Absolutely the best car ever sold to the public. Built to last 1 million miles, easy.

There's a grandmother in the next town over from me that drives a blue early 90's 740 wagon. The first time I saw her in my new 2017 V60 CC, she did a double take on mine and I did a double take on hers. Now, whenever we see each other we smile and wave.

A note about the options. Before 91, air conditioning was a dealer installed option. The 91-93 was factory installed and is much better. Cruise was always a dealer installed option. Factory options were very limited. Colour, interior trim and colour, transmission, and sun roof, if available, and some wheels, depending on trim level, were about it. Everything else was dealer installed. My 90 was the second my mom had. The first was an 81, and being in Canada it was different from American market 240s. It had the single side draught Zenith carburetor and points and condenser ignition. It also had the manual choke. The thing that breaks the odometers is resetting the trip odometer while the car is moving. Reset that when stopped, and the gear does not strip. When doing engine mounts, plan to do both as well as the transmission Mount. They all tend to fail together. The bushings for the accessory brackets compress with age. They cost a whopping $1.69 US from IPD. I just had to do mine along with the steering coupler. Both styles are available from IPD, and are inexpensive. My 90 is an automatic, worse luck, but at 600,000 km, the transmission works like new. A transmission cooler was added on day one, and that keeps the transmission cool so it lasts. The cooler built into the radiator is inadequate, even in our climate in Ontario, Canada. Wagonmeister sells a replacement fuse panel that takes normal fuses. A big improvement. If you choose to keep the stock fuse panel, get new fuses from the Mercedes dealer. They sell the ceramic fuses that were OEM on these cars. Also, check the fuses on the red wagon. The bottom two should both be the same colour. One of them is the right side front park and rear tail lamps and instrument lighting. The other is the driver's side front park and rear tail plus license lamps. The license lamps are prone to falling apart. They are $17 Canadian at the Volvo dealer. Make sure the mounting surface is smooth, or water gets in and blows the fuse. I have every receipt for Arthur back to the order placed with the factory. Arthur is an early 1990, so has no air bag and no daytime running lights, both of which were added as running changes prior to 1 January, 1990. Arthur was built in October, 1989. One more note. Wagons take a different tire than the sedans. Sedans take a 185/70R14. Wagons before 1992 specify a 185R14, which is impossible to get. 92/93 wagons take a 195/75R14, which is getting harder to find. A useful upgrade is to go to the 15 inch wheels off a 740 or 940. 960 wheels are the same as front wheel drive Volvos, so the offset is different. I have a set of 15 inch Virgo wheels for the next set of summer tires. Wagons will use a 205/65R15 or even better, a 215/65R15 on the 15 inch rims. A matching wheel and tire does fit into the spare tire well in the left quarter panel. One more thing. If the splash guard is missing, DO NOT go through a carwash or was the underside of the car. The soapy water will kill the alternator. The plastic splash guard is available at IPD, and is inexpensive. Even the metal one is not dear. Charcoal canister is the tank vent. Do not remove it. It keeps gas fumes from venting into the air, which is a safety item. Also, it vents those fumes into the intake. It does not affect performance at all, but is integral to maintaining proper fuel system pressure. There is one thing unavailable new. The tailgate glass is difficult to find. I spent 3 years looking for one.

Do get the iPd anti-sway bars. Almost totally removes the need to rely on the roll over protection feature. 😜

Seriously one of the most underrated channels on KZfaq. EXCELLENT video, Mr. Bello.

David, thanks for this video 😁👍. I've got Volvo V70 (2,4 L gasoline, 194 hp) made in 1997. My family says "Sell this car, a yourself a new one". I was driving several new cars, I bought one for my wife and... I always return to my old volvo. Driving it gives me so much relax and comfort 😁👍.

As an owner of a 245, I can verify people offer to buy mine all the time. Walmart, at work, even slipping notes in while it’s parked in my driveway. Side note: turn radius is great if the power steering pump works!

After watching this video I checked Craigs for 240s. Never thought I would say that.

I'm going to get this for a first car. Just beautiful.

In 1983 the Volvo 240 was the most imported car into the United States. There was a five year period (Maybe 1986 through 1990) when the Volvo 240 was the only passenger car in the USA not to have a single fatality as a result of a motor vehicle accident.

I have a 240GLT for about 5 years. Gave it to my daughter when she began driving and she drove it for about 4 years. Best car I ever owned.

Nice car. The red paint hasn't turned pink yet, and so freakin clean underneath! I appreciate all the seller phrasing you covered in the video.

