There was a time when I wouldn’t have given a Volvo a second glance. I viewed them as staid, conservative, and lacking excitement. My views changed once I drove a few, because I found them extremely comfortable and capable of delivering surprising performance. As long-distance tourers or daily drivers, they probably don’t come much better than this 1989 Volvo 240 DL. Its presentation is almost perfect, and it is mechanically excellent following a professional engine and transmission rebuild. All this beauty needs is a new home. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Tony P. for spotting the 240 listed here on Craigslist in Seattle, Washington. The seller set their price at $6,450, making it clear that they will be selective about who takes it home. That means that unless you are particularly passionate about the marque, there is little chance that you will become the new owner.
Volvo built its reputation on creating vehicles with class-leading safety and reliability. It launched its 200-Series for the 1975 model year, with the final cars emerging in 1993. That’s an impressive production run, and the ready acceptance of these vehicles resulted in almost three million cars leaving the line. This 1993 Volvo 240 DL has been part of the same family since Day One, and its overall condition indicates it has been cherished and protected. Its Red paint shines deeply, and the only visible flaw is this scratch that a shop could easily fix. Otherwise, there are no paint issues, the panels are laser-straight, and there is no evidence of rust. The trim looks excellent, and the glass is clear. It might not be the most desirable car on the planet, but you are virtually guaranteed to receive favorable comments at a Cars & Coffee for its overall condition.
The 200-Series evolved during its production life, with Volvo utilizing a variety of engines to power these classics. This car features the 2.3-liter B230F four-cylinder motor, complete with Bosch LH-Jetronic 2.4 electronic fuel injection. This motor should send 114hp and 136 ft/lbs of torque to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. The Volvo’s longevity is evident in this 240, which has an impressive 202,000 miles on its odometer. However, it has only clocked around 30,000 miles since the owner handed the car to a Volvo specialist, who rebuilt the engine and transmission. Adding to the car’s appeal, the deal appears to include complete Service Records dating back to when the car left the dealership. It is a turnkey proposition with no identified mechanical issues.
When assessing the relative worth of a classic, my first port of call is typically its interior. Neglect or abuse often reveals itself in worn and stained upholstery, dirty carpet, and broken plastic. This is particularly true if the first owner ordered the car with pale cloth trim. This Volvo features Gray cloth that looks exceptional. It is slightly stretched on the driver’s seat base, which is as bad as it gets. The back seat appears to have rarely been used, and the carpet is excellent. It isn’t loaded with factory options, although the seller states that the air conditioning and heater, along with the other features, work as they should.
Apart from the solitary paint scratch, I have struggled to find anything about this 1989 Volvo 240 DL deserving genuine criticism. Its owner has obviously cherished it, and they indicate that they have listed it with a heavy heart. It won’t appeal to everyone, but it could be an affordable entry point into the classic world for the right person. I know that some readers won’t view it as particularly desirable, but it is worth asking yourself one question: When was the last time you saw a 240 DL of this vintage that presented so superbly? It ticks that box, which is why it deserves a closer look.
Nice brick! I had a 1978 that was this cars earlier version, loved that car, and whoever gets this wonderful example will too. Didn’t see a whole lot of these, but the wagon became the hippies car of choice. Volvos main theme was safety, only “smart” people drove Volvos. Not sure about that, but many survived in a Volvo, where they normally may not have otherwise. Service and parts will devastate you, but I don’t think any car escapes that today. Nice, NICE car.
Rock Auto still carries many parts for these cars.
Time for me to break out the old wheeze that means I save money, avoid a cross-country trip, and someone else gets this jewel: “Needs three pedals.”
That is the ONLY thing I see that keeps me from contacting the seller.
YEP, if it was a manual, I would be seriously considering this one.
Interference motor?
B230F is non-interference, and very easy to change a timing belt on.
