- Edited
And a 760...
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mickleham/cars-vans-utes/volvo-760-gle-very-rare-vehicle-/1248591208740 now officially RARE
https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/743246022880048/?ref=browse_tab&tracking=%7B%22qid%22%3A%226831100127793250738%22%2C%22mf_story_key%22%3A%223083158568389042%22%2C%22commerce_rank_obj%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22target_id%5C%22%3A3083158568389042%2C%5C%22target_type%5C%22%3A0%2C%5C%22primary_position%5C%22%3A15%2C%5C%22ranking_signature%5C%22%3A4019509134679343104%2C%5C%22commerce_channel%5C%22%3A501%2C%5C%22value%5C%22%3A5.9157360801646e-7%2C%5C%22upsell_type%5C%22%3Anull%7D%22%7D
That 760T looks sweet!
Right!
- Edited
Stop STOP! I love me a 7 series, but thanks to "CHINA", I have no disposable income (not even beer money). Plus I have many, even if TooManyVolvos is never actually too many.
Perhaps I stand corrected @Slowbrick that the 7 series is not yet officially rare (but specific variants are), it was supposed to be a topic/ question, not a statement. To me, Carsales is a yardstick, and just a very very short time ago searches of the model revealed consistently different results.
@dmc I've got one 740 with 300 on the clock that has totally Farked front end bushings, I recently watched it braking in the reflection of a shop window, it's totally Farked and won't be driven till fixed. In my experience the suspension is more durable than anything else I've owned.
Black diamond is right, they still go cheaply, got a whole 240 sedan with some issues for 700kiwi the other month, haven't seen it yet, but should have it on the weekend to start pulling down. That one was publicly listed. A guy got a 240 wagon for free (or scrap value at most) with 7 seat and good running engine/trans etc with rear bumper rust, parted it out and tried to quadruple his money from the small nz community - wanker :-D POHM. Cough. Most of these cars get listed through the kiwi FB group before they go on our trademe site. Recently a clean 242 GT went for 15k that way, never saw the public market, just 100 regulars and 2000 "never visits". They're definitely thinning out, but they're still mostly not valued by anyone except us enthusiasts, who are not who originally own them or mostly sell them, that's old guys who gave up and moved on and don't understand any more.
a year later
Gumtree Is the best platform to buy and sell cars. eBay was ok. Facebook is good for nothing. Over the past 4 years I have seen hundreds of 700 series on those platforms but realistically it was all depending on my location and a phone call through gumtree.
The GL are still fairly common on the roads and on the internet.
The turbos are not common on the roads but do appear on the internet.
Finding a 740 or 760 with any desirable options is rare in any condition on the open market platforms.
8 months later
timboI don't really care for 740/940s in stock form but after fitting an m90 box, 16t, Bilsteins and swaybars to a mates 740 it's a pretty nice car to drive now. Still can't get past the uninspiring appearance though...
sedans for sure are ugly imho, but the wagons are iconic. yeah i know you hear everything in the mainstream media labelled as iconic if it is old or half interesting but the 740 wagon is truly iconic. that is why the price is going to keep on keeping on :)
plus they are a close second to the shape of the super-cool 850 rocket wagons, so that boosts their price too high for those who spent way too much money on chiko rolls and drive-in tickets to seduce hot chicks when they were 21...
2 months later
hey! I bought this one for 500 and the engine is going in my 240 so can confirm they’re getting more rare one at a time at least ? before anyone says anything the body was an absolute write off. Also picked up a 91 740 for another 500 on grays that’s looking like a good little project!
Until a few years ago, I only ever looked at 740s as potential donors to my 240s.
Around the same time I got my license and bought my first 240, my uncle sold his 740 to my cousin. I remember my teenage mind thinking how much cooler my 240 was.
My Dad bought a 1990 740 Turbo in about 95 and it was a pretty awesome car. The soft tan leather was lovely when it was so young. It was also the first turbo car I’d ever been in.. that thing had some get up! Although the car already felt somewhat dated visually. This was around the same time the curves or the Ford Taurus and Hyundai S Coupe graced our roads.. okay, dramatic (and hideous) examples. But the contrast was there and to a young boy, those edges were a bit embarrassing.
The car seemed somewhat cursed though. Whether it was because of the way my Dad drove it, because of it’s life with previous owners or because it was a 740, I’m not sure. But my uncle always seemed to be doing work on it.
Meanwhile, my mother was approaching 500,000kms in the 85 240 she’d had since about 1990. She had the oil changed about every 50,000kms or something and it basically never needed maintenance.
I think it’s interesting how design comes around. And trends in music and fashion seem to permeate other facets of life like cars and furniture. It’s a complicated thing.. something to do with the eye becoming accustomed to a certain aesthetic that becomes zeitgeist, which then accentuates the interest in visually striking aesthetic alternatives. Adopting styles that oppose the zeitgeist become a motif of the young, the alternative and the divergent. They become a symbol of rebellion.
The highly stylised, sleek, sharp and aggressive designs of modern cars are in such stark opposition to the style of old Volvos. They just look.. daggy. Right? I mean I think they look wonderful.. but when you sit it next to an Audi E-Tron, the old Volvo really doesn’t look like it’s trying. And it doesn’t really look like it gives a fuck either. And neither does the owner. And that’s part of what we love isn’t it?