Bought a 1 owner 95 940 back in 08,my son was 6, soon as he was able to buy his own vehicle he picked a 92 240 wagon. Proud papa here, most kids these days don't pay attention to quality.

Glory be from 🇨🇦 Canada! Swedish on Dad's side and a car guy since pre-school, I'm very happy to find your Volvo channel and bask in your excited passion for this car make.

God, David. This video gives me so many feelings. I finally let my beautiful 89 240 wagon go this year, but I love seeing them on the road. I sold mine to a pair of brothers in Perry, FL, who are enthusiasts. I know it went to people who will love it. Keep up the amazing work. I love to see you working on a 240.

Back in the mid '80s, I was a Master Volvo tech at a local Georgia dealer. Brings back a few memories. 90% or more of our work was just routine maintenance and an occasional warranty item like an alternator

Great video! You might also want to check the pcv system. I replaced the oil separator box on my '93. It stopped a camshaft seal leak and it was like a fountain of youth for the way the car ran.

I own a 245 for 21 years now, second owner, 110.000 km's when I bought it. Still happy with it. Bought it when my wife was pregnant of our son who is 21 now. I said that he would drive the car on the day we bought it. Only problem is he has no license due to covid restrictions.

I sold mine a few years back due to lack of space. Regretted it and have been looking to get another ever since.

My dad worked at Volvo in the Netherlands 😊. He's had Volvo's all his life. We just bought my first Swedish import 245 from 1979😊😊😊. Completely stripping it now, no rust, chassis 100%, no repaint needed, engine purrs like a kitten😊, interior 100%. A rare gem. We are changing from automatic to manual gearbox, airco will be added. I am watching your video's and really enjoying them!

Maybe I missed it, but no mention of the crankcase breather/flame traps. Lots of front and rear main seals are replaced when the rear culprit is a clogged flame trap allowing the crankcase to pressurise and blow oil out of the seals. Great video David!

Thanks for the video! I had an 87 Volvo 244 5spd that I bought from a Volvo mechanic. Paid $700 for it. Though it had a front end off an 85 and was beat to all hell, it sure ran like a top. I was never nice to it driving wise during my ownership. Redline whenever I could, clutch drops, drifts, jumps, bumper cars, etc… most fun I ever had with any vehicle. It took every bit of beating I gave it and it still never left me stranded. These Volvo’s are super reliable and I would recommend to anyone.

Excellent video. You have a great voice. Your speaking style and descriptive vocabulary are spot on too.

A lot, if not most, of the same things from a drivetrain/mechanical perspective apply to 740s... for the most part they use the same engines/transmissions, with only minor details that might differ between the two. One weird thing on the later naturally aspirated 740s (and I think 940s after) sold in the US, most were not equipped with Bosch ignition/engine management like all the 240s were, instead using a Bendix system, commonly known as REX/Regina. Easy way to tell is whether the ignition coil is a traditional cylinder shape mounted to the firewall (Bosch) or a metal and plastic box with a big connector with a bunch of wires mounted on the left/drivers fender liner/strut mount area (REGINA). Bosch is a lot more tunable, whereas you can’t do much at all with the Regina system. And the oxygen sensors are different, Bosch using traditional Zirconia sensors, and Regina uses Titania sensors (MUCH more expensive and harder to find, but also a lot more reliable, ie you probably won’t ever have to replace it, I’ve got a 92 740 with 325k on it and the original sensor works great). Oh, and Regina systems have a single fuel pump in the tank. Body-wise, 740s don’t seem to rust nearly as much as 240s do. Mine lived a pretty rough life up in New Jersey for most of the first part of its life, but there isn’t a single spot of rot anywhere on it. But I do agree, these are great cars for people who might be mechanically inclined and want to learn. There are SO MANY little issues you can correct with minimal to no money in the repair if you’re willing to put in the elbow grease. Also, because there were so damn many made, and they lasted so damn long, there’s still always a few in a pick-n-pull style junkyard that has high-ish turnover. Many other makes these days only go back to the late 90s at the earliest, but you’ll pretty easily find some Volvo bricks from the 80s. Great place to find those otherwise unobtanium bits that might be missing or broken, and cheap too.

Wow... definitely very enjoyable to watch, content + voice-over is great.

I’ve shared this video with people that ask me about my 240 and want to know what to look for when shopping for one for themselves. Great job - thanks!

I bought a really minty 93 wagon at a junkyard for 1k. This would have been nice, luckily a lot of this checks out 👌🏽

Dang your friend Sara there got quite a score of a 240. Those rear cargo mats are hard to find and worth some $$$. Also she got the beautiful red with black trim combo too.

