Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2007 20:16:43 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Volvo reliability , Bah Humbug
In-Reply-To: <c4e7c5f90709071822u74ea2807g50e28fc63c30f5d0@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Ok, my two cents.
Having worked on volvo's for years.
140's - good tough strong car - a bit much from the carburetor era.
240 - they just will not die. The OHC B21F inline 4 starts in 1976
....There are still countless 240's, mostly wagons, soldering around. Made
up to 92.....I don't' like them, but many do and they have many 100,00's of
thousands of miles in them.
740's - expensive to own once they get older unless you do your own work.
My personal 740 is an 88 Turbo Sedan - absolutely the best car I've ever
owned - a factory hot rod with special suspension and brakes to go with the
turbo - loaded with safety, performance, and luxury features. Bought it for
a few hundred bucks. Had to rebuilt everything in it from engine, to trans,
to rear end, all shocks etc. Goes 80 like it's going down hill, steers like
a fighter plane, and does not blow around in gusts at all. ABS brakes,
etc......LOVE that car, but you don't seem many of them on the roads anymore
- due to the expense of getting them repaired professionally when they get
old. I'm up to 217K miles.
Reliable as could be, AFTER every thing is up to spec and refurbished as
needed throughout.
I 'wish' there was more 'volvo' in Vanagons. Very well made cars - volvos.
Bosch electricals and electronics. Big focus on crashworthiness and over
all safety.
The newer Volvos - fwd 850's and above .....a whole other world, more
complex, more 'modern' , not even related to traditional front engine, rear
drive volvo's.
And I think they 'like money' too much when they are above a hundred K to
150K miles.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
neil N
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2007 6:23 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Volvo reliability , Bah Humbug
The following is "said" with a PhriDaye kinda "bent".
Ok. I'm not trying to start some kind of Swedish War here, ;) (Oh
yes. I am part Swede) but IMHO, almost any $1600 car bought offa CL,
is likely going to cost the owner muchos $$ whilst doing a long,
heated, trip. And.,.....
..... being a former Volvo 140 series owner, but I'd have to say that
the Volvo 140 (and liekly the 240 series from what I've heard) had
solidly built/designed engines. They were also quite comfortable.
Plus, that wagon-o-mine was a great little hauler. At one time I
thought I'd "have it made" if I could keep my collection of Life-Gear
small enough to fit in that green wagon. Cha. Right! And I have truly
digressed.......
I miss my old 145S wagon. It didn't have the electric OD, but it was a
good vehicle. I beat that thing silly, running it low on coolant,
revving it too high etc. and it finally developed a REALLY LOUD
intermittent "whack" in the engine. It actually ran fine. It just
whacked a little now and then. (eh..... I'll leave that one alone ;)
Not trying to start a Volvo flame, but I guess I did rekindle an "old
flame" Volvo memory.
Neil. The PartSwede.
On 9/7/07, Pensioner <al_knoll@pacbell.net> wrote:
> If one googles "The Frugal Road Trip New York Times" you can learn how to
> spend gobs of cash herding a decrepit OvLov across the fruited plain. Fun
> to read. Keep me away from vintage OvLovs. Rather have a Vanagon.
Wonder
> if Chris Dixon knows this guy?
>
> Vanagons rule most of the time.
>
--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia -
"Jaco" (Bustorius)
http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
Please send fav Vanagon/Westfalia links to me at:
musomuso1963@hotmail.com