Since the 240 has become a totem for some segments of the younger generation, they’ve somehow lost a little bit of their appeal to me. I mean I love 240s.. but part of why I love old Volvos is because you don’t see a lot of them. They’re a bit different. And I lived through a time when I’d ride in a Volvo with my parents in the 90s and get yelled at for being in a Volvo. Usually by people in old Commodores. I do live in Queensland so that probably was a part of it. But nowadays, I see a 240 on just about every block. I’d be driving my 240 around and I’d look over and there’s be one next to me with a young guy giving me thumbs up. I love the brotherhood.. but I do like to feel like my car is a bit rare or unique or special. I’ve never seen one red 850R wagon on the roads in the 4 years I’ve had mine. Although I did cross paths with another 72 140 on the school run one morning!
But.. this rise in popularity in the 240 has put the 740 in a peculiar position.. it’s now the alternative. It’s the oddball. I’m sure there are probably guys out there in 240s who have not even seen a 740 on the road. I can’t remember the last time I saw one on the road (aside from at my local Volvo mechanic). So all of a sudden, I am drawn to the 740. The sharp lines and masculine silhouette only serve to add to the attraction. When I got mine recently, I invited my mate around for a look and he’s staring at it and he’s like.. “I like it.. like, I really like it. There’s something so.. strong about it.”
They say Volvos are boxy. Well, there’s no Volvo more boxy than a 700 series. This is a Volvo for Volvo lovers. And the fact it’s still available at a cheaper price, is also another attribute that drew us all to Volvos in the first place. The fact it’s got the beloved Redblock drivetrain and is available in turbo from the factory is the cherry on top.
a year later
- Edited
OdinsRedblockUntil a few years ago, I only ever looked at 740s as potential donors to my 240s.
Around the same time I got my license and bought my first 240, my uncle sold his 740 to my cousin. I remember my teenage mind thinking how much cooler my 240 was.
My Dad bought a 1990 740 Turbo in about 95 and it was a pretty awesome car. The soft tan leather was lovely when it was so young. It was also the first turbo car I’d ever been in.. that thing had some get up! Although the car already felt somewhat dated visually. This was around the same time the curves or the Ford Taurus and Hyundai S Coupe graced our roads.. okay, dramatic (and hideous) examples. But the contrast was there and to a young boy, those edges were a bit embarrassing.
The car seemed somewhat cursed though. Whether it was because of the way my Dad drove it, because of it’s life with previous owners or because it was a 740, I’m not sure. But my uncle always seemed to be doing work on it.
Meanwhile, my mother was approaching 500,000kms in the 85 240 she’d had since about 1990. She had the oil changed about every 50,000kms or something and it basically never needed maintenance.
I think it’s interesting how design comes around. And trends in music and fashion seem to permeate other facets of life like cars and furniture. It’s a complicated thing.. something to do with the eye becoming accustomed to a certain aesthetic that becomes zeitgeist, which then accentuates the interest in visually striking aesthetic alternatives. Adopting styles that oppose the zeitgeist become a motif of the young, the alternative and the divergent. They become a symbol of rebellion.
The highly stylised, sleek, sharp and aggressive designs of modern cars are in such stark opposition to the style of old Volvos. They just look.. daggy. Right? I mean I think they look wonderful.. but when you sit it next to an Audi E-Tron, the old Volvo really doesn’t look like it’s trying. And it doesn’t really look like it gives a fuck either. And neither does the owner. And that’s part of what we love isn’t it?
Since the 240 has become a totem for some segments of the younger generation, they’ve somehow lost a little bit of their appeal to me. I mean I love 240s.. but part of why I love old Volvos is because you don’t see a lot of them. They’re a bit different. And I lived through a time when I’d ride in a Volvo with my parents in the 90s and get yelled at for being in a Volvo. Usually by people in old Commodores. I do live in Queensland so that probably was a part of it. But nowadays, I see a 240 on just about every block. I’d be driving my 240 around and I’d look over and there’s be one next to me with a young guy giving me thumbs up. I love the brotherhood.. but I do like to feel like my car is a bit rare or unique or special. I’ve never seen one red 850R wagon on the roads in the 4 years I’ve had mine. Although I did cross paths with another 72 140 on the school run one morning!
But.. this rise in popularity in the 240 has put the 740 in a peculiar position.. it’s now the alternative. It’s the oddball. I’m sure there are probably guys out there in 240s who have not even seen a 740 on the road. I can’t remember the last time I saw one on the road (aside from at my local Volvo mechanic). So all of a sudden, I am drawn to the 740. The sharp lines and masculine silhouette only serve to add to the attraction. When I got mine recently, I invited my mate around for a look and he’s staring at it and he’s like.. “I like it.. like, I really like it. There’s something so.. strong about it.”
They say Volvos are boxy. Well, there’s no Volvo more boxy than a 700 series. This is a Volvo for Volvo lovers. And the fact it’s still available at a cheaper price, is also another attribute that drew us all to Volvos in the first place. The fact it’s got the beloved Redblock drivetrain and is available in turbo from the factory is the cherry on top.
Interesting take on it all and your own experience.
I've owned and enjoyed countless 240's and 740's, and still have about a dozen of each, at least.
I just don't drive my 240's. Well I do, but just not really out of any particular choice, nor regularly. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but it's always a 740 that takes my interest and choice. If I want the comfort for a 3 hour journey, the 740 wins. If I want the extra spirit of the Turbo, again it's the 740 (I like my red block turbo's to stay where they belong, they aren't donor cars).
The 740 also takes my eye as the more iconic visual design - unapologetic, striking and beautiful (except the soft nose 90 model). The 240 really wasn't that much different visually than many of its contemporaries, even if it was remembered as standing out. Of course it had plenty of good reasons to stand out compared to the many mediocre competitors of its time.
My 2 cents worth on the 240/740. I have several of each for sale, but I'd be happy if half my 240's sold and I got to keep all my 740's.
Always wanted a 740 sedan,love the shape.
Bigger car.
240s are for short people.