Hello, my name is JD and I'm addicted to cheap Volvos

Craigslist is the work of the devil. I have no need for another car (#4) but for $400 I couldn't pass this up. Its a 92 244 with working windows and locks and shiny paint. No cracks in the dash, great seats, and good glass. It has brand new rear brakes but no e-brake and brand new pads and rotors for the front in the trunk. The bad news is the throwout bearing makes a little noise, the rear u-joint is about to fall out, the tires are bald, the Thule rack has a key broken off in one lock, and the A/C doesn't work. A few dents and dings and some rust in the left front door. Still, it made it the six miles home so I can't complain.

So now what? The way I see it I have 4 options:

-Flip it as is after a U-joint and a cleaning.

-Fix it up a bit with my spare Hydras and good tires, fix the A/C, buff it out, maybe a clutch and tune-up and drive it this winter while I put a 5 speed in my 745t.

-Same as above but sell it.

-Part it out, mostly for my '70 142S. I could use the floors, interior (A/C dash?), drive shaft, rear end (?), and drivetrain. The 142 needs floors anyway and swapping in this one should let me use not only the seats but the sweet running B230F and M47 with only 182k on it. Or I could use the engine in my 745t since it has another 100k on it.

What should I do?

That's a nice ride, assuming you don't need the cash - hang onto it. make an unlikely track star out of it.

Its not the cash, its the space. I live in the city, and its downright comical when I want to drive the Miata or '70 to work. 10 minutes of car shuffling every morning gets old fast!

Everything about that car looks really, really solid.

But, as nice as it is, your 142 is cooler. I vote that it gives its life to resurrect the older car.

You don't mention whether or not the brake lights work. There are a few of these left in my area of the country, and pretty much every one I ever see on the road has a burned out/malfunctioning? brake light when I catch up with it at a stoplight.

BTW, I agree, use this to "update" your older Volvo.

yesyes.. makes a great donor

Cash is good too. Fix up the small problems, make it whole and pretty, and pocket the dough.

Sweet car! I say fix it up and flip it and/or keep it. Looks too straight to be hacked up.

speedblind wrote: Looks too straight to be hacked up.

Thats part of the problem. I think I'll replace the u-joint (I can't believe I made it home), put on the good wheels and tires, give it a good bath, and see what I have. Maybe ask a highish price for it and keep it if it doesn't sell.

integraguy wrote: You don't mention whether or not the brake lights work. There are a few of these left in my area of the country, and pretty much every one I ever see on the road has a burned out/malfunctioning? brake light when I catch up with it at a stoplight. BTW, I agree, use this to "update" your older Volvo.

At last! a gearhead that ADMITS to not having enough room! The donor plan looks good to me, unless you really can fix it simply for sale.

I'd do everything I can to improve it on the cheap then flip it!

I'd make a dirty drift car out of it, just to see what drifting is really all about.

I see drift brick. Or autocross brick. But you have to leave the Thule on it.

Wait, based on your title, are you here for support to stop your addiction? Because if you are this site is like nickle night for college students at the local bar...

He's not look for support in quitting- he's looking for support in justification of his habit. Or something.

I would use it as a parts car for the 142, the investment is fairly low and you reduce your number of cars in the end while finishing a project and making it usable.

Something like this.

I dont like it when people cut up cars that are still perfectly useful. A wrecked one would be a good parts donor also, there arent many of those with manual transmissions, and unless its really rusty underneath it still looks nice.

Fix/Flip/Sell

Step 3: Profit!

P71 wrote: Step 3: Profit!

Aren't steps 1&2 "collect underwear" and "????"

My vote is fix the u-joint, make it safe for a 1k mile trip, then sell it to me for a modest profit!

oldopelguy wrote: My vote is fix the u-joint, make it safe for a 1k mile trip, then sell it to me for a modest profit!

Thats totally doable. I'll keep updating here as work progresses.

lizard wrote: Where's it at? I could annoy my wife by rockin' that as a DD...

Louisville, KY.

I'll be at MATG this weekend but once I get back I'll be replacing the u-joint to drive it onto a lift at work. Once I know what it needs I'll post here.

i'd put a u-joint in it, soak the tires with Bleche-Wite and scrub them with a brish, scuff the rims and paint them semi-gloss black, dress all the rubber with son-of-a-gun, wheel out the paint, remove the rack completely, and get a for sale sign on it. in one weekend you can quadruple your investment.

I'm still looking for a nice one like that around here for a daily. Nice score.