These were nice for what they were, a somewhat boring safety cubicle, whose performance would give a slug a slither for its money. The Volvos that float my boat are the B122’s and 140 series. So does the P1800, but that’s nowhere near my radar. This car was built when cars were entering the complication age, electronic fuel injection and computerization becoming the norm. This takes away from the fix-it-yourself Volvo’s appeal. The Volvo here appears to be in really nice condition, but an engine that needed rebuilding at 170k miles? Must not have been maintained well, because Volvo engines could last over 300k before needing major surgery. Then again, there’s that complication issue. I’ll wait until a pre 1980 Volvo comes along.
remembering my long relationship w/the RedBlock wolwo “B” series (B19, 23, 230) with the 240/700 wagons (20 yrs). Liked my ’82 DL enuff to waita yr to get the wagon’s 850 (moved/needed FWD for the new house’s steep hill). Rather disappointed, the company had followed their marketeer’s suggestion to go ‘upscale’. Junk compared to the earlier.
We still see a sliver 240 wagon or 2 round here. It was the ‘go to’ for our 150K pop-2-town-area here before ‘the mini vans’. So thats awhile ago to still see them around (a testament). Asa wrencher I never found parts in the junk yards. Those Wolows just kept runnin (spoiled by my 2 mopowr slant6 wagons & these 2). 60 yrs of less-than-9 ft-WB-wagons finishes up w/a fox-bodied 3.8 ford ltd.
Very generous engine bay to swap in a small block Ford of an LS engine from General Motors!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3kW2Bt46VU
These 240’s make a dent in the schema of automotive engineering. It’s almost as if Volvo demanded their engineers work on them before they left the factory. I remember doing repairs on my 240 back in the 1980’s as being pretty simple, ‘cept for the price of parts.
My year ’round daily, for the last 5 years, is a 1992 740 wagon. Parts are plentiful to find and no more costly that parts for any modern car. FCP Euro has everything you need. I’m not sure what it is but I absolutely love driving this car. Admittedly when I put my foot down what comes to mind is “yeah…I think I’m going faster.” This is a 34 year old Volvo. 183,000 miles and the Red Block still purrs like a kitten, err..a sewing machine. Any other engine in there would be a step backwards.
Please stop posting good deals from Washington and Oregon. Nobody is going to make the long ass drive to buy anything that far away from everyone else in the country.
Where do you live, that it’s the centre of the universe? Fly in and drive it home.
aww, sometimes it’s worth the adventure. I’m in WV and once bought a 2001 E46 330ci out of Denver from an ebay ad. Flew into Denver, owner picked me up at the airport, nice two day trip home.
If the Cross Country wasn’t still in the shop, I’d ring the guy and make the deal…..fly out and drive home……and I’m in New Hampshire. This car would look good parked between my brother’s 164 and the Cross Country, if she ever returns home………
I have owned two of these and found that there were good vehicles but regular maintenance was always three times what my domestics cost. The $700 cost to replace the heater fan motor was the last straw for this marque. I also had to explain to everyone that the DL nomenclature did not stand for diesel!
When I bought a used 1979 245 about 1983 I was concerned about when to replace the timing belt. I asked my local Volvo centric parts supplier about what happened if the timing belt breaks, he commented “It will get real quiet…”implying that the valves would not be bent. Sure enough shortly thereafter the timing belt broke coming into my driveway. I was able to replace it easily by myself. I bought a newer 244 many years later for my daughter and she had very little trouble…
Does it check the box, Adam? It is the box.
Volvo–boxy, but good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikC6ewulkKs
Mint with 202,000 miles.
This era of Volvos were so bulletproof I’ll wager that with a good service, you could still daily drive it for for years to come. That’s a cheap comfortable, reliable and stylish DD right there kiddies. This could only be better if it had a third pedal.
I have a car exactly like this same year same color same interior color .I believe that color is called Wineberry but not positive.These cars are not more to maintain but you need to do small repairs yourself. On average I get about two comments per week from people saying I had one in college,was my first car, bought one for my kid,and offers to buy.Usuaĺlyhearing,it was a great car but they are definitely not fast
I’ve always liked these. For me their long life expectancy and safety are big pluses. I read once that they were the only car on the road that had no fatalities, but I think that has since changed.