Since the spawnling is now 15, car shopping is starting to commence in a more serious fashion. The wife has laid down the law, he shall drive and have a Volvo. Considering kids crash, I'm not fighting the proclamation.
So, does anyone have a cheap 700/900 or even 200 brick in the Maryland area with a manual transmission?
I can hear the conversation now... "But ... I have this Miata just sitting here???" 
Good luck. If I hear of anything through Volvo club channels I'll let you know.
Have you considered an 850? I remember Car and Driver describing them as the first Volvos designed to maneuver around immovable objects rather than just going straight into them and hoping that all the steel will protect you.
My dad had a 96 850 GLT. It was a great car and seemed to be built much better than the S70/V70 that came later.
Ian, the Miata is finally gone. Sold it to a kid down in Virginia who was thrilled to death with it.
Woody, we want him to start with rear wheel drive, along with the manual transmission. Have him learn the fine art of controlling the rear end in the rain and such. After that, anything else is easy to drive.
Whew. That's a relief. With a tinge of regret.
Excellent choice. My daughter's first car was a 240. Named it Sven, 500 buck car took her though her junior year of college. Only sold it because it was a little slow to do highway driving. Get one with IPD springs, sways or budget for them. They handle like crap without these.
My first was a 740 turbo. Great choice! My sister and I could not kill it, and then two other teens couldn't either!
Don't rule out Saabs either. There are some great bargains out there, although they may be a little too fast for a new driver.
Mine's not for sale, but I think a 700/900 is a perfect first car. If you look at 240s up to 1987, watch the self-destructing wiring harnesses.
bastomatic wrote: If you look at 240s up to 1987, watch the self-destructing wiring harnesses.
And be wary of any 240 that says "needs blower motor" and you think, "how hard could that be?" 
I am not sure of your location, but if you're looking for an older Volvo, being willing to travel outside the rust belt will most likely save you a ton of time and effort in the long run.
Raleigh CL normally has a decent selection. I think the schools in the research triangle may have something to do with it.
And also, in addition to IPD, check out kalphenke (sp.) They're out of Rockville and make some solid stuff.
captdownshift wrote: And also, in addition to IPD, check out kalphenke (sp.) They're out of Rockville and make some solid stuff.
Indeed.
www.kaplhenke.com/
In reply to JFX001:
I was close on the spelling 
In my experience the 240 is an order of magnitude worse than the 700/900 in terms of rust.
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