be pateint as I learn and build this into something that will hopefully be of value to many of us Volvo lovers and also introduce these great cars to new followers. Let me tell you a bit about my history and how I came to be a true believer in the older Volvo cars that I now love and enjoy so much.
As a teenager in the 1970's, I had always admired the "boxy" look of the Volvos. While many people thought that they looked "boring" or like an "old man's car", I thought that they had style and a look that expressed solid, safety, and built for all of the elements. I grew up in Canada and I'll never forget the time when I saw a 242 blow by us as we were stuck in the snow, and I thought, "...wow, what a cool car".
I finally bought my first Volvo in 2004; it was a 2004 XC70 Cross Country that had 10,000 miles on it. I never buy brand new cars, but prefer slightly used. Although the XC70 was fun to drive and great in the snow, it turned out to be quite problematic in the long run. It was disappointing to have to to replace headlight bulbs twice a year, like one would change transmission fluid on a North American car. Other problems included a bad fuel pump, at a cost of $980 installed (recalled on many models, not mine), leaking main seal, transmission failure (twice), and radiator replacement, driver's side window falling off the track, both transaxles needing replacement, mass air flow sensor, etc.
At the advice of our Volvo mechanic, Steve at Vovlo Saab Drive for Life, we decided not to spend another dime on the car...that's right, a 2004 CX70 that I didn't want to fix. We followed Steve's advice and looked for an older rear wheel drive model that was reliable and built to last. This why I now own a couple of 940 Turbos, a 1993 and a 1994, and a 1992 240 wagon. I am once again a true believer in the "Workhorse" and "Swedish Brick".
I bought the 1994 Volvo 940 Turbo from its original owner in Redondo Beach, Ca. It had 139,000 miles on it and had been very well maintained. I had the timing belt replaced after it failed (no serious matter on these cars), and replaced the shifter linkage bushings, nothing else needed. After having spent so much time working on the XC70, I now know how to do much of my own work like replacing brake pads, struts, strut mounts, engine mounts, transmission mount bushings, tie rods, catalytic converter, and more.
On September 25, 2010, my 24 year-old son was driving the 1994 Volvo 940 Turbo and was stopped at a light as the rain came down somewhat heavily. When it rains here in Las Vegas, the roads become very slick, which is why the guy behind him couldn't stop and slammed into the rear end of the Volvo. Luckily, my son heard him trying to stop and braced himself as the Honda Accord slammed into him. My son said that when he got out to look at the damage, he thought for sure that the trunk was going to be "in the back seat". Much to his surprise, it really didn't look that bad...but the Honda was history and of course had to be towed.
The 1994 Volvo 940 Turbo was driven away, without even a broken light, nothing rubbing on the rear tire, no leaks, no broken tail lights, no noise, and nobody hurt (there were two passengers in the car). The trunk has to be tied down and one of the rear doors doesn't close, but it still drives perfectly! None of us can believe how this 940 took such a hit and is driveable...wow. The insurance company gave me more for the car than what I had paid for it, my son still drives it, and I went and bought an even nicer 1993 Volvo 940 Turbo with the money.
So I had to go find another 940 Turbo in the same excellent condition as this 1994. I was looking for a 940, 960, 760, 850, 240; whatever was in excellent condition and well-maintained. Did I ever get lucky! I found a white, 1993 Volvo 940 Turbo that had only one previous owner and only 139,200 miles on it! It came with 2 keys, all of the manuals, and the maintenance records. I am absolutely blown away at how perfectly clean this 940 is. The only thing that I can do to this car is keep it clean!
Well, that's all folks. Thanks for reading and please share your ideas, comments, and anything that you'd like to share about your Volvo experiences. I'll be adding as much as possible over the next several days.
Leo
This is my first blog so please be pateint as I learn and build this into something that will hopefully be of value to many of us Volvo lovers and also introduce these great cars to new followers. Let me tell you a bit about my history and how I came to be a true believer in the older Volvo cars that I now love and enjoy so much.
As a teenager in the 1970's, I had always admired the "boxy" look of the Volvos. While many people thought that they looked "boring" or like an "old man's car", I thought that they had style and a look that expressed solid, safety, and built for all of the elements. I grew up in Canada and I'll never forget the time when I saw a 242 blow by us as we were stuck in the snow, and I thought, "...wow, what a cool car".
I finally bought my first Volvo in 2004; it was a 2004 XC70 Cross Country that had 10,000 miles on it. I never buy brand new cars, but prefer slightly used. Although the XC70 was fun to drive and great in the snow, it turned out to be quite problematic in the long run. It was disappointing to have to to replace headlight bulbs twice a year, like one would change transmission fluid on a North American car. Other problems included a bad fuel pump, at a cost of $980 installed (recalled on many models, not mine), leaking main seal, transmission failure (twice), and radiator replacement, driver's side window falling off the track, both transaxles needing replacement, mass air flow sensor, etc.
At the advice of our Volvo mechanic, Steve at Vovlo Saab Drive for Life, we decided not to spend another dime on the car...that's right, a 2004 CX70 that I didn't want to fix. We followed Steve's advice and looked for an older rear wheel drive model that was reliable and built to last. This why I now own a couple of 940 Turbos, a 1993 and a 1994, and a 1992 240 wagon. I am once again a true believer in the "Workhorse" and "Swedish Brick".
I bought the 1994 Volvo 940 Turbo from its original owner in Redondo Beach, Ca. It had 139,000 miles on it and had been very well maintained. I had the timing belt replaced after it failed (no serious matter on these cars), and replaced the shifter linkage bushings, nothing else needed. After having spent so much time working on the XC70, I now know how to do much of my own work like replacing brake pads, struts, strut mounts, engine mounts, transmission mount bushings, tie rods, catalytic converter, and more.
On September 25, 2010, my 24 year-old son was driving the 1994 Volvo 940 Turbo and was stopped at a light as the rain came down somewhat heavily. When it rains here in Las Vegas, the roads become very slick, which is why the guy behind him couldn't stop and slammed into the rear end of the Volvo. Luckily, my son heard him trying to stop and braced himself as the Honda Accord slammed into him. My son said that when he got out to look at the damage, he thought for sure that the trunk was going to be "in the back seat". Much to his surprise, it really didn't look that bad...but the Honda was history and of course had to be towed.
The 1994 Volvo 940 Turbo was driven away, without even a broken light, nothing rubbing on the rear tire, no leaks, no broken tail lights, no noise, and nobody hurt (there were two passengers in the car). The trunk has to be tied down and one of the rear doors doesn't close, but it still drives perfectly! None of us can believe how this 940 took such a hit and is driveable...wow. The insurance company gave me more for the car than what I had paid for it, my son still drives it, and I went and bought an even nicer 1993 Volvo 940 Turbo with the money.
So I had to go find another 940 Turbo in the same excellent condition as this 1994. I was looking for a 940, 960, 760, 850, 240; whatever was in excellent condition and well-maintained. Did I ever get lucky! I found a white, 1993 Volvo 940 Turbo that had only one previous owner and only 139,200 miles on it! It came with 2 keys, all of the manuals, and the maintenance records. I am absolutely blown away at how perfectly clean this 940 is. The only thing that I can do to this car is keep it clean!
Well, that's all folks. Thanks for reading and please share your ideas, comments, and anything that you'd like to share about your Volvo experiences. I'll be adding as much as possible over the next several days.
Leo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)