I remember that I always epoxied doublers on backside of map pockets. No problem after that👍🏻

We owned Volvo estates since 1983, a beige 243, 2.0 carb 240DL, in 'signal red', a 740GL, 1986cc injection, in 'signal red' and a 940CD 2.3LPT regent red/maroon estate. They have all been amazing very solid cars, with a fantastic turning circle.

Hi David. I’m based in the UK and have found this video informative and interesting. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve posted a link to the video on a Volvo 240 Owners Club page on Facebook for those who may find the content of equal use to myself. Keep up the good work

Awesome video! Bought a 240 last October and absolutely love it, I didnt have any real issues with it yet except for some electrical stuff (which is apparently common according to you). Since I barely know anything about car tech I really appreciate the way youre explaining everything, Ill definitely check out more of your content. Keep it up!

Excellent review. Picking my first 240 up tomorrow. Will have a look at some of the quirks I missed in the initial inspection.

There once was an ad here in Sweden, with a picture of a 245 and the Apollo moon lander. The caption read something like "Guess which one has most miles on the clock". The 245 was an actual customer car, with something like 1.000.000 kms under its belt.

The 1988 Volvo 240 is the best year for this excellent car. For the '88 model, Volvo corrected the disintegrating engine wiring harness of the earlier models. And in 1989 Volvo introduced a more troublesome fuel injection system; mostly that the ECU(computer) may fail( I have replaced a few). -22 Years of 240 Service

Great video! I daily a '90 245 that I absolutely love!

I owned a 1974 Volvo from 1978 to 1987. Great car. In the 1970’s Volvos had problems with rust. That is what killed my first Volvo.

I just drove my $500 400,000 mile 240 wagon 8500 miles cross country . Absolutely one of the best cars ever made . Made it home with only one issue .

I bought a brand new 245 in 1993 but had to get a minivan after our 4th child was born. Fast forward 12 years and I bought a used '83 242 with a manual transmission so I could teach all of my kids how to drive a stick shift. They even took their driver's test in the 242! After that I all got them an S40/V50/C30 but I swapped the engine in my 242 with an B230FT from an '89 740 wagon and suspension and brakes updated via IPD. It is a total sleeper and is in very good mechanical condition with 227hp from a dyno test. One hidden advantage of owning a 240...NO ONE STEALS THEM! Volvo for Life.

Great Video, the Volvo 240 should be held up to the world as an example of how to make things now, ie built to last.

I've bought one because I loved it and before I did any research, love watching your Volvo videos David

I adore 240s and a red later 245 with a beige interior is my perfect combo. Great video dude

Regards from Poland. Nice instruction movie! You are lucky boy - live in sunny state. Cars in Europe have more troubles. 940 is also perfect auto. I am dreaming nice Amazon :)

If you buy one check your flame trap. I would say its probably a good idea to replace the PCV system entirely (flame trap, breather box, hoses) if your flame trap looks really bad. DO NOT replace the breather box with anything other than a genuine Volvo part because the aftermarket boxes tend to split horizontally (which can cause a loss of like 1 quart of oil every 40 miles or something crazy) I made that mistake recently and will now have to replace it a second time.

Mine, a 1989 sedan, painted flat black, got it for $600 running, a/c working , about 10 years ago, still running 👍

Nice video! My '92 244 has only 43800 miles and is a garage queen! Presently I need to replace the trailing arm bushings and exhaust, otherwise in perfect condition!

Hey David great video. I have seen that gold 264 at the Arco gas station in Pasadena. I sometimes pump gas on my white 89 DL at that Arco. The guy at the smog station works and sells 200 series. That 264 with the round lights has a 4 cylinder engine but 264 badge. That car has been sitting in his lot for a long time! The red wagon was a good choice!

Love these. My first car was a 240 sedan. In the summer of 2019, I found a gold 245 wagon that hit a deer and was sitting in a yard for over a year. Bought it for exactly $287! Being a PA car, it had (and still has) some rust, but I have been able to weld in new rocker panels and patch plates. Had to do a heater core, toughest job I have done, but manageable. Also took care of the body damage, and looks a bit more presentable. Car is hilarious with my swapped m46, puts a smile on my face whenever I drive it! Edit: Yup, mine is an 87. I redid the wiring for that grey connector on the firewall, it was pretty nasty. Windshield wiper motor wiring is next, although it works fine.

These and the W123's are the absolute best!

