Usually high mileage is a bad thing, but when it comes to Volvos, a few turns of the odometer is a badge of honor. In fact, the company used to award diligent owners for keeping their boxes on the road for as long as possible. This two-owner black plate 122 wears its 200k mile badge on its rump with pride! It looks little rough to me though and is going to need a lot of work before any more miles can be added by the next owner. Take a look here on eBay where bidding started at a clever $1.22. What do you think – will this Amazon make it another 100k?
Admittedly, I’ve had a strange fascination with Volvos for a while now. I’ve owned a couple and for some reason, keep coming back for more. My yellow wagon was a good daily drive, the 122 was easy to get running again, and the 740 has been proving reliable transportation. Sure, a shiny new car can be low stress, but there is something fun about the challenge of keeping an older well-built car on the road. Do any of you own high-mileage machines that you are proud of?
Nice find. These are simple, fun and can provide lots of smiles for not much money. Lots of performance upgrades available too. I would like to have this and put the next 200k on the clock
It deserves another chance by a new and caring owner….Doesn’t seem to daunting of a project at all…
Amazing that the dash is in such good shape for a California car, the sun dries them out big time. With some work, it could easily go for years, the engine block is so thick, it can be bored out many many times. A great car!!!
seller also has a AMX for sale on Ebay. how much rust does the car have and much will take to fix the rust are the issues. interesting find.
There is minimal rust on the area described. It’s right behind each from seat on on the outer side. Other than that seems to be a nice solid example.
These cars were sealed against rust as well as any of the era. My 67 wagon lived most of its life in Arizona before coming to live in my garage through the salty western mass winters and is remarkably clean underneath. Mechanically they are simplicity itself.
We have 10 year old Volvos coming in for regular maintenance with 200k+ miles. Party on !
There is a Canadian (I think) man named Irv Gordon who bought a P1800 back in 1966. He still owns the car and has logged over 3 million miles in the car, which I believe is a record.
Google “3 million mile Volvo” and it will bring up lots of stories on the man and his car.
I’m nowhere near that mileage even if I added up all the family beater Volvos we’ve owned over the last number of decades.
I’ve been under that car & was pretty amazed that it’s (at that time) still solid. Interior the same. I wanna say Irv said waterpump & alternator replaced.
not a canadian, live in Patchogue, NY
I have a ’98 S70 GLT I have owned since new that just passed 300K. Original engine and transmission, never rebuilt. Driver’s seat is a little worn, but other than that I think it’s beautiful. I have the 100K and 200K badges on the grill. Trying to find a 300K badge. Volvo doesn’t issue them anymore.
that looks like fun. seller comments it is a real light green. looks white in the photos. a listing of volvo colors for 1967 says 95-1 is light blue
http://www.volvoamazonpictures.se/colors/colors.php
I had an early Jeep Grand Cherokee (94) with that great six-cylinder motor. Just kept going! Raised 2 boys, learning to drive in it… ran it up to over 250k miles and finally sold it, but it is probably still going somewhere!?? I am fascinated, too, by Volvos, and have several projects (122 wagon, 240 wagon, 1800e coupe). They are so easy to work on, and have a nice nostalgic look to them. I play with German and British cars, but cant’ seem to get away from Volvo’s!
I don’t know of any cars that surpass the longevity of the earlier Volvo engines and transmissions. My ’97 Honda Accord EX sedan with a five-speed just turned over 304K on the original engine and transmission. However, I don’t see a new Honda Accord ever getting anywhere close to that.
I love these cars too. It is one of the cars that Volvo built there reputation with. The later cars became more complicated and less robust. There were a lot of problems with the later aluminum head cars. These were the best. I think the mileage record for an unrebuilt car is still an old Mercedes diesel, another bone simple quality car. There are a lot of performance parts available for these too. Is IPD in Portland still in busisness? We used to see them racing these cars in the northwest when we raced my lotus 11.
It’s no Volvo but I have a 97 Bonneville with a little over 350K been in the family since new. Hate it and love it.
I have a 98 Toyota Corolla that I paid $900 for with 225,000 miles. I get 38 miles per gallon combined. I am now up to 257,000 miles and looking to go for 500,000 . A true beater that is really easy to work on. Also had a 1974 four cylinder four speed orange 240 Volvo wagon in high school couldn’t kill that car either .
Had an early Toyota Cressida. 400000k miles + When it was finally “too boring to drive” anymore, went through it and repaired everything that was needed. Think it ended up being an oil change and a rear exhaust section. From there it was donated to a 16 year old neighborhood kit. A year later, car was still on the road, by the same young man, and in much “worse for the wear” condition. But, still purring along……
I love these longevity stories. I’m a long-termer when it comes to cars myself. My ’96 Volvo 850 5-speed wagon has 327,000 miles on the clock and runs as well as when I bought it in 1998 with 24,000 on it. Engine and transmission have never been overhauled. I did replace a clutch at 275,000 miles, but the car tows a camper trailer and a car hauler (not at the same time!) several times a year. Cheapest way to own a car is to buy a good one, then drive and maintain it properly. I drove my ’85 Tercel wagon to 250,000 miles, then traded it. We sold a ’93 Camry 5-speed with 240,000 miles to a friend. He’s still a friend, and I see the car around town several times a week. He was very happy to score a one-owner well-cared-for Toyota for $1500!