[Editor's Note: This article first appeared in our April 2014 issue. Some information may be different.]
“There are a lot of high-performance Volvo shops in Sweden,” says Ben Weaver of R-Sport International. “It’s like a Mustang or Camaro is here; it’s their muscle car.”
That probably sounds weird to the uninitiated. Volvo’s long-lived 240 platform has a strong following in the land of names that end in …
I once owned a Volvo wagon and I approve of this message.
I currently have 4 240s on my property (2, 4 and 5 door) and I also approve of this message.
It seems like the 240's are set to become the next low budget RWD rally car, replacing the now more expensive and harder to find E30.
That 79 242 GT is one of my favorite cars, let alone one of my favorite Volvos. The Silver paint and subtle stripe, and the super cool corderoy upholstery with the orange stripe just makes me happy.
Courderoy.
Corduroy.
Ah. There we go.
My '82 242 has been V8 powered since 1996 -- through 2015 with Ford 5.0L power, and more recently with an LS3. Nothing but fun. The import crowd welcomes you because it's a Volvo, and the hot rodders say 'come on in' because it's V8 powered. Eventually, disposition of it will be my estate's problem. I reckon I am this message. Just like the car IS the box it came in. https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/2237/
I'm on my second 240, a wagon, and I approve this message.
I so want one!!!
I also approve of this message. I drive a '08 S60 2.5T AWD. A friend once had a similar to the above Volvo, sold it with over 400,000 miles, and it was well maintained, and ran really well.
My family sold Volvos for 53 years. The 79 GT was one of my favorites. Not a lot of power. but the most comfortable car I ever fell asleep behind the wheel of, and ran into a guard rail. Sigh.
I live in Oregon, a.k.a. the hipster capital of the world. So these fetch a pretty good price on craigslist, how do they fare for rusting and is it true the bolts are strange sizes?
In reply to Trackmouse :
They're generally pretty rust resistant, since after '85 or so they started hot-dip galvanizing most of the body of the car. Neither of the cars I've had have any rust on them beyond surface rust from body damage.
No strange size bolts on mine. It's all normal m6/8/10/12 fasteners. Some of the nuts/bolts are different sizes on each end (13mm nut, 12mm bolt for an m10), but that's a godsend because you don't need multiple of any one wrench to work on the car.
I think galv in US/Canada cars started in 88.....
!989 240 dl ebay bought 530.00$ came from virginia , little rust , 369000 on the clock , ran a bit rough, tranny was sketchy, no rear muffler, driver seat sagging . flushed and filled tranny , problem fixed, fluid was like coffee ick . replaced radiator after inlet cracked, 60$ fixed 2 vacuum hoses , ran fine, plugs wires cap etc. under 90$ added lowering springs and new shocks 285$ , alignment , new cat back exhaust 123$ custom made wheel spacers 250$ used jaguar wheels 16in 48$ each . new v speed tires 50$ each . 
EvanB said:I currently have 4 240s on my property (2, 4 and 5 door) and I also approve of this message.
I have changed my assessment. They aren't watching ME, they are watching your driveway.
The tell will be if the next "Vintage Views" will be about Volvo S60Rs or Opel Kadetts.
In reply to Knurled. :
I think the xr4ti is more likely but I'd love an Opel article.
Is this where I insert a shameless plug for my current build thread? https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/project-black-brick-another-volvo/135790/page1/
I grew up in 240 wagons, riding in the way-back (before they had the rear-facing seat, even!) Always thoguht they were boring until I drove a turbo'd 240 at a rallycross :)
I figure they're really the next e30 anyhow, with lots of them still around and e30s starting to get harder to find for peanuts on craigslist.
If I ever wreck the rally e30, my top plan is to build a 240 rally wagon, just for E36 M3s and giggles.
I've said in the past, that if anything catastrophic happens to the shell of my Supra, the recipient of the reasonably powerful 1jz drivetrain will likely be a 240 wagon. Function, form, and a heck of a lot of utility. Plus, great sleeper, it just looks and sounds like an old car...
They were the next E30 before the E30 was the next E30..... ;)
irish44j said:If I ever wreck the rally e30, my top plan is to build a 240 rally wagon, just for E36 M3s and giggles.
I have been trying to decide which volvo at my house to build for a stage rally car (940, 244, 242, 245), I never thought of using the wagon before but it is just sitting around...
EvanB said:Is this where I insert a shameless plug for my current build thread? https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/project-black-brick-another-volvo/135790/page1/
To paraphrase Dr. John, "If [you] don't do it, somebody else will"...
In reply to EvanB :
In truth, the wagon would be a bad idea for stage in terms of performance (IMO). There's a reason that in 1000 "Swedish Rally" vids I've watched on youtube, none of them has any Swedes rallying wagons. And I mean, if it was as good or almost as good, you'd think at least one crazy Swede would have done it, right? I assume it has to do with the additional "swing weight" of the rear end on a wagon or something.
It would make getting to your gear, jack, spares, etc way easier though :) Would also make building the cage much easier.
Also would be much cooler, just because wagon.
Probably because you can't put the fuel cell in the trunk of a wagon without isolating it.
Or maybe they just hoard the wagons for service vehicles.
Knurled. said:Probably because you can't put the fuel cell in the trunk of a wagon without isolating it.
Or maybe they just hoard the wagons for service vehicles.
stage rally doesn't require fuel cell in this country, or in most other countries that I'm aware of. Some people do them for various reasons, but I don't think that would be the reason for the lack of Volvo wagons...
Must be the service vehicle thing :)
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