The Volvo Thread

BHowell
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Reno, NV US
Edited Date/Time 1/26/2022 6:38pm
First up, I know I lack much of the intimate knowledge many Vital users possess. This means I can learn more from you all.

That said, I friggin love the 240's! My first car was a 1984 240 GLS wagon. I learned to drive, in Alaska, in that rear-wheel-drive beast. Thanks, sandbags! I drove like a typical 16yo dumb ass too.

My last Volvo was a 1991 240 GL wagon. I had some great times with that thing, Drove to Sea Otter, did some camping, built a deck, all that awesomeness. I was getting a little too familiar with the IPD catalog and needed a more regular "daily driver," instead of a hobby car. I sold it to my dad (who then moved back to Alaska from WA) and he's done a ton of work on it. Has it totally cherried out now. (he's selling it now, but it's in Alaska)

At any rate, here are pics of my '91. I'll see about digging up some of the '84. Hope you all have some to share as well!




Tough to say if I would rather have another 240 or the car I coveted for so long - the 850 wagon.
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metadave
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1/12/2022 7:37am Edited Date/Time 1/12/2022 7:38am
Man, I've been hunting for a beater 240 wagon for years for a second car. The car I learned to drive stick it was a 4 speed 1980 sedan and eventually ended up with a two door 240 and a 740 sedan. Never has going so slow seemed so fast.
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bulletbass man
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1/12/2022 7:40am
Best car I’ve owned was an 01 Volvo v70. In total basically paid like a dime a mile for the price of car and maintenance. Would still be driving it but I live in philly and a lot of people don’t believe in red lights here.

I drive a pick up now (if they can’t see lights hopefully they see me) but if I can afford a second car I’m looking for another Volvo wagon. Plus seems every metro area has at least one good Volvo mechanic
BHowell
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1/12/2022 7:44am
Best car I’ve owned was an 01 Volvo v70. In total basically paid like a dime a mile for the price of car and maintenance. Would...
Best car I’ve owned was an 01 Volvo v70. In total basically paid like a dime a mile for the price of car and maintenance. Would still be driving it but I live in philly and a lot of people don’t believe in red lights here.

I drive a pick up now (if they can’t see lights hopefully they see me) but if I can afford a second car I’m looking for another Volvo wagon. Plus seems every metro area has at least one good Volvo mechanic
That's rad! My folks had a V70 for a spell and much later down the line I had a '98 S70. I drove that from Nevada to Alaska in record time. That in-line 5-cylinder turbo hauled ass!
hogfly
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1/12/2022 7:45am
My wife was such a huge fan of the Volvo V70XC and wanted one so bad. We bought a 1999 V70XC which was a few years old by that time. That was, by far, the worst car experience we've ever had, culminating in the engine, literally, blowing up on the interstate while I was driving with my kids and us having to get it towed to a scrap yard for salvage.

We wanted to love that vehicle soooo bad. We had a specialist Volvo mechanic in our area (he literally goes by "Gary Volvo") who works on noting but them and is a total nut for the brand. He also hated that year and model.

The next generation of XC was much better, I believe, as some of our friends had one and never had any issues.
Big Bird
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1/12/2022 8:08am
I learned to jump in our Volvo wagon. I had to stop when my dad wanted to know why the motor mounts were broken.
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NoahColorado
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1/12/2022 9:28am
I didn't mean to offend any Volvo lovers with my comment in other thread. I just meant that as a kid, most of my friends had Countach, 959, or Testarossa posters from Scholastic book fairs on their bedroom walls. Few were dreaming of rocking Volvos.

My parents drove Volvos (later on, a 850 wagon and a 960 sedan), and nothing your parents do is generally that cool when you're a kid. Obviously, that perception changes as you get older – right about the time you start finding Volvos attractive.

Can't believe this prompted a whole thread, LOL.

FWIW, I'd definitely rock a Volvo or Polestar now.


