Considering a 1986 240 GLE Auto Estate

We have been looking for a 2nd car (mainly for me to use for my weekly market stall - lots of boxes - ferrying dogs to vets etc) for a few weeks. Saw a D Reg 240 GLE Auto Estate yesterday. Asking £400 (which I assume I need to strongly 'haggle' on!). MOT until October. No tax. 167,000 miles. No service history. Immaculate inside and out. Everything works. Old gent has owned it for 12 months - selling due to giving up driving. Owned locally before and used to deliver food for weddings (which is probably why it is so clean inside?!). We have never owned a Volvo before and not overly familiar with auto boxes. On this forum it looks like we should be particularly interested in rust/possible water leaks. Any other advice - especially on value, cost of running etc, etc.

[neil stevenson]

Yes most certainly.

Not big mileage for a Volvo, no service history need not be a problem as a) the car has done a reasonable mileage so it has been reliable and b) not many owners so those who had it were happy to stick with it.

At £400 it is not dear nor is it cheap but these cars seem to be priced on condition rather than mileage or year.

Although they are not the most frugal car on the road, as a second car you will find that you won't want to give it up as they have a way of growing on you. This forum is made up of members who have an affinity for their cars, you read of the problems but also the good points are listed here too.

So go for it, haggle if you can, use it but don't abuse it and in 10 years you might want to replace it.

Thanks, Neil. Going for a second look this evening (and boyfriend wants to check it out too). He wasn't keen on idea due to fuel economy, generally unsure about the auto box etc - BUT is now coming round to the idea of a car big enough to get his bikes in, safe to ferry his children around etc! If it checks out all right for rust/water leaks, then I hope to be a member of the VOC very soon!! :-)

[Clifford Pope]

Yes, yes, and yes! As Neil says, they grow on you, and pretty soon you will be amazed how you ever managed with anything smaller. You will need a roof rack of course.
Look for water leaks/rust under the front passenger carpet by the fuse box, and look at the rear wheel arch edges. Also under the cills by the rear jacking points. These will give you a pretty good idea of the general rust picture.

Service it regularly, change the oil and filter at least every 5,000 miles. I don't know about the auto box - it might be worth changing the oil?
It should give you another 100,000 miles easily. I know of several with over 400,000 miles.

Good luck!

Well, went for a 2nd look last night and not so sure about this particular car now. The rear wheel arches had been filled - and will need doing again soon. No water leaks at all BUT when you opened the passenger front door, there was a large area of filler there - and on opening the bonnet, a hole developing (my boyfriend just touched the bubbles in that area and it literally fell away!) where the windscreen, door pillar etc meet. We plan to keep the car for a few years - so rather cautious about taking a car on that may need some expensive repairs. Any idea on cost of sorting this out - and whether we should just forget this car and continue with our search.

[neil stevenson]

Hi,
I am a great believer that first impressions count.

If you are not happy with the way it looks, walk away. There are plenty of others out there.

No point in buying something which needs work now or very soon if you don't have to.

[Clifford Pope]

I agree. Rust at the foot of the screen pillar in the scuttle area is pretty rare, but in the example I saw it was a small taste of much worse inside the door pillar and cills.
At that age there is no need for the car to have lots of filler. It suggests poor attention to leaks and failure to clean off accumulated muck under the wheel arches.
With the rust you describe the car has nil value, but would be worth having if you were a DIY welder.
There are much better ones around - don't give up on the idea, just use your experience of this one to good effect when looking at the next.

Thanks, all. Have decided not to buy this particular car, but still looking. Probably going to buy a Mondeo (sorry! Used to have one and loved it), but I think that a Volvo Estate could be on our drive one day.