Well that review gets a 10/10 from me.

I like this red 240! I drive a 2006 V70 but a 240 is still on my bucket list :)

A good guide to Volvo ownership.

Excellent detailing ! Can’t wait to buy one now

This is a very good review! Thanks

I still hope I hadn't sold my 164E Volvo, but it was 96octane and a bit thirsty, but still.

Hey David, I’ve noticed that no one has put out a really great video of motor mount replacements; is that something you’d be willing to document on this 240 when the time comes?

I'm a new owner of my first 92 Volvo 240 GL and no bare bones and that being generous.But thanks to your video I don't feel as blind as I was about this car .But thank you for info .Feel so much better about the Volvo 240.

Have had about 25-30 volvo 240s they are good cars and easy to fix.

This is very accurate advice. Thank you!!!

Man, I’ve wanted a 240 for awhile! Have a v70 and xc90 currently, but think a 240 would go nicely in the fleet. Great video.

Dude this video is cracking me up so much. You're telling the truth though.

David, what do the numbers and codes on the timing belt cover indicate. I have never found a satisfactory answer to this. The information on the stickers changed over the years and now it is virtually nothing, but the earlier the car the more information. Can you enlighten us? That's a really good condition 240 wagon you scored there. I bet you wish it was yours. The summary if the parts that go wrong is excellent. Your knowledge is encyclopaedic. btw you are lucky you in the USA from the POV of buying a 240. Plenty of choice. In Australia we have precisely 6 available on the premier used car site. And they are over priced. Such is life.

just picked up my 1982 Red 242 DL

Volvo 240 for life! Got a 5 speed 88 240. Bricks rule!!

Such a great video, wish I could show u my place here in Sweden, got a lot of projects going on!

Brought and Drove a 1983 245 turbo sight unseen from Olympia Washington to Akron Ohio. Made it.. greatest car!

i have an '88 240 DL and i can attest to that massive space in the back! my partner and i were easily able to fit his stand up bass in there, with room on each side for pillows(to protect it from jostling).

Lol oh and another thing. Das luftmassenmesser needs to be cleaned a lot to blowby on the turbo cars. None-turbos get that crack in the inlet boot at the idle valve. LH does three DTM's and will test out every monitored device for you - something many other manufacturers did not have, just an OBD-none port...

Awesome. I gotta sort out how to do a post-COVID19 California car camp-out - so rusty up here in Canada.

My 740 needs a head gasket replacement or the block has cracks, I got coolent glycol in 2 of the cylinders only one way to find out, but I'll whet till it gets warmer here in Sweden, I like 240s to :)

Paid $1800 for my 1988 244 (200k mi)with m47 trans in late 2019. Out of all the volvos I own....I love my 244 the most!

*Excellent video, great advice.* 👍✨🏆

I'm getting a 744 this Friday and I'm gonna use a good chunk of info on repair report. Price settled is 700 and the reason of sale is "no power to fuel pump" most likely a relay issue in all honesty but dude didn't know that it was an easy fix. Gonna get a green exterior and a navy blue engine bay hopefully in the future. Plan is to use it as a daily and tow a small camper down route 66.

That device on the fender is the output stage (a pair of transistors) for the Ezk ignition output signal. Clean up the heatsink and add more heatsink paste when you change those - or else they will burn out again. Very clean brick you got there. Always appreciate the cleanliness on that 1984 245 (with the envied Turbo badge on that eggcrate)...

On the 850s the odometer gears very often break as well. You can, however, blink out the "real" odometer reading stored in the instrument cluster with the obd1. Don't know about the 240, but might work as well.

I’m hoping to look at one of these soon. Hopefully I can absorb enough of this video to get me by, and hopefully I can get the car

Graceful Degradation

Just got a non-runner the other day, beautiful black '92 245. I think it's a fueling issue since I've got spark and the cam turns over, and I also don't hear the high pressure pump kick on. I've got a pump and relay coming, and next up would be the crank position sensor based on that great 2 part video by the Finnish fella. It needs a few little bits otherwise, but I'm excited to finally own a 240 at all. Also, god damn that red on black is so nice.

Just picked up a 89 5 speed 240 dl wagon for $1600.. all original in beautiful condition with leather seats. I'm gonna get some nice 16 inch wheels for it and full stainless exhaust and have a beautiful summer car

Well done. Thanks.

Nice example of a 240. She may need a new crank position sensor soon. I noticed that the wire is starting to fray, which will eventually cause a no start problem if moisture gets into it. New reproduction door map pockets can be bought on Ebay. If she plans on keeping the car, I suggest getting a stainless exhaust from IPD.

