Some of you have been asking about how things are going with my life dream of owning an old(er) Volvo wagon… preferably an early 90′s 240. Well, here’s the update.
I’m heading to my cottage for a week in early August, and I basically need a vehicle for that week, so I have a hard deadline to shoot for, which I haven’t had before. That means I’ll just have to bite the bullet and wade hip-deep into car ownership. I’m currently looking very seriously at two different vehicles. One is an older 240 with LOTS of kilometres on it, but it’ll be dirt cheap. Cheap up front means costly in the long run, but it’s in pretty good shape all things considered. The other car is an 860 that’s in much better shape, but costs more (and is for sale on the other side of the province). I’m looking a bit more seriously at the second car right now, so a trip to Eastern Ontario is going to be in the works soon.
I’ve secured financing and I’m doing my homework on buying, safetying, plating, registering and insuring a used car (and it’s frigging complicated) to minimize the number of surprises that will pop up later. If anyone has any tips from their own used car purchases, please pass them along. I’m considering buying privately OR from a dealer, so tips for both would be great.
Rest assured that once I have a Volvo wagon in my driveway, invites for camping and cottage trips will be more frequent, and the Castle will be hosting a christening party to name her and send her off in a fitting (and traditional) fashion.
Also, if you know anyone selling a Volvo wagon, or you know of one in your neighbourhood with a ‘For Sale’ sign tucked in a window, pass along the details… please. Your help is greatly appreciated and I’m sure you have a vested interest in helping if for no other reason than being able to read about all my Volvo adventures in here.
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Congrats on taking the plunge into used car ownership! My own experiences with sweet rides, namely a 1987 Dodge Aries Wagon and 1990 Chrysler Dynasty, have taught me a couple of things.
Suprisingly, the government likes to hit you for tax on the sale of a used car. That’s right, tax is paid on the new vehicle and each subsequent sale of the same used car. To save a few bucks, convince the seller to tell a white lie on the bill of sale and underestimate the selling price. For example, assume you pay $5000 for your future Volvo. If the bill of sale states the selling price was $2000, you only pay tax on the lower price. Don’t get greedy though, because they use “the book” to determine approximate costs of used vehicles.
It’s fun and healthy to screw the government
RIP: Artful Dodger and Lady Dy.
Is the new one an 850 or an 860? The 850 was well ahead of its time and front wheel drive, the 860/840 is from the 80′s.
my advice is get one of those lemon-aid guides. It’ll say what parts are usually going (or gone) and what to look out for. It also has the book prices (that may come in handy).
make sure you run the VIN for any accidents that the seller did not want to tell you about. and if the guy pushes you to make a quick decision, he’s definitely hiding something!!!! if there is any way to take it to a nearby mechanic for a quick look over then do it, you don’t want to get screwed with unseen damage.