Are they really this cheap to buy?

I was checking out the English Ebay site and noticed this 940 Turbo.
It doesn't look like a trailer queen but I can't see any rust at all
and it is selling really cheap. Do the cars not rust in England or
do they not have a good reputation there?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1991-VOLVO-94...oryZ9872QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

There's been discussion about this in the past. Used cars lose value
ludicrously quickly over there, which makes me wonder why anyone would ever
buy a new one. I recall a few years ago clean 240s were still fetching over
$10K in the US, and Brits were scoffing at for sale posts from people in the
US, many of which I considered to be bargains.

Of course fuel is far more expensive there, a while back a friend of mine
calculated it out to about $9 a gallon, which makes a 23 mpg Volvo a bit
less appealing I suppose.

 

seems to me now is a great time to be shopping used volvos...there
are many, low miles...xlt shpe units out there...esp in the us
market...
just be sure to have them checked out by someone who knows volvos
b4 any purchase......i am pining for one of the v70r wagons i keep
coming across.....03-06's for 13-19k us ... aprox 50% of sticker.....

cheers.....

 

I paid 240.00 GBP for a very tidy 1991 960 Turbo last year, only 125,000
miles. It's now done 138,000 miles and going strong, the main reason
for the low price is fuel costs, we are paying $10.00 a gallon!!

Steve H

 

960 Turbo? I've seen a few custom made with a turbo slapped on the big
straight 6, but I didn't think Volvo built any like that?

Good thing stuff isn't as spread out there as it is here with fuel costs
like that.

 

If they were LHD, you could do well buying them in Britian and shipping
them to the US. I suppose the drive train and a lot of other parts would
be interchangeable; selling them here as parts cars could also be profitable.


Gary

 

They made a few in 1991 using the red block engine from the 940 with
more turbo boost, it's as quick as a straight 6 but the insurance is
cheaper. I think they only sold a few in the UK and dropped the turbo
as an option in late 1991. Petrol went up another 2p today;c(

Steve H

 

Ah, that insurance per engine displacement has created some interesting
motors. Over here the engine can be as big as you want and it doesn't really
affect the insurance. There's some flags that put you in a high risk
category but I think Volvos in general are pretty well under the radar.


I kinda wish they'd never mucked up the numbering scheme, the 760 Turbo and
now apparently the 960 Turbo are both misnomers.

 

Why would they rust? They are galvanised.

I disagree with the others, the reason for the low price is not fuel
costs, plenty of new SUV owners used to own a 940 and do less mpg now.
Fuel cost is really only now starting to sway purchasing, even then I'm
not sure, I mostly work at home these days. LPTs tend to return a good
30mpg.

The real reason is fashion. They are still identifiable as an old car
due to the design (not rust). Old cars mostly don't last as long here
due to rust, small engine design and short driving distances. Also the
fact that in GB the number plates have a year letter has created number
plate snobbery. Combined effect is people here are used to changing
their cars much earlier than in the US with its better weather, bigger
engines and rugged designs. Mention a car more than 5 years old and
most people will shy away remembering their first Mondeo, Escort or
Astra, Volvo's reputation doesn't extend that far for those people.

Old 240s/940s really stand out here amongst older cars, they nearly all
have good body work and good paint too (still shiny and well coloured),
and of course reliable, everything still working usually. A good 16
year old 940 will overtake (in condition) a typical 5 year old Ford, and
IMO a 10 year old 850. The Fords and Vauxhalls (GM?) here are really
not built to last.

The only people that want older Volvos are the poor and the well
informed / enthusiasts. Although I still see specials ed 97 ones in
ebay dealers for GBP3,500. (I paid GBP4,000 for my 1995 SE Turbo 8
years ago).

 

Galvanized bodies will still rust in areas where they salt the roads, it
just delays the inevitable. This summer I need to replace a section of the
floor pan in my mom's '86 245, it spent a few years up in Alaska around a
decade ago and the salt took its toll. Fortunately nothing structural
rusted.