The ad for today’s Nice Price or No Dice Volvo 240 suggests the car could use “some TLC.” That’s generally all these dependably solid cars ever need. Let’s decide if this one’s price needs some attention, too.
Did you know that there are people out there who take an interest in the study of fossilized poop? They even have a name for the stuff: coprolites. The academics studying Dino deuces probably don’t lead with that nugget at cocktail parties, but the fact that it’s even a thing proves that, given enough time, everything gains some form of allure. Perhaps enough time has passed for the 1985 Maserati Biturbo we looked at on Friday, allowing its shortcomings to be overlooked and its $5,950 price to be seriously considered. Look over and consider we did. The result, after a nail-biter of a morning, was the car earning a narrow 52 percent Nice Price win.
This being an election year here in the U.S. (yeah, sorry about that), there’s a lot of gloom and doom in the news and on the tattered remains of social media channels. With all that propaganda, vitriol, and apocalyptic Nostra-damning out there, many of us are questioning what our futures will look like. Fortunately, there’s one rock-solid constant to lend us comfort and assurance in these trying times—a nostrum, if you will—that, in the words of Bob Marley, everything will be alright.
I’m speaking, of course, about old Volvo 200s.
This 1991 Volvo 240 DL sedan is one such car. Don’t you feel calmer and less agitated just looking at it? I know I do. According to its ad, this manual-equipped 240 sports a mere 93,000 miles and has enjoyed a life free of accidents and extended periods out-of-doors. It also comes with a clean title and a loin cloth for each of its license plates.
While Volvo’s 200 Series enjoys an unmatched reputation for durability and reliable service, this Dark Blue Metallic over color-coordinated cloth edition does have a couple of boogers that will likely need to be addressed. Of those, the most readily discovered is the broken plastic pocket on the driver’s door. A tear and some staining on the driver’s seat are also apparent, and then there’s the issue of the factory stereo displaying “codE” and a suspicious piece of black electrical tape covering one of the warning lights on the instrument cluster.
Making up for all of that, though, are some wonderfully random “Firebird” floor mats that give this car some seriously kitschy charm. On the outside, a set of new tires is a more practical plus.
The seller says that the car has been sitting for a few years but that it “starts right up.” This being a 240, that’s wholly expected of the car. I mean, why would it not? The B230F under the hood is one of history’s greatest engines, if not exactly the most powerful. Here, its modest 114 horsepower and 136 lb-ft of torque gets exercised through a five-speed manual transmission, a delightful find on any of these cars. Less so delightful a discovery is the A/C system, which probably still rocks old-school ozone-depleting R12. If that’s still working, it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.
Should, though, any interested party sleep on this Volvo’s $6,000 price? What do you think? Is $6,000 a small price to pay for some security in such a topsy-turvy day and age? Or is that price too much for the automotive equivalent of Linus’ security blanket?
You decide!
Hartford, Connecticut, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Whatsupdohc for the hookup!
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