Looking For A Classic

Mr.Boots

Hey, im looking for a "newer" classic.
Was thinking along the lines of a volvo 240
Anyone got any experience if these?
Anyone know where i can find one?
Cheers.

ds20prefecture

The 240 is a great car. They're simple, boxy, honest, family transport, particularly in estate form. Not what I'd call a classic in that they didn't do anything particularly unique, or revolutionary, or genre-defining. But a nice ride and very very tough.

In my experience, the biggest problem with the 240 is the monumental rear overhang and the lack of mechanical grip. This, plus rear wheel drive, makes the car a bit of a handful in slippery conditions. They swap ends with ease, and the absolute lack of steering feel means you don't get any messages signalling what's about to happen.The car was regarded as one of the safest in its class in that you were more likely to survive an accident because of the tough passenger cell. My thinking is that you're much more likely to have an accident in a Volvo of this vintage because of the somewhat antique handling characteristics.

The carb engines are amazingly tough but very thirsty. They're a lazy, torquey unit - not a high rev screamer. Don't know about the injected or turbo models, but I shudder to think how the chassis would have coped with more power. The 2.0 carb was more than enough to hit it's limits. Manual gearchanges are notchy and unpleasant. An auto suits it best.

Interiors wear well, particularly the leather ones. The dash is hewn from solid plastic - not pleasant to look at or touch, but again very tough.

There's a distinct lack of rear leg room for such a large car. This is because the wheelbase is fairly short and the RWD tunnel invades the cabin.

Their best asset is their longevity and sense of indestructability. Their worst is the thirst, packaging and handling.

Overall it was comprehensively outclassed by it's contemporaries. In estate form, the Citroen CX, the Mercedes Benz W123 and the Peugeot 504 are better all round cars in almost every respect. In saloon, the early BMW 5s, the Merc w123 and the Audi 100 again do the job better. Likewise the Saab 900.

Anyway, hope this helps. My eldest brother had an entry level 240DL estate from new for 13 years. I once went on holidays to France as his babysitter with his family: there were 9 of us in the 240, with a roof rack packed with Galtee rashers. The car never missed a beat,and when we pulled up at the gite, the owner came out and exclaimed "C'ette une voiture formidable!" as 9 of us extricated ourselves from the sweaty, non-airconditioned volvo.

When he sold it he chanced his arm for £500 and had 4 people come to see the car. It was fairly sheddy at that point (6 children, you see) but he had no problem reaching his asking price. A lot of people love these cars.