2
1/12/2022 9:37am
I had a 2000 V70XC AWD for a little while. Fun car--all wheel drive for the snow, turbo for passing people on the highway. Unfortunately a small oil leak that I couldn't immediately afford to fix turned into a massive oil hemhorrage during a road trip, and by the time I limped home the piston rings were shot and I was told I'd need a new engine. Ended up selling it to a junkyard. Primarily my fault, but it didn't help that I could not find a reliable and trustworthy Volvo mechanic in the places I was living. Lesson learned: either DIYFS or get a car that won't baffle small-town mechanics.
SB14
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1/12/2022 9:44am Edited Date/Time 1/12/2022 10:00am
Just picked up my first Volvo today, an 07 xc90! It does have a small tanks feeling to it, but it will do for driving to the track with our(Edit: off course with bikes, it was a damn-you-autocorrect) bikes! Cheers ppl. And also, Noah you have been killing it Ine the forum lately!
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BHowell
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1/12/2022 9:53am
I didn't mean to offend any Volvo lovers with my comment in other thread. I just meant that as a kid, most of my friends had...
I didn't mean to offend any Volvo lovers with my comment in other thread. I just meant that as a kid, most of my friends had Countach, 959, or Testarossa posters from Scholastic book fairs on their bedroom walls. Few were dreaming of rocking Volvos.

My parents drove Volvos (later on, a 850 wagon and a 960 sedan), and nothing your parents do is generally that cool when you're a kid. Obviously, that perception changes as you get older – right about the time you start finding Volvos attractive.

Can't believe this prompted a whole thread, LOL.

FWIW, I'd definitely rock a Volvo or Polestar now.


Haha, no way dude! I saw people get all hyped on that old boxy-but-good (name that movie) rigs and brought up my old nostalgia.
metadave
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1/12/2022 10:44pm Edited Date/Time 1/12/2022 10:44pm
I didn't mean to offend any Volvo lovers with my comment in other thread. I just meant that as a kid, most of my friends had...
I didn't mean to offend any Volvo lovers with my comment in other thread. I just meant that as a kid, most of my friends had Countach, 959, or Testarossa posters from Scholastic book fairs on their bedroom walls. Few were dreaming of rocking Volvos.

My parents drove Volvos (later on, a 850 wagon and a 960 sedan), and nothing your parents do is generally that cool when you're a kid. Obviously, that perception changes as you get older – right about the time you start finding Volvos attractive.

Can't believe this prompted a whole thread, LOL.

FWIW, I'd definitely rock a Volvo or Polestar now.


BHowell wrote:
Haha, no way dude! I saw people get all hyped on that old boxy-but-good (name that movie) rigs and brought up my old nostalgia.
I still drive the boxiest thing I can find. After Volvo I moved on to first gen Jeep Grand Cherokee's and now an 09 pathfinder. Wind resistance = style

I also appreciate that I still get a happy birthday email from turbo bricks
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Falcon
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Menifee, CA US
1/26/2022 1:36pm
I got devirginized in the back seat of a late-'80s 240 sedan. Yeah, I like Volvos.
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bulletbass man
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1/26/2022 6:38pm
Falcon wrote:
I got devirginized in the back seat of a late-'80s 240 sedan. Yeah, I like Volvos.
A v70 with the seat down fits a full size mattress
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AlexBe
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Phoenix, AZ US
6/12/2023 2:19am

I'm thinking about buying a new car and Volvo seems to be a good choice. And you guys have persuaded me Smile

glanmit
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New York, NY US
6/12/2023 2:51pm Edited Date/Time 6/22/2023 1:46am

Volvo is definitely the best family car ever. We have it for two years already and have no complaints about it. Last summer we went for a vacation to Emirates and requested to have a rented car Volvo as well. Wasn't easy at the beginning to communicate with them, but thanks to this service https://isaccurate.com/arabic-translation-services everything worked at the end. I hope in the nearest future we can buy a newer model , cause ours is a little old already. Anyway, can recommend more, especially for the families.

Gener
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NY, NY US
11/27/2024 7:33am

I had a 1988 240 DL sedan that I drove all through college. It wasn’t a powerhouse, but it had that undeniable Volvo charm, and it never failed to turn heads. My favorite memory was taking it on a 1,000-mile road trip—solid as a rock the whole way.

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