I've owned 12 of them the best car I've ever owned different times sedans and wagons

It is ironic because it is getting to be point where they are often not good cars anymore due to the age and mileage.

Nice video as always. Is it difficult to register an out of state car in California? Like what would DMV be looking for when you register your red wagon?

I still have my beautiful es, but went to BMW e34s back on the day, they are the best car ever built😎I still have 245 interior door panels and arm/ head rests if interested! Dark blue in color💨

Yes, the problem is fending off all 'wannabuyers' if you drive one of these. The old trick of dumping some oil on the exhaust when parking or wrapping it in rust vinyl? My '93 only 180 000 km in original condition here in Sweden makes people drewling and become nostalgic. *My grandfather had one...'

The spare wheel wells and the area of ​​the mud flap holder are weak points of the 240 due to rust. On some vehicles, the floor assembly can rust completely along the floor sill.

Great channel! Thank you for sharing, gives me back some great childhood memories growing up in Sweden 🇸🇪 It's a great car except if you are tall like me. Seat and steering wheel adjustment is a problem if you are tall. But you love the Volvo 240 anyway

i have a 1992 245 that is in near perfect condition. its only issue is a crack on the windshield. it is exactly the same as the red wagon you bought, just a darker shade. maroon almost. 118,600 miles

Maybe some repairs 240 videos? :D

Awesome video David, I have recently converted my kjet glt to a penta sidedraft setup, is there anything that needs to be done electrical/ignition wise from kjet to carb

Greetings from Argentina. Proud owner of a volvo 240 wagon from 1990 with 97K miles on it. My list of issues are: AC not working and won't ever do given the work involved on replacing that blower; I did the globe on oil cap hole test and is not sucking and not blowing so I imagine the PCV system is about to give up; I'm pretty sure is still running on original fuel filter, I have bought a couple of new ones but I'm scare or ruining something and not replacing it yet.

Awesome video and glad I found your channel! Just bought 1986 240 that seems very well maintained. There is a slight clunk when automatic shift from first gear going slow but not so noticeable when accelerating faster- any tips where to look or what might be the cause? Cheers!

Strut Mounts: OEM PN 1272455 are terrible like after market as I bought these. What do you use? Appears BNE dynamics aka Kaplhenke Racing are the only source of something that works. Thank you, Mr. Bello. Love your channel.🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

It feels good knowing that people all over the world like our cars. The Volvo 240 is really a swedish peoples car, everyone had one. Although i am more of a Saab person, i live about 30min from the old saab factory, sadly quiet now. I dont know why america decided to buy our entire car industry in the 90s and i have to say Ford was a much better owner for Volvo than Gm was for Saab, they didnt seem to know what they were doing.

I'm currently selling a white 88' 245 with 240k, all the little quirks sorted for 4.5k up here in Oregon. Done engine seals, belts, electrical bugs, window regulators, front suspension, overdrive mod, upgraded stereo, and interior is clean. No AC, and couple bumps and scrapes to the exterior otherwise a great daily driver. Thought i would test the waters here before craigslist.

I just learned a lot about Volvos and I don’t even have one… yet.

My first box was a 1984 760Turbo with the forge b23FT and (of course) a Garrett. Those waggies were amazing for size (though I'm not a waggie guy) and the 244s were (and still are) incredibly stout cars. Even the none-squirter blocks (after 1989, beyond those 9mm rods...) would support an almost astonishing 19lbs boost if you were OK with changing headgaskets every few minutes. Great oil control, but they are also b!@#$ng leakers! There's a great replacement Fan Clutch and it's the Tropical Heavy Duty one from IPD and I highly recommend it. Been running that with the pusher fan in the hottest days here, after my r134a conversion with that Seltec it has better cooling than my newer Mercedes. These cars are lifer cars, ones that are meant to sharpen your mind and be good friends (my story is pretty much as you described it when you mentioned about being vigilant, I went through some drama and under that hood was my Zen zone) for an eternity. Think about that. Our cars are no less than 31 - 30 years old but some of them run better than newer cars of similar construction. #Volvoforlife

For some reason Craig’s List won’t send me the URL. There’s a 1991 blue 245 manual transmission listed on the Vancouver BC site. Has 2 owners 320K kilometres and asking $6K Canadian. That’s roughly 200K km and 4500USD. Photos look good. We don’t have too much trouble with rust here.

29:26 For Snow Tires, Gislavid or Nokian snow tires are your best bet.