seggle02
Hi all,
I have a 1981 Volvo 244 GL I have just finished refurbishing. It is currently on club plates.
I also have a 2013 Ford Fiesta that I bought new, and a 1979 Holden Commodore that I also restored.
I am thinking that perhaps 3 cars are too much for me to handle right now. So, one might have to go.
If I sell the Fiesta I'd put the Volvo on full rego, and have it as my daily driver. Out of the Commodore and the Volvo, the Volvo is the better car in general. Has more equipment, more economical, faster, rides and handles better. I'd keep the Commodore as it has too much sentimental value, and the Volvo I just finished rebuilding.
I can afford to keep all three but selling the fiesta, and paying off a loan would relax my finances a bit.
So....who here has a 240 as a daily driver? How reliable is it?
Ex850R
A pretty ratty old banger 240 wagon , auto , tailgate wiring issue all the time , tail lights failing all the time , this in a long wet cold winter driving 40 mins on some country farm back roads and Hwy to work and 3 hr drive home n back once a week , ye couldn't kill it....
Auto made it boring and less responsive , a bit gutless after an 850 TURBO.
PaddlerEd
Brendan (@volvohordz) has his that he was dailying until he grew up and got a proper job with a company car... AJ has used his 244 as a daily as well I think.
BradC
I used mine for 12 years. The only reason I traded up to a 740 was I needed a wagon and couldn't find a good 240. They are as reliable as you make them. I probably spent 2 grand in maintenance in 12 years and that included a new exhaust. I'd have another one in a heartbeat.
familyman
seggle02 wroteSo....who here has a 240 as a daily driver? How reliable is it?
What else would you use for a DD!? LOL!
Seriously though - in another thread I described the results of utterly neglecting to service a 240. To the point where I had to clutch it - in reverse down a driveway - to start it. And use a fan heater under the bonnet to warm the engine first on cold days. BUT - it always started - and I've never once been left stranded by a 240 since my first one in 1993. (Except once or twice by a flat battery.) Unlike the pathetic Ford I owned. Unlike the even-worse Sigma. And unlike a bunch of other 'popular' cars other people I've known have owned.
240Joe
I've daily driven a 240 for 15 years and am still going.
For the first 5 years I didn't look after them, things broke and I was left stranded a few times.
I went to a V70R for a year seeking a fun reliable car but cost more money due to needing maintenance that was out of my capability, needing me to take it to mechanics. Plus I was still paying it off.
So I decided to cash it in and go back to a 240, but this time learn how to fix things and keep on top of maintenance. Since then I've only been left stranded once and that was due to a dead ignition computer.
If you listen to the car and spend some time every month or 2 keeping the car healthy then you should have a reliable car.
The draw backs are that it is an old car so little things like poor windscreen wipers and not so good air con might get to you after some time but in all you have a great cheap car.
Make sure that your steering, suspension, brakes and fuses are all good and you're well on your way.
jamesinc
Nina and I have an 81 244 as our daily driver. It goes great, but bear in mind we have rebuilt most of the car at this point.
Vee_Que
I would keep the modern vehicle as a daily, purely because of airbags and other safety features, the fiesta will literally crush a 240 in an offset accident and you will get out of the fiesta unscathed basically.
familyman
240Joe;62867 wroteFor the first 5 years I didn't look after them, things broke and I was left stranded a few times.
Yeah, I worry about the 90 model I have now. (Relays mainly - I don't have any spares yet.) But the 76 & 78 we owned... They were sheer bliss after being in a 'Ford family' and then owning a Sigma (with it's ridiculous rattling engine). Every year I was replacing tie rod ends and/or balljoints on the XB - fixing this fuel problem, that electrical fault - leaving me at the side of the road. And the rust - so sick of dealing with RUST! I treated the '76 244 worse and worse but always found a way to start it. (Til it sat for two years - think I finally broke it's heart, so it gave up on itself LOL.)
Vee_Que
To be fair. You're talking about 70s vehicles. Late 90s onwards cars are pretty reliable...
VolvoHordz
PaddlerEd;62853 wroteBrendan (@volvohordz) has his that he was dailying until he grew up and got a proper job with a company car... AJ has used his 244 as a daily as well I think.
Put on over 200 000km in 9 years of daily driving. Now it just makes it out on weekends but its still going well.
It has had a few issues over that time/distance but for the most part could either be limped home or fixed up with basic tools/spares I had with me. I only ever had it towed home once and on that occasion the cause ended up being something silly that could have been fixed on the side of the road.
The key like any car is regular maintenance and an ear/feel/eye to pick up the warning signs of something not being right.
Tree
I find non-sporty modern cars a little dull in the driving feel. I've driven an 1.0L ecoboost Fiesta, it was ok. So from a driving experience POV, it'd choose the Volvo over the Fiesta. No f**k given for the commo sorry haha
However, if it were a Fiesta ST on the other hand...
240
I'd say, keep the 240 as the daily driver. It can be easily done. That's what my 240 is even though it's 11 years newer than yours.
You sound like the sort of person who can look after your cars pretty well, in which case, the Volvo will go forever.
You will read and hear countless stories about 240s that have survived extreme situations - they're pretty good cars.
A lot more character than a Fiesta too!
Plus, I've seen the build thread for your 244 and it looks really nice, so if it were me I'd definitely be hanging onto that one!
carnut1100
Ran a $500 1979 model for 3 years and 120,000km with about $500 total spend in repairs over that time. Yes the brake master died and so did the clutch master and i had to replace the rotor and dizzy cap and rad hoses and once the heater hose split and left me stranded with the water pissing onto the road and the clutch finally wore out at 420,000km so i threw a $50 secondhand clutch in it and got another 80,000 before i had to buy a new clutch.
Ran a 79 242 GT for a few years as a daily.
Had to overhaul the brakes and the M46 finally died. Cam oul seal popped out and sprayed oil everywhere but was a $10 fix.
Clutch master died. They all do that when they are 30 years old or so...
Picked up a '78 as a freebie and have it a service then ran it daily for a year or so. Clutch master died. Brake master died. I miss it actually.
Every old 240 i have had has eventually needed a clutch master cylinder, a brake master cylinder, and at some point the fuel pump relay has quit. Keep two inches of wire with male spade terminals on both ends in the glove box and you can bypass the relay to get home.
Every wagon i have had anything to do with including my sister's $200 '81 that we all took turns thrashing for a year or so without killing it and my brother's '86 have needed the wiring in the tailgate repaired. It cracks where it runs through the hinges.
I just make a new harness for it. Another 20 years of service...
lasercowboy
Echoing the statements of other above: I always found that the good thing about having a 240 as a daily (which i did for 5 years back in UK) was that if anything did go wrong, it could generally be fixed roadside, if you keep a few simple bits and bobs in the back. underneath, these cars are essentially very simple, and so most things are an easy fix at least to get you home. on more complex modern cars, any fault is likely to be a showstopper.
themadracoon
My 2c worth:
I recently bought an '84 240GL auto as my daily driver. I'm not very handy with tools so it's cost me a bit to make roadworthy but still an inexpensive proposition. Prior to this we had an '01 Renault and a '12 Ford Fiesta with the automated manual gearbox. We had to get rid of one and in the end I got rid of both.... the Renault was reliable but not great to drive (great to carry people and loads in and nice on the highway) but every time I drove it I wondered.... will the (auto) transmission go? Will some of the electronics fail? The Fiesta is a brilliant drive (lovely ride and steering) and economical but the toddlers got older/taller and it wasn't fitting the bill. Reliability? Well the automated clutch seal leaked.... replaced under warranty (and Ford in the meantime upgraded the design) but 3 months off the road. Cost to fix if it had not been under warranty was around the same as the Volvo on the road (!!!)
As a daily driver the Volvo is fine, endearing even. Love the solidity. Personally I love '70s and '80s Benzes, Peugeots and have always had a respect for Volvos so the older RWD driving style suits me & I don't miss the newer cars very often.
So I would say that in terms of reliability, if you looked after it it will last. There may be small breakdowns on the way - they have been on the road for a long time - which you may not get in a newer car, but if you factor in major faults and/or depreciation you won't be behind. I've had the Volvo only a few months. Give me a year or two and I will confirm if this hypothesis is correct (it was with the my old Benz over 10 years!). Plenty of other people swear by their Volvos.
240Joe
carnut1100;63049 wrote
Every old 240 i have had has eventually needed a clutch master cylinder, a brake master cylinder, and at some point the fuel pump relay has quit. Keep two inches of wire with male spade terminals on both ends in the glove box and you can bypass the relay to get home.
Every wagon i have had anything to do with including my sister's $200 '81 that we all took turns thrashing for a year or so without killing it and my brother's '86 have needed the wiring in the tailgate repaired. It cracks where it runs through the hinges.
I just make a new harness for it. Another 20 years of service...
That's odd because I've never had any of those problems with my 240s
Vee_Que
I think there is a difference between staying driving, and being pleasant to drive. The difference is the faults that don't cripple the car but will make it more annoying to be in. Old cars will do that unless you're always fixing them.
carnut1100
240Joe;63095 wrotecarnut1100;63049 wrote
Every old 240 i have had has eventually needed a clutch master cylinder, a brake master cylinder, and at some point the fuel pump relay has quit. Keep two inches of wire with male spade terminals on both ends in the glove box and you can bypass the relay to get home.
Every wagon i have had anything to do with including my sister's $200 '81 that we all took turns thrashing for a year or so without killing it and my brother's '86 have needed the wiring in the tailgate repaired. It cracks where it runs through the hinges.
I just make a new harness for it. Another 20 years of service...
That's odd because I've never had any of those problems with my 240s
Bear in mind that most 240s i have messed with have been'70s and all bar one have been kjet.
Brake and clutch masters will tend to get flaky after 30 years on almost any car.
The fuel pump relay is a well known issue and is usually caused by dry and cracked solder joints, all bar one have been fixed by reflowing the solder joints.
The wiring for the tailgates Rina through the hinges and flexes sharply...a definite design fault but seems to last 20+ years but eventually it WILL break in the middle of the hinge. Only a wagon problem though.
Also had a few firewall pumps go, again most cats need a new pump after 30 years...
Philia_Bear
VolvoHordz;62999 wrotePaddlerEd;62853 wroteBrendan (@volvohordz) has his that he was dailying until he grew up and got a proper job with a company car... AJ has used his 244 as a daily as well I think.
Put on over 200 000km in 9 years of daily driving. Now it just makes it out on weekends but its still going well.
It has had a few issues over that time/distance but for the most part could either be limped home or fixed up with basic tools/spares I had with me. I only ever had it towed home once and on that occasion the cause ended up being something silly that could have been fixed on the side of the road.
The key like any car is regular maintenance and an ear/feel/eye to pick up the warning signs of something not being right.
It only once tried to decapitate us with